Renting a car with no deposit and taking it on the ferry between islands: the honest Canary Islands guide
Updated: July 2026. Ferry, flight and rental prices are dynamic: use them as a guide and confirm the actual amount when you book.
Plenty of people assume that, because the Canary Islands are a single region, you can just take your rental car and drive it straight onto the ferry to visit another island. It is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make on your trip. Here we tell you, without any sugar-coating, what each company actually allows, what happens to your insurance, and how to move between islands for a lot less.
The great illusion: why crossing without authorisation is dangerous
If your rental contract does not state in writing that you are authorised to travel between islands, the car's insurance stops being valid the moment the vehicle drives onto the ferry.
⚠️ The real risk. Without that written authorisation, if there is a bump, a breakdown or any incident on the boat or on the other island, you pay for everything out of your own pocket, including transporting the car back to the island it came from (which can cost hundreds or thousands of euros). And it makes no difference that you took out fully comprehensive cover with no excess: outside the island where you picked it up, that insurance does not cover you.
This is not an interpretation: the official terms of companies such as AutoReisen and TopCar say so explicitly. Any cost (garage, tow, breakdown, transport) outside the island where you rented is on you.
Company by company: who allows it and who does not
Every company has its own rule. Before booking, always check the specific condition in your contract.
CICAR / Cabrera Medina — Yes, at no extra cost. You must ask for it at the counter so it is recorded in the contract and you keep your cover. The car is normally returned on the same island where you picked it up.
Goldcar — Yes, with paid cover. Requires taking out the "Cross Border" cover: 9 €/day (minimum 25 €, maximum 90 € per rental). Without it, the insurance is only valid on the pick-up island. Not available for gas (LPG) vehicles.
TopCar — Only between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Outside those two islands it is not allowed. With prior authorisation, the company may apply an additional charge and/or deposit; the car must be returned on the island where it was rented.
AutoReisen — No (by default). Its terms prohibit taking the car off the island except with express written authorisation. Without it, there is no cover and you take on all the costs, including transport back.
PlusCar — Check with them. We could not confirm a clear public rule: ask them directly before booking if you plan to change islands.
🚫 To the mainland, never. Taking a Canary rental car to mainland Spain (ferry to Huelva or Cádiz) is not permitted and not covered. It is the red line for every company.
No-deposit rental: separating myth from reality
"No-deposit car rental" and "no hold on the card" are among the most frequent searches, especially among travellers from Eastern Europe. Here it pays to be precise, because a lot of wrong information gets passed around:
AutoReisen — genuinely no deposit. Its terms say so in full: they ask for no cash deposit and no pre-authorisation on the credit card. You need a valid card at pick-up (they also accept debit), but they do not hold any money. It is the cleanest local option in this respect.
CICAR — yes, it charges a deposit. Contrary to what you read on many forums, CICAR does hold a security deposit (in the order of 200 € on small ranges and 400 € on higher ranges, plus the fuel deposit). Offering "no excess" insurance does not mean "no deposit": they are different things.
TopCar — a no-deposit option on Lanzarote. They offer the possibility of renting without a deposit on Lanzarote as a specific product, not as a general rule.
PlusCar — with deposit. According to the available information, they do ask for a deposit.
In short: if your priority is not having money held on your card, AutoReisen is the verified bet.
Is it even worth crossing with the car?
Even if you pick a company that allows it for free (like CICAR), the numbers often do not add up. Between islands the main operators are Fred Olsen Express (faster) and Armas Trasmediterránea (Naviera Armas); on some routes also Balearia.
A foot passenger usually pays quite little (roughly 25–50 € per crossing, depending on route and fare).
A medium car with two people, return trip, on routes such as Tenerife ↔ Gran Canaria or Tenerife ↔ La Gomera, can easily climb into the 150–300 € range.
⚠️ The "Canary Resident" trap. The State subsidises 75 % of the ticket for official residents of the Canary Islands (on ferry and by plane). When you see on a forum that "crossing the car costs next to nothing", it is written by a resident. On the booking websites the resident fare appears prominently and is easy to tick by mistake: but at boarding they check residence (certificate of registration / verification in the SARA system). If you cannot prove it, you either pay the difference up to the full fare at the port or you are refused boarding. In 2025 these checks were tightened precisely to stop misuse by non-residents.
The professional method: the "car swap at the port"
If you want to visit several islands (island hopping), you almost always come out ahead, both in money and peace of mind, with this method instead of loading the car onto the ferry:
Book a car on island A (for example, from the airport to the port, like Los Cristianos in Tenerife).
On ferry day, drive to the port and drop the car off at the port office. CICAR and AutoReisen, among others, have an office in the terminals or very close by.
Board as a foot passenger (much cheaper than the ticket with a car).
On arrival at island B, go into the terminal office and pick up a new car that you have booked in advance.
Why it is the best option: you save the expensive part of the ticket (the vehicle), you forget about the insurance small print, and you do not have to reverse into the narrow, moving car deck of the boat, something that stresses many drivers.
Ferry or plane? The other alternative
Between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the ferry is not always the best choice. The inter-island flights are operated by Binter Canarias and Canaryfly: Tenerife Norte (TFN) ↔ Gran Canaria (LPA) is about 30 minutes of flying, with fares that usually move around 25–55 € per crossing. It often works out comparable or cheaper than the ferry (which on that route is around 1 h 20) and, of course, faster.
Advanced tips (for those who will really be at the port)
The Los Cristianos parking trap. If you drop the car off just before departure, do not follow the lane of cars waiting for the ferry: you can get stuck and miss the boat. The assigned spaces for CICAR and AutoReisen are in the enclosed car park behind the terminal building; leave the car there and hand the key in at the counter or in the terminal's key box.
If the car is damaged on the boat. The rental insurance does not cover damage that happens in the ferry's car deck. In that case the shipping company's insurance is responsible, but the claim must be filed on the boat itself, before disembarking. If you get off and notice it afterwards, it is rejected.
Luggage as a foot passenger. Large suitcases do not go up to the cabin: they are loaded onto trolleys/cages handled on the vehicle deck and collected on arrival (as at the airport). Always keep valuables with you (laptop, camera, money, passports, medication): during the crossing you will not be able to go down to fetch them.
Corralejo (Fuerteventura) ↔ Playa Blanca (Lanzarote). Even though the two islands are almost within sight (24–35 minute crossing), the rules are the same: without authorisation, the insurance is void here too. Since the ticket with a car is expensive for such a short crossing, it usually pays to cross on foot and do the car swap at the port (the offices are right next to the quay).
Have you crossed recently and something has changed (a fare, a company rule, a timetable)? Write to us and we will update the guide for the rest of the travellers. Local information changes fast, and together we keep it reliable.
Facts verified from the official sources of the companies and the shipping lines (July 2026). Fares are indicative and should be confirmed when booking.