Good value rentals with decent overall experience
There are times when things turn out better than expected. It’s not the norm when it comes to rental cars, but it can obviously happen. That Centauro would stand for it was a surprise. Can’t say, however, that that feeling was present immediately upon arrival when we, together with about thirty other travelers, were looking in the parking lot for the Centauro shuttle bus. With just over half an hour left until the office closes, you are not in the mood for adventures
Centauro is located in the Son Oms industrial area, just outside the airport, where you can also find Wiber and ClickRent. In other words, you can count on a 5-10 minute bus transfer to pick up the car. It’s not an office, but rather a barracks, but as long as the waiting time is reasonable, it doesn’t matter much. In our case it took less than 10 minutes to get the keys.
Then follows the classic round around the car in search of possible defects that are not registered in the contract. Easier said than done at 11o’clock in the evening with minimal lighting…
Centauro Rent a Car is dating back to the early 70s and started by renting out classic Seat 600s to tourists in Benidorm. Nowadays, the company is owned by a large Spanish insurance company and has several offices both in Spain and other Mediterranean countries.
Website & Booking
A user-friendly website with a flexible search and booking tool is a big plus, I think. Centauro has succeeded well in this, all information is easy to understand, clear contact details and not least the terms of the contract are legible (no obviousness, I want to promise!) Furthermore, the website is translated, albeit with Google Translate, into a dozen languages.
Unlike its competitors, Centauro has chosen to only offer vehicles with full insurance on its website, in other words a price class, Premium. The advantages are several, among other things the insurance covers everything, without excess, you also avoid the deposit and unused fuel is refunded. The disadvantage is, of course, the price, which is slightly higher.
Important to keep that in mind when comparing offers from other companies that have multiple price ranges. On price comparison sites such as Rentalcars or Discovercars you will find cars with half insurance, hence the lower prices. So, if you want to book your car with Centauro but skip the comprehensive insurance, Rentalcars is a good alternative.
The car park feels somewhat limited, the focus seems to be on smaller car models, family cars and light trucks. Assumes that the customers who like to book premium cars look to the competitors.
Pricing – cheap and simple?
At the beginning of May 2023, Centauro had one of the lowest prices I could find for cars in the economy class (CE). With a quick search on Rentalcars.com I got an even better hit.
The price of a two-week rental from May 27 ended up at €260, or under €19/day. This with basic insurance and a deposit fee of €1,200. As you know, prices vary a lot between car rental companies, so it pays to both search at different times but also change details in the search itself, e.g. the time for pick-up or return.
Cars & Condition
Impossible to complain about anything regarding our car. A comfortable, relatively fuel-efficient Seat Ateca with fine driving characteristics was a hit. And so clean and fresh, just as it should be. But maybe the first press on the key then was “Hola!” lit up the place around the car which brought a smile and made us like the car. You had me at Hello! 🙂
Don’t know if the upgrade was the agent’s decision (Alvaro was very nice and helpful) or the result of a shortage of the Fiat 500 we wanted, but we were definitely satisfied.
Return Process
The car is returned with a full tank of fuel at the same place (the Repsol gas station is right next to the Centauro car park). With two vehicles in front of us, it took under 10 minutes to return our vehicle after a brief inspection. However, I can imagine how it feels to wait in the blazing sun when several cars arrive at the same time, there is no shade in the parking lot.
What’s good? What could be better?
The prices, the website and flexible solutions such as SmartKey with which you unlock the car with your mobile phone and FastKey if you want to skip the line and pick up the keys in a key cabinet.
I must mention the good service, both on site and by phone when we announced that the flight was delayed 1.5 hours and expected an arrival time when the office closed. We were assured that someone was there to take care of us.
Another thing we appreciated, after the transfer back to the airport we were dropped off outside the check-in terminal and not in the parking lot, as other car rental companies with bus transfers do.
It remains to be seen if the experience is as positive on the next occasion.
What could be better?
Another price category without comprehensive insurance would be desirable, a good option for those who have third-party insurance or simply do not want to pay for it.
Pros and Cons of Centauro
Pros:
– Clear, easy booking on the website ✅
– Good customer service ✅
– Full insurance with no deposit when booked directly ✅
– Often cheaper than big brands even with insurance ✅
Cons:
– Office is off-site, shuttle bus adds time to pick-up
– Mixed customer experiences — some customers report unexpected charges after return
Tips before you book / pick up the car
📸 Take photos of the car from all sides before driving away — this helps protect you later.
💳 If you’re booking through a broker, double-check insurance & deposit rules.
⛽ Fill up the tank just before return to avoid disputes about fuel.
📱 Sometimes booking full insurance direct with Centauro saves hassle and blocked deposits.
Frequently Asked Questions – Centauro Mallorca
Centauro is a well-known car rental company with many locations in Spain, including Mallorca. Experiences vary: some customers are very satisfied, while others report issues with extra charges or insurance confusion.
No. Centauro’s office is located outside the airport. You need to take a shuttle bus (5–10 minutes) from the terminal to their rental office. Shuttle bus is provided free of charge.
Centauro mainly promotes full insurance on its own website, which includes:
- No excess
- No deposit
- Refund of unused fuel
Basic insurance options may appear cheaper on comparison sites but often include excess and deposits.
If you book full insurance directly through Centauro, no deposit is usually required.
If you book with basic insurance or via a third-party site, a deposit may be blocked on your card..
Some customers report additional charges appearing after return, usually related to fuel or alleged damage. This is why it’s strongly recommended to take photos and videos of the car at pick-up and drop-off.
Yes, unless you choose a prepaid fuel option. There is a Repsol gas station close to the Centauro return area, which makes refueling easy.
It depends on what you value most. Centauro can be convenient if you want full insurance with no deposit, but companies like Record go or Wiber may offer a smoother airport experience with fewer reported issues.
Click Rent – a good alternative to Centauro if you want to save some money but still get good value, and don’t mind taking a shuttle bus from the airport to pick up the car.
