Cheap car rental in Palma de Mallorca

Mallorca by car: what to know in Palma

Palma is where almost every trip to Mallorca starts: the island's only airport is here, and the motorways to the north, east and south all begin at the city ring road. The old town is best seen on foot, while a car is what opens up the mountain villages and the quieter beaches.

Picking up the car

Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI, Son Sant Joan) is about 8 km east of the city centre, 10–15 minutes by motorway. If you spend the first days in Palma itself, you can collect the car later and save on parking: the cathedral, the old town and the seafront are all within walking distance of each other.

Day trips across the island

Valldemossa in the Serra de Tramuntana is about 20 km north of Palma, and Sóller around 30 km, through a tunnel that is free to use. Alcúdia and the bays of the north are roughly 55–60 km away on the Ma-13 motorway, Es Trenc beach about 50 km to the south-east, and the Drach Caves in Porto Cristo around 65 km to the east. In summer the last stretch of road to the Cap de Formentor lighthouse is closed to private cars during the day.

Roads and parking

Mallorca's motorways are toll-free. The Ma-10 mountain road through the Tramuntana is narrow and winding, with many cyclists: allow more time than the distance suggests. In Palma, blue lines mark paid street parking (ORA), and parts of the old town are resident-only zones (ACIRE) controlled by cameras. The simplest option is one of the underground car parks near the cathedral or the seafront.