As the internet has changed our world with buying insurance products, DVDs and pretty much anything that can be delivered; so it has changed how we book our holidays too. There has been a massive increase in people creating their own holidays online, by booking their flights, accommodation and now car hire separately to create their own personal holiday. However if not down correctly there can be drawbacks, even with holiday car hire. Take this example from Spain!

Most of us now tend to book our Spanish Car Hire online. We quickly compare car sizes, look at the price, put our credit card details, print off our voucher and that is about it. Then when the morning of the well-earned holiday arrives, your priorities change, there will be no more worries for the time being, there is now nothing more important than going away and relaxing on our holiday.

So at the time you pick up your hire car from the airport, it is understandable that you may not be exactly prepared for driving on the Spanish roads, you may not have read about everything you should know. What doesnt help is that the assistants, who hand over your keys tend to assume you know the requirements of driving on Spanish roads and in my experience have never offered me any information.

So here are 4 requirements that you should know before you take your holiday car hire out on the roads of Spain. It is not a comprehensive list, but covers the more common issues.

1st Requirement - All cars must carry reflective jackets. I have had 2 occasions when after picking up my car I have realised that jackets were not supplied by the hire company. Police often action roadside checks for these jackets. Many locals place these jackets over their front seats so the police can immediately see them.

2nd Requirement - All cars must carry a reflective warning triangle. If you do breakdown, you must place the triangle well behind your car, so the traffic behind you is warned in plenty of time. Try to keep this triangle so it is easily reached, not under heavy suitcases for example.

3rd Requirement - Like many countries, but not the UK, carrying your driving license whilst driving in Spain is compulsory. Be careful though as pick pockets know this. Keep it out of site, but somewhere where you can get at it easily should you need it.

4th Requirement - Drivers must carry their insurance documents at all times. In the case of the holidaymaker in a hire car, this would be the hire agreement.

These are just 4 basic car hire tips, so you can drive safely and legally in Spain. But failure to action or know about any of them could put you in trouble with the Spanish police. Unfortunately ignorance is not an indication of innocence and I know that the police do face these basic issues every day and have no problem issuing spot fines. So if you after an incident free holiday in Spain, just take the time to read your hire agreement properly and adhere to these simple 4 requirements.