A Car with Driver for the Couple or the Guest of Honour

Not everyone rides in the minibus. The couple on their wedding day, a keynote speaker or a client flying in may want a car to themselves, and in Spain that means a VTC: a car hired with a driver, booked ahead.

How a VTC works

Under Spanish law, the car-with-driver regime is for cars alone, and every one of them needs an authorisation of its own. A VTC seats no more than nine people, the driver included. It carries passengers only on a service contracted before it starts, with the record kept on board, and it may not cruise the streets looking for fares or wait to pick up people who have not booked.

It will not look like a taxi, as taxi-style markings are not allowed on a VTC, so watch for a driver holding your name rather than a roof light.

On board

The national VTC authorisation covers only interurban trips (LOTT art. 91.1); trips within a single city are regulated by the autonomous communities and city councils, so local rules differ
VTC services must start in the autonomous community where the authorisation is registered; pre-booked pick-ups at ports and airports are an exception when the destination is in that community (LOTT art. 91.2)
A VTC car may not carry markings that could be mistaken for a taxi (ROTT art. 182.4); taxis are a separate regime
A VTC car may carry passengers only on a service booked in advance: the contract must be completed before the service starts and its record carried on board, and the car may not drive around looking for customers or wait to pick up passengers who have not booked (ROTT art. 182.1)
A VTC car has at most 9 seats including the driver (ROTT art. 181.2)
In Spain only cars (vehículos de turismo) may be hired with a driver; this is a form of passenger transport (arrendamiento de vehículos con conductor, VTC) that needs an authorisation for each vehicle (LOTT art. 99.4; ROTT art. 180)

Regional rules

Each car is tied to the region that licensed it and should begin its trips there. The exception that matters most to visitors is a pre-booked collection at an airport or port, as long as the drop-off is back in the car's home region. The national licence is for travel between towns; rides that stay inside one city answer to regional and council rules, which vary.

Alongside the group

A car works well next to a minibus: the couple travel apart for the photographs while guests follow, or a speaker heads to the venue ahead of the team. A saloon suits up to three passengers, and a van-type car stretches to eight.

What travellers ask us

Can someone extra join on the way?

Only if they are part of the booked service. Add them to the booking beforehand, because a VTC cannot take on passengers who have not booked.

Will the car meet us at the airport?

Yes, as a pre-booked pick-up at the time and place in the booking. Send the flight number so the timing can follow your arrival.

What if we have a lot of luggage?

Choose a van-type car or a small minibus. A saloon's boot fills quickly with more than a couple of large suitcases.