If you’ve searched for car rental deals in Portugal, there’s a good chance DoYouSpain has shown up somewhere in your comparison — usually near the top for price. It’s one of the older car hire brokers still operating, with over 20 years in the business and a claimed customer base in the tens of millions. But “broker” is the operative word here, and it’s worth understanding exactly what that means before you book, because it shapes almost everything about the experience — good and bad.
This review is built from published customer reviews across Trustpilot, Reviews.io, PissedConsumer, and independent testing by consumer body Which?, along with DoYouSpain’s own published terms and testimonials. We haven’t booked through the platform ourselves, and we’ve tried to represent both the praise and the complaints fairly, since the reviews genuinely pull in both directions.
What DoYouSpain actually is
DoYouSpain isn’t a car rental company — it’s a booking platform that compares prices across multinational brands and local suppliers, then hands your reservation over to whichever company matches your search. In Portugal, that might mean your booking ends up with a familiar multinational, or it might mean a smaller local supplier you’ve never heard of. The platform itself doesn’t own the cars, staff the desks, or set the rental terms at pickup — the supplier does. This structure is common across the broker industry, not unique to DoYouSpain, but it’s the root of most of the complaints you’ll find online.
The case for booking through them
The consistent praise, where it exists, centers on price: reviewers repeatedly describe DoYouSpain as cheaper than booking directly with the same supplier, and several mention using the site for years specifically because of that price advantage. The booking process itself is generally described as straightforward, with clear upfront pricing at the comparison stage and the option to add excess insurance separately rather than being locked into whatever the supplier offers. For travelers who’ve done this before and know to photograph the car and decline counter upsells, several reviews describe a genuinely smooth, no-drama experience — pick up, drive, return, done.
The recurring complaints
The pattern that shows up most often, across nearly every review platform, involves the gap between what’s booked and what’s offered at the counter. Multiple reviewers describe being told their prepaid insurance wasn’t accepted by the local supplier, and being pressured into buying a second, more expensive policy on the spot — in one case reportedly tripling the total cost of the rental. Because DoYouSpain is a broker, its standard response to these disputes is that the interaction between customer and supplier happens outside its control, which understandably frustrates travelers who booked through DoYouSpain specifically expecting DoYouSpain to stand behind the transaction.
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Cancellation and no-show policies are the other recurring flashpoint. Several reviews describe arriving late — due to flight delays — and finding their booking cancelled under a strict grace-period rule, with no refund offered because, per DoYouSpain’s terms, the car was technically made available and the customer didn’t collect it in time. Customer support itself draws mixed but often negative feedback: no phone line for most issues, slow email responses, and in a number of complaints, replies that read as generic or automated rather than addressing the specific problem raised.
Independent consumer body Which? rates DoYouSpain toward the bottom of the car hire brokers it tracks, citing weak clarity around rental conditions and inconsistent satisfaction with the eventual supplier — a useful outside data point, since it isn’t sourced from self-selected reviewers the way Trustpilot ratings can be.
How to use DoYouSpain without getting burned
None of this means avoid the platform entirely — the price advantage is real, and plenty of reviewers report trouble-free rentals. It means treat it the way you’d treat any broker: the price you see is a starting point, not a guarantee of the experience. Read the terms for your specific supplier before paying, not just DoYouSpain’s general terms, since insurance acceptance and deposit rules vary by which company actually ends up fulfilling your booking. Check the no-show and cancellation window carefully if there’s any chance your flight could be delayed, and build in buffer time rather than assuming a grace period will cover you.
At the counter, decline add-on insurance politely but firmly if you’ve already covered the excess separately, and ask directly whether your prepaid policy is accepted before signing anything — get the answer in writing if there’s any hesitation. Photograph the car thoroughly before driving off, the same advice that applies to every rental in Portugal regardless of how you booked it. For more on avoiding the specific tactics that come up in these disputes, see our guide to avoiding car rental scams in Portugal and our breakdown of third-party excess insurance in Portugal, which explains why a separate policy can be cheaper — and why some suppliers push back against accepting it.
What renters say about specific Portugal pickups
Reviews mentioning Portugal specifically follow the same pattern as the platform’s reviews generally, with a few added wrinkles. Faro Airport comes up often, since it’s the busiest entry point for DoYouSpain-routed bookings in Portugal — some travelers report smooth, fast handovers with well-known suppliers, while others describe being matched with smaller, less consistent operators whose service varied by which staff member was on shift. A handful of reviews specifically mention shuttle delays to off-airport depots, which is worth building extra time for regardless of which broker or supplier you end up with in Portugal, since off-airport pickup is standard for many budget operators here, not a DoYouSpain-specific issue.
One detail worth flagging for Portugal bookings specifically: several reviewers across broker platforms generally (not only DoYouSpain) mention confusion over whether an international driving permit is required, even though Portugal doesn’t require one for most nationalities’ standard licenses. If your supplier’s desk staff ask for one you don’t have, our guide on IDPs in Portugal covers exactly when one is and isn’t legally necessary.
DoYouSpain vs. booking direct or through DiscoverCars
| DoYouSpain | Booking direct | DiscoverCars | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | Often cheapest at first glance | Usually higher | Competitive, broad comparison |
| Who you deal with at pickup | Whichever supplier you’re matched with | The company you booked | Whichever supplier you’re matched with |
| Support if something goes wrong | Mixed reviews, often slow | Direct line to the company | Generally responsive per reviews |
| Insurance flexibility | Separate excess insurance available | Usually only the supplier’s own | Separate excess insurance available |
| Best for | Price-first bookers comfortable handling supplier disputes themselves | Travelers who want one point of contact | Comparing many suppliers with stronger review consistency |
The bottom line
DoYouSpain can save you real money on a Portugal rental, and a meaningful share of reviewers have nothing but good things to say. But the recurring pattern of counter-level insurance disputes and a cancellation policy with little flexibility means it rewards travelers who go in prepared — reading the specific supplier’s terms, documenting everything, and knowing how to push back at the desk. If that’s not how you want to spend the first hour of your trip, a platform with more consistent support reviews, or booking a well-reviewed local supplier directly, may be worth the small price difference.
