Compare cheap 7 seater car hire at Palma Airport, Mallorca. Formentor summer car ban, Sa Calobra hairpins, cyclist passing rules and child seat law.
Planning a drive to Cap de Formentor in summer? Private cars are banned for most of the day in high season. Read the section below before you set off.
Palma de Mallorca Airport handled a record 33,806,427 passengers in 2025 (Aena). After Germany, Britain was its biggest overseas market, with 5.9 million passengers (Majorca Daily Bulletin).
Most of those UK families head for villas and resorts away from Palma. A 7 seater gets everyone there in one go. The island’s best-known drives, though, come with rules a big car needs to plan around.
Cap de Formentor: closed to cars by day
The road out to the Formentor lighthouse is one of the most famous drives in Mallorca. In high season, private vehicles are banned from it between 10am and 10pm, roughly from mid-May to mid-October (Imperial Properties).
The TIB 334 bus runs instead. Fines for driving in during the restricted hours can reach about £171 (€200). The exact dates are set each year, so check before you go.
For a family of seven, the bus is the easy option in summer. If you want to drive it yourself, go before 10am or after 10pm, or visit outside the season.
Sa Calobra in a big car
The road down to Sa Calobra drops 10 km through 26 hairpins and a 270-degree loop where it passes under itself (Cycling UK).
Coaches use it all day. In the narrowest section, they take the middle of the road to clear the rock walls. It is also a dead end, so you come back up the same way.
In a 7 seater, that means patience. Pull in where you can to let coaches past, and go early to beat the worst of the coach traffic.
Sharing the mountains with cyclists
The Serra de Tramuntana is one of Europe’s most popular cycling areas, and you will meet riders on almost every mountain road.
Spanish law requires at least 1.5 metres of space when you overtake a cyclist. You must also slow to at least 20 km/h below the speed limit, so on a 90 km/h road you pass at no more than 70 km/h. The DGT regularly fines drivers about £171 (€200) for getting this wrong (El Debate).
A wide 7 seater needs more road to give that 1.5 metres. On tight bends, wait for a straight before you pass.
Mallorca 7 Seaters in one search
Compare the hire firms serving Palma Airport side by side. The full price and the excess sit next to each other.
Palma’s low emission zone
Central Palma has a low emission zone. Fines for vehicles that break its rules have applied since 1 July 2025 (Mallorcadiario).
Vehicles without a DGT environmental label cannot drive in. Foreign-registered cars must be registered in advance. A modern Spanish-registered hire car will carry a label, so it can enter without any paperwork from you.
Parking in Palma is still hard work in a large car. For a day in the old town, park at the edge and walk in.
Spanish rules in a Spanish hire car
In Spain, children 135 cm tall or under must use an approved child restraint suited to their height and weight. Getting it wrong costs £171 (€200) and four points (Fundación MAPFRE).
Since 1 January 2026, the connected V-16 warning light has been the only legal way to mark a broken-down Spanish vehicle (Ministerio del Interior). Check the glovebox at pickup.
Mallorca is in the Schengen area, so the EU Entry/Exit System applies at the airport. Allow extra time in peak weeks (GOV.UK).
Seven people, seven cases
A large suitcase holds 80 to 110 litres. With all seven seats in use, the roomiest common 7 seaters manage about 340 to 350 litres of boot.
For a full family with a big case each, look for the ACRISS FV class, meaning seven or more seats plus more space, or book an 8 or 9 seater. A smaller car is easier on the Tramuntana roads, so do not oversize if you do not need to.
Visiting another Balearic island? Our Ibiza Airport guide covers the summer cap on hire cars, and our Menorca Airport guide covers the beach bus to Macarella.
Keeping a Mallorca 7 Seater affordable
- Compare the total, not the daily rate. Fuel policy, deposit, insurance excess and extra driver charges all sit outside the headline price.
- Use the bus for Formentor. In high season it saves a fine and a long queue.
- Price child seats per day. Hire firms usually charge per seat, and two or three seats over a fortnight add up. Bringing your own is often cheaper.
- Book early with free cancellation. July and August see the highest demand. Lock in a cancellable rate, then search again nearer the date and rebook if prices fall.
Price a Palma 7 Seater for your trip
Add your dates to see cheap rates before the summer peak.
Questions people ask
Can I drive to Cap de Formentor in summer?
Not during the day in high season. Private cars are banned from 10am to 10pm from around mid-May to mid-October. The TIB 334 bus runs instead.
Is Sa Calobra safe in a 7 seater?
Yes, if you take it slowly. Expect coaches on the bends and give way where the road is narrow. Go early to avoid the busiest traffic.
How much room must I give cyclists in Mallorca?
At least 1.5 metres, and you must slow to 20 km/h below the speed limit while you pass.
Can a hire car drive into Palma’s low emission zone?
Yes, if it has a DGT environmental label, which modern Spanish hire cars do.
Where can I compare cheap 7 Seater deals at Palma Airport?
Compare several hire firms at once. Our search shows 7 seaters from the firms at Palma in one list, with the total price for each. Prices move with demand, so the earlier you search, the more choice you get.
