Rates and Options (part 1 of 2)

The first two minutes at a rental counter decide everything: what you drive, what you pay and whether your paperwork will do. Work through this part and you will be able to walk up to an agent, say exactly what you need and get straight answers about price and documents, all in Spanish.

This stage of the conversation covers the opening exchange with the rental agent: greeting her, naming the type of vehicle and the number of days, then asking the questions that matter before anything is signed. You will practice lines such as Quiero rentar un auto por tres días to state your plan, ¿Cuánto cuesta por día? to ask about the rate, and ¿Aceptan licencias extranjeras?, the question every visitor from abroad needs. The vocabulary here reaches well past cars, since choosing between options, asking a price and finding out which documents are required come up when you book a tour, rent a bike or open an account. Because both speakers use usted throughout, you also get comfortable with the polite forms that fit any counter in Latin America.