Convertible Car Rental: Best Destinations and What to Check Before Booking

A convertible is not the right car for every trip, but for certain destinations and certain roads, driving top-down is the whole point. The challenge is availability: most rental locations carry very few convertibles, insurance excess is often higher than standard cars, and the best routes fill up fast in summer.

Best destinations for a convertible rental

Florida: Miami to the Keys

The Florida Keys Overseas Highway (US Route 1) from Miami to Key West is one of the definitive convertible drives in the world — 180 km of road crossing 42 bridges over the Gulf of Mexico, with the ocean visible on both sides. The weather is warm year-round. The road is flat, straight, and speed-limited — it is not a sports driving road, but as a scenery experience it is exceptional.

Florida is also one of the best markets for convertible availability: Hertz, Avis, and Sixt maintain convertible fleets at Miami (MIA), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), and Orlando (MCO). Typical models: Ford Mustang Convertible, Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, Chrysler Sebring. These are full-size American convertibles — substantially larger than European equivalents.

Best season: November–April. Summer is hurricane season and the heat/humidity make top-down driving uncomfortable.

Mallorca: the Ma-10 mountain road

The Ma-10 through the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range is one of Europe’s most dramatic roads — steep hairpins, stone wall villages, sea views, and the smell of pines and maquis. Deià, Valldemossa, and Banyalbufar all sit on or near this route.

A convertible on the Ma-10 in spring is genuinely memorable. Availability is limited at Palma Airport (PMI) — book 6–8 weeks ahead for June–September.

Caveat: the Sa Calobra descent (a detour off the Ma-10) is closed to vehicles over a certain width. Check your convertible’s width against the restriction if you plan to drive it. Most standard convertibles are under the limit, but confirm.

Canary Islands: year-round sun

Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote are the strongest convertible markets in Spain. The Canary Islands have near-permanent sunshine, low traffic outside resort areas, and scenic coastal and mountain routes (TF-21 to Teide in Tenerife, GC-60 Tejeda loop in Gran Canaria).

The Canary Islands also have a year-round season, which means convertibles are available outside European summer peak. Autumn and winter rentals are significantly cheaper.

Sicily: the coastal routes

The SS115 along Sicily’s south coast (Agrigento to Marsala), the Etna circumference road (SS120), and the north coast Palermo–Cefalù stretch are all scenic convertible routes. Sicily has a warm, dry season from May–October.

Note for Sicily: convertibles are more limited here than in the Canary Islands or Mallorca. Book well in advance for summer.

Amalfi Coast: check the width first

The SS163 Amalfi Coast road is iconic, but a convertible is not necessarily the right car for it. The road is extremely narrow, shared with tour buses, and has very limited parking. Convertibles tend to be wider than compact cars, making tight sections more stressful. Many visitors find that a small hatchback — or the SITA bus — is more practical for the Amalfi drive itself, with the convertible experience better suited to the less-congested roads elsewhere in Campania.

Soft top vs hard top: what’s the difference?

Soft top convertibles: fabric roof folds behind the rear seats. Lighter, more traditional convertible look. Slightly less secure at high speed. Fabric can wear and develop leaks over time in older fleet vehicles.

Hard top convertibles (retractable hardtop/coupé cabriolet): metal roof folds electrically into the boot. Better wind and noise isolation when closed, more secure. Boot space is reduced (roof folds into it). Takes 15–20 seconds to open/close electrically.

Most major rental companies offer both, often without specifying which you’ll receive. If you have a preference, ask at booking — some companies can confirm model type, others cannot.

Insurance considerations

Convertible rental comes with a higher insurance excess than standard categories in most contracts:

• Standard compact car excess: €500–€1,000
• Convertible excess: €1,000–€2,500 (sometimes more for premium models)

The reason: soft top roofs are expensive to repair or replace. A slash, tear, or weather damage can cost €500–€1,500 and is often not covered under standard CDW.

What to check:

1. What is the excess on your convertible booking specifically — not the general category excess
2. Whether soft top damage is covered (some policies exclude it explicitly)
3. Whether third-party excess insurance covers convertibles (most do, but verify)

Recommendation: if you are renting a convertible, purchase a zero-excess policy from a third-party insurer (iCarhireinsurance, Careasy) that explicitly covers convertibles. The higher excess on these vehicles makes zero-excess cover more valuable than on standard cars.

Availability and booking advice

Fleet size: most rental locations carry 1–3 convertibles. This is not an exaggeration. Some smaller locations have none at all.

Book early: 6–8 weeks ahead for summer in Mediterranean destinations. 2–3 weeks minimum for off-peak.

Confirm the booking: receive written confirmation that states “convertible” or the specific model. A booking that says “Compact” without specifying convertible is not a guaranteed convertible.

Consider upgrades at pickup: some renters book a standard category and ask about convertible upgrades at the counter. This can work (and sometimes companies offer upgrades cheaply when the convertible fleet is full), but cannot be relied upon — especially in peak season.

Age and licence restrictions: most companies require a minimum age of 21–25 for convertibles, with the exact threshold varying by company and market. Young driver surcharges apply. Verify minimum age for the specific booking.

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