Scooter or car on the Costa Brava: real cost with parking and fuel, GI-682 summer traffic, cove access — and when each one honestly wins. 2026 guide.
Flights and hotel in Lloret are booked, and one logistical decision remains: should you rent a car or a scooter to get around the Costa Brava? We are a motorbike rental company, so you have every right to be suspicious of our answer. That is why this comparison does something unusual: it also tells you, with complete honesty, when the car is the better choice. Because those cases exist — and there are quite a few.
If there are one or two of you and your plan is the coast — coves, towns like Tossa or Blanes, scenic roads — a 125cc scooter wins on total cost, parking, time in high season and, above all, experience. The car wins in four specific scenarios: small children, more than two people, rain in the forecast and big luggage. The rest of this article works through every argument so you can decide with facts, not slogans.
A 125cc bike at Coast Rent costs between €45 and €60/day depending on model and season, with helmet, third-party insurance and unlimited mileage included, plus a €120-150 deposit returned when you bring it back. An economy rental car in the Girona/Lloret area in peak summer typically runs at roughly €40-80/day depending on how early you book and which company — and almost always with an excess or credit-card hold considerably larger than our deposit.
But the rental price is only the start. Fuel: a 125cc uses around 3 L/100 km; a compact car roughly double. And parking is the invisible cost: in summer a car pays blue-zone or private parking at almost every stop (roughly a few €/hour depending on the town), while a bike usually finds free motorcycle bays or a spot right by the entrance.
Budgeting trick: always add parking to the price of the car. A week of parking twice a day in paid zones can add the equivalent of one or two extra rental days.
This is where the gap is brutal. Coves like Cala Giverola, Sa Boadella, Cala Bona or Cala Pola have tiny or paid car parks that fill up by mid-morning in August: arriving at 11:00 by car can mean turning around. On a bike, you park right by the cove entrance and walk down. Same story in the towns: Lloret, Tossa and Blanes run on blue zones and paid car parks in summer, while motorbikes usually get free dedicated bays.
The GI-682 — the winding road linking Lloret with Tossa and on towards Sant Feliu — jams in July and August, as do the access roads to the most popular beaches. In a car, that jam is your morning plan. On a bike, slow traffic hurts far less and, above all, you skip the 20 minutes of hunting for a parking space on arrival, which in summer is usually the worst part of the trip.
The curves of the GI-682 with the sea below are among the most beautiful roads in Catalonia. In a car they are a transfer; on a bike they are part of the plan. You stop at whichever viewpoint you fancy, smell the pines and the salt, switch coves on a whim. It is hard to quantify, but it is the reason most of our customers come back: they did not rent transport, they rented the holiday.
Let us be clear: if it rains, the car wins, no caveats. It rarely rains on the Costa Brava in summer, but a stormy day on a bike is no fun and no safer for it. The practical mitigation: with Coast Rent you book online with no card and no upfront payment, and you cancel free up to 24 hours before — so you can watch the forecast and decide without risking a euro.
If you need to move suitcases — airport transfer, changing accommodation, big shopping runs — the car obviously wins. A bike takes a backpack, towels and your day kit in the top case or under the seat: plenty for a beach-and-route day, nowhere near enough for the family’s luggage logistics.
Spanish law allows motorbike passengers over 12 (over 7 if the rider is their parent or guardian), but legality is not the point. With small children, the car is the right answer: child seat, shade, air conditioning and a nap on the back seat. A motorbike rental company telling you this is exactly the honesty we promised at the start.
All of the above, summed up in one table:
| Aspect | 125cc motorbike | Economy car |
|---|---|---|
| Price/day approx. | €45-60 (all included, deposit €120-150) | Approx. €40-80 in summer + larger excess |
| Fuel | ~3 L/100 km | ~6-7 L/100 km |
| Parking at coves | By the entrance, usually free | Tiny or paid car parks, full in August |
| Blue zones in towns | Motorcycle bays, often free | Paid in summer (roughly a few €/hour) |
| GI-682 traffic jams | Barely hurt | Queues in July and August |
| Passengers | 2 (helmets for both included) | 4-5 |
| Luggage | Backpack and top case | Full boot |
| Rain | Bad experience | No problem |
| Small children | Not advisable | Child seat and off you go |
| Licence required | EU car licence (B) held 3+ years, or A1/A | B |
We rent motorbikes and we will still tell you straight. Choose a car if:
If two or more of those describe you, rent a car and enjoy it. No hard feelings: the Costa Brava is beautiful through a car window too.
It is not bike OR car for the whole week. Many of our customers arrive by car — their own, or rented for the luggage transfer — and rent the bike for just 2 or 3 days: the cove-and-route days. Others watch the forecast and book the bike for the sunny days. The car solves the logistics; the bike delivers the fun.
Our booking system is built exactly for that: you book online with no card and no upfront payment, cancel free up to 24 hours before, and the deposit is only paid at pick-up (and returned at drop-off). Deciding 48 hours out based on the sky costs you nothing.
The fact almost nobody knows on arrival: with an EU car licence (B) held for 3 or more years you can ride a motorbike up to 125cc in Spain. No motorbike licence needed.
Our 2026 fleet, priced by season (high season: 1 June to 15 September):
The distances from our shop in Lloret say it all: Tossa de Mar 15 km (25 min), Blanes 12 km (15 min), Girona 40 km (30 min) and Cap de Creus 120 km (about 2 h, better on the CF Moto 650). Every rental includes helmet — two if you ride two-up —, third-party insurance and unlimited mileage. Find us at Rambla de Roma Barnes 16, Lloret de Mar, or on WhatsApp +34 614 326 392.
If your trip is about the coast — coves, towns, curves with views — the bike wins at almost everything that matters: total cost, parking, traffic and experience. If your trip is about family logistics — kids, suitcases, four people — the car wins, and there is nothing wrong with admitting it. And if in doubt, go hybrid: car to get here, bike for the days you will actually remember.
Book online with no card and no upfront payment. Free cancellation up to 24 h before, helmet and insurance included. See bikes and prices
Yes, with common sense. Our 125cc bikes are designed for two and include an approved helmet for each rider. Coastal roads have limits of 80 km/h or less and are best enjoyed at a relaxed pace. Avoid the beach-access rush hours and night riding if you do not know the area.
In rain we recommend not riding, plain and simple. That is why our booking needs no card and no upfront payment, and you can cancel free up to 24 hours before: watch the forecast and decide risk-free. Many customers book the bike only for the sunny days.
Yes. In Spain, an EU car licence (B) held for at least 3 years lets you ride motorbikes up to 125cc. No motorbike licence needed. The CF Moto 650 MT does require an A licence.
Car, no hesitation. With small children the bike is the wrong tool and we would rather say so plainly. If the adults want a day out on a bike while the kids are looked after, then yes: a 125 by the day is a great plan.
No. You book online with no card and no upfront payment. The deposit (€120-300 depending on the vehicle) is left at pick-up and returned in full when the bike comes back in good condition.
Yes, and in August it is the difference between swimming and turning around. Coves like Giverola, Sa Boadella, Cala Bona or Cala Pola have tiny or paid car parks that fill by mid-morning; on a bike you park by the entrance and walk down.
Coast Rent — Rambla de Romà Barnés 16, 17310 Lloret de Mar — Tel: +34 614 326 392 — Hours: 09:00–21:00 (March – November)
Carabela store (Paddle boards, bikes & e-scooters — Opening 1 February 2027) — Avinguda Just Marlès Vilarrodona 2 (Centro Comercial Carabela), 17310 Lloret de Mar — Tel: +34 611 500 372 — Hours: 10:00–20:00. Also: boat bookings (departing from Blanes port) and activity tickets: Boats, Activities