Spain on Wheels for $1

Hertz, Iberia Airlines and Miami-based VE Tours are sponsoring a “Spain on Wheels” program that offers two people flying to Spain together a Hertz car for seven days for $1.

The two people must travel together by car as well as by air. All air bookings have to be made through VE Tours, which can also take care of the car reservations.

It isn’t necessary to make hotel bookings, but VE Tours can handle that as well. A list of hotels, including Spain’s paradores (accommodations in castles, former convents and palaces) are included in a brochure.

The $1 charge includes unlimited mileage, road and city maps and free drop-off within Spain. Fuel and the 12% value-added tax (4% in the Canary Islands) are extra. Computerized driving instructions are included at the airport rental station.

Optional coverage such as the loss-damage waiver (successor to collision-damage waiver) also is extra. The loss-damage waiver covers theft and vandalism-related damages in addition to collision.

Hertz can also provide a more comprehensive itinerary service through its Travel Companion program in conjunction with the European Automobile Assn. If you let the car-rental firm know the places where you will begin and end your trip and the sites you want to visit, you can get a computer printout with detailed touring directions, as well as points of interests and roads to avoid in case of construction or congestion.

Maps of roads, cities and locations of all Hertz offices on your route also will be shown. Hertz offers a 24-hour emergency road service in Spain, staffed by English-speaking personnel. And it provides a complimentary grooming kit with each rental car.

To get the personalized itinerary you must fill out a Hertz order card at least four weeks before departure. Your credit card will be charged $10, with this amount deducted from your final rental charges. However, if your bill is only $1, you won’t get $9 back because the transaction is so small, a Hertz spokesman said.

This seven-day Hertz $1 offer is from Nov. 1 through next May 31. Reservations should be made at least 14 days before departure.

For more details, contact a travel agent, Hertz at toll-free (800) 654-3001 or VE Tours at (800) 222-8383. When calling Hertz, ask for the company’s Affordable Europe brochure, which contains order cards for the personalized itinerary.