1<!DOCTYPE html> 2<html lang="en"><head> 3<meta content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"><title>Driving in Spain - rules and roads</title> 4 5<meta content="A guide to driving in Spain - motorways, main highways, byways and tips for drivers" name="description" lang="en"> 6<meta content="Spain, beaten track, undiscovered, byways, roads, motorways, autovias, tolls " name="keywords" lang="en"> 7<meta content="Driving in Spain - rules and roads" property="og:title"> 8<meta content="https://about-spain.net/travel/driving.htm" property="og:url"> 9<meta content="A guide to driving in Spain - motorways, main highways, byways and tips for drivers" property="og:description"> 10<meta content="https://about-spain.net/photos/autovia.jpg" property="og:image"> 11<link rel="icon" href="../favicon.ico"> 12<meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" name="viewport"> 13<style type="text/css" media="screen">.eml, .fbk2, .twi2, .pin {display: inline-block; background: 14url('sprism.png') no-repeat; overflow: hidden; text-indent: -9999px; 15text-align: left; width: 32px; height: 32px; margin-right: 12px;}.eml { 16background-position: -5px -0px; } 17.fbk2 { background-position: -5px -37px; } 18.fbk2 a:hover {background-color: transparent:} 19.twi2 { background-position: -5px -74px; } 20.pin { background-position: -5px -111px;} 21.shbt a {text-decoration: none; backgound-color: transparent;} 22.middle {padding: 0.9%;} div.res2 {padding: 0.2%;} 23.spaced td {padding: 8px;} 24.shad {box-shadow: 5px 5px 10px #888888;} 25.roco {border-radius: 9px;} 26.rocot {border-radius: 8px 8px 0 0;} 27.rocob {border-radius: 0 0 8px 8px;} 28@media only screen and (min-width: 806px) {.headr {height: 100%; 29min-height: 390px;}#wrapper2 {background-color: black; border-radius: 308px; border-style: solid; border-color: white; border-width: 1px;} 31div.middle {width:73%; display: table-cell; float: right;} 32div.res2 {width: 24.3%; float: left; padding-top: 8px; padding-left:2px;} 33img.prov {margin-top: 0px; border-radius: 8px 8px 0 0; min-height: 400px; width: 100%; height: 100%; aspect-ratio: attr(width) / attr(height);} 34.mobis {display: none; border-radius: 0px;} 35.bll {border: 0px solid ; position: absolute; visibility: visible; 36display: block; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 12px;} 37h1 {margin-top: 0px; letter-spacing: 2px; text-shadow: black 2px 2px 5px, black 4px 4px 9px; padding-top: 2px; color: #fdf41a; position: absolute; top: 10px; left: 200px; text-align: left; margin-right: 20px; color: white; font-size: 55px; max-width: 85%; } 38h2 {font-size: 40px; color: white; text-shadow: black 2px 2px; position: absolute; text-align: left; left: 20px; top: 140px; max-width: 400px; line-height: 1.1; } 39} 40@media only screen and (max-width: 805px) 41{.headr {height: 100%; min-height: 350px;} #wrapper {background-color:firebrick; border-radius: 8px 8px 0 0;} 42#wrapper2 {background-color: gray; border-radius: 0 0 8px 8px; 43border-style: none solid solid; border-color: white; border-width: 1px;} 44div.middle {width:auto; margin-bottom: 6px;} .res2 {width: 100%; padding-top: 4px; } 45img.prov {margin-top: 56px; border-top: none; width 100% height: 100%; min-height: 100px; 46} 47h1, h2, .topli {clear: both; } 48.bll {border: 1px solid white ; position: absolute; visibility: visible; 49display: block; margin-left: 10px; width: 100%; height: 100%;} 50.nomobi {display: none;} 51h1 {font-size: 30px; text-align: center; color: darkblue;} 52h2 {text-align: center; max-width: 800px; padding-bottom: 10px; color: 53indianred; font-size: 20px; ;width: 100%; text-align: center; 54margin-left: auto; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 0px; 55} 56} 57@media only screen and (max-width: 300px) {td 58{word-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-all;}}</style> 59<style> 60.gre { 61background-color: #53ff50; 62} 63div.gre:hover { 64background-color: #0cffe1; 65} 66.gre a:hover { 67color: red; 68background-color: transparent; 69} 70.gre a { 71color: #993399; 72background-color: transparent; 73} 74body { 75font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; 76background-color: black; 77} 78#wrapper2 { 79display: table; 80} 81div.breadcrumb ol { 82display: inline; 83padding-left: 0; 84} 85div.breadcrumb ol li { 86display: inline; 87margin-left: 6px; 88} 89.breadcrumb div { 90display: inline; 91} 92.breadcrumb a:hover { 93color: yellow; 94} 95.breadcrumb { 96float: right; 97} 98.men2 td { 99padding: 8px 4px; 100line-height: 1.3; 101font-size: 14px; 102color: white; 103background-color: #443443; 104} 105.men2 td a { 106color: #ffcc66; 107} 108.men2 td:hover { 109color: #990000; 110background-color: #ffff99; 111} 112.men2 td:hover a { 113background-color: transparent; 114color: #000099; 115} 116.men2 td:hover div { 117color: #663366; 118} 119.res2 a:hover { 120background-color: transparent; 121color: #990000; 122} 123.pagi td { 124border-style: solid; 125border-color: black; 126border-width: 1px 3px 3px 1px;
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position: relative;" class="rocot headr"><img alt="logo" style="border-style: none; margin-left: 5px; position: absolute; margin-top: 10px; z-index: 5; width: 120px; height: 120px;" class="bll noprint" src="../photos/bull5.png"><img alt="Catalonia - near Barcelona" src="../photos/autovia.jpg" class="prov" style="max-width: 1096px; margin-left: 0.1%; width: 100%; height: 100%;"> 313<h1>Driving in Spain</h1> 314<h2 style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 2px;">Rules of 315the road, motorways, tolls and other roads</h2> 316</div> 317<div style="padding: 8px; background-color: white; clear: both; margin-top: 0px; line-height: 1.3;" class="middle"> 318<div style="border: medium none ; font-size: 14px; width: 98%; clear: both; height: 44px; padding-top: 4px; margin-left: 2%;" class="mnu"> 319<ul style="font-weight: normal; z-index: 4; margin-right: 0.1%;"> 320<li style="float: left; margin-left: -0.5%;" class="rocot"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 102);"><span style="color: yellow;">Site menu âº</span><br> 321</span></li> 322<li style="z-index: 3;" class="rocot"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 195, 37);">How to 323travel</span> 324<ul> 325<li><a href="travel.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Travel in Spain</a></li> 326<li><a href="driving.htm">Driving in 327Spain</a></li> 328<li><a href="car-hire.htm">Car hire in Spain</a></li> 329<li><a href="no-tolls.htm">No tolls 330through 331Spain</a></li> 332<li><a href="map.htm">Spanish road 333and 334motorway map</a></li> 335<li><a href="rail.htm">Trains in 336Spain</a></li> 337</ul> 338</li> 339<li class="rocot"> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: white;">The best of Spain</span> 340<ul> 341<li><a href="../tourism/tourism.htm">Main 342attractions in 343Spain</a></li> 344<li><a href="../tourism/roman-spain.htm">Roman 345Spain</a></li> 346<li><a href="../tourism/moorish-spain.htm">Moorish 347Spain</a></li> 348<li><a href="../tourism/castles-spain.htm">Castles 349in 350Spain</a></li> 351<li><a href="../tourism/best-cathedrals.htm">Best 352cathedrals in Spain</a></li> 353<li><a href="../tourism/spanish-coast.htm">The 354coasts of 355Spain</a></li> 356<li><a href="../tourism/undiscovered-spain.htm">Hidden 357gems</a></li> 358<li><a href="../tourism/walled-cities.htm">Best 359walled 360cities in Spain</a></li> 361</ul> 362</li> 363<li class="rocot"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(240, 195, 37);">Regions 364of Spain</span> 365<ul> 366<li><a href="../tourism/regions.htm">Interactive 367map</a></li> 368<li><a href="../tourism/andalucia.htm">Cities 369of Andalucia</a></li> 370<li><a href="../tourism/western-andalucia.htm">Western 371Andalucia</a></li> 372<li><a href="../tourism/other-andalucia.htm">E 373Andalucia & Murcia</a></li> 374<li><a href="../tourism/aragon.htm">Aragon</a></li> 375<li><a href="../tourism/asturias.htm">Asturias</a></li> 376<li><a href="../tourism/cantabria-basque.htm">Cantabria 377& Basque country</a></li> 378<li><a href="../tourism/castile-leon.htm">Castile 379& Leon</a></li> 380<li><a href="../tourism/castile-mancha.htm">Castile 381la 382Mancha</a></li> 383<li><a href="../tourism/catalonia.htm">Catalonia</a></li> 384<li><a href="../tourism/extremadura.htm">Extremadura</a></li> 385<li><a href="../tourism/navarre.htm">Navarre</a></li> 386<li><a href="../tourism/valencian-community.htm">Valencia 387region</a></li> 388</ul> 389</li> 390<li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(195, 208, 255);">Spanish 391life</span> 392<ul style="margin-left: -60px;"> 393<li><a href="../tourism/accommodation.htm">Where 394to stay 395in Spain</a></li> 396<li><a href="../tourism/camping.htm">Camping 397in Spain</a></li> 398<li><a href="../life/food-eating.htm">Food and 399eating</a></li> 400<li><a href="../mobile/spanish-menus.htm">Understand 401the menu</a></li> 402</ul> 403</li> 404</ul> 405</div> 406<br> 407<br> 408<div class="roco" style="padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; font-family: georgia,serif; color: rgb(255, 255, 153); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; text-align: center; font-size: 23px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; background-color: rgb(177, 69, 35);">About-Spain.net 409- the alternative guide to Spain<br> 410</div> 411<table style="text-align: left; background-color: white; width: 100%; font-size: 13px; margin-top: 8px; clear: both; margin-bottom: 12px;" class="pagi" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="6"> 412<tbody> 413<tr style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102); font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 13px;"> 414<td style="text-align: center; background-color: rgb(43, 73, 234); color: white;">Index: </td> 415<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="#Rules">Spanish 416rules of the road</a><br> 417</td> 418<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="#Motorways">Spanish 419motorways</a></td> 420</tr> 421<tr> 422<td><a href="map.htm">Route 423map 424of Spain</a></td> 425<td><a href="https://about-france.com/tourism/routes-to-spain.htm">Driving 426to Spain</a></td> 427<td><a href="#Speed">Speed 428limits and speed traps</a></td> 429</tr> 430</tbody> 431</table> 432<div class="shbt" style="float: left; width: 260px;"> 433<div class="shbt" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; float: left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php" rel="nofollow" title="Share on Facebook" target="_blank"> 434<div class="fbk2"></div> 435</a><a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d3eca0a6b1b9b6b0a7ee81bcb2b7a0f6e1e3b2bdb7f6e1e3b7a1baa5babdb4f6e1e3babdf6e1e380a3b2babdf5b2bea3e8b1bcb7aaeebba
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515the best domestic transport infrastructure of any country in Europe... 516and thanks to Europe. Since Spain joined the European Union, it has 517benefited from major development funds to help transform its 518isolated and impoverished regions into part of the modern Europe.<br> 519 Spain today is a country where 520beautifully built and surfaced roads criss-cross 521the land, reaching into some of its deepest corners. And the 522greatest joy is that very often, other than in the densely populated 523areas round Madrid and on the coast, there is little or no traffic on 524them.<img style="border: 1px solid ; margin-right: 8px; float: left; max-width: 300px; width: 100%; height: 100%; overflow: hidden;" alt="Byroad in Spain" src="../photos/spanish-road.jpg"><br> 525 Furthermore it is possible to drive "off the 526beaten track" even between cities. Over the last half century, many 527main Spanish roads have been upgraded not just once, but twice or three 528times. And unlike in more populated countries, where upgrading means 529improving the existing road, the Spanish solution has often just been 530to build a new road near the old one. Consequently, on some routes, 531there are actually three parallel roads, the historic route, the 532post-Franco new road, and the more recent "autovia" divided highway. 533Where - as in most cases - the autovia is free, that leaves the old 534main road as empty as the most minor of minor cross country roads. Just 535occasionally, old main roads have been downgraded and /or equipped, as 536in France, with speed bumps and other devices - notably at the entrance 537to small towns; but generally speaking this is not the case.<br> 538 On cross-country routes, those that are not part 539of the national highway network designated as "N" roads, traffic in 540most parts of Spain is very light. The majority of 541minor roads, those linking villages and small towns, are very well 542built and modernised, even when they serve no more than a few hundred 543vehicles a day. And signposting on Spanish roads is generally excellent.<br> 544<h3 style="overflow: hidden;"><span color="" rgb(51="" 51="" 255="">Spanish 545<a name="Motorways"></a>Motorways</span></h3> 546Motorways in Spain come into two categores; 547the busy to very busy ones - often toll roads - most of them radiating 548from Madrid, 549and along the Mediterranean coast: and the others, most of them 550carrying only light traffic. Nearly all of these are free. <br> 551 Generally speaking - though there are exceptions - 552Spain's toll motorways - known officially as Autopistas - are 553designated by the letters AP, as in AP8. Spain's free motorways, 554usually known 555as Autovias, are generally designated by the letter A, as in A66.<br> 556 557Around Madrid, the system is different, and complex. Madrid is a maze 558of motorways, with in addition to the A motorways M motorways (for 559Madrid) and R motorways (for Radial). Motorways M30, M40, M45 and M50 560are the main orbital routes round Madrid. M50, the outermost, runs 80% 561of the way round Madrid, and connects all the main national A 562motorways, from A1 to A6. The missing section is the northwest, from 563the A1 to the A6 - for which the A40 should be used. Orbital M 564motorways are free, the radial R motorways are toll roads.<br> 565<a name="Avoiding"></a> For an 566overview of Spain's motorways, see <a href="map.htm">Spanish 567motorway map</a><br> 568Click here for a <a href="no-tolls.htm">no-tolls 569route 570from Bayonne (France) to the South of Spain</a>. 571Travelling via Bayonne (sw France) and <a href="../tourism/navarre.htm">Navarre</a> rather than 572by Perpignan and 573Barcelona is actually shorter for most destinations south of 574Valencia.<br> 575<h3><a name="Autovias"></a>Autovias 576and autopistas</h3> 577What 578distinguishes autovias from autopistas ? Frankly, very little.... 579except for the tolls on some of the Autopistas, those with a number 580starting AP. Otherwise there is very little difference.<br> 581 Most but not all <span style="font-weight: bold;">Autovias</span> 582have numbers starting with A, for instance the <span style="font-weight: bold;">A3</span> 583which runs from Madrid to Valencia. But some, those built by the 584regions, not by the Spanish national highways agency, are numbered 585differently. Catalonia's <span style="font-weight: bold;">C25</span>,
586for instance (photo top of page) , linking Girona and Lleida, 587is as good a motorway as any, even if many maps do not mark it as such.<br> 588 589Where toll autopistas and non-toll autovias offer alternative routes 590between two points, trucks usually take the free autovia leaving the 591autopista for those in a hurry and those happy to pay the tolls. But 592for itineraries where there is no autopista, HGV (truck) traffic uses 593the autovias when available. However, it's worth noting that 594on 595most autovias, except those on the Mediterranean coast and close to 596Madrid, truck traffic is light to very light, compared to motorways in 597the UK, Germany or the Netherlands.<br> 598 Autovias tend not to have 599many dedicated service areas. Instead, they have plenty of exits with 600off-highway garages or service stations, restaurants and sometimes 601hotels or hostals. These are clearly announced in advance of the exit.<br> 602<h3>Motorway 603tolls in Spain:</h3> 604 The situation regarding toll motorways in Spain 605is 606evolving. In 2021 tolls were abolished on much of the AP7 Mediterranean 607motorway, but they may return.<br> 608 For the time being, tolls must be paid 609on about 61020% of 611the motorway network; the rest is free. <br> 612 Spanish toll motorways are relatively expensive: 613for instance, tolls on the Mediterranean motorway between the French 614border at Le Perthus and Valencia - a distance of 500 km. mostly on the 615AP7 - used to cost almost 45 â¬uros for a car. <br> 616<br> 617<div style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 153); margin: 6px; padding: 8px; background-color: rgb(233, 247, 255);"> 618<h4 style="margin-top: 2px;"><span style="color: rgb(109, 125, 168);">Avoiding 619tolls on the</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(109, 125, 168);"> 620Spanish</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(109, 125, 168);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">AP7</span> 621Mediterranean motorway</span></h4> 622<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"></span>Except 623in Andalucia, most 624of this route is now free... There is no longer any advantage in taking 625the free parallel A7 motorway, 626where it exists, and the old N340 national route<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(116, 95, 122);"></span> 627</div> 628<br> 629 On the other hand, traffic moving southwest from 630the French border on the Atlantic coast at Irun (near Biarritz) can 631both avoid 632most of the tolls <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> 633take a shorter route between San Sebastian and 634Vitoria, by using the N1 and A1 autovia, rather than the AP8 and AP1 635autopistas. <br> 636<div style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 153); margin: 8px 6px 6px; padding: 8px; background-color: rgb(233, 247, 255); font-size: 14px;"> 637<h4 style="margin-top: 2px;"><span style="color: rgb(109, 125, 168);"><a name="Avoiding"></a>Avoiding 638tolls on the</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(109, 125, 168);"> 639Spanish</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(109, 125, 168);"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">AP1</span> 640motorway - to the south via Madrid</span></h4> 641 Immediately 642after entering Spain, it makes little sense to avoid the couple of 643Euros of tolls on the 20 or so km. between the border and San 644Sebastian. The AP1 / AP8 round San Sebastian is free anyway. Leave it 645however at exit 24, onto the N1 / A1 (dual carriageway - divided 646highway), following signs for Tolosa and Vitoria. Continue past Vitoria 647as far as Miranda de Ebro, where the A1 becomes the toll AP1. Do not 648take the AP1, but continue on the old N1 as far as Burgos. It's an easy 649road. Just before Burgos, join the A1 again, following signs for A1 - 650Madrid. Give Madrid a wide berth, using the M50 outer orbital route to 651the east, following signs for the M50, A2 and A3 (take this for the 652coast between Valencia and Cartagena) until signs for the "A4 653Cordoba" are shown (not the R4 Cordoba, which is a toll road). </div> 654<br> 655 656 The same goes for traffic heading for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Saragossa and Madrid, 657from 658Barcelona.</span> Leave the AP7 (which is free round Barcelona) 659at exit 26, 660and follow the free A2 as far as Fraga, after Lleida.<br> 661<br> 662 The best advice is to use a satnav or a good post 6632010 map - 664which should remain fairly up-to-date until at least 2020, since on the 665one hand Spain's strategic motorway-building plan is now largely 666complete, and on the other hand the economic crisis has put paid to any 667more projects for the time being. 668<br> 669 On sections of intercity toll motorway, the 670normal system is to take a ticket when you enter the toll section, and 671pay when you leave. On shorter sections of toll motorway, toll booths 672come at strategic points on the motorway, and there is a small fixed 673toll for using the section. Payment can be made in cash in 674â¬uros, or by credit card. Credit card lanes at toll points are 675shown by 676a credit card logo, and sometimes the word "tarjetas".<br> 677<h3><a name="Speed"></a>Speed limits in Spain</h3> 678The normal speed limits are as follows:<br> 679<ul> 680<li> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Motorways</span> 681(autovias and autopistas) : 120 km/h</li> 682<li> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Main 683roads</span> : 80 km/h, 90 km/h or 100 km/h as indicated</li> 684<li> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Built-up 685areas</span> : 50 km/h or 70 km/h as indicated</li> 686</ul> 687<span style="font-weight: bold;">Speed traps:</span> 688 There are now plenty of speed traps, or radars, on main roads 689in Spain, and police can and do issue on-the-spot fines. Advance 690warning of speed traps tends to be given, and the speed cameras are 691sometimes painted in fluorescent yellow, with the speed limit painted 692on them; but this is not always the case. 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