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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">
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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 ►</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">&nbsp;<span style="font-weight: bold; color: white;">The best of Spain</span>&nbsp;
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 &amp; 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&amp; Basque country</a></li>
378<li><a href="../tourism/castile-leon.htm">Castile
379&amp; 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:&nbsp;</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;">
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444You are here :
445<ol itemtype="http://schema.org/BreadcrumbList">
446<li itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"><a href="../index.htm" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Spain</span><span itemprop="position" content="1"></span></a>
447›
448</li>
449<li itemprop="itemListElement" itemtype="http://schema.org/ListItem"><a href="travel.htm" itemprop="item"><span itemprop="name">Travel</span><span itemprop="position" content="2"></span></a>&nbsp;
450</li>
451&nbsp;›&nbsp; &nbsp;<span style="font-weight: bold;">Driving</span>
452</ol>
453</div>
454<a name="Rules"></a>
455<div style="text-align: center; clear: both;"><span jscontroller="msmzHf" jsaction="rcuQ6b:npT2md;PYDNKe:bLV6Bd;mLt3mc"></span><img style="border: 1px solid rgb(21, 4, 71); width: 100%; max-width: 675px; margin-top: 12px;" alt="Spanish national road" src="../photos/carratera.jpg"></div>
456<div class="roco shad" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 0, 0); margin: 25px; padding: 5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: red; font-size: 15px;">► ►
457Things you must have with you when driving in Spain <br>
458</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">All foreign
459vehicles must have or carry the following items:</span><br>
460<ul>
461<li style="line-height: 15px;">International
462<span style="font-weight: bold;">Vehicle
463insurance</span>, normally in the form of a Green card<br>
464(A Green card is
465recommended but not compulsory for
466vehicles from other EU countries. Within the EU, any vehicle insurance
467policy automatically includes <span style="font-style: italic;">third
468party</span> cover throughout the European Union).</li>
469<li>European union <span style="font-weight: bold;">driving
470licence</span> (or Swiss,
471Norwegian or Croatian); for drivers from other countries,&nbsp; an <a rel="sponsored" href="https://www.tkqlhce.com/click-5755351-15568255" target="_blank">international driving permit (IDP)</a>
472may be required, particularly if the national licence is not in Spanish
473or English .</li>
474<li><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Two
475hazard <span style="font-weight: bold;">warning triangles</span>
476to be used in the event of immobilization of
477the vehicle at the roadside.</li>
478<li>A
479<span style="font-weight: bold;">high-visibility
480waistcoat</span> for driver and each passenger,&nbsp; to
481be put on in the event of breakdown or
482immobilization.</li>
483<li>Front
484and rear <span style="font-weight: bold;">seatbelts</span>,
485that must be used.</li>
486<li>For
487right-hand drive cars (from Britain or Ireland), <span style="font-weight: bold;">headlamp converter</span>
488for
489night
490driving</li>
491<li>If you need
492<span style="font-weight: bold;">glasses</span>
493for driving, you must carry a spare pair in the glove
494compartment.&nbsp;</li>
495</ul>
496And note that.....
497<ul>
498<li>Use of <span style="font-weight: bold;">mobile
499phones</span> while
500driving is strictly forbidden (except fully hands-free units)</li>
501<li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Children
502up to 12 years
503old </span>must travel in the back of the car.</li>
504</ul>
505<div class="ylo" style="border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(153, 0, 0); border-width: 1px 3px 3px 1px; padding: 6px; text-align: right; max-width: 300px; width: 90%; margin-bottom: 7px; margin-right: 3px; margin-left: auto;">►<a href="car-hire.htm">
506Low cost car hire in Spain: click here</a></div>
507</div>
508<br>
509<div style="font-size: 18px; padding-bottom: 10px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: red;">►►►NEW&nbsp;</span><span style="color: red;">interactive and zoomable ►</span>
510<a href="../maps/interactive-road-map.htm">route map of
511Spain</a></span></div>
512<div style="float: right; width: 150px; margin-left: 10px;">Antwerp</div>
513<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>&nbsp;Spain
514has perhaps
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&nbsp; development funds to help transform its
518isolated and impoverished regions into part of the modern Europe.<br>
519&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;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&nbsp; &nbsp;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&nbsp; &nbsp;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 &nbsp;very light. &nbsp;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. &nbsp;<br>
551&nbsp; &nbsp;Generally speaking - though there are exceptions -
552Spain's toll motorways - known officially as Autopistas -&nbsp;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&nbsp;
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>&nbsp; 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&nbsp; 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&nbsp; 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&nbsp;
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. &nbsp;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&nbsp; 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&nbsp; &nbsp; 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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For the time being, tolls must be paid
609on about
61020% of
611the motorway network; the rest is free. <br>
612&nbsp; &nbsp;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 -&nbsp;used to cost almost 45 €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>&nbsp;
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&nbsp; &nbsp; 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. &nbsp;<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>&nbsp;
640motorway - to the south via Madrid</span></h4>
641&nbsp;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)&nbsp; until signs for the "A4
653Cordoba" are shown (not the R4 Cordoba, which is a toll road). </div>
654<br>
655&nbsp;
656&nbsp; 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&nbsp; &nbsp; 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&nbsp; &nbsp; 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&nbsp;
674€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>&nbsp;<span style="font-weight: bold;">Motorways</span>
681(autovias and autopistas) : 120 km/h</li>
682<li>&nbsp;<span style="font-weight: bold;">Main
683roads</span> : 80 km/h, &nbsp;90 km/h or 100 km/h as indicated</li>
684<li>&nbsp;<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&nbsp;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. Speed cameras are uncommon on
693minor roads in Spain.
694<br>
695<br>
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708<div class="roco" style="padding: 4px 8px; background-color: white; margin-right: 8px; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">More
709driving guides...<br>
710<br>
711<div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://about-france.com/driving.htm">Driving in France</a>
712- a very full guide to driving in France, with suggested routes and
713other practical information<br>
714<br>
715<a href="https://about-britain.com/driving.htm">Driving in
716Britain</a> - for visitors. coping with driving on the left and
717tips for driving in the UK<br>
718<br>
719<a href="https://about-belgium.com/driving.htm">Driving in
720Belgium</a>
721&nbsp;- &nbsp;useful information for driving in Belgium<br>
722<br>
723<a href="https://about-quebec.com/driving.htm">Driving in
724Quebec -</a> rules of the road in French-speaking Canada<br>
725<br>
726<a target="_blank" href="https://about-the-usa.com/driving-usa.htm">Driving in
727the USA</a> &nbsp; rules of the road for driving in the USA<br>
728<br>
729<a href="https://about-california.com/california-driving.htm">Driving
730in California</a>&nbsp;<br>
731</div>
732<br>
733</div>
734<br>
735<div class="gre" style="border: 1px solid rgb(55, 93, 44); padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 6px; margin-top: 6px; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(135, 21, 130); font-size: 18px;">More
736places to stay<br>
737&nbsp;in Spain:</span><br>
738<div style="color: rgb(43, 96, 24);">
739<ul>
740<li>Small hotels with character<br>
741&nbsp;<a href="https://independent-hotels.info/spain/">Independent
742hotels<br>
743in Spain</a>.</li>
744<li>Gitelink Spain :<br>
745<a href="http://gitelink.com/spain/">Rural
746holiday<br>
747cottages in
748Spain</a></li>
749</ul>
750</div>
751</div>
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