Driving In Spain

This page provides the basic rules of the road for driving in Spain.

Telephone Numbers
Emergency Services:

Police	112
Fire	112
Ambulance	112

Further Information:

The Red Cross:	956 68 20 20
Windsurfer Rescue:	900 20 22 02

Speed Limits
Speed limits in Spain are measured in KPH (Kilometres per Hour). Ensure you check road signs as speed limits can vary greatly.

Motorways	74mph/120kph
Dual Carriageways	65mph/100kph
Built-up areas	30mph/50kph
Residential areas	12mph/19kph

Cars with Trailers:
Cars towing a trailer are limited to 50mph/80kph.

Toll Information

Are there any toll roads in Spain?
Yes. There are many motorway tolls across Spain, for maps detailing where you will have to pay tolls click here.
If you are travelling significant distances on Spanish toll roads, you may wish to make savings by obtaining a Solred Card, for details click here.

General Tips and Road Information
Roads in Spain can be very dusty dirt tracks outside major cities. 
Immediately outside many towns are sensors which detect your speed as you approach the town. If you're going over the speed limit, a traffic light at the edge of the town is automatically turned to red so that you must come to a stop before entering the town. Two red lights mean No entry. Jaywalking is illegal and its prohibition is strictly enforced. Generally, traffic on the right has priority. Normally where a minor road intersects a major road there's a sign reading Stop or Ceda el Paso (give way); if such a sign is not in place, the traffic on the major road still has priority.

When in daylight and outside a built-up area, you must use the horn to indicate your intention to pass; at night, flash the headlights instead. It's illegal not to use your vehicle's directional indicators to indicate your intention to pass. If a vehicle comes up behind you signalling that it wants to pass and if you see that the road ahead is clear, you must signal with your vehicle's right blinker to acknowledge the situation. Trams which are stopped and accepting or letting off passengers may not be passed.

Foreigners must pay fines on the spot unless they can present a Spanish bail bond or an address of a Spanish friend or company who will guarantee payment of the fine. If the fine cannot be paid or guaranteed, the vehicle will be impounded and the driver detained until the fine is paid. There's usually a discount of 20 percent for immediate settlement. The police will issue a Boletin de Denuncia which specifies the offence and the amount of the fine. Check carefully that the fine amount noted on the document matches the amount you paid. Follow the English instructions on the back of the document if you want to dispute the charge; you have 15 days to file a written dispute, and you can write your argument in English.

Parking:
In some cities a blue line on the street indicates resident-only parking; in other cities, check for signs. Don't leave anything of value in a parked vehicle. Parking garages are a safer alternative to the street, but you might want to check prices before you enter with your vehicle. On one-way streets, parking is allowed on even dates along the side with even addresses and on odd dates along the side with odd addresses; in both cases, park in the direction of traffic flow. Do not park within 5 metres of intersections or entrances to public buildings. Blue Zones or Zona Azul are indicated by signs. Parking in these zones is allowed for 1.5 hours from 8am to 9pm. Parking discs can be obtained from hotels, travel agents, or the town hall. Some large towns have Zona ORAs in the centre of the town; parking in such a zone is allowed in conjunction with display of a ticket which must be bought at a tobacconist; tickets are valid for 30, 60, or 90 minutes. Illegally parked vehicles may be towed.

Fuel:
Fuel prices are government regulated, so don't waste time shopping around (though this may soon change). Some fuel stations accept credit cards. Regular leaded petrol has an octane rating of 92; the octane rating of super is 97. Unleaded petrol is called gasolina sin plomo. Unleaded super petrol has an octane rating of 95. Diesel is called gas-oil. LPG is called gases licuados del petróleo.

Requirements

Minimum driving age:
The minimum driving age in Spain is 18.

Driving licences in Spain:
Photo card driving licences (with the paper counterpart) are suitable for use in Spain in most instances; if in doubt make sure you have arranged an international driving permit in advance of your trip. 

Spanish Driving Insurance:
When you drive in Spain you are legally required to have third party driving insurance cover.

Requirements for your car:
When you are driving in Spain you are required to have with you the following:

• 2 warning triangles
• Replacement bulbs
• A reflective jacket
• Driving licence
• Vehicle registration
• Certificate of motor insurance

Essential equipment for your car:
You must always carry 2 warning triangles, spare bulbs and a reflective jacket

Seatbelts:
Seatbelts are compulsory in the front and back.

Children in the front seat:
Children over 12 years may sit in the front seat.

Motorcycles:
Motorcyclists must use headlights both at night and during the day. When you travel on a motorcycle in Spain, either as the driver or as a passenger, you are required to wear a helmet at all times.

Tunnels:
All vehicles must use their headlights when driving through tunnels in Spain.

Car horns:
You must not use your car horn in built up areas of Spain, the only exception being in cases of immediate and extreme danger. Elsewhere don't use the horn unnecessarily, except as a warning device to others.

Road Signs
We will be adding more road signs to this section.
    NO OVERTAKING
    OVERTAKING ALLOWED
  COWS
   BEWARE OF CHILDREN
  DOCKSIDE

Useful Links and Further Information
Further information about driving in Spain can be found at the Official Spanish Traffic Website (in Spanish).
If you are looking to rent a car we recommend Hertz Car Rental, one of the world's largest car rental companies, with rental locations all over Spain and prices to suit your budget.
Looking for a map of Spain?  We recommend Maps Worldwide, who offer a comprehensive list of maps for sale.