Highlights of driving in Spain

For me, having access to a car in this beautiful country is an absolute necessity. I’m utterly obsessed with the scenery and how varied it can be as you drive from province to province (Spain is comprised of 17 autonomous communities, which in turn are broken down into provinces – Sevilla, for example, is a city within the province of Sevilla, within the community of Andalucía).

Should you rent a car or use public transport when you visit Spain?

This depends on the type of vacation you’re planning in Spain. If you’re going to be mostly stationary, a car really isn’t vital, you can always book a day trip if you want to do something specific. But if you’re feeling adventurous, or are absolutely planning on road-tripping and are here for a few guidance notes, then yes! Let’s get you ready for that rental car!!

✅ You don’t have to rent a car for the duration of your trip. You can choose to rent a car for just a few days. It’s often very cheap to do so and can really elevate your experience if you do.

🚌 And yes, it’s true, we have great public transport options in Spain. Our rail system is good and there is a comprehensive long distance bus network too. I personally do use both but my preference is always having access to a car, especially when I’m on holiday as I love the freedom the car give me.

🚘 Having a car allows you to get into the countryside, it allows you to explore the small villages, eat in tiny country restaurants, detour to catch an amazing view from a remote mirador, join the Spanish in a joyful roadside picnic, or to follow a winding path to an isolated beach, to a random erotic sculpture gallery in a forest, or to a castle spotted on a distant hill – and yes, all these things have happened to me.

So as you may have guessed, yes, I highly recommend you rent a car if you’re planning on doing more than enjoying the beach or spending time in one or two cities next time you’re in Spain.

Planning your transport in Spain

Important things to take into consideration when driving in Spain

Whether you rent a car, enter Spain with your own car, or borrow one from a friend, there are a few things to keep in mind when driving in Spain.

General rules

🚙 We drive on the right in Spain and you may never undertake – only overtake on the left.

🚧 Distances, speed limits and the speedometer are only in km/hr. Don’t get confused with miles.

🚨 Every car must carry enough reflective vests for everyone in the car, as well as a V-16 beacon (this replaces the requirement for two reflective triangles although you will see these still).

🍻 ❌ Do not ever drink and drive. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.05% (0.03% for drivers with less than two years of experience). Random breath tests are common.

📵 You may not, under any circumstance use your mobile phone without a hands free kit. There are heavy fines if you are caught using the phone.

🪪 You are expected to carry your driving licence with you when driving (this may surprise UK visitors as we aren’t required to have our licences on us when driving in the UK).

⛽️ You generally fill your own tank with petrol/gas and then go inside to pay. Some gas stations have the option to pay at the machine and occasionally you’ll find one where the attendant does it for you. I find that Carrefour (the supermarket) offers the most competitive pricing for petrol in Spain.

🧒🏻 Children under 135cm must be in an approved car seat although they are officially recommended for kids up to 150cm (135cm is 4ft 4in). Children under 135cm are also not permitted to sit in the front of the car.

Toll roads in Spain

Toll roads are always marked AP + number (Autopista Paeje), regular motorways (highways), will generally have two names – A + number, and a European number too E + number. This can be confusing but both are generally marked on signs and on map apps.

Spain does not go in for toll roads in the same way as Portugal or France, but a few regions have more than others.

How to pay: either cash (Euros), credit/debit card or with the Vía-T automatic payment system if you want to set it up in advance – I’ve never done this and still don’t feel the need to.

Speed limits in Spain

🚦 It is, of course, important to stick to the speed limits in Spain both because it’s the right thing to do and also because there are speed cameras all over the place (and sadly I know they work 📸 😢).

👀 The speed limits are generally fairly well signposted although it’s worth noting that sometimes the speed limit can change extremely quickly, both on the motorway and as you drive through small towns. Watch out.

❌ Be aware that you could get a text purporting to be from the DGT (Spanish Driving Authority) informing you that you’ve been caught speeding and you need to pay your fine. This is a scam. As a foreigner, if you are caught speeding, you’ll receive a letter via your rental company or, very rarely, be stopped by an actual police officer on the road.

Finding your way around Spain

🗺️ I highly, highly recommend you have a mobile phone with a good data plan while you’re in Spain. You won’t want to drive without access to Waze or Google Maps – both work equally well here. Many of my friends like Waze but I have stuck with Google Maps and it hasn’t let me down yet.

→ Pick up an e-sim before you arrive to make life easier

Eating on the road

⛽️ As you drive between cities you’ll see petrol (gas) stations. Most of them have small shops attached. These don’t just sell packaged sandwiches, crips and chocolate but many also double as a delicatessen, selling fresh local products.

🍽 You’ll also find attached restaurants & cafes at some of them. And other times you’ll see ‘ventas’ along the side of the road. These ventas are roadside restaurants that are often extremely high quality despite how they look from the outside. 

🧺 Or, as we’ve noted already, the Spanish do love a good roadside picnic. As you drive you will see signs for picnic areas, why not try it one day? Grab a tortilla, some gazpacho, ham and fresh bread and Spanishify your life!

A few things to be aware of when driving in Spanish towns & cities

⚠️ Narrow roads – while modern cities have regular sized roads, once you hit the ancient cities, roads can look like the one above. My recommendation is to avoid driving in the very centre of the Old Towns – find your parking on the outskirts and walk in, or if you do need to drive in, do it with care and caution. I do, occasionally drive on these tiny roads and I really don’t enjoy it.

🦓 Pedestrian crossings – Spanish law gives the right of way to pedestrians on these crossings and the Spanish take this very seriously – they waltz out on to the crossings as if cars don’t even exist so please, please, always slow down and look before driving across one.

🔘 Roundabouts – traffic to your left generally has right of way. Very rarely you’ll see road markings to let you know this is not the case. And officially if there is a problem on a roundabout, responsibility/fault lies with whoever was in the inside lane so Spanish drivers all tend to stick to the outside lane. They will also randomly park on city roundabouts so do be aware of this possibility. 😆

😵‍💫 Hazard warning lights – it’s not only the roundabouts where they’ll stop, Spanish drivers stop pretty much wherever they like, chuck on the hazard warning lights and do whatever they need to do (chat, drink a coffee, buy the day’s vegetables). Be careful.

Parking in Spanish cities and towns

🅿️ my biggest piece of advice when renting a car in Spain is to plan where you’re going to park before you arrive in a town or city. Find a car park or two online first (you may need a back-up in case one is full) and drive directly there. If you find on-street parking, great, grab it but never expect it. If you can book a spot in a car park, I recommend doing so. 

🏨 Your hotel may, or may not provide parking. And if it does, it may not be as close to the hotel as you’d expect. Luckily this is something you can always check before booking when you use Booking.com. I also often send off an email to ask about the specifics of parking.

If you park on the street you need to know that in Spain, generally 🔵 blue lines mean max 2 hrs pay & display , 🟢  green lines mean max 1 hr pay & display, ⚪️ white lines mean free parking (so nab it!) , 🟡 and 🔴 yellow & red lines mean no parking (but this can vary by region so check for your destination). You may also see arrows pointing in one direction or the other for parking – this can change depending on the month of the year.

Renting a car in Spain

⏲️ It’s important to note that during high season it is essential to reserve your rental car as far in advance as possible to ensure you get the car you need. 

⭐️ Size isn’t everything here: don’t assume that the biggest car is the best car when renting in Spain. Roads in towns and up in the mountains can be very narrow and it can be hard to manoeuvre big cars around if you’re not used to them.

🚙 You can generally find automatic cars in most rental companies although manual cars remain more common and cheaper in Europe.

What do you need to rent a car?

This should be obvious but you’d be surprised how many stories I’ve heard of people getting this wrong (and ahem, I have once too).

🏎️ Full and valid driving licence – you must be over 18 to drive in Spain but generally to rent a car the minimum age is 21. There is sometimes an additional fee if you’re under 25.

🛂 ID – Passport

💳 Credit card – I once tried to rent a car with just my debit card, don’t do this. Some places will allow you to do so but that massive insurance hold on your debit card is not funny. Please remember the credit card. Although, with recent rentals through Discover Cars in Spain I’ve not actually needed my credit card as I bough the full coverage.

🚙 International driving permit (IDP) – if you’re not European you may well need an IDP to rent a car in Spain. I say ‘may well’ because technically you are allowed to drive on your US or other licence while on vacation in Spain but rental companies do often ask for the IDP. It costs relatively little so it’s worth picking up before you arrive.

📑 Insurance – Generally, the required unlimited 3rd party insurance will be included in your rental car price but it’s a good idea to check. It’s also possible to add CDW (collision damage waver) if you want it (and if you’re worried about those narrow roads!)

🧐 Obviously you know to check the car carefully for bumps and scratches before you drive it away.

And, in order to help you plan you adventures, use the guides below, or get in touch and ask for a quote for vacation planning assistance