Road trip itineraries – Spain

one lane paved road along coast, cliffs in distance, grass on either side

cows crossing a country road, trees everywhere, small house on right

empty road with famous spanish pines on either side

empty road, blue sky, mountains in front

Spain was made for road tripping in my opinion. This country is magnificently beautiful and every moment will have you exclaiming at its majesty.

Whether you’re looking for mountain adventures, to feel the sea breeze, or to explore ancient towns and villages, Spain has a road trip for you.

I hope that that my tried and tested itineraries help you to explore around the country.

Catalunya

snow covered mountains, fields of yellow flower, blue sky

blue sky, view of medieval bridge and tower over river into small medieval town

river, small waterfall, basalt cliff above with town perched on it

Fly into Barcelona, rent a car and set off to explore this magnificent region of north-eastern Spain far from the crowds of the city. Explore wildly beautiful beaches, ancient cities, mountains and eat exceptionally well.

🚘 MexicoCassie road trip itinerary for Girona Province, Catalunya

Extremadura

looking down to an extremely green river

arch viewed between two brick buildings, person to one site. arch has a cross on top and a statue of someone built into it

wide angle view of Mérida Roman theatre and seats. Bright blue sky

Fly into either Sevilla or Madrid, rent a car and drive into Extremadura, one of Spain’s most beautiful and least visited autonomous communities. Experience incredible nature, history stretching from prehistoric art through Roman ruins, visit the homes of the earliest conquistadors (to judge obviously), eat well and breathe deep.

🚘 MexicoCassie road trip itinerary for Extremadura

Galicia

stone mill with two gaps for stream to run through building, forest all around

Fly into Santiago de Compostela or A Coruña, rent a car and set off to explore my favourite autonomous community in Spain. Home to forests, more coastline than Andalucía, and very few people, Galicia will take up lodging in your heart and never leave. Think striking cities, small villages, incredible views, wild beaches and forests that will make you believe in fairies. Oh, and of course, the food here is, as ever in Spain, stunning.

🚘 MexicoCassie road trip itinerary for Galicia

Picos de Europa

small river with bridge at far end of photo, old buildings on either side and green hills in distance

green field, one house, mountains, blue sky

green metal bridge between two narrow mountain paths over a gorge - on left there's a tunnel visible through the rock

This mountainous region straddles Asturias, Cantabria and a little of Castilla y Leon. Fly into Bilbao or Santander and rent a car and drive into the mountains to be blown away by the beauty of this area. Whether you road trip or also hike, I promise this is one of the most unforgettable places you’ll ever visit.

🚘 MexicoCassie road trip itinerary for the Picos de Europa

Notes on driving in Spain

🚘 The roads in Spain are extremely well-maintained, most people drive well, and there aren’t too many toll roads.

🍽️ The roadside restaurants (ventas) offer delicious and hearty meals as you drive and if you’re more into picknicing, that’s great too as the Spanish also love a good road side picnic and you’ll find plenty of places to stop for a snack/lunch.

Read the full MexicoCassie guide to driving in Spain or the full guide to driving in southern Spain for driving rules, tips and hints on coping with the few Spanish idiosyncrasies on the road.

📲 If you’re visiting from outside of Europe and planning on using your phone to access maps while you drive, I recommend also reading the MexicoCassie guide to eSims in Spain

Want MexicoCassie to take a look at your travel plans?

Of course you can plan your own trip, that’s why you’re here using my guides! But an expert pair of eyes can be extremely useful when you’re feeling overwhelmed, simply have too many ideas, or you’re not quite sure where to begin.

I offer informal & fun travel planning sessions, bespoke itinerary planning and AI itinerary checking, all based on my many years of travelling and adventuring.

find out how I can help →

📚 🇪🇸 Read more of MexicoCassie’s Spain guides

→ MexicoCassie guide to whether Spain is safe for tourists

→ MexicoCassie guide to driving in Spain

→ MexicoCassie guide to driving in southern Spain

☕️ MexicoCassie guide to vegetarian tapas, to breakfast and to feeding the kids

📲 MexicoCassie guide to using an eSIM in Spain

⭐️ Tips to help when you visit Spain