Rent a car in Spain. Toll roads in Spain Traffic rules in Spain

Lately, short-term car rental has become increasingly popular, which allows the traveler to move in comfort and not waste extra time on public transport. Having visited such a wonderful country as Spain, you should definitely think about renting a car to see the diversity and beauty of Spanish cities. In most cases, renting a car in Spain can be cheaper than taking a taxi. This and much more will be discussed in this article.

Around Spain by car: profitable and convenient

It is not always possible to use your car to travel to other countries. Many people believe that renting a car is too expensive, unreliable and dangerous. As practice shows, renting a car in Spain is very profitable, simple and, of course, convenient. Spain is a very beautiful country, each city of which is unique in its own way. Therefore, to visit the most interesting corners of the country, a car is simply necessary.

Car rental point

Considering that the price of a taxi ride around the city on a weekday is on average 15 euros per 10 kilometers*, then renting a car for 30-50 euros (2340-3902 rubles) per day will be much more profitable.

Additional Information! Renting a car in Spanish sounds like this: “alquiler de automoviles.”

A little about car rental in Spain

You can rent a car in Spain at almost any Spanish airport or railway station. This is very convenient, since you will not need to spend money on a transfer to the hotel. A cheaper option would be to rent a car directly at the offices of companies located in Barcelona, ​​Malaga and other major cities in the country.

Additional Information! International rental companies such as EuropCar, Goldcar, Avis, Hertz have a much wider selection of cars than local agencies.

Approximate cost (per day) of car rental in international companies:

• “Fiat” 500 and similar models of other brands – 30-55 euros;
• “Citroen C1” – 55-65 euros;
• BMW convertible – 90 euros;
• SUVs like Range Rover will cost 125-150 euros.

Types of cars

You will need to pay about five euros extra for a child seat.

When paying for rental services, a deposit of 300 to 1000 euros may also be charged from the client’s card, which will be returned to the account a week after the expiration of the contract. This condition is agreed upon by the company in advance.

Most people are interested in the question, what kind of driver's license is needed in Spain? In order to rent a car, you need an international driver's license. Other documents you should have with you include a passport and a credit card. Recently, it has been possible to rent a car in Spain with a new Russian license (plastic). Some companies also put forward other conditions for car rental, for example, the driver must be at least 21, and sometimes 23, years old, and also need to have 1 or 2 years of driving experience. The car rental price also includes insurance with or without a deductible.

Important! You can drive a rented car outside of Spain (to countries in the Schengen visa area), but then you will need to take out additional insurance.

Car fuel prices in Spain

Spanish gas stations stock 95 and 98 gasoline, as well as diesel fuel. It is better to check with the lessor in advance about the required type of fuel for a particular car. . Renting a car in Spain with diesel fuel is usually more expensive. However, if the client plans to travel long distances, then the savings on gasoline pay off significantly.

Important! There is a single rule in Spanish parking lots: your mobile phone must be turned off while refueling.

How much does gasoline cost in Spain today?

Fuel prices are as follows:

• gasoline Euro 95 – 1.1-1.5 euro/l.
• Euro 98 – 1.2-1.6 euro/l.
• diesel A - 0.97-1.2 euro/l.

Toll roads in Spain

The length of motorways in Spain is about 16,600 kilometers, 2,980 of which are toll roads. Tariffs for travel on roads include such components as: distance traveled, type of vehicle, season. Sometimes even the congestion of free roads affects the cost of highways. Toll roads in Spain justify themselves due to the quality of the surface, as well as the lack of traffic jams.

Estimated fares for some destinations:

• Madrid – Adanero – 7.3 euros for 95 kilometers;
• Madrid – Toledo – 7.65 euros for 60 kilometers;
• Madrid – Guadalajara – 7 euros for 59 kilometers;
• Bilbao – Zaragoza – 32 euros for 298 kilometers;
• Seville - Cadiz - 7.3 euros for 95 kilometers.

Cadi tunnel

Separate tariffs apply to special sections. Thus, driving a car through Barcelona's 5-kilometer Cadi tunnel will cost the driver 12 euros. Traveling 2.5 kilometers through the Vallvidrera tunnel will cost 3.78 euros, and 4.25 during rush hour. Peak hours are considered weekdays from 7:30 to 10:30, as well as from 17:00 to 21:00.

Most Spaniards have automatic payment devices installed in their cars, allowing them to enter toll roads without stopping. There are special lanes for them, marked with a blue circle and white stripes in a black square.

Map of toll roads in Spain

Traffic rules in Spain

Before renting a car, you should familiarize yourself with the basic traffic rules in Spain in order to avoid paying fines, which are quite large here.

The following speed limits are established for driving within the country:

• 50 km/h in populated areas;
• 90 km/h outside the NP;
• 100 km/h on roads;
• 120 km/h for motorways.

To control the speed limit on the roads of Spain, speed cameras are installed, with the help of which the nearest police officer will be informed if a certain vehicle is exceeding the speed. After this, the car will be stopped and the driver will be fined. Foreign tourists are required to pay minor fines on the spot, receiving an official receipt, otherwise the vehicle will be detained. Regarding alcohol while driving, the maximum permissible level in the blood is 0.5%, and for drivers whose experience is less than two years - 0.3%. Exceeding the permissible limit will cost the violator 500 euros, and double exceeding the limit will cost 1000. A driver’s refusal to take the test is punishable by a fine of 500 euros.

Important! Movement through tunnels must be carried out with low beam headlights on.

When transporting children under three years of age, the car must be equipped with a special restraint system. For children over three years old, a child seat must be installed in the car. Children whose height exceeds 135 centimeters must wear seat belts. Violation of the rules for transporting children entails liability in the form of a fine of 200 euros.

The driver and all passengers must wear seat belts. The fine for violating this rule is 200 euros.

Note! The use of mobile communications is permitted only through special means (Bluetooth earphone, loudspeaker) that do not occupy the driver’s hands. Responsibility for such a violation is a fine of 200 euros.

It is noteworthy that many provincial towns have traffic lights with radars, which also regulate the speed limit. Even if the car exceeds the speed slightly, the traffic light immediately turns red.

Based on the fines listed above, we can conclude that breaking traffic rules in Spain is very expensive.

Note! Driving bare-chested in the summer in Spain carries a fine of 80 euros. If the passenger sitting in front decides to put his feet on the dashboard, it will cost the driver 100 euros.

Just in case, it’s worth remembering the main emergency numbers in Spain:

• police - 091;
• ambulance – 061;
• fire service - 080.

It is better to build the necessary route map for traveling around Spain in advance. It is very convenient to use a navigator for this.

In general, renting a car in Spain is a very good alternative to public transport and intercity buses. If you do not violate Spanish traffic rules, renting a car will not only make your trip more comfortable, but will also save tourists money.

*All prices in the article are current as of August 2018.

Before we started living in Spain, we never had the opportunity to understand and feel the difference between free and toll roads. In three months we managed to drive almost 15 thousand km here (okay, 4 thousand of them were the road from Moscow, but the remaining 10 thousand km were local).

What catches your eye in general after Russia:

In Russia they DO NOT know how to drive fast. Try to keep the speed limit of 80 km/h along the serpentine road, which is allowed by the rules; at first it was difficult to drive even 50 km/h - this is the recommended speed in some sections. We can talk for a long time about how much experience we have and a powerful car, but local grandfathers on 30-year-old Citroen heels really beat almost any Russian on the serpentine) At least go study again;

There are a LOT of cars on hand. It is clear that the BMW 7 Series will have an automatic transmission, but Peugeots, Golfs, Focuses, Fiats, Citroens, etc. - like the ones on the handle;

Passing at speeds up to 50 km/h is not accepted. Pinch and squeeze too. If you turn on the turn signal on the highway, you can stop without looking in the mirror - they will definitely let you in;

If you are driving on the main road, the one driving on the secondary road will brake at the VERY LAST moment. He will let you through, we will smile, but at first it is very strange and unusual;

Many old cars are in good condition. A couple of times we tried to buy something like a W210 or E39... well, they are only good from the outside, even taking into account the price of 4-6 thousand euros, the body yes, but years are years and runs of 300-500 thousand km. .. In the end, we settled on a car with a guarantee. By the way, even 20-year-old cars here offer a warranty from 1 month to 1 year (this is if you buy it from a dealer). But you get to good things quickly; there are no 20-year-old cars with low mileage yet));

Typical ad:

Now to the roads:

Free roads are much more beautiful and interesting. They pass through cities, beaches, mountains, fields, cafes, restaurants. As tourists, we used to often travel only on toll roads. Very in vain;

Free roads are noticeably slower. Constant speed limits of 50-70 km/h, traffic lights at pedestrian crossings, constant circles (in Spain they really love them. At first you don’t understand, but we’re already into it);

A nuance, if you want to stop at a store, cafe, or gas station that you see on the horizon, you need to go to the backup 300-500 meters away. Extremely unusual;

Toll roads almost always have a limit of 120 km/h, but people go under 200 km/h. Most cars cruise at 125-130 km/h. There are few cameras. The fines are large. Police on the roads are rare. But this is Catalonia and not the season. In the south, people say that not everything is so happy.

Toll roads cost money. When we traveled from Barcelona to Alicante - this is 550-600 km, in total we paid more than 50 euros. Although everything usually costs 1-2 euros.

Pay attention to the 3+ button. If there are three or more people inside the car, then you need to press. Then they will check using the cameras to see if there were 3 or more people in the car and give a discount (it will be returned to the card).

If you go to Andorra, there is a tunnel there, 5 kilometers long, costs 19 euros, passes in 3 minutes. On the way back we tried to take the free route. As a result, we drove around for 2.5 hours along a mountain serpentine road at a speed of 30-40 km/h (it was simply impossible to go faster, because there were constant turns, ascents and descents). But very pretty.

Traveling around Spanish territory by car is a guarantee that your holiday will be complete and comfortable. Some tourists come here with their own cars, others prefer to rent them. But whatever the solution to this issue, it is important to know that roads in Spain are divided into several categories, and 10% of their total length are toll highways.

What you need to know about Spanish roads

The road map of the Kingdom of Spain is quite extensive. All routes were built on historically established routes, so the network developed in stages and somewhat chaotically. The only exception is the highways, which were built as part of the country's transport system development program.

Most highways originate in Madrid. Some coastal regions can also boast of them.

In this case, one should take into account the mountainous terrain of Spain, due to which many highways are quite winding and often offer travelers steep descents and ascents. Hard-to-reach regions of the country are connected by numerous tunnels and bridges.

All highways in this area can be divided into three groups:

• toll roads (autopistas) – have several directions, are marked on signs with the letters AR, are distinguished by the presence of multi-level interchanges and a small number of sharp turns. The speed limit is 130 km/h, although many allow themselves to increase it to 140 km/h. However, due to the large number of cameras and radars, it is better not to do this;
• free (autovías) - located mainly in the suburbs of large cities and serve as bypass roads. Some of them are laid in underground tunnels and mines. As a rule, a free road differs from a toll road by a lower speed;
• of national importance - these roads are characterized by a significant speed limit. Traffic on them is allowed in both directions. They cross Spanish cities, towns and villages, mountains, beaches, and fields along the way. Essentially, these are the roads that have been here at all times, but over the years have been updated and linked to expressways.

The last group of roads promises a more pleasant journey. As a rule, they do not have fences, and therefore provide an opportunity to admire the beauty of the local landscapes. If you came here as a tourist, rented a car and want to see everything that the country is so famous for, then form a route along these routes.

It should be borne in mind that the first two types of highways significantly save time due to accelerated movement along them.

The fastest highways in the country are:

• M-50 – connects the Madrid R-2 highway and the northern A-1;
• AP-41 is a toll road connecting Toledo and Madrid;
• The A-45 is a toll-free highway between Malaga and Cordoba.

The two main highways along the Mediterranean coast are the A7 and A2. At the same time, the second one lies closer to the seashore in the Costa Brava region, so it is more convenient to get to any resort town in this region. If you need to quickly cross the country from Barcelona to the French border, choose the A7.

As you head south, you should be aware that both of these roads are mirror images of each other and only 100 km from Barcelona they begin to diverge. For this reason, when approaching the Catalan capital, you need to be extremely careful not to miss the right exit. Otherwise, you can go in a completely different direction.

Road maps in the kingdom are in less and less demand, in most cases due to the fact that many companies provide their clients with a navigator when renting cars. However, you will have to pay for this as a separate service.

Therefore, to help you save a little, we suggest using a detailed map of all Spanish highways. It will come in handy if you want to plan your travel route around the country in advance.

There is no way to avoid traffic congestion in Spain. However, if you know where and when the main traffic congestion occurs, you can successfully avoid them.

Most traffic flows near large populated areas occur on weekdays. Usually it is 7.00-10.00 am in the direction of entering the city. In the evening, the same situation is observed from 19.00 to 21.00, but this time when leaving the populated area. If you get stuck in a traffic jam at this time, you are guaranteed to spend a couple of hours in it.

On weekends, it is better to leave the city either early in the morning or in the afternoon, since everyone tries to leave in the first half of the day. It is better to plan your return home on Sunday before 5 pm, otherwise you may end up in a jam later.

Toll roads

The amount of money that will have to be set aside to drive along a particular highway depends on several factors:

• types of vehicle;
• time of year (different rates apply in summer and winter);
• time of day (day or night);
• tracks.

Therefore, when choosing a route, it will be useful to study on the map how to get from one point to another. The fact is that it often happens that a toll road runs parallel to a free one. In this case, you can save a lot of money.

The leader in the number of toll highways is Catalonia - approximately 633 km. It is followed by Valencia - 367 km, then Galicia - 327 km. But in Northern Asturias, only 22 km of roads are tolled.

The cost of travel on such routes is shown in the table:

All tariffs shown apply to motorcycles and cars and are valid for the summer season. Please note that prices may be slightly higher during peak times.

Moreover, the greater the distance, the higher the tariff. For example, to get from Marbella to San Sebastian or Bilbao, you will have to plan a considerable budget.

At the same time, the distance from Madrid to Guadalajara and to Osuna is approximately the same, and the difference in the price of travel along the highway will be slightly more than 3 euros.

When entering a toll highway, you will be warned several times that there is a toll section of the road ahead. Moreover, you will be offered free detours. If you are not in a hurry, take advantage of this opportunity.

This is especially true for travelers to Andalusia and Catalonia, where there are a huge number of picturesque places that can be admired from observation platforms.

There are several ways to pay for using the toll road. On some of them this can be done upon entry, on others upon exit.

When approaching such a highway, you will see that it is divided into many lanes. Above each of them there is an indication of how exactly you can pay.

The options are as follows:

• payment via the TeleTAC system. It allows you to make a payment remotely. For this purpose, a special device is installed in the car. Most often it is used by local residents;
• only by card;
• by card or cash;
• through operators.

The last option is the safest for those who doubt themselves. And if you couldn’t figure it out, there is always a button to call an operator on the turnstile.

On many devices you will see a 3+ button. If you have more than three passengers in the cabin, feel free to press it. A little later, the system will recalculate your payment, make a discount and return the difference to your card, provided that you paid with it.

Travel through toll tunnels

Driving this or that section of the route through the tunnel will also cost a certain amount of money:

• Cadi Tunnel – located in Catalonia, province of Barcelona. Its length is 5 km. Year of opening: 1984.

• The Vallvidrera tunnel is 2.5 km long and is also located in Catalonia.

Traffic rules on Spanish roads and fines for violating them

Regardless of whether you are going to rent a car in Spain or you intend to come here with your own, in any case you need to know what traffic rules apply on the roads in this country:

• documents: driver's license (for foreigners, international standard + national license is best), technical passport for the car, insurance;
• all persons in the car must wear seat belts;
• transportation of children is allowed only in special seats appropriate to their age;
• Using a mobile phone is prohibited. The handsfree system must be connected to the speakerphone;
• the permissible alcohol limit is 0.5 ppm for experienced drivers; if driving experience is no more than 2 years, then 0.3 ppm;
• Speed ​​control is carried out by cameras and radars. Most often they are installed on the back of a sign placed above the road;
• You can only use low beams in tunnels;
• speed on highways is 130 km/h, in the city – 40 km/h, outside the city – 80 km/h.

It is prohibited to install anti-radar equipment in a car - the fine for using it is 200 euros.

Driving while intoxicated will cost 5,000 euros. Pedestrians who cause an accident will have to pay the same amount.

You can pay the fine on the spot with a 50% discount. However, in this case, the driver is deprived of the opportunity to appeal the claim if he does not agree with it.

For more information about what you need to know about driving on Spanish highways and how violation of the rules is punished, read the article “Road Rules in Spain.”

Gas stations

The Spanish road, whether tolled or not, usually has a very good surface and numerous areas where you can rest, wash and refuel your car. A gas station is usually a whole complex, including a store, a cafe, and an automatic car wash.

When refueling, you must first pay for the required amount at the cash register, and then return to the car and insert the pistol into the gas tank. Most gas stations follow the self-service principle.

Two years ago, Repsol, a well-known chain in Spain, developed its own mobile application that allows you to make payments at more than 300 gas stations remotely.

Parking

Spanish traffic regulations strictly regulate where, when and for how long you can park your car. Moreover, the rules affect not only the time of day, but also the day of the week and even certain days during the month. In some areas of the city, you can park your car during business hours only with special permission.

In populated areas, parking is carried out on even days on the even side of the street, on odd days, respectively, on the side where the houses with odd numbers are located.

Violating parking rules will not only result in a fine, but the car will definitely be taken to the impound lot.

All parking areas are painted in specific colors. However, parking in the yellow zone is prohibited. Blue ones are paid parking lots equipped with parking meters. But you can leave your car there for only a few hours. The best option is underground parking.

conclusions

The most convenient way to travel around Spain is by car. But in this case, you will have to familiarize yourself not only with the traffic rules, but also with the features of the entire road system.

All trails here are divided into free, paid and of national importance. The main difference is the speed of movement on them and the arrangement.

Toll highways most often have special fencing and allow speeds of up to 130 km/h.

But in order to admire the Spanish landscapes, you should choose roads that run through cities, villages, beaches and fields. They are most often free, but the speed on them should not exceed 80 km/h outside the populated area.

Spain Traffic Rules: Video

As a rule, you are informed that you are entering a toll section of the road by a road sign or an electronic board, which also indicates how many kilometers or minutes later on the road a toll point with a barrier awaits you.

Payment Methods:

Cash (coins and banknotes);

credit cards. The toll highway system supports the latest advances in electronic payment security, such as online transaction verification and EMV (chip card);

Telepeaje is a modern payment system that allows you to pay for travel on a toll road without stopping at the barrier, thus without wasting a minute of your time. Today, telepeaje technology is installed on all highways in Spain and many paid parking lots. A special antenna reads data from a mobile device installed on the car’s dashboard and automatically debits funds from a bank card or account attached to the account of a specific device.

At a gas station

As a rule, all Spanish highways, toll and free, have convenient areas for resting, washing and refueling a car. A gas station can be a whole complex consisting of a restaurant, a store with locally produced products, and an automatic car wash.

To refuel your car, you need to pay for the number of liters of fuel you need at the cash register, saying the column number, and then return to the car and insert the gun. Most Spanish gas stations operate on a self-service system. In 2016, the well-known Repsol chain launched a mobile application with which you can pay at 300 gas stations in Spain. To do this, you need to install the application on your mobile device, enter personal data and card or bank account information. In the near future, other companies plan to switch to similar types of payment, which will make the process of refueling a car more comfortable and faster.

Once you have reached the desired location, the question of parking the car arises. This topic is especially relevant due to the constant increase in fines for non-compliance with parking rules. As we noted earlier, in many Spanish parking lots, payment can be made using telepeaje technology using a mobile device. But this most often applies to large indoor parking lots, underground or on the territory of shopping centers, where payment machines are also installed at the entrances and exits.

If you park on the streets, always pay attention to the color of the road markings. The white zone is free, and such parking spaces, the number of which is very limited, can be found in areas remote from the center. In popular tourist areas you can often find a blue parking zone, which must be paid for in special machines located directly on the street. A coupon with the date and time of payment is left on the dashboard.

It is important to remember that the maximum parking time in the blue zone is from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the area. “Blue parking” is paid on weekdays from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, on Saturday – from 9:00 to 14:00. The cost of such city parking depends on the congestion of the area. 4 main tariffs apply:

• tariff A – 2.5 euros/hour;
• tariff B – 2.25 euros/hour;
• tariff C – 1.96 euros/hour;
• tariff D – 1.08 euros/hour.

In addition to white and blue, there are orange and green zones, which provide special benefits to residents of this area. To have discounted or free parking, you must have official registration. Be careful, as some areas are strictly reserved for parking for local residents.