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Beware in Spain
 Be especially careful when setting off from service stations or restaurants on the left
side of the road.
Take care when overtaking - allow more space between you and the car in front so you
can see further down the road ahead.
Spain has strict drink driving laws, only allowing 0.5 milligrams of alcohol per millilitre of blood - stricter than the UK where the limit is 0.8. New drivers are effectively forbidden to drink and drive, with a very low 0.1 mg/l limit.
Seat belts front and rear are obligatory everywhere.
Speed limits, shown below, are implemented rigorously. Radar traps are frequent.
| Speed Limits |
Motorway |
Open road |
Town |
Alcohol mg/ml |
| Spain |
120 km/h |
90-100 km/h |
50 km/h |
0.5 |
Remember - Speeding and other traffic offences are subject to on-the-spot fines.
Customs
Visitors may enter with unlimited foreign and Spanish currency. You can't leave with more than EUR600 and foreign currency to a value of EUR3000,
unless you can prove that you declared to customs any excess when you entered the country. You may import 10 litres of spare fuel free of duty.
Bail Bond: no longer legal requirements for Spain and most insurance companies have stopped issuing them.
Children in cars: Children under 12 cannot travel in the front unless using a suitable restraint system.
Documentation: always carry your driving licence, vehicle registration document (V5), and certificate of motor insurance. If your
licence does not incorporate a photograph ensure you carry your passport to validate the licence. If the vehicle is not registered in your name, carry a
letter from the registered owner giving you permission to drive.
Fines: On the spot fines are issued. Ensure the officer collecting the fine issues an official receipt.
First-aid kit is advised, but not compulsory.
Fuel: All grades of unleaded petrol (benzin), diesel (gasoleo 'A') and LPG are available as well as lead substitute additive. Leaded no
longer exists. It is allowed to carry petrol in a can. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, although they probably won't work at automatic pumps,
which are often the only pumps open out-of-hours and at lunch-time (from noon to 3pm) away from the Autoroutes. It's a good idea to let your card issuer
know you will be travelling abroad. This ensures they don't suspend your card if they spot it being used in unfamiliar places, which they sometimes do as
an anti-fraud measure.
GB sticker: UK registered vehicles displaying Euro-plates (circle of 12 stars above the national identifier on blue background) no longer
need a GB sticker when driving in European Union countries.
Glasses (Spectacles): wearers must carry a spare pair in the car at all times.
Headlamp converters are compulsory.
Lights: dipped headlights should be used in poor daytime visibility. Motorcycles must use dipped headlights during the day at all times. Replacement bulb set is compulsory.
Indicators: The law operating in Spain regarding the use of indicators on motorways is being strictly enforced. You will risk being fined for not
indicating before overtaking and again before pulling back to the nearside lane after overtaking. Also, ensure you do not cross the solid white line as
you enter the motorway from a slip road, but wait until the line is broken.
Minimum age for driving, provided you hold a full UK licence, is 18 for a car and for a motorcycle over 75cc. If you've got an old-style all-green licence you might find the police will not understand them, so either get them up-dated or take an International Driving Permit as well.
Motorcycle drivers and passengers must wear crash helmets.
Motor insurance: third-party insurance is compulsory. A green card is not required but your insurer should be advised of your trip.
Seat belts are compulsory for front and rear seat occupants, if fitted.
High Visibility Vests are now compulsory in Spain (and likely to become compulsory throughout the EU) if you need to walk on a motorway. You need a
vest for every potential occupant of the car, and they must be carried inside the car, rather than in the boot.
Warning triangle is compulsory. Only one is required for non-Spanish registered vehicles, whereas two are required for Spanish vehicles, but to avoid
difficulties with the police we recommend everyone should carry two triangles.
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 do well 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 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 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. All this
said, it is not unusual in the larger cities to see cars double and triple parked!
Traffic Phrases
Aparcamiento - Parking ramp
Ceda el Paso - Give Way
Centro - Town centre
Comisaria - Police station
Cuidado - Drive with care
Desvío - Detour
Dirección Única - One-way street
Obras - Roadworks
Peligro - Danger
Todas Direcciones - All directions
el tanque de gasolina - Petrol tank
la matrícula - License plate
el acumulador - Battery
el radiador - Radiator
Todas direcciones - All directions
Autopista - Motorway
Despacio - Slow
Prohibido el paso - Road Closed
Mantenga su izquierda - Keep left
Mantenga su derecha - keep right
Prioridad a la izquierda - Priority to left
Prioridad a la derecha - Priority to right
Enciendense sus luces - Switch on lights
Salida - Exit
Roads marked A for autopista are toll roads. Roads marked N are known as autovias and are the main, non-toll highways; these are often virtually as
fast as, and more scenic than, the autopistas. A sign showing a stylized picture of a camera indicates an especially good view. The word estación
indicates a train station.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency - In Madrid, Barcelona and other large towns: Police, tel. 091; Fire, tel. 080; Ambulance, tel. 092. Elsewhere refer
to the telephone directory. The Traffic Control Department maintains a network of emergency phones along main roads and provides roadside assistance;
call the operator and ask for auxilio en carretera.
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