10 RULES You Need to KNOW before Driving in Spain
Thinking of moving to Spain, travelling to Spain, or already an expat living in Spain? Before you hit the roads, there are essential rules you need to know to avoid fines, confusion, and frustration while driving in Spain. In this video, we’ll take you through the top 10 rules you need to be aware of, from navigating roundabouts in Spain to understanding the road signs, traffic laws and speed limits. Whether you’re a seasoned driver or a newbie, these tips will help you drive confidently and safely on Spanish roads. From the basics of driving in Spain to the quirks of Spanish road culture, we’ve got you covered. So, buckle up and let’s get started on your Spanish driving adventure!
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46 Comments
I'm sure there's enough material for a Part 2 video. Pedestrian crossings where cars get amber traffic lights and pedestrians get green. Or the raqueta roundabouts. Or that you may not stop for more than 2 minutes with your engine running. Or all the paperwork you need to have with you. Or the procedure in case of an accident.
Stewart, how about getting a fresh Spanish drivers license?
Just came back from a road trip in Andalucia and from what I experienced the traffic would usually move at +15/20 kmh relative to the speed limit and also usually completely ignore the 60 zones before mergers.
Then you'd have the occasional maniac doing 120-130 in the 80 zone and do breakneck bypasses in curves with limited line of sight.
I thought it strange none of the videos I saw mentioned this and how to deal with it. If you do follow the speed limit you'll create a kilomoter long queue and irritate other drivers. Or is this just an Andalucia thing?
For reference this was mostly on lesser trafficed country roads between Malaga, Granada and Ronda.
Helpful mate cheers, driving for 1st time in spain soon. I have 17yrs good experience so im sure ill be fine
Hello. Any advice for myself driving alone with 2 dogs from Bilbao port to Garabandal… nervous
No no no .. 😂… always 🎵 round the outside , round the outside , the only place you are not in the wrong 😂
This is the most useful video I've watched today. Thanks a lot
I am looking for tucher for the spain drawing lesson. It's possible for you to tucher for me
Id like to understand the signs more. I just spent 2 weeks in italy and now in Spain. I never see 90km/hr speed signs. But my gpogle maps tells me if I'm in one. There's overtaking signa that i dont understsnd.
For any Americans watching: Europe uses a different measurement system for blood alcohol content (because of course we do – we’re exceptional). 0.8 in Europe equates to 0.08 in the US, so you can’t be ten times as drunk and still be behind the wheel.
1:48, why did you join onto the outside lane then move to the inside?
I'm guessing it's identical to UK Roundabouts, but just flipped around?
Say for a 2 lane roundabout.
Right lane = Turn Right or Go Straght
Left Lane = Turn left or come back round
3 lane roundabout
Right lane = Turn right
Middle Lane = Go Straight
Left Lane = Go Left?
Unless indicated otherwise by lane markings.
We have lived in 3 countries in the EU and I have to be honest, Spanish drivers are the worst drivers in the EU. Just look at their cars. Roundabouts. They drive anywhere on them and exit by cutting across two or 3 lanes! Scoters drivers driving right on your ass! They drive in oncoming lanes. They will cut you off and stare at you like it is your fault!
Spain definitely has strict limits for alcohol, even tougher than Canada.
In Canada, the maximum BAC is 80 milligrams per litre or 0.08.
However, most Canadian provinces also have much lower limits, at 50 milligrams per litre BAC 0.05.
In other words, your BAC could be below the national limit, but still get a 1-7 day license suspension if its between 0.05 and 0.08 depending on where the offence is committed.
For example, if Quebec, Manitoba, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon, the penalty for going between 0.05 and 0.08 is a 24 hour license suspesnion.
Likewise, its a 3 day suspension in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan (between 0.04 and 0.08), and Ontario. Subsequent minor alcohol infractions will result in tougher penalties.
Toughest penalties are in the Atlantic Provinces, namely Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick where minor alcohol infractions result in a 7 day suspension.
For beginner and newly licensed drivers, there's zero tolerance for alcohol use.
No matter where you travel in Canada, if you blow above 0.08, federal and provincial drunk driving laws apply.
speed limits is a demonic move to collect out-of-season taxes for the mayor's lavish vacation expenses.
The big one in Spain is roundabouts. Take a dual carriageway and then a roundabout with two lanes. In civilised countries where roundabouts are done properly where to aid the flow of traffic, you can stay on the inside lane and go straight on. But in Spain the rule is you have to exit a roundabout from the outside lane. This means that a driver take the outside lane right around the roundabout to come back on themselves without even indicating, and if you're on the inside lane, you're going to have a collision as, again, in civilised countries, you'd expect that drive to be going straight on or taking the first exit. You would be at fault in Spain for this, whereas in other countries the other driver would be. So be very aware of anyone at your side if youre on the inside of a roundabout, they may swing right round infront of you.
Would be good to cover pedestrian crossings. Some you must give way and some you don't. 🤔 I remember stopping at one, to let someone cross, and the car behind me started honking his horn and he was clearly unimpressed with me. 🙈
What app do you use for parking?
Good morning.
Please it's possible to teach me the driving lessons in English language. Online theory
Hi! What place is that at 0:31 in the video? Looks awesome!
What is the name of the app at 8:04 ?
I've lived in Spain for 8 years (from the UK) and the diversity of junction styles never ceases to amaze me. The most elaborate junctions between a farmers track and a provincial road, roundabouts where one exit is for nothing, dozens of types of junctions with increasing complexity between two roads where really one should just have a stop sign and nothing else, absurdly complex junctions between two motorways where if you get it wrong you are wrong for kilometres, and then, motorways merging with a 70 metre death strip, moments where you have to traverse 4 lanes in a couple of hundred metres. It is truly the wild west of traffic design, sometimes good, sometimes bad, sometimes (often) like the sole objective was to spend money on asphalt and concrete.
For anyone driving in Spain for first time be aware it could be things you least expect to struggle with you do struggle with. I drove in Spain last September for the first time. I had read on internet and watched videos on here about it. I knew the main difference was driving on opposite side of road and opposite way round roundabouts (I’m in the uk so drive on left). So expected to make a few mistakes with that more than anything. The thing I thought would make it easier actually was the hardest thing to get used to driving in left hand drive car. You don’t realise how much you take for granted that you are in right position in the road, but swapping seat makes it so you are further to the left of the lane than you’re used to. I kept being too far over in the lane to right cos in right hand drive car you need more space to the left. Sounds straight forward but did take time to get used to it. Also I kept going to change gear with my left hand instead of right.
Does Spain have a requirement to modify my (US) vehicle's speedometer which is currently displayed in MPH, not KPH?
Ah! If only I’d come across your video before our family trip to Spain last December 😭 My dad was the one driving, but I still remember how chaotic it was trying to find our hotel in Granada. Our maps kept insisting we drive up into the hills and through these super narrow streets, which already felt suspicious 😅 After 3–4 hours we finally realised there were restricted roads in the historic area where only buses/taxis/Ubers were allowed. We even tried driving through, but the bollards shot up immediately 😂 Thankfully some locals were kind enough to give us a 🙅🏻♀️, and that’s when we knew we had to find a parking lot somewhere in the city. I wasn’t even the one driving, but honestly it felt extremely terrifying at the time 😅
Parking you would need to come to las palmas to see the parking 😢😢😢😢.
Wonderful info, thanks ❤
Thanks for your time.. planning to drive next year from Madrid all away to Málaga.. absolutely stopping at nerja ,
Thank you so much!
How about the V16/2 rotating beacon lamp requirement from 1/26? They seem expensive except for the fake non compliant versions which i ended up with. Can i buy a compliant one in UK?
Parking. You use an app. At meter. You said you can pay there. I'm asking. Can you pay with cash.
One point to add/amend..
In case of a break down, and at all times…the reflective waistcoat/jacket must be kept in a place where it can be accessed without leaving the vehicle!
It is no good and not acceptable to have the reflective jacket stored in the trunk of the car, as the driver would first have to exit the car to retrieve the jacket from the trunk.
It must be in the passenger compartment.
Also there should be a jacket (two) for passenger also.
And…
You forgot to mention what happens should you drive your stickered car in to a restricted area?
And…
Also a warning regard the appalling driving of Spanish drivers in general….
Drive roundabouts what ever lane they choose even if making a complete revolution!!!
And never never ever use turn signals
Not forgetting the regular observation of cars being driven a night with no lights on….yes proper night time, in the dark.
And…don't get me started on electric scooters!!!!!
Thank you for your video. I was looking for a complete video with all the information about how to drive in Spain and you provided the well structured information about it. I am Latino American living in 🇪🇸 and found your video the best.
I'll tell you the best tip for driving in Spain and that is…NEVER MAKE EYE CONTACT!
I learned about the stickers only recently, I live in Portugal, and my car is Portuguese, but a bifuel gpl gas powered car, would I require a sticker if I stay mainly on the main routes, it kind of puts me off visiting towns on the route, in case I encounter these zones. I have the V16 beacon and now snow shoes in case (apparently the Spanish police will fine people that are not correctly equipped for snow) do I need to buy the zone stickers also! (in case the garage that sells gpl is inside the zone, or I fancy to look around Spain, instead of zooming through at 120kmph) previously I only visited Salamanca, which was wonderful!
I have been told that if you are on a roundabout, you must go round in the outside lane, even when you are not taking the exit you're passing. But I have doubts that the inside lane then becomes unusable. Please can you check and clarify?
You are wrong about roundabouts.
Old video….
Now as then….the fluorescent jacket can not be kept in the boot of the car…..CAN NOT
The jacket/vest must be accessible to the occupants (yes you need more than one) without leaving the car (to go around to the rear)
So the jackets must but stored inside the passenger area of the car.
So if I am driving a British car that does not have a Spanish "eco" sticker, how do I know if I am allowed to drive my British car in the city?
Hi , I would like to thank u from all my heart , u give us Valuable information. Thanks
Thank you for this very useful information.🛻🛻🛻👋👋👋👋
Thanks Stewart, great info.
Where / how do I get a enviromental sticker for my Portuguese car ? will a Portuguese " pay road transponder" work in Spain ? is it legal to bring extra fuel in the car ? If I can not touch my mobile phone while in a holder can I touch the cars touch screen while driving ?
I was driving in Spain recently and was never sure when a speed restriction had come to an end. Is there always signage on leaving a town/village and I just missed it? What about temporary roadworks etc? Any guidance would be appreciated…
Clear and to the point. Muchas gracias
Careful at roundabouts.