Guide to Driving In Spain - Drive Safe in Spain

Driving is on the right and you may not overtake on the right on highways. In your car you should have two red warning triangles and a reflective jacket to be worn if you need to get out of the car on a highway. The jacket does not cost much to buy from local supermarkets and should be kept somewhere where it is visible from outside the car.



You can also be fined for not having spare bulbs for the car lights and the tools to change them, as well as a spare pair of glasses if you wear glasses. You should have an EU number plate with the ring of stars which encircles the country code. Most of the roads are good but there are some poor roads too.

If you are involved in a minor accident you and the other driver can sort it out yourselves. Otherwise call the Police on 112. Get the licence number, name and insurance company of the other driver. Then contact us and/or your insurance company. Should you have a crash, don’t argue with the police and refer to them politely as Senor or Senorita.

It is mandatory to wear seatbelts. The Spanish require the driver and front seat and back seat passengers to wear seat fitted belts. Children must wear seat belts at all times. Children under the age of 12 cannot travel in the front passenger seat unless they use a special child restraint.

Motorways (autopista) have the prefix A or E. The carretera Nacional Roads have the prefix N or CN.

As of June 2009 the cost of Petrol was 92 pence per litre. Gas stations have petrol, diesel and LPG fuel. If you make a mistake refueling, don’t start the car but ask the attendants to drain the tank for you. This will save you from having to pay for any damage.

Keep your tank topped up in case gas stations close during the siesta hour. However many gas stations are self service. Credit cards are usually accepted for payment.

Drink driving is heavily penalized and only 0.25 milligrams of alcohol per litre of blood is permitted. That is a blood alcohol limit of 0.08%. Breath tests are carried out randomly.

You need your passport and a driving licence to rent a car. Drivers who are not from the EU need an international driver’s licence. Remember that for insurance purposes your tourist status only applies for three months. You also need to have valid insurance and all documents relating to the car (certified copies are OK).

Always have your licence to hand. If it is written in a language with an alphabet other than Roman then you may need to apply for an international licence. Otherwise your normal licence will do. Take a photo identification card with you if you driving licence does not have a photo. You should need an international licence to hire a car in the Canary Islands but many companies in fact let you use a standard driving licence

Yes there are some toll roads and they are known as una carretera de peaje or una carretera de cuota. Have some loose change (Euros) handy.

Villages 50 km
Open Road 90-100 km
Motorways 110 km (Please note reduction from 120km/hr in March 2011 imposed across Spain and the Spanish Islands).

The conversion from kilometers to miles per hour is one kilometers = 0.62 miles per hour. Therefore the speed limit in Canary Islands villages is 30 miles per hour.

The minimum age to rent a car is usually 21 in the Canary Islands, with a clean licence and one year’s experience, but check with our staff when you enquire about booking.

The emergency services can be accessed by calling 112.

Observe all parking signs in the cities or any built up areas. Blue lines and markings mean pay and display so look for the machines. Your best bet is to park in underground car parks and the multi storey car parks in Las Palmas. Parking will generally be more relaxed in the Canary Islands than mainland Spain.