Road
Motorways (Autopista) are prefixed by the letter 'A'; highways (Autovía) and other major roads (Carretera Nacional) are indicated by two Roman numerals or, more commonly, three digits. Many motorways have tolls. Traffic drives on the right. No person under 18 years may hire or drive a vehicle over 75cc. Seat belts are compulsory for front-seat passengers in cars, and crash helmets must be worn on motorcycles. After sunset, sidelights must be used; spare bulbs and red hazard triangles must be kept in all vehicles. The speed limit for cars and motorcycles is 120kph (75mph) on motorways; 100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways; 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) within towns. Fines for traffic offences are strictly enforced. Drivers who are shown to exceed the legal alcohol to blood ratio of 0.05% are fined up to Pta100,000.
Foreign visitors require a valid driving licence to drive in Spain. National licences from EU countries are accepted; nationals of other countries are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. Third-party insurance is required and documents should be carried at all times. A Green Card is strongly recommended for all visitors and is compulsory for those from outside the EU.
The Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) (tel: (91) 594 7400) has reciprocal agreements with the AA and RAC in Britain and the AAA in America.
Emergency breakdown services:
RACE (91) 593 3333 (24 hours)
Alternatively, drivers may contact the Ayuda en Carretera, run by the Guardia Civil, from the roadside SOS telephones, who will contact the breakdown services.
Routes to the city: Motorways radiate outward from Madrid. The NI links Madrid to the French border (via Burgos and Irún); the NII to Barcelona (via Zaragoza) and the French border; the NIII to Valencia and Alicante; the NIV to Seville; the NV to the Portugese border and the N401 to Toledo.
Driving times to Madrid: from Barcelona - 7 hours 30 minutes; from Seville - 7 hours 45 minutes; from Lisbon - 8 hours 45 minutes.
Coach services: Estación Sur de Autobuses, Méndez Alvaro s/n (tel: (91) 468 4200) is Madrid's most important bus terminal for long-distance travel. Destinations include Albacete, Avila, Alicante, Toledo, Barcelona, Benidorm and Santiago. ENATCAR (tel: (91) 527 9927) provides coach services between Spanish cities, operating from the same coach station.
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