tips or pointers for driving in Spain

rocknchef

Hey lads going away next week and hiring a car. will be my first time to drive abroad and to hire a car. so basicly any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

smash

Drive on the right hand side!

schoolbag2

watch for when you come of junctions/roundabouts, its easy to slip into driving on the LH side mode.

Dont forget to drive it like a rental

whippet

depending on what part of spain you are driving in be sure to drive within the legal requirments ... on the spot fines can be quite heavy and more or less instantly enforcable when they realise you are a tourist.

The Sunday Times just gone had a little section explaining some different rules and requirments for driving in some european countries.

Once you get out on the road, you will adapt to the driving on the right quite quickly, especially when you are following the flow of traffic. Where you have to be careful is when you are after stopping for a break or a little longer, you'd be suprised how easy it is to 'forget' where you should be rejoining roads and traffic !!

When overtaking, remember to leave plenty of space between your passenger side and the car you are overtaking, for some reason I used to tend to cut it a bit fine as I just wasn't used to taking note of the space on my right when over taking .. it can scare the crap out of your passenger!!

rocknchef

steve06 wrote: »

Drive on the right hand side!

oh **** now im really bricken it:D

bookerboy

Check for damage when you pick up your hire car,but most important make sure the hire company check for damage when you bring it back.
Otherwise your credit card may take a hit when you're back home.

Tipsy Mac

Best get an automatic, great when driving the other side of the road, no need to worry about gears.

Bazzy

Also if you wear glasses make sure you have a spare pair in the car with you its the law over there for some reason dont quite know why!

fryup

aren't the Spanish notorious for being bad drivers??

correct me if i'm wrong.....but wasn't there something like over 100 killed on a spanish bank holiday weekend a few years back

apologies to OP don't mean to make you nervous

mod edit: no need to be racist!

Thoie

whippet wrote: »

Where you have to be careful is when you are after stopping for a break or a little longer, you'd be suprised how easy it is to 'forget' where you should be rejoining roads and traffic !!

Another fun one is if you're on small twisty country roads (particularly ones with no road markings) with no other traffic. Next thing there's someone coming towards you, and your automatic reaction is to keep left. Sadly their reaction is to keep to that same left.

Also, in towns, watch out for pedestrians coming at you from the "wrong" side.

DanGerMus

The on and off ramps to some of the older dual carriage ways can be quite short. I assume because they were originally single lane and expanded without much space for proper slip roads left. Generally though i found that when approaching these slips roads the locals would indicate and move to the fast lane(left lane) to let people on. Don't be shy with the right foot to get up to the appropriate speed. But don't go over the limit either.
They drive quite aggressively and quickly around junctions but i found that they rarely do anything stupid or unexpected. Be sharp when merging and don't doddle and you'll be fine.

Bazzy

you can generally get the mac daddy insurance that covers everything and is a little bit extra with low excess well worth it. What part of spain will you be driving in?

Once your in a rent a car your generally in the wrong to other drivers i was on a tour of one of the canary island and the guide told me the most dangerous animal on the island was rental cars

rocknchef

Thanks for all that. will be collecting the car in Malaga and basing ourselves in Marbella, and the plan is to travel to surronding areas. Helps my wife is half Spanish so having the lingo helps alot and I have traveled the routes many times before but as passanger.

Gracias Amigos

Eoin

Be sure to check out the rental agency. There have been some horror stories about the death traps you get from the cowboy operators in the big resorts. Go with a well established company.

Del2005

Bazzy wrote: »

Also if you wear glasses make sure you have a spare pair in the car with you its the law over there for some reason dont quite know why!

In case the ones you are wearing get damaged and you need to drive. Makes sense and should be law everywhere.

I know my Dad would be blind without glasses and proberly would still risk driving if he damaged his.

drunkdaz

Put your foot down......

Andaluciá is full of wannabe Alonso's, speed limits seem to be a minimum. One thing to keep an eye out for is being overtaken on hairpin corners in the mountains (especially on the road to Ronda), can be a bit of a shock if you're cruising enjoying the scenery and not expecting it. Last time I was over there was a campaign against mobile use while driving, randomly stopped and warned over it, when mine was in the glovebox.....

Don't forget to check out the cars in Puerto Banús!

lostinsuperfunk

I don't have much experience of driving outside Ireland or the UK but I found driving in Spain quite enjoyable: great roads, traffic doesn't seem too heavy outside the big cities, not as much random mad stuff as you see here, but they drive pretty fast alright.

I did drive the wrong way around a roundabout , much to the amusement of everyone on the terrace of the nearby café. It happened after approaching the roundabout from a one-way street, so watch out for that one.

One thing that is strange at first is the traffic lights on main roads on the outskirts of towns. The lights normally remain on red, forcing you to slow down as you approach. Just before you reach them they turn green. I didn't test what happens if you don't slow down, I preferred not to find out. I thought it was a pretty good idea and perhaps could be put into use here. I didn't see any of them around Andaluciá though.

We used Goldcar in Malaga airport, which was so cheap that it looked too good to be true, but there were no hidden extras (apart from paying for a full tank in advance, you bring it back empty) and no mystery charges showed up later on my credit card.

oleras

Just remember to keep your body closest to the center of the road, no need for L and R on your hands...lol. For example, you approach a T junction, if you are turning left, to keep your body closest to the center of the road you will need to be in the furthest lane away from you, turning right, nearest lane to you....there is a chance i may have made that sound more complicated that it actually is !!

The only real thing that kinda freaked me out was after coming home and driving home from the airport...kept questioning myself.;)

cyclopath2001

On some smaller roads, if turning left, you swing right onto what looks like a lay-by and then drive across. Stopping in the middle of the road indicating left, will get you tail-ended.

black & white

My experience is from the Canaries but I presume these rules apply to mainland Spain as well.

Make sure there is a Hi-Vis vest/jacket in the car, you can be fined for not having one and if you break down or get a puncture make sure to put it on as soon as you get out of the car.

Also last year the cops on Fuerteventura were checking for and fining any drivers wearing flip flops. You must wear proper shoes/runners etc. There was talk of fining drivers who drove without a shirt or T shirt on but I'm not sure if that is an offence or just talk at this stage.

Take your time as it feels really strange to be sitting on the "wrong" side of the car and to be on the "wrong" side of the road at first but you get used to it.

Obviously drink driving is a big no-no so be careful and ALWAYS carry your passport, driving license and the documents from the car hire company which prove you are insured and the car is legally hired.

I think on-the-spot fines are normal so carry some cash with you.

fryup

fryup wrote: »

aren't the Spanish notorious for being bad drivers??

correct me if i'm wrong.....but wasn't there something like over 100 killed on a spanish bank holiday weekend a few years back

apologies to OP don't mean to make you nervous

mod edit: no need to be racist!

I wouldnt call them bad drivers but they dont appear to care too much for rules. They dont pay much attention to speed limits but I dont know how strictly they are enforced, I do remember reading before that you have to get caught drink driving 3 times before you are put off the road(dont know if it true though) so if they have the same opinion on other rules they must not be too strict.

Repolho

oleras wrote: »

Just remember to keep your body closest to the center of the road

Or B*itch by the Ditch:) is an easier way to remember

Do-more

If you haven't hired the car yet try Auriga Crown, I used them at Easter and got a good deal, brand new Golf VI TDI cost €160 for 6 days only bit I didn't like was they charged me €55 at pick up for a full tank of fuel and I had to leave it back empty...

Autoeurope and All inclusive are worth checking aswell.

whiterebel

Every time you get in, repeat to yourself, or get the wife/partner/kids to do it:
"Drive on the right, drive on the right" a few times. Careful at roundabouts. As someone pointed out, driving back at home is usually the worst part.
Go onto AA or Google driving in Spain and you will get the necessary info, such as Hi-Viz jackets, spare bulbs, first aid kit (I think). Its 2 years since I drove around North Spain but I found the drivers to be a hell of a lot better than here, both on Motorways and town driving.

APM

Been living in Spain for the last 13 months, and have hired cars about 10 times, always used www.doyouspain.com , as do all the people I know here. Its the same company as mentioned before, Auriga Crowne, except the prices are always a lot cheaper. Throughout the winter we got Ford Focus/Seat Leon for 3 days for only €25, now being summer season the prices are a bit higher but nowhere near as high as hertz.

Very easy to deal with and they do offer an extra all-inclusive insurance for the duration of the rentals. Can't recommend them enough.

Driving in Spain is very easy, especially on motorways. People keep out of the inside line unless over-taking.

rocknchef

Got the rental through Centauro, ford fiesta 7days €100 full insurance package no excess.

1 more question will they supply the saftey gear i.e high viz etc?

Stevie Dakota

Driving in Spain is a breeze compared to here. The roads are amazing and the sign posting is a lesson in how to do it.

ianobrien

One trick that I do all the time is to follow a car through junctions etc for the first few miles, and especially leaving the airport. Then after a few miles, it becomes easier and easier.

As well, I follow a car for a mile or so first thing in the morning, every morning to get the mind used to the "wrong side"

Following local cars is handy at major junctions as there is less chance of getting it wrong.

Oh, you'll drive on the wrong side of the road when you come home. It always happens to me!

You'll also try to change gear with the door handle, so keep your hand on the gear lever for a while. Also, before you go, get used to holding the wheel with your left hand.

Enjoy the hols and don't worry about the driving, you'll be fine.

-Chris-

My tip - get a SatNav.

I was driving in Italy recently and, while I was nervous on the wrong side of the road, the amount of brainspace that was freed up by having someone else tell me where to go made it easier for me to concentrate on how to get there.

Happy121

-Chris- wrote: »

My tip - get a SatNav.

I was driving in Italy recently and, while I was nervous on the wrong side of the road, the amount of brainspace that was freed up by having someone else tell me where to go made it easier for me to concentrate on how to get there.

Great advice, the SatNav takes away a lot of the thinking of where you are going and allows you to adjust to driving on the wrong side, or is it the right?

Just check that you have Spanish maps loaded before you go.

Eoin

-Chris- wrote: »

My tip - get a SatNav.

I was driving in Italy recently and, while I was nervous on the wrong side of the road, the amount of brainspace that was freed up by having someone else tell me where to go made it easier for me to concentrate on how to get there.

Make sure you get a sat nav that allows you to select the type of road you want to take. My dad and I have both separately had nerve-wracking experiences of being brought on dirt roads in very hilly terrain while abroad.

rocknchef

-Chris- wrote: »

My tip - get a SatNav.

I was driving in Italy recently and, while I was nervous on the wrong side of the road, the amount of brainspace that was freed up by having someone else tell me where to go made it easier for me to concentrate on how to get there.

Missus got me 1 for my B-Day all loaded with maps and got the euro tarvel kit for it as well garmin nuvi 250w