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Advices for Car Trips through Spain

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52. According to the recently introduced regulations, parking a car on special parking lots for the disabled is a serious violation. Dirty registration number is also likely to become the reason for a fine, so make you car’s registration numbers are always clean.
53. Drivers, who are used to smoking while driving, should make sure there is an ashtray in the car. It is prohibited to throw all inflammable items out of a car. Cigarettes are also in this list. A fine may be charged even if the vehicle was motionless during the breach.
54. In Spain, there are the following types of roads: municipal (C), free roads (N) and highways (A). When preparing for a ride, in addition to car documents and a driving license, drivers must take a passport or a photocopy of its main pages.
55. Despite the fact that local drivers are rather temperamental, they may seem aggressive only at first glance. Behind a conspicuous temperament hides a kind and friendly nature. Therefore, foreign guests should not consider gusts of local drivers as a sign of dislike or disrespect.
56. In many cities of Spain one-way streets are very widespread. This peculiarity should be considered by tourists who plan to use a personal car to enjoy sightseeing and visiting popular tourist attractions.
57. In winter, in case of precipitations, riding on some local roads is permitted only if a car is equipped with snow chains. Tourists who plan to make rides to piedmont regions should pay particular attention to this rule.
58. There are no one-level interchanges on main highways, and on other types of roads their number is minimized. Many conventions to other roads and turns are made as bridges.

Renting a Car in Spain - Recommendations

If you need a car with an automatic transmission, it is recommended to book it in advance. Cars with automatic transmissions are often sparse in Spain, so the rental confirmation may take a longer period.

When selecting a specific model for traveling throughout Spain, we recommend to take into consideration some practical apects. If you are going to drive mostly in the cities, then a car of a small size is preferable, while for long distance trips (and trips in the mountains) we recommend to choose a larger and more powerful car.

Prior your car retrun, please clean the salon from a garbage, and do not forget to take away all your belongings from the passenger compartment.

At the car return time, please ask the officer to make a visual inspection of the vehicle for defects and to sign the acceptance report. Keep the invoice and the acceptance report for next few months.

For a car rental options in Spain, we advise you to check OrangeSmile.com actual offers in the orange search form at the top. We guarantee that you would not be able to find better rates anywhere else!
59. In addition to motorists and motorcyclists, there may also be cyclists on roads. They often become the reason for large traffic jams. Cyclists often form a long line and move slowly along the road. Such situations should be treated with a share of patience and understanding. In no case should drivers publicly express their outrage.
60. Travelers are not allowed to pick up fellow travellers. Only relatives and friends can ride in the same car. There is a number of services and taxis for transportation of people.
61. Tourists, who wish to travel in the piedmont region, should be extremely careful and cautious. All the roads there are mostly very narrow and winding, and with numerous sharp turns. Cars should drive there very slowly, quite often drivers need to occupy the opposite traffic lane in order to make a maneuver.
62. If a traffic patrol stops a car for no apparent reason, do not worry. Most probably, this is just a routine check of documents. A driver may also be offered to pass a breath test in order to check the content of alcohol in blood. Do not refuse to take the test or a patrol can issue a large fine.
63. Stealing things from cars remains one of the biggest problems in Spain. When leaving a car in a parking lot, make sure there are no valuables in it. It is important to remember that even the presence of an empty bag on the front seat can attract thieves.
64. Robbers on motorcycles are another problem. They are so deft that they can snatch not only a purse from a pedestrian on a sidewalk, but also from a moving car through the open window.
65. In many cities, pedestrian crossings are organized on structures that are raised above the level of the road. Passing them at high speed is very unpleasant, so one should slow down before such a crossing.
66. There are automatic traffic lights installed at the entrances to some small towns. By default, they can always show a red signal. The traffic light switches to green when a car stops near it or when a car moves on a given section of a road with allowed speed.
67. Many roads have special lanes for cyclists. These lanes are separated by special markings. Quite often, in addition to the marking, these lanes are separated by a special rubber lining. Vehicles are prohibited from driving on these lanes.
68. All toll roads in Spain have a special lane marking - PEAJE. Parts of roads with tunnels are usually the most expensive. For example, a ride through the Cadí tunnel will cost about 12 euro.
69. Highway payment points can be located either at the entrance or at the exit. In the latter case, when entering the toll road, drivers should take a special ticket and keep it until the end of the ride. When leaving the toll road, this ticket is used to pay for the ride. As a rule, payments both by a credit card and in cash are accepted.
70. In Spain, there is simply no settlement that is impossible to reach on free roads. It should be noted that there are usually no signs that point to free roads in their immediate vicinity. All road signs usually point to toll roads. The location of free roads is better to be specified beforehand by using a map or a navigator.
71. There is also such a thing as the minimum speed on local roads. It depends on the type of a road. In order to calculate the minimum allowable speed, simply divide the maximum allowed speed to 2. Driving slower than the minimum allowed speed will also be considered a violation.
72. Any petrol station (except self-service stations) is a place where drivers can not only fill the tank, but also pump up the wheels and take technical water. If there is no hose in a car, then simply ask it from petrol station workers.
73. A large part of petrol stations do not work at night, but there are always petrol stations that work round the clock near major highways. It is also worth noting that at night most petrol stations accept payments by credit cards through a special machine only.
74. In August, roads of the country that connect Madrid to Malaga, Granada, Alicante, Zaragoza, Valencia, Burgos and Barcelona are always loaded. A large number of people tries to get to popular summer resorts during the hot season, so there are always large traffic jams in both directions.
75. Local petrol stations usually sell unleaded petrol (95 and 98) and diesel fuel. Petrol can be transported in cans – this is very important for drivers who make long distance rides. Gas filling stations can be distinguished by a special «Autogas» sign.
76. Tourists, who enjoy making rides in beautiful places, should pay attention to national roads located along the coast. They go through a lot of interesting places, and during their trip tourists will be able to relax on wonderful local beaches.
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