Motorways
(Autopista) are prefixed by the letter 'A'; highways (Autovía)
and other major roads (Carretera Nacional) are indicated by
either two Roman numerals or, more commonly, three digits. Many
motorways have tolls. Rates are shown at toll booths and payment
must be made in pesetas; cash is preferred, although major credit
cards may also be accepted.
Traffic drives on the right. No person under 18 years may hire
or ride a vehicle over 75cc. Seat belts are compulsory for front-seat
passengers in cars. Crash helmets must be worn on motorcycles.
After sunset sidelights must be used at all times; spare bulbs
and red hazard triangles must be kept in all vehicles. The speed
limit for cars and motorcycles is 120kph (74mph) on motorways;
100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways; 90kph (56mph) on roads
outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) within towns. Fines
for traffic offences are strictly enforced. The legal alcohol
to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%.
Foreign visitors require a valid driving licence to drive in
Spain. National licences from EU countries are accepted; nationals
of other countries, including the USA, Canada and Australia,
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.
Breakdown services and motoring information can be obtained
from the Real Automobile Club de Catalunya (RACC), Avinguda
Diagonal (tel: (93) 495 5000 or (90) 036 5505). Ruta Catalunya
(tel: (93) 889 1642; fax: (93) 889 0919), provide specific information
on driving in Catalonia.
Emergency
breakdown services : RACC (93) 495 5000 or (90) 036
5505) (24 hours). Alternatively drivers should contact the Ayuda
en Carretera run by the Guardia Civil via the roadside SOS telephones,
located on both sides of the carriageway at two-kilometre (one-and-a-quarter
mile) intervals.
Routes to the city
: The A7 motorway is the main route to Barcelona from France
and runs down the coast as far as Alicante to the south. The
A2 heads inland to the west for Zaragoza and connections to
Madrid. The A19 hugs the coast for a short distance to the northeast
of the city.
Driving times to Barcelona : From Zaragoza - 3
hours 13 minutes; Valencia - 3 hours; Madrid - 5 hours 30 minutes.
Coach services : Eurolines international coach
services (website: www.eurolines.es) use Estació Autobuses
de Sants, next to the Central-Sants train station, Carrer Viriato
(tel: (93) 490 4000), although services to France also stop
at Estació del Nord, Avinguda Vilanova (tel: (93) 265
6508). Most long-distance coaches from other parts of Spain
operate from the Estació del Nord. There are direct Eurolines
services to many major European cities
BARCELONA - Getting there by Car
