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Driving in Spain | Driving In Alicante | Speed Limits In Spain

Driving in Alicante is relatively easy, but you do need to be aware of traffic laws in Spain.

Hiring A Rental Car At Alicante Airport

If you are hiring a car from Alicante Airport then you must be at least 21 years of age, be no older than 75 and need to have held a full EU licence for at least one year. However for some vehicles, the minimum age is 25 years.

What Is Needed To Hire A Car At Alicante Airport?

Your rental voucher if you have pre-booked your hire car on line
Your original driving licence (a copy will NOT be accepted)
Your original passport or ID card (again, a copy will NOT be accepted)
Your credit card – debit cards will NOT be accepted

What Are The Laws Inside The Car When Driving In Alicante, Spain?

Seatbelts, both front and rear must be worn at all times when driving in Spain
Children under the age of 12 cannot sit in the front seat
Children under the age of 3 have to sit on child seats
You must always carry your driving licence in the car when driving in Alicante, as well as all the documentation given by the car hire rental company at Alicante Airport. If not, you can be fined on the spot.
High visibility jackets and warning triangles are compulsory and must be carried in the car when driving in Spain. Your holiday car hire vehicle should contain these.
Wearers of prescription glasses must carry a spare pair in the car at all times when driving in Alicante

Speed Limits When Driving In Alicante

In Spain, always drive on the right hand side of the road

When driving in Alicante the speed limits are:
Motorways 120 km/h
Local Highways 100km/h
Country Roads 90km/h
Urban Roads 50km/h
Many residential areas 20km/h

If you are caught speeding in Alicante, the Spanish police are very quick to act and lack of Spanish driving knowledge is not considered an excuse. The Police are not bothered that you are a tourist driving on holiday in Alicante and on the spot fines are often issued unless you can prove you have a permanent address in Spain. Obviously, as you are renting a holiday villa in Alicante from Alicante Holiday Villas you will not be able to supply this! If you are unlucky enough to be fined, ensure the officer issues you with an official receipt and, if you pay immediately, there is usually a 20% reduction on the fine.

General Driving Advice in Alicante

The Spanish law regarding the use of indicators on motorways is strictly enforced. You may risk a fine for not indicating before overtaking and again after overtaking when you move back into the nearside lane.
Traffic coming from the left always has the right of way
If you see a solid white line in the middle of the road, you cannot cross it. Drive on until you either see a dotted white line, or look for a sign saying ‘cambio de sentido’ where you can turn back safely and legally.

Parking In Spain

Parking in Spain is prohibited in all areas where the curbs are painted yellow. Where spaces are marked blue, this usually means a meter system is operational and a ticket needs to be purchased to park in these spaces. Usually you will spot a nearby machine to purchase your parking ticket. Most of these blue areas have a 2 hour parking limit, but these will be clearly displayed on the machine. If you leave your Spanish rental car beyond the time paid for, or park in a restricted area, your Spanish hire car may be towed away and a sticker left on the curb telling you where your Spanish hire car has been taken. The fees are usually very high to get your Spanish hire car back and the language barrier may prove a problem.

Using A Mobile Phone When Driving In Spain

Using a mobile phone whilst driving is prohibited by law in Spain, although you are allowed to talk using a completely hands free unit. But using an earpiece is also against the law when driving in Spain. This includes using your mobile when pulled over at the side of the road – your car must be completely off the road.

Drink Driving In Alicante

Take no notice of people who say the Spanish authorities do not bother about you driving after a few beers at lunchtime! Like most of the EU, the drink drive limit in Spain is much lower than in the UK (the UK is 0.8mg per ml of blood) and the Spanish alcohol limit when driving is just 0.5mg per ml of blood (or, for drivers of less than 2 years, it drops to 0.1mg). If you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol in Alicante, you can face anything from a severe fine up to imprisonment. It is just not worth the risk! If you want to have a drink when leaving your holiday villa in Gran Alacant, then either get a taxi into Alicante or take Gran Alacant’s tourist train to the numerous bars and restaurants in Gran Alacant!

What To Do If Stopped By The Spanish Police

If you are stopped by the Police whilst driving your holiday rental car in Spain, remain polite and courteous at all times. Most Police Officers do speak a little English, but do not like rude or obnoxious drivers! Also, one of the things they can fine you for is not wearing your high visibility jacket. So, if they stop you, make sure you put it on before you get out of the car!

Driving Safely In Alicante

Whilst the volume of traffic on Spanish roads is nowhere near as bad as you are probably used to in your home country, Spanish drivers are quite aggressive in their driving and tend to speed constantly. The Spanish Government and Police are constantly trying to lower the road death toll, but don’t let this put you off driving in Alicante as, renting a car from Alicante Airport is one of the best ways to take advantage of all the beautiful scenery in and around Alicante! And if you follow Alicante Holiday Villas guidelines, you will be able to drive safely in and around the beautiful city of Alicante.

Be careful not to disobey traffic laws in Spain, follow the rules and regulations when driving your hire car in Spain and have a safe, relaxing and enjoyable holiday in Gran Alacant, Alicante!

We hope you enjoyed the article! Remember you can search for your perfect property in Alicante by using our alicante villa search on our home page. Please don't hesitate to contact us directly for help and advice.

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