Types of roads in Spain
There are three main types of highways in Spain: toll autobahns, high-speed freeways, and modest highways of national importance.
Free expressways exist in the immediate suburbs of large metropolises and play the role of county roads. Most of them are laid in deep mines and tunnels underground. Both the first and the second are always one-sided and have dividing fortifications with a counterflow of reinforced concrete. National highways are much slower, two-way, have no divisions and pass right through all the villages and towns that come along the way. These are the old roads that have been in Spain all my life, but have been slightly updated with the connection to new high-speed routes.
The cost of roads in Spain
Prices on such autobahns are low (by European standards, of course), and you can pay by card, which is accepted without confirming the bank’s feedback. This is done by increasing the capacity of the terminals. Russian Visa is accepted without problems. It is possible to simply flip coins. There is also a handy system called Teletac. This is an alternative type of payment for traveling on private roads. It is issued through a bank and owners of this type of payment do not need to open the car window when passing through the payment. Its data is read remotely.
Road Signs
Road signs in Spain are not always installed optimally, so be careful when traveling on expressways. Somehow, a wrongly missed turn can turn into hours of lost time and a lot of nerves. Calmly move to the right lane, look at the map, study each sign carefully and do not pay any attention to the signals of drivers driving behind. This will be more reliable. Special attention should be paid to road markings. Here it is the queen of all roads. If you respect her, she will save you a lot of problems and prevent accidents. It is with its help that they organize traffic at difficult intersections.
The main highways of Spain
The two main roads along the Mediterranean Sea are A2 and A7. In the Costa Brava area, the A2 runs closer to the coast and it is convenient to get to the main resort towns. If you need to get from Barcelona to the border with France faster, then A7 is better. Towards the south, both “A tracks” almost duplicate each other and part ways already at a distance of more than 100 km from Barcelona. There are enough gas stations and rest stops on these roads. The only thing is that when leaving and entering Barcelona, you should look at all eyes. City traffic is organized in such a way that you can get to a certain area of the city only by choosing the right exit from the autobahn. Make a mistake and you will go in the wrong direction. Radars and cameras are installed on all routes.
Speed on the roads of Spain
All major destinations in Spain are equipped with excellent quality toll autobahns, which are a real pleasure to drive. With a good car and driving experience, you can drive from Barcelona to the French border town of Perpignan in 50 minutes. But this is with an average speed of 190 km/h.
When exceeding the speed of more than 80 km/h. your car will be identified by license plates and a fine will be sent by mail. Radars in Spain are hidden behind large information panels placed above the road surface. They photograph violators from behind. There are about a hundred radars, for example, around Barcelona, and professional drivers learn about their location with the help of scanners. Basically, the maximum allowed speed in Catalonia is 120 km per hour, but not in all areas.
Rush hour
The main traffic flows in Spain near large cities fall on weekdays from 7 to 10 a.m. “inbound” and in the evening from 7 to 9 p.m. “outbound.” You can lose about two hours in traffic jams. On weekends, it is better to leave the city around three in the afternoon, because by noon all the roads will be packed. Likewise on Sunday, it is better to return to the city before 5 pm or you will also get stuck.