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Driving in Barcelona

Blog: Things that Pop into my Head
Posted by: hazel eyes Wednesday 18th November 2009, 4:20pm

One of the easiest ways to get around whilst on holiday in Barcelona is to hire a car. Here's some tips on what to expect.

Watch out for motorcycle rideouts

Barcelona has a lot of traffic, just like any other major city. However, driving around in a Barcelona hire car has improved considerably thanks largely to the 1992 Olympic Games.

The layout of the roads in Barcelona helps orientation when driving around the city. Drivers in Barcelona tend to be more patient than in other parts of Spain and they pay more attention to road signs. In general cars don't usually turn into a street if they are in the middle lane and they hardly ever park next to someone who has double parked. There are a large number of scooters and small motorbikes in Barcelona however, making it feel like the world's scooter capital.

Motorway accidents

Spain has a high number of road accidents. In order to try and combat this the Spanish government has changed the law so that driving offenses such as speeding, drink driving, mobile telephone use lead to points being on your driving licence.

In Spain, people drive very fast on motorways and dual carriageways, often way above the speed limit of 120kph. Furthermore some roads are in a bad way. The Civil Guard (Spain's equivalent to traffic police) are using speed cameras on many Spanish roads especially on motorways where mobile speed radars are placed in unidentified cars which are used to catch speeding drivers.

Unlike the UK, Spanish drivers do not usually stop at zebra crossings unless they are
accompanied by traffic lights. Take care when approaching one in your car if there are cars behind your vehicle, because if you slow down and stop, you are liable to be hit from behind or to have an irate driver shout and blow his horn.

As with any country, it is best to avoid key days such as local fiestas or the beginning and end of seasonal holidays unless you are there to attend that specific event. Check bank holidays in order to try to avoid the busiest days on Barcelona roads as they vary between regions.

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