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Driving in Northern Spain

Posted by on

Hi All,

A friend and I will be road tripping in the Northern Spain region and it will be the first time I drive in Spain. We're first heading from Madrid to Segovia for a couple days, then Segovia into the Cantabrian region. I have a few questions,

1) Last trip I took to Spain with a tour, I vaguely remember "rest stop" or "pit stop" that had a gas station, restaurants, restrooms etc. in between cities to sort of take a break from driving. What are these rest stops called in Spain? Having a hard time locating them on Google Maps because I don't know what to search for.

2) How do tolls work in Spain? Can I pay all by credit card, should I plan on having cash (how much do tolls usually run?) or can I pre-pay for a toll package with the rental car company?

3) While I'm fairly competent in Spanish, are there any particular key phrases I should know before approaching the car rental counter?

Thanks so much in advance!

Nina

Posted by
6920 posts

Hi,
Q1/ Rest stops with direct access to the highway are mainly confined to the toll highways. They are called "areas de servicio" or "area de descanso". But most highways aren't tolled, and on these, there are gas stations ("gasolineras") and cafeterias located a short distance from the exits and clearly signposted. There are typically frequent, don't worry, no need to pre-plan on google maps.

Q2/ between madrid, Segovia and Cantábria, there will only be tolls between Madrid & Segovia, and they still take cash and card. But if you're not in too much of a hurry (after all Segovia is close to Madrid!), by all means take the scenic route via Navacerrada pass (Madrid -> A6 to Collado Villalba -> M-601 to Navacerrada -> CL-601 to Segovia). No tolls. You'll pass by la granja de San Ildefonso, worth a stop.

Q3/. None that I think of. Check the car thoroughly if you don't take full coverage.

Posted by
6613 posts

We paid cash for the tolls. Most are inexpensive; maybe a few Euros.. Believe the most expensive toll was about €10 and that was a section heading towards Madrid from Tordesillas. You can tell toll roads by the letter P in the road numbers, e.g, AP, EP.
A = autovia, AP = autovia de peaje.
Some roads may have sections that are toll while the rest are toll free. The toll portion is announced well in advance. If you look on Google maps you can see what I’m referring to. Hopefully you get off the autovias and experience all the small towns and sights.

Posted by
1189 posts

Hello from Wisconsin,

Have you considered a train or bus for the Madrid-Segovia segment both coming and going ? Saves on car rental days, and might be easier getting out of Segovia from the rental location than you might experience leaving Madrid.

Or rent a car on the coast, in the north. And return it somewhere toward Madrid.

And a second thing. While my wife and I travel slowly, along the north coast, the coastal road can be so very slow. Many bicyclists. Even we went back on the superhighway.

Wayne iNWI

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