"The Cost of Driving In Spain" Spain Transportation Tip by cwest03

Driving in Spain Can be very expensive. You'll have four expenses to consider when you decide to plan a trip by car in Spain; the cost of the rental car, fuel, tolls and parking.

Rental Car - The best prices on rental cars can usually be found before you leave home. Do some research on the web and do your comparison shopping. Look for deals and if you belong to an organization like AAA see if you can get a deal through them. We were able to rent a Ford Focus for about $25 usd a day.

Fuel - You'll quickly realize that fuel is much more expensive in Europe which is why you will typically find smaller, more fuel efficient cars. If you're lucky you'll get a car that runs on diesel which will give you much more efficiency and will cost less than typical gas. When I was in Spain in July of 2003 the cost of a liter of diesel was €.67 which works out to about $2.68 a gallon. Filling up is not cheap.

Tolls - In the north toll roads are very common so be prepared to stop and pay. Always have money on hand when driving. Tolls will typically cost about €2 to €8 depending on how far the last toll booth was. The toll roads are well worth the price giving you many luxuries over the free roads. Toll roads have multiple lanes and speeds often times double that of the free roads. Free roads can be fun but if you want to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time I would suggest the toll roads.

Parking - To find a place to park your car on the street can be an impossible task. In addition to not finding parking leaving your car on the street in some cities (especially at night) can almost guarantee a break in. Fear not. Most cities and hotels have ample parking lots that are monitored 24 hours a day and are relatively safe. I cannot guarantee that your car will not be broken into when parked in a lot or garage but we never had a problem. This security comes at a price however. Expect to pay about €10 to €30 a day for parking.

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