I keep reading warnings to those of us planning driving tours that people drive fast in Spain, but "fast" is a relative term. How fast is fast? 100 km/hr? 120? 140? Thanks.

Not that fast, in general terms the average highway speed (traffic load allowing) is around 140 km/h just a little bit over the speed limit 120km/h

Fast is NOT 120 Km/H (74 mph). 120 Km/H is the speed LIMIT on the highways. I typically drive around 130-140 Km/H in Spain so to me, "FAST" would probably be closer to 200 Km/H. Keep in mind that MOST people do drive "around" the speed limit, usually no faster than 140 Km/H but from time to time you have a luxury BMW, Mercedes, or Audi flying down the left lane, flashing his lights at ANYONE who might have the misfortune of deciding to pass a slower car JUST at the moment the speeding car is lighting the highway on fire.

So for God's sake, if you're going to PASS, look as FAR back into your rearview (AND SIDE) mirror as possible before attempting to pass. BE SURE to flash your turn signal 2 or 3 times before staring to pass to give potential speeding cars far behind a chance to see your action ahead. PASS QUICKLY and get BACK into the righthand lane. Don't test the patience of other Spanish drivers by casually motoring down an open highway in the LEFTHAND lane - you'll find a car behind you quickly, flashing their headlights and honking their horn a couple feet behind your bumper. MANY MANY (OH, FAR TOO MANY) United Statesens find traveleling down open highways in the lefthand lane quite a luxury - no one hardly ever does anything about it including the police - I think it's a conspiracy in that those slower moving cars hogging the lefthand passing lanes ultimately slows down all traffic and thus reduces the number of potential speeders that can't get through.

BE SAFE and BE SURE to use your seatbelt, always signal your intentions, and STAY in the righthand lane except to pass and then do it quickly.

Good luck! You're in for an experience.

Saludos, MadridMan

I'm impressed that there IS a left lane.

DJC, please clarify that statement about the left lane. I'm not sure what you mean. The lefthand lane is ONLY used for passing and not for casual cruising (as seems to be the case in the USA - one of my traffic-related pet peeves). All Spanish highways have 2 lanes in each direction except near the larger cities where they may have 3 or 4 lanes.

Saludos, MadridMan

MadridMan says:
"All Spanish highways have 2 lanes in
each direction except near the larger
cities where they may have 3 or 4 lanes."

Ernie says" that is true of the Autovias, but there are certainly plenty of two lane (one each way) roads in Spain. I just drove from Toledo to the A4 just east of Cordoba via two lane roads about four weeks ago.

I think 140-160 is pretty common, and 180-200 is not rare on the Autovias. They do however write tickets, and I decided this time to drive more slowly than I did last time I was in Spain. Three years ago I spent a lot of time driving the A6 between Guadarrama and Madrid, and I seem to remember a lot of 160-180 time. Of course, this time I was driving a 9pax minivan.

Do stay in the right lane except to (quickly) pass. Sure wish people drove that way here.

ernie

ebetancourt wrote: Maybe we need some clarification (FOR ME TOO!)

Autopistas are newer built toll-roads which are the divided 2-lanes-in-each-direction roads and have a 120 Km/h speed limit. These are almost always the most direct route from one place to another. Often less-busy and have more speeders.

Autovías are most-often also divided 2-lanes-in-each-direction highways and have a 100 Km/h (62mph) speed limit. These are less direct in route as the autopistas. Busier roads because they're FREE.

Carreteras Nacionales are "main roads", typically found in rural areas and have non-divided, 1-lane-in-each-direction. Speed Limit: 90 km/H (56mph). These often go through every small town and takes the driver to its destination most often in a zig-zag direction. Clogged roads, sometimes difficult to pass, getting stuck behind slow-moving trucks, often more interesting and allows you to see "real, rural Spain".

Saludos, MadridMan

I drive 200+ miles a week on 2 lane undivided roads here, in addition to the interstate, so it is nice to know that a lot of the roads in Spain in addition to the toll roads are 4 lanes. Since a number of the things we plan to see are in small towns, I imagine we will be using all 3 classes of roads. Thank yo'all for the information.

It seems so...

Autovias and autopistas are just the same concept (2-at-least-lanes-in-each-direction roads with a physical separation - not only a painted line -between both directions) and both have the same speed limit, i.e., 120 km/h. Autopistas can be toll roads, but there are free ones, too. The main differences between both are technical (minimum radius of curves, distance between entries, etc...).

The rule that has been recently adopted is to distinguish between toll and free ones by its name: toll ones are AP-something, and free ones are A-something (if they are national, else it takes the first letter from the name of the city where it is, like the M-30 in Madrid). So, we have the A-6 from Madrid to Villalba and, as from this point it becames a toll road, it changes its name to AP-6, until it reaches Adanero, when becames free again, and thus recovers its previous name, A-6, until its end at La Coruña.

The speed limit in carreteras nacionales, depends on the characteristics of the road and it can be 90 or 100 km/h. Most newer carreteras nacionales don't cross the villages, but round them. As long as they are improved, the target is to avoid crossings.

Now that the proper names and number system has been clarrified let me stress something that was mentioned by MM but is crucial to driving in Spain. The left hand lane is for passing only!. Move back to the right hand lane after you've passed the car ahead of you ...