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By
Car
Motorways (Autopista) are
prefixed by the letter 'A'; highways (Autovía) and
other major roads (Carretera Nacional) are indicated
by either two Roman numerals or, more commonly, three digits.
Many motorways have tolls. Rates are shown at toll booths and
payment must be made in pesetas; cash is preferred, although
major credit cards may also be accepted.
Traffic drives on the right. No person under 18 years
may hire or ride a vehicle over 75cc. Seat belts are compulsory
for front-seat passengers in cars. Crash helmets must be worn
on motorcycles. After sunset sidelights must be used at all
times; spare bulbs and red hazard triangles must be kept in
all vehicles. The speed limit for cars and motorcycles is 120kph
(74mph) on motorways; 100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways; 90kph
(56mph) on roads outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) within
towns. Fines for traffic offences are strictly enforced. The
legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%.
Foreign visitors require a valid driving licence to drive in
Spain. National licences from EU countries are accepted; nationals
of other countries, including the USA, Canada and Australia,
are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. Third
Party insurance is required and documents should be carried
at all times. A Green Card is strongly recommended for all visitors
and is compulsory for those from outside the EU.
Breakdown services and motoring information can be obtained
from the Real Automobile Club de Catalunya (RACC),
Avenida Diagonal (tel: (93) 495 5000 or (90) 036
5505). Ruta Catalunya (tel: (93) 889 1642; fax: (93)
889 0919), provide specific information on driving in Catalonia.
Emergency breakdown services:
RACC (93) 495 5000 or (90) 036 5505) (24 hours).
Alternatively drivers should contact the Ayuda en Carretera
run by the Guardia Civil via the roadside SOS telephones,
located on both sides of the carriageway at two-kilometre (one-and-a-quarter
mile) intervals.
Routes to the city: The A7 motorway is the main route
to Barcelona from France and runs down the coast as far as Alicante
to the south. The A2 heads inland to the west for Zaragoza and
connections to Madrid. The A19 hugs the coast for a short distance
to the northeast of the city.
Driving times to Barcelona: from Zaragoza - 3 hours 13
minutes; Valencia - 3 hours; Madrid - 5 hours 30 minutes.
Coach services: Eurolines international coach
services (website: http://www.eurolines.es/)
use Estació Autobuses de Sants, next to the Central-Sants
train station, Carrer Viriato (tel: (93) 490 4000), although
services to France also stop at Estació del Nord,
Avinguda Vilanova (tel: (93) 265 6508). Most long-distance
coaches from other parts of Spain operate from the Estació
del Nord. There are direct Eurolines services to
many major European cities.
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