Driving in the Canary Islands

Canary Islands in Brief - History of the Canary Islands - Attractions in the Canary Islands

Seat belts in hire cars in Spain
All drivers and passengers renting a car in Spain must wear a seat belt. To sit in the front of a hire car, children under 12 years of age must be seated in an approved child seat.

Driving licence requirement in Spain
EC format pink/green licences are accepted; old-style green or non-European licence must be accompanied with an International Driving Permit.

Fuel in Spain
The Government regulates fuel prices in Spain, so there is no need to shop around to fill your hire car in Spain. Credit cards are accepted in most, but not all garages in Spain. Regular leaded petrol (gasolina sin plomo) has an octane rating of 92; the octane rating of super is 97. Diesel is called gas-oil. LPG is called gases licuados del petróleo.

Parking a hire car in Spain
As in all unfamiliar countries the best advice is to check first before you incur a fine or worse! Zona ORA's are quite common in city centres and require a ticket, purchased from a tobacconist, for parking between 30 and 90 minutes. Zona Azul (blue zone) are also common and require a ticket from hotels, travel agents or town halls. In some cities a blue line on the street indicates resident-only parking; in other cities, check for instructions on signs. Don't leave anything valuable in your parked hire car. Parking garages are a safer alternative to the street, but check the prices before you enter. On one-way streets, parking is allowed on even dates along the side with even addresses and on odd dates along the side with odd addresses; in both cases, park in the direction of traffic flow. Parking is prohibited within 5 metres of intersections or entrances to public buildings.

Traffic rules to be aware of while driving your hire car in Spain
Generally, traffic on the right has priority. Normally where a minor road intersects a major road there's a sign reading Stop or Ceda el Paso (give way); if such a sign is not in place, the traffic on the major road still has priority. All hire cars must turn on their headlights in tunnels. Motorcycles must have headlights on during the day and night. In built-up areas horns may be used only in cases of immediate and extreme danger. Alternatively flash the headlights of your rental car instead. When overtaking or passing a vehicle you must use your indicators to let other motorists know your intentions. If a vehicle comes up behind you signalling that it wants to pass and if you see that the road ahead is clear, you must signal with your vehicle's right indicator to acknowledge the situation. Under no circumstances drink and drive in your hire car in Spain.
On the outskirts of many towns are sensors which detect the speed of your rental car as you approach the town. If you're going over the speed limit, a traffic light at the edge of the town is automatically turned to red so that you must come to a stop before entering the town. Two red lights mean No entry.