Driving in Spain and Portugal
Discussion
We did a multi-destination holiday across northern Spain last summer (Bilbao - Ribadeo - Sanxenxo). Traffic was light on the main A8 motorway across the the north coast. Most cars allowed themselves to creep up to 130kph, but I rarely saw anyone doing more than 140.
There were occasional roadside speed cameras, but no sophisticated overhead camera gantries like we have in the UK. I hardly saw any police cars on the road or parked at the roadside.
It's similar to most other Western European countries - you can go over the speed limit by 10kph without any bother, but the police will fine you heavily if you take the piss.
There were occasional roadside speed cameras, but no sophisticated overhead camera gantries like we have in the UK. I hardly saw any police cars on the road or parked at the roadside.
It's similar to most other Western European countries - you can go over the speed limit by 10kph without any bother, but the police will fine you heavily if you take the piss.
QuickQuack said:
"The popo"? 
Why do we tolerate offensive and derogatory terms for professionals when similarly offensive and derogatory descriptors and words are frowned upon for other groups?
Errr I’m guessing you may be a fully qualified medical professional, Dr Quack? Why do we tolerate offensive and derogatory terms for professionals when similarly offensive and derogatory descriptors and words are frowned upon for other groups? I use Waze throughout the uk and Europe - it gives real time warnings of dangers and is very <cough> useful.
Spain : stay below 150 in a 120 and it’s classed as serious with a 100 Euro fine IIRC.
Portugal : stay below 150 and it’s classed as a light offence. Again I don’t know the fine, if any, but I’d guess it’s not much as it’s 300 euros for exceeding the limit by 60 ie 180 in a 120 which is frankly a stupid speed on most Portuguese toll roads as the surfaces and smoothness aren’t great in places.
andy43 said:
Errr I’m guessing you may be a fully qualified medical professional, Dr Quack?
I use Waze throughout the uk and Europe - it gives real time warnings of dangers and is very <cough> useful.
Spain : stay below 150 in a 120 and it’s classed as serious with a 100 Euro fine IIRC.
Portugal : stay below 150 and it’s classed as a light offence. Again I don’t know the fine, if any, but I’d guess it’s not much as it’s 300 euros for exceeding the limit by 60 ie 180 in a 120 which is frankly a stupid speed on most Portuguese toll roads as the surfaces and smoothness aren’t great in places.
"ie 180 in a 120"I use Waze throughout the uk and Europe - it gives real time warnings of dangers and is very <cough> useful.
Spain : stay below 150 in a 120 and it’s classed as serious with a 100 Euro fine IIRC.
Portugal : stay below 150 and it’s classed as a light offence. Again I don’t know the fine, if any, but I’d guess it’s not much as it’s 300 euros for exceeding the limit by 60 ie 180 in a 120 which is frankly a stupid speed on most Portuguese toll roads as the surfaces and smoothness aren’t great in places.
But I wonder if portugese plod would bother with this
justhavingfun said:
"Spain : stay below 150 in an 120 and it’s classed as serious with a 100 Euro fine IIRC.
Portugal : stay below 150 and it’s classed as a light offence"
Is this for police or cameras?
Google is useful to get accurate up to date info to be honest.Portugal : stay below 150 and it’s classed as a light offence"
Is this for police or cameras?
Spain and Portugal I set cruise at 150, so a real 147-ish, but I have gone quite a bit faster behind local cars on the empty bits of the A2 between Lisbon and the Algarve or over the mountain plains in northern Spain.
Spain has gantries with cameras but they always warn with signs beforehand. I’ve not seen a Spanish speed trap in several thousand km of driving.
Portugal has literally only half a dozen fixed sites but they’ve introduced a lot more small portable cameras recently from what I’ve read. I’ve seen a couple of Portuguese speed traps on local A roads but never anything on the tolls.
France is awful.
andy43 said:
Google is useful to get accurate up to date info to be honest.
Spain and Portugal I set cruise at 150, so a real 147-ish, but I have gone quite a bit faster behind local cars on the empty bits of the A2 between Lisbon and the Algarve or over the mountain plains in northern Spain.
Spain has gantries with cameras but they always warn with signs beforehand. I’ve not seen a Spanish speed trap in several thousand km of driving.
Portugal has literally only half a dozen fixed sites but they’ve introduced a lot more small portable cameras recently from what I’ve read. I’ve seen a couple of Portuguese speed traps on local A roads but never anything on the tolls.
France is awful.
"France is awful."Spain and Portugal I set cruise at 150, so a real 147-ish, but I have gone quite a bit faster behind local cars on the empty bits of the A2 between Lisbon and the Algarve or over the mountain plains in northern Spain.
Spain has gantries with cameras but they always warn with signs beforehand. I’ve not seen a Spanish speed trap in several thousand km of driving.
Portugal has literally only half a dozen fixed sites but they’ve introduced a lot more small portable cameras recently from what I’ve read. I’ve seen a couple of Portuguese speed traps on local A roads but never anything on the tolls.
France is awful.
In terms of speed cameras/traps?
justhavingfun said:
"ie 180 in a 120"
But I wonder if portugese plod would bother with this
I think they would. 180 would make you stand out like a sore thumb on some roads and I think they’d throw the book at you, but they’d need to see you do it. There aren’t many police on the toll roads. But I wonder if portugese plod would bother with this
Being sensible, speeding as the locals do is the way to make a bit more progress than the posted limit - there’s loads travelling around 140-150. 180+ is reserved for BMWs on quiet bits of the north-south A2. The Algarve A22 would catapult you into an orange grove if you got close to 180, it’s just not a smooth enough road in some places.
Highly unscientific, but I tend to use the following guidelines in Western Europe to avoid "extreme" fines i.e. license/vehicle confiscation etc. etc.
120-130kph limit: Max 30kph over
80-100kph limit: Max 20kph over
60-70kph limit: Try to stick to the limit, max 10kph over
<50kph limit: strictly on the limit.
To be honest when European roads are free-flowing anyway, 140-150kph is a comfortable "cruising speed" for me, so in recent times I've not really gone over that speed, except for unnecessary blasts on the autobahn, just cause I could.
120-130kph limit: Max 30kph over
80-100kph limit: Max 20kph over
60-70kph limit: Try to stick to the limit, max 10kph over
<50kph limit: strictly on the limit.
To be honest when European roads are free-flowing anyway, 140-150kph is a comfortable "cruising speed" for me, so in recent times I've not really gone over that speed, except for unnecessary blasts on the autobahn, just cause I could.
andy43 said:
I think they would. 180 would make you stand out like a sore thumb on some roads and I think they’d throw the book at you, but they’d need to see you do it. There aren’t many police on the toll roads.
Being sensible, speeding as the locals do is the way to make a bit more progress than the posted limit - there’s loads travelling around 140-150. 180+ is reserved for BMWs on quiet bits of the north-south A2. The Algarve A22 would catapult you into an orange grove if you got close to 180, it’s just not a smooth enough road in some places.
"there’s loads travelling around 140-150"Being sensible, speeding as the locals do is the way to make a bit more progress than the posted limit - there’s loads travelling around 140-150. 180+ is reserved for BMWs on quiet bits of the north-south A2. The Algarve A22 would catapult you into an orange grove if you got close to 180, it’s just not a smooth enough road in some places.
I suppose I'll just do this speed then, as i'm assuming it's the "flow of traffic" on portugese/spanish(?) toll roads if i'm understanding you correctly
justhavingfun said:
"there’s loads travelling around 140-150"
I suppose I'll just do this speed then, as i'm assuming it's the "flow of traffic" on portugese/spanish(?) toll roads if i'm understanding you correctly
Yeah, just go with the flow. As long as you’re not the fastest, and you have a database that warns you of fixed sites eg Waze you’ll be fine.I suppose I'll just do this speed then, as i'm assuming it's the "flow of traffic" on portugese/spanish(?) toll roads if i'm understanding you correctly
I’ve owned a property in southern Spain for 10 years and lived here for the past 4.5 years and I’ve never seen police checking for speeding… more typical are a couple of policia local on an urban roundabout checking ITVs (MOT) and insurance.
The odd time I see a national or local police car on the motorway the traffic is streaming past them with no regard to the limit.
Traffic police are typically in a cheap diesel SUV or pick up trucks for some reason.
Motorway traffic falls in to 2 distinct camps… mostly 1) 100-120 with a few 2) absolutely flat out. Traffic levels are usually very light unless you’re close to a major city.
Cameras are uncommon and always preceded by a large, clear warning sign.
It’s typical for Spanish fines to have a 50% discount if paid within 7/14 days.
The odd time I see a national or local police car on the motorway the traffic is streaming past them with no regard to the limit.
Traffic police are typically in a cheap diesel SUV or pick up trucks for some reason.
Motorway traffic falls in to 2 distinct camps… mostly 1) 100-120 with a few 2) absolutely flat out. Traffic levels are usually very light unless you’re close to a major city.
Cameras are uncommon and always preceded by a large, clear warning sign.
It’s typical for Spanish fines to have a 50% discount if paid within 7/14 days.
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