How to travel for free on Spanish motorways
Several toll roads in Spain are completely free at certain times of the day
Although the Spanish government has scrapped the tolls on many high-capacity roads, there are still several pay-per-use motorways in the country and some are among the most expensive in Europe, like the AP-68 that connects Zaragoza with Bilbao and costs a scandalous 30 euros each way.
Avoiding the motorways often means that drivers don’t have to fork out for the expensive charges, but this can be a double-edged sword since taking secondary roads can lengthen the trip and cost more in fuel. And in any case, it’s only a matter of time before motorists will have to pay some sort of toll on Spain’s dual carriageways, too.
The key to cutting costs is timing. Not only can carefully choosing the time of day during which to travel reduce the risk of running into traffic jams and roadworks, it’s also possible to drive on many of Spain’s most expensive roads absolutely free for around six hours each day.
The Spanish motorways that are free at night
Between midnight and 6am, the following motorways are completely free:
R-2: Madrid-Guadalajara.
R-3: Madrid-Arganda.
R-4: Madrid-Toledo.
R-5: Madrid-Navalcarnero.
M-12: Madrid Barajas Airport.
AP-41: Madrid-Toledo.
AP-36: Ocaña-La Roda (Toledo-Albacete).
AP-7: Cartagena-Vera (Almería).
AP-7: Alicante ring road.
AP-8: Bilbao-Santurtzi (Viccaya).
AP-46: Malaga-Alto de las Pedrizas.
It’s important to note that the 6am cut-off refers to the time you hit the toll booth, and not the time you actually merge onto the road. However, bearing this in mind, it’s possible to travel these motorways at night free of charge, 365 days a year.
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Image: DGT
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