Spain Travel Information for Motorcycle & Offroad Tours

Spain doesn't have a single climate but several zones that contradict each other in terms of the best time to travel. In the Pyrenees, snow lies on the high passes into late spring, and the season for high-alpine routes usually only begins in June and ends in October.

Inland (Castile, Extremadura, Madrid), high summer becomes a safety risk: temperatures above 40°C are normal across large areas in July and August, and readings above 45°C have been recorded in Andalusia and Extremadura. Full protective gear then becomes a circulation issue.

The opposite is true in Andalusia and the south: winter is mild and dry, ideal for riding, while summer is too hot. The north (the Cantabrian Mountains, the Atlantic coast) stays temperate, but rainy in winter. The Canary Islands sit outside this pattern: with mild temperatures year-round, they are one of the few destinations that can be visited twelve months of the year.

Citizens of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the rest of the EU enter with a valid national ID card or passport; a visa is not required. Spain is a Schengen member and an EU country, so there is generally no longer a check at the border.

For travellers from non-EU countries with a Schengen exemption (e.g. the USA, the United Kingdom, Canada), the general Schengen rule applies: up to 90 days' stay within any 180-day period, without a visa. The passport must be valid for the entire length of the stay. Anyone wanting to stay longer needs a national visa, applied for at the Spanish consulate before travelling.

One special case is the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa: they belong to Spain and the EU, but the land border with Morocco is still checked. For onward travel into Morocco, Moroccan entry rules apply there.

Spain is a member of the EU and the Schengen Area. For an EU-registered motorcycle there are no customs formalities, no Carnet de Passages, and no temporary import to apply for. The normal vehicle registration document is enough.

Your third-party motor insurance automatically applies EU-wide, as long as the number plate is from an EU or EEA country. A Green Card is not required within the EU, but it doesn't hurt to carry one as extra proof if things need to move quickly after an accident.

If you're riding someone else's machine, say a friend's or a family member's, carry an informal confirmation from the registered owner with their name, number plate and contact details. This isn't legally required in Spain, but it avoids arguments at a traffic stop.

If you're coming from a non-EU country outside the Schengen Area, your motorcycle enters just as it would on a holiday trip: registration, proof of insurance and number plate are enough, and a customs declaration is not needed for a travel vehicle that isn't being imported as goods.

An EU card licence of the appropriate category (A1, A2 or A) is recognised in Spain without further formalities; an international driving permit is not needed for EU citizens.

For licences from non-EU countries, an international driving permit (IDP) alongside the original national licence is advisable to mandatory, depending on the issuing country; car and motorcycle rental companies generally require one anyway. Guardia Civil checks on country roads verify the licence, vehicle papers and proof of insurance.

Keep your documents within easy reach, but never hand over your only original without getting it back.

Spain has a very well-developed network of long-distance roads. Autopistas (AP) are tolled motorways in private hands, averaging around 10 euros per 100 kilometres, with no discount for motorcycles. Autovías (A) and national roads (N) are state-run and toll-free, usually just as well built, and the obvious alternative for anyone who doesn't want to pay tolls. There are no toll roads on the Balearic Islands or the Canaries.

Speed limits: 50km/h in built-up areas, 90km/h on single-lane country roads, 100km/h on expressways, 120km/h on motorways. To use a motorway, a motorcycle needs a top speed of at least 60km/h.

Winding mountain roads are found mainly in the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian Mountains and the Sierra Nevada; they are mostly paved and kept in good condition, but often narrow, with tight hairpins and no crash barriers along the drop-offs. Regular road traffic in Spain is generally disciplined and predictable; on country roads, though, expect slow-moving farm traffic and, particularly at dusk, wildlife suddenly crossing the road.

Spain has a very dense network of fuel stations, even away from the motorways. Gasolina 95 (E5) is the standard grade, Gasolina 98 is widely available at larger stations, and Gasóleo A (diesel) is available nationwide. Fuel grades are labelled with the standardised EU markings (E5, E10, B7), as everywhere else in the EU.

Cards are accepted at practically every fuel station, even away from the cities, unlike in many non-EU destinations. Still, in the sparsely populated areas of the Meseta and in the mountains, it's worth not waiting until you're on reserve: stations are further apart there, and some small village fuel stations close on weekends.

Spain is considered very safe for travellers overall; crime against tourists is essentially limited to pickpocketing in busy city centres and on beaches, so the usual precautions are enough. The dangers that are specific to motorcycling lie in the road traffic itself, rather than in crime: winding mountain roads with no crash barriers, slow-moving farm traffic on country roads, and heavy holiday traffic along the coast in high summer, when the roads are at their busiest.

As an EU citizen, you also benefit from the Europe-wide breakdown and rescue network: a single call to the number 112 connects you to the nearest control centre, and staff there can generally help in English as well as Spanish.

No vaccinations are mandatory for Spain. As an EU citizen, the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), in Germany printed on the back of the statutory health insurance card, covers treatment in public healthcare facilities on the same terms as for locals. It does not cover repatriation or treatment in private clinics.

Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in Spain. For remote mountain stages, a first-aid kit still belongs in your luggage.

Spain uses the euro, so there's no currency exchange to worry about for travellers from the eurozone. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, from fuel stations to village restaurants, and contactless is standard. Cash machines are available nationwide.

A bit of cash is worth having for small parking fees, machines in rural areas, and tipping, which is customary in Spain but not obligatory.

For travellers with an EU mobile contract, the EU roaming rules apply: your home data plan works in Spain just as it does at home, with no extra cost and no local SIM card needed. Travellers from outside the EU will find it easiest to get a Spanish prepaid SIM (Vodafone, Movistar, Orange) or an eSIM.

Mobile coverage is very good along the coasts and in cities; in the high parts of the Pyrenees and in the sparsely populated interior there are dead zones. Download offline maps in advance for mountain stages.

The official language is Spanish (Castilian); in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia, Catalan, Basque (Euskera) and Galician are co-official and often appear on equal footing with Spanish on place signs and road signs. English is common on the coast and in tourist towns, less so inland.

Mealtimes are later than in Central Europe: lunch usually from 2pm, dinner rarely before 9pm. Many small shops and workshops close at midday for the siesta. Fuel stations and larger supermarkets are generally open all day.