Breakdown Cover in Spain

If you’re planning a road trip to Spain, European breakdown cover isn’t a legal requirement, but it can make life easier and save you money if you break down while you’re away. For example, you’ll have access to an English-speaking helpline 24/7 and be covered for all costs for roadside assistance with the RAC.

You should bear in mind that UK breakdown cover won’t usually apply to Europe (unless you’ve bought European cover as an add-on). As such, you’ll need to buy a European breakdown cover policy before you go. 

To make sure your trip runs smoothly, here’s more information about driving and breaking down in Spain. 

What to do if you break down in Spain
Important contact numbers
Preparing for your visit to Spain
Rules of the road in Spain
Other considerations before your Spanish holiday

 

Comprehensive

From £7^**

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• Unlimited roadside assistance in Europe
• We’ll pay up to £150 garage labour costs²
• Up to £500 accommodation expenses or up to £1,500 to continue your journey
• We’ll pay up to the market value of your vehicle to get it back to the UK, providing your vehicle is not beyond economical repair
• UK roadside assistance up to the value of £300, 48 hours before your departure date
• 24/7 English-speaking helpline

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BEST cover^*

Comprehensive Plus

From £9^**

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• Unlimited roadside assistance in Europe
• We’ll pay up to £1,000 garage labour costs¹
• Up to £1,200 accommodation expenses and up to £3,000 to continue your journey
• We’ll pay to get your vehicle back to the UK if it can’t be fixed, providing your vehicle is not beyond economical repair
• Unlimited UK roadside assistance, 7 days before your departure date³
• Replacement tickets if you miss your pre-booked train or ferry^^
• 24/7 English-speaking helpline

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What happens if I break down in Spain?

If you break down in Spain, having European breakdown cover makes it much easier to get the help you need. If you don’t have cover in place, you’ll need to make your own arrangements. Here’s what to do if you break down, depending on whether or not you have European breakdown cover. 

Important contact numbers

Keep important phone numbers stored in your contacts, including:

• 0033 472 4352 44 - RAC European Breakdown from anywhere in Europe
• 112 - Emergency Services
• +34 917 146 300 - British Embassy in Madrid
• +34 913 342 194 - British Consulate Alicante
• +34 913 342 194 - British Consulate Barcelona
• +34 913 342 194 - British Consulate Ibiza

There are other useful contact telephone numbers here.

Have any other useful contact numbers close to hand too, such as your accommodation and onward destinations. If you need to, you can inform these contacts of any delays in your journey that might affect your arrival time.

Preparing for your visit to Spain

Sometimes a vehicle breakdown is just unlucky and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it from happening. But there are things you can do to reduce the risk of a vehicle breaking down for a number of common reasons.

Before you start driving in Spain, run through these vehicle checks:

Buy a European Driving Kit

In Europe, you could be fined up to €530 for not having the right driving kit in your car. Before you set off check what you need and buy a European Driving Kit from us to ensure that you don’t get caught out.

Check tyre tread

This should be done regularly. It’s important to assess the condition of your tyres to check they are correctly inflated. This improves safety, performance and the economy of the car - you should never drive with worn tyres, so check tyre tread and get any replaced, if needed.

Check fluid levels

A vital under-the-bonnet check is to look at the oil, coolant and screenwash levels of the car.

Windscreen wipers

Inspect the windscreen wipers on your vehicle to check for any tears, and test them to confirm they move freely and are in good condition.

Fill up with fuel

Ensure the vehicle has a full tank of fuel before you travel - and check your route to plan for service stations where you can stop and refill.

Get your vehicle serviced

Getting your car serviced at a garage before you leave the UK should ensure it’s in great condition before you arrive in Spain.

Read more about driving in Spain with our country guide here

Rules of the road in Spain

Driving in Spain is mainly different to the UK because of its road rules and laws. Before you start driving there, or indeed anywhere in Europe, you should read up on what those rules are to ensure you’re abiding by them.

• Some of the most important rules you need to be aware of include:
• You should drive on the right side of the road - so the opposite to the UK - and overtake on the left.
• Drivers approaching an intersection should give way to vehicles approaching from the right.
• Using horns unnecessarily is forbidden - in urban areas it’s not allowed at any time, other than emergencies.
• Seat belts must be worn by everyone in the car.
• There are strict speed limits in place, depending on the type of road and size of vehicle you’re driving - more details here.

Other considerations before your Spanish holiday

There are other things you need to consider before heading off to Spain. You’ve got the driving side covered, but you should also be prepared in other areas.

Ensure you’ve got travel insurance in place, and that it covers the dates of your travel and any specifics. You should contact your bank to let them know you’ll be out of the country. You’ll be likely to use your debit card and/or credit card while in Spain so it’s helpful for your bank to be aware that it may see some unusual transactions.

Contact your mobile phone provider, too. You’ll need to be able to use your phone in Spain, so make sure that any call restrictions that might be in place are removed before you go on holiday. They can also advise on call and SMS rates, and let you know what roaming charges may be.

Stay prepared all year round with European breakdown cover.