Breakdown cover in Spain
Breakdown cover in Spain 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 in Europe (unless you’ve bought European cover as an add-on). So if you want to stay covered, you’ll need to buy a European breakdown cover policy before you go.
24/7 English-speaking helpline
European Roadside Assistance in 48 countries
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Levels of European breakdown cover in Spain
We offer two types of European breakdown cover for you to choose – read how they compare against each other below.
Comprehensive
For £4.58 a day
Roadside Assistance in Europe
We’ll pay up to £150 towards garage labour costs. Provided repairs are completed on the same working day
Get 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 it’s not beyond economical repair
If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to return, we’ll help get you and any passenger's home up to £1,500
Get 2 days’ UK Roadside Assistance before you depart, for all breakdowns over a ¼ of a mile from home
24/7 English-speaking helpline
FREE European Legal Care
Replacement train/ferry ticket for up to 1 missed connection, if the delay is caused by a breakdown
Best cover you can get1 – Comprehensive Plus
For £7.58 a day
Roadside Assistance in Europe
We'll pay up to £1,000 towards garage labour costs. Provided repairs are completed within 7 working hours
Up to £1,200 accommodation expenses and/or up to £3,000 to continue your journey
We’ll cover all costs to get your vehicle to get it back to the UK, providing it’s not beyond economical repair
If your vehicle can’t be fixed before you’re due to return, we’ll help get you and any passenger's home up to £3,000
Get 7 days’ UK Roadside Assistance before you depart, for all breakdowns over a ¼ of a mile from home
24/7 English-speaking helpline
FREE European Legal Care
Replacement train/ferry tickets for up to 3 missed connections, if the delay is caused by a breakdown
Above prices are based on European breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 2.
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. Here’s what to do if you break down, depending on whether or not you have breakdown cover in Spain.
If you have RAC European Breakdown Cover:
- Call the RAC’s English-speaking helpline on 0033 472 4352 44 – lines are open 24/7
- Our team will arrange roadside assistance for you
- When help arrives, they’ll fix your vehicle at the roadside or tow you to the nearest garage for further repairs
- Depending on the level of cover you have, we’ll also pay towards garage labour costs, onward travel expenses and accommodation fees while your car’s being fixed
If you break down on the motorway (‘highway’), it works little differently.
If you don’t have breakdown cover in Spain:
- You’ll need to find a recovery company to come out to you and tow you to a garage if needed
- If you need repairs at a garage, you’ll need to find a garage you can trust
- In addition, you’ll have to pay all recovery and labour costs yourself
Important contact numbersKeep important phone numbers stored in your contacts, including:
RAC European Breakdown from anywhere in Europe
British Embassy in Madrid
British Consulate Alicante
British Consulate Barcelona
British Consulate Ibiza
Emergency Services
You can find other useful contact telephone numbers here.
It's also helpful to have any other useful contact numbers close to hand, such as your accommodation and onward destinations. If you need to, you can let them know of any delays in your journey that might affect your arrival time.
Preparing for your visit to Spain
Make sure you have the right equipment with you when you’re driving in Spain, and that your car’s ready for the long journey. These small steps could help you avoid any potential fines and reduce the chance of needing roadside assistance.
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 your 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 your fluid levels
A vital under-the-bonnet check is to look at the oil, coolant and screenwash levels of the car.
Inspect your windscreen wipers
Check the windscreen wipers for any tears, and test them to make sure they move freely without catching or jumping.
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
Before travelling, it’s a good idea to book your vehicle in for a service. A professional garage can identify any issues and fix them before your trip to Spain. Discover your nearest RAC approved garage today.
Read more about driving in Spain with our country guide here.
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What are the driving rules in Spain?
Spain has some different road rules and laws to the UK. Before you start driving there, or anywhere in Europe, read up on what those rules are to make sure you don’t get caught out.
Here are some of the most important rules you need to be aware of:
- 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
- Everyone in the car must wear a seat belt
- There are strict speed limits in place, depending on the type of road and size of vehicle you’re driving – more details here
Make sure you are insured before travelling to Spain
There are other things you need to consider before heading off to Spain. You’ve got breakdown cover in Spain covered, but you should also be prepared in other areas.
Make sure you’ve got travel insurance in place that covers the dates of your travel and any specifics. It’ll give you extra peace of mind that you’re covered if something goes wrong on your holiday. Browse travel insurance from the RAC before you set off.
Stay prepared all year round with European breakdown cover.
Driving in Spain FAQs
If you’re driving in Spain, make sure you’re carrying your:
- Passport or ID card
- Driving license
- Motor insurance certificate
- V5 registration document
- UK sticker
- Reflective jackets
- Warning triangle
- Headlamp beam deflectors
In Spain you legally need to have a UK sticker and a warning triangle when you drive. You can also be fined for walking along the hard shoulder without a reflective jacket if you break down, so you’ll need to carry one of these too. You can get these and other important equipment in a European driving kit.
If you’re driving from the UK to Spain, you’ll need all the essential kit to drive in Spain, France, and any other countries you’re travelling through. The best way to make sure you’ve got everything is to buy a European driving kit.
Remember to also carry all the correct documentation like your passport, driving license, insurance certificate and V5 registration document. If you don’t have a UK or EU passport, you might need a visa to travel across borders.
Yes, you can. You don’t need any additional documents to travel in Spain after Brexit that you didn’t before Brexit. As long as you’re not bringing a car into the country for more than 6 months in a 12-month period. And remember to bring essential driving equipment in a European driving kit.
You can drive in Spain on a UK license for up to 6 months in any period of 12 months. You’ll just need another poof of ID, like your passport, your motor insurance certificate and V5 registration document.
If you’re driving in Spain, you need a UK sticker – no matter what your license plate says. You can get one in an RAC European Driving Kit.
If you’ve got RAC European Breakdown Cover in Spain, you’ll have cover for zones 1 and 2, which means you’re covered in neighbouring areas like France, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. But if you want to travel further away, you may need to get a higher level of cover.
You can keep a UK car in Spain for up to 6 months in a 12-month period. So if you’ve had a UK car in Spain for 6 months, you’ll have to take it out of the country and wait another 6 months before bringing it back.
You don’t need an international driver’s license (IDP) to rent a car in Spain if you have a full, valid driving license that was issued in the mainland UK. But if your license was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, you might need an IDP.
Find out what other documents you’ll need to drive in Spain.
No, a UK driving license is fine for driving in Spain if you’re a tourist. Just remember to bring another form of ID (like your passport), your insurance certificate and V5 registration document.
Here are the general speed limits in Spain for different road areas:
- 20km/h in residential areas
- 50km/h in built-up areas
- 90-100km/h outside built-up areas
- 120 km/h on motorways
For more information, please refer to our speed limits in Spain article.
Spain Breakdown Cover FAQs
Yes. If your car can’t be fixed within 8 hours, we’ll get you a replacement hire car, or money towards public transport or overnight accommodation.
Page reviewed by: Andy Baker