Spain
Pay per distanceMany Spanish toll motorways went free between 2018 and 2021 when their concessions expired, so a route a map shows as tolled may now cost nothing.
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Many Spanish toll motorways went free between 2018 and 2021 when their concessions expired, so a route a map shows as tolled may now cost nothing. Around twenty AP roads still charge by distance (the AP-9 in Galicia, parts of the AP-7, some Basque and Catalan roads). Cities over 50,000 also run Low Emission Zones, and Madrid and Barcelona enforce theirs strictly.
About €0.09 per km on toll motorways.Estimate
Only some AP motorways still charge, roughly 0.07 to 0.11 euro per km; free A-roads often run parallel. Always check whether your route is still tolled. An estimate.
How to buy
Where to get it
- Barriers on the remaining AP roads: card or cash
- A Via-T tag for the fast lane (it works in France and Portugal too)
- Tunnels (Cadi, Vallvidrera) take card or cash at a flat fee
Step by step
- Check first whether your AP road still tolls or is now free.
- On a barrier road, take a ticket or pay the fixed amount at the exit.
- Pay by card or cash; the amount shows on the display.
- With a Via-T tag, use the marked lane for a small discount.
The traps to avoid
- Routing apps often still flag tolls on AP roads that are now free; verify before you budget.
- The AP-68 (Bilbao to Zaragoza) still charges until 11 November 2026, then goes free.
- The free A-road usually parallels the tolled AP and adds only 10 to 30 minutes.
Charged separately
- Tunel del Cadi (Barcelona to the Pyrenees)€14.56
Flat toll for a car. No free alternative through the tunnel.
- AP-9 (Galicia, A Coruna to Vigo)€18.00
About 18 euro end to end; no free motorway runs the whole Atlantic corridor.
City & emission zones
- Low Emission Zones (Madrid, Barcelona and towns over 50,000)
Madrid (Madrid 360) and Barcelona (ZBE Rondes) are camera-enforced. Foreign cars cannot get a Spanish DGT label at home: for Madrid register your plate at sede.dgt.gob.es; for Barcelona register at zberegistre.ambmobilitat.cat, which can take up to 15 working days. Older non-compliant cars are barred, fines around 200 euro. Rental cars are usually pre-labelled.
Fuel
Local tips
- Check your exact route before assuming any AP road charges; many are free now and apps lag behind.
- Register for Barcelona's zone online at least three weeks ahead; the processing window catches people out.
- A Via-T tag saves a few percent and works across France and Portugal on a longer trip.
- Free A-roads parallel most tolled AP roads if you would rather not pay.
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