A two to three-week loop from Madrid: Segovia and Toledo in Castile, Roman Mérida, Seville and Granada, then the Mediterranean via Cartagena, Valencia and Barcelona, and back via Zaragoza. The autovías are free and easy to drive; the car is for getting between cities, while the historic centres are explored on foot with the car left in a car park.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 2 | Madrid | Start |
| Day 3 | Segovia | 107 km · 2h05 |
| Day 4 | Toledo | 199 km · 2h55 |
| Day 5 | Mérida | 312 km · 3h35 |
| Days 6 to 7 | Seville | 190 km · 2h10 |
| Days 8 to 9 | Granada | 310 km · 4h |
| Day 10 | Cartagena | 288 km · 3h45 |
| Days 11 to 12 | Valencia | 285 km · 3h30 |
| Days 13 to 15 | Barcelona | 391 km · 4h45 |
| Day 16 | Zaragoza | 339 km · 4h30 |
| Day 17 | Back to Madrid | 314 km · 3h35 |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
April to June and September to October. In July, the average high reaches 36°C in Seville: drive in the morning. In winter, the Navacerrada pass towards Segovia is often snowbound; take the AP-6 motorway instead.
🚗 107 km · 2h05 of driving from Madrid
A-6 then M-505 to El Escorial, the Navacerrada pass (1,858 m) and La Granja. Faster: the tolled AP-6 and AP-61.
🚗 199 km · 2h55 of driving from Segovia
N-110 to Ávila (the parallel AP-51 is tolled), then the N-403 south and the A-40. Two-lane roads, no difficulties.
🚗 312 km · 3h35 of driving from Toledo
A-40 then the A-5 westwards, free and quiet, via Trujillo. A long crossing of the Meseta: fill up before setting off.
🚗 190 km · 2h10 of driving from Mérida
A-66 due south, free, via Zafra. Just before Seville, take the Santiponce exit for the ruins of Itálica.
🚗 310 km · 4h of driving from Seville
A-4 via Carmona to Córdoba and its mosque, then the two-lane N-432 via Alcalá la Real. A busy day: set off early.
🚗 288 km · 3h45 of driving from Granada
A-92 then A-92N via Guadix and the high plateaux, the A-7 to Lorca, then regional roads. The AP-7 Vera-Cartagena is tolled.
🚗 285 km · 3h30 of driving from Cartagena
A-30 via Murcia, A-7 via Elche, then the A-31 and A-35 via Xàtiva. All free; the coastal AP-7 towards Alicante is tolled.
🚗 391 km · 4h45 of driving from Valencia
AP-7, toll-free since 2020 and 2021, via Peñíscola and Tarragona, as far as Martorell. The coastal C-32 via Sitges is still tolled.
🚗 339 km · 4h30 of driving from Barcelona
A-2 to Martorell, the C-55 and the mountain road to Montserrat, then the A-2 via Lleida and the AP-2, both free.
🚗 314 km · 3h35 of driving from Zaragoza
Drop Barcelona and Zaragoza: one night each in Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Mérida, Cartagena and Valencia, two in Seville and Granada. Back from Valencia to Madrid on the free A-3.
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €24 a day (Kayak, Madrid-Barajas, Sept. 2026) |
|---|---|
| All categories, January | ≈ €15 a day |
| All categories, December | ≈ €27 a day |
| SUV, annual average | ≈ €42 a day |
| Young driver fee (Hertz, 19 to 24) | €31.76 a day, capped at €444.68 |
| Vehicle | An air-conditioned city car or compact with a DGT C or ECO label: it can enter the low emission zones on the route. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | At Madrid-Barajas Airport, on the day you leave for Segovia. On a loop, no one-way fee. |
| Insurance | Without a zero-excess package, the rental company blocks a deposit on your card; Goldcar adds a fuel deposit. |
| Fuel | Choose full-to-full and keep the receipt from your last fill-up in case of a dispute. |
| Age and card | Hertz rents from age 19 for some categories. Credit card in the driver's name. |
⚠️ Don't pick up the car when you arrive in Madrid: the Distrito Centro only admits ECO and 0 labels, except to reach a public car park.
Any valid EU licence is enough, with no International Driving Permit. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required.
As in mainland Europe. A connected V-16 warning beacon has been compulsory in Spanish cars since 1 January 2026.
In town: 50 on roads with two lanes each way, 30 with one lane, 20 with no pavement.
0.3 g/l for licences held under 2 years. A cut to 0.2 g/l was rejected in March 2026.
AP-7 and AP-2 free since 2020-2021. Still tolled: the AP-6, AP-51 and AP-61 towards Segovia and Ávila.
Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Segovia, Seville, Granada. Cameras read the DGT label linked to the number plate.
Barcelona requires foreign vehicles to register in advance. Elsewhere, park on the edge of the centre.
Granada (Albaicín, Gran Vía) closed to private traffic; the area inside Segovia's walls is a low emission zone.
50% reduction if the fine is paid within 20 calendar days.
Under 135 cm: approved child seat, never in the front.
≈ €1.93 per litre for both unleaded 95 and diesel (24 September 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: Geoportal Gasolineras (Spanish ministry) →
⛽ 2,735 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €370 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
National average of stations reporting to the ministry. Unleaded rose by 20 cents in a month.
| Suggested route | Toll-free: A-5, A-66, A-4, A-92, A-7, AP-7 and A-2 |
|---|---|
| AP-7 Valencia-Barcelona | Free since 1 January 2020 (south of Salou) and 31 August 2021 |
| AP-2 to Zaragoza | Free since 31 August 2021 |
| AP-6 Villalba-San Rafael (alternative towards Segovia) | €5.65 (2026), plus the AP-61 to Segovia |
| Coastal AP-7 Cartagena-Alicante (alternative) | €5.70 off season, €10.20 from June to September and at Easter (2026) |
| C-32 via Sitges (alternative towards Barcelona) | Tolled; the AP-7 via Martorell is free |
| Alhambra | €22.27 (general ticket, excluding online fees), named, often sold out |
| Real Alcázar of Seville | €15.50 |
| Sagrada Família | €26, €36 with the towers (2026) |
| Navacerrada pass (M-601, CL-601) | Frequent snow from November to April; fall back on the AP-6 |
|---|---|
| Madrid Distrito Centro | ECO and 0 only, except to reach a public car park |
| Barcelona low emission zone | Monday to Friday, 07:00 to 20:00 |
| Central Granada (Albaicín, Gran Vía, Sacromonte) | Closed to private traffic all year, enforced by cameras |
| Inside Segovia's walls (low emission zone) | Labels 0, ECO and C; B tolerated until the end of 2029 |
Allow 15 to 21 days for this loop of 10 stages and 16 nights: Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Mérida, Seville, Granada, Cartagena, Valencia, Barcelona and Zaragoza. In 11 days, drop Barcelona and Zaragoza and head back from Valencia to Madrid on the A-3. To explore Andalusia in detail, see our dedicated road trip.
Small car hire: about €24 a day on average at Madrid-Barajas (Kayak), so nearly €400 for 16 days, excluding zero-excess insurance. The loop covers about 2,700 km: about €370 of petrol at September 2026 prices, at 7 l/100 km. The route is toll-free; add parking and entry fees (Alhambra €22.27, Sagrada Família €26).
Less and less. The autovías (A-) are free, and both the Mediterranean AP-7 and the AP-2 to Zaragoza became free in 2020 and 2021. On this route, only the alternatives are still tolled: the AP-6 and AP-61 towards Segovia (€5.65 to San Rafael), the coastal AP-7 between Cartagena and Alicante (€5.70 to €10.20), and the C-32 via Sitges.
Yes with a recent hire car with a C or ECO label: it can drive throughout Madrid's low emission zone, but the Distrito Centro only admits ECO and 0, except to reach a public car park. In Barcelona, the low emission zone applies on weekdays from 07:00 to 20:00, and a foreign-registered car must be registered in advance. Typical fine: €200.
Not with a valid European Union licence. Other licences: check whether an International Driving Permit is required. You can drive from age 18, but rental companies ask for more: at Hertz, 19 for some categories, with a €31.76 fee a day up to age 24. Bring a credit card in the driver's name.
Yes, if you adapt your pace: the average July high reaches 36°C in Seville (AEMET normals). Drive early, sightsee in the morning and evening, and keep the afternoons for the coast, in Cartagena, Valencia or Barcelona. Spring and autumn remain the most pleasant seasons for this route.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/spain · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
