Spanish Speed Limits when towing

[Scorpy]

Just been on Caravan Club website and found something which I find confusing (so much so I have emailed CC to ask them for confirmation)
It says on their European Speed Limit section that in Spain on Motorways, if your combination of Car & Caravan is under 3.5 tonnes the speed limit is 50mph/80kph but if your outfit is over 3.5 tonnes it is 62mph/100kph.
Previously I have driven a motorhome with a 750kg trailer which I always thought was limited to 55/90 because I had a light trailer on-has this rule changed recently as I assumed it applied to all Car/Caravan combinations (Which would have a trailer above 750kgs as standard)- ie limited to 80kph?
I have checked via Google, N332 website and virtually everywhere I can think of and nowhere does it say a unit of over 3.5 tonnes can go at 100kph except the Caravan Club website. Have they got it wrong? Is it still 50mph/80kph?
Off down to Spain soon and don't want to get pulled for speeding! Anyone know the facts and/or live in Spain with a caravan?

Mike

 

[VicMallows]

Did you also read the fairly recent discussion on this on the CC forum? The overwhelming opinion is that this is a blatant error and that the speed limit for ALL towed caravans is 80kph ....even on motorways. A response was requested from the Club, but as yet has not been forthcoming.

All I will say is that you will not be very popular on busy motorway sections if you do actually stick to 80kph :dry:

 

[RayS]

Interesting. I've been going to Spain each year for the last 15 or so and never got on top of this one. The 80 kph is less than that for HGVs so what most towers seem to do is to tuck in between two sensibly driven HGVs and go along with them. Admittedly staring at the back of the same artic for several hours is not ideal, but I 've found the standard of HGV driving is pretty good and have nevel experienced aggressive tailgating unfortunately not unknown in UK.
A slightly disconcerting thing is that their brake lights sometimes come on even on slight uphill sections. I guess they are on a cruise control and the brakes limit any excursions.

 

[Craigyoung]

Good idea but the amount off debris that HGV tyres spit up off the road , tucked in behind one is one place you'll not see me ! The front off your car and caravan will end full off stone chips .

Craig

 

[Scorpy]

Did you also read the fairly recent discussion on this on the CC forum? The overwhelming opinion is that this is a blatant error and that the speed limit for ALL towed caravans is 80kph ....even on motorways. A response was requested from the Club, but as yet has not been forthcoming.

All I will say is that you will not be very popular on busy motorway sections if you do actually stick to 80kph :dry:

No not seen that but will have a look. As for sticking to 80kph-well as long as the snooper is on................!

 

[Hutch]

My ACSI book for spain says non motorway 70 kph. And on Motorway 90 kph. And also if your outfit is over 12 meters long you need the yellow and red reflectors.

And here is another item I have just found out. Anyone know about it.

FAILURE TO CHANGE YOUR REGISTRATION PLATES

As a resident of Spain you can drive in Spain with British registration plates for 30 days. As a non-resident you can apply for tourist plates, this allows you to drive in Spain with British registration plates for six months per year (private use only, not for businesses). For your first offence you will be given five days to start the process of registering the vehicle in Spain. Customs are informed. On the second offence (outside of the five days leeway) if you do not have proof of the registry process having been started, it will be considered a traffic violation and you will be fined. Customs will be informed and the vehicle will be taken to your residence and clamped.

 

[Hutch]

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/going_abroad/spain/speed_limits_en.htm

 

[VicMallows]

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/going_abroad/spain/speed_limits_en.htm

The trouble with that link is that for the one category we are interested in (Car+caravan) it shows both 80kph and 90kph for Motorways/Expressways, with no explanation as to when each applies. (In all the other cases where multiple limits are shown there are explanatory notes!).

 

[Hutch]

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/going_abroad/spain/speed_limits_en.htm

The trouble with that link is that for the one category we are interested in (Car+caravan) it shows both 80kph and 90kph for Motorways/Expressways, with no explanation as to when each applies. (In all the other cases where multiple limits are shown there are explanatory notes!).

I wondered, if it meant that if your carrying bottled gas, that could be classed as dangerous goods.
Clear as mud.

 

[otherclive]

My ACSI book for spain says non motorway 70 kph. And on Motorway 90 kph. And also if your outfit is over 12 meters long you need the yellow and red reflectors.

And here is another item I have just found out. Anyone know about it.

FAILURE TO CHANGE YOUR REGISTRATION PLATES

As a resident of Spain you can drive in Spain with British registration plates for 30 days. As a non-resident you can apply for tourist plates, this allows you to drive in Spain with British registration plates for six months per year (private use only, not for businesses). For your first offence you will be given five days to start the process of registering the vehicle in Spain. Customs are informed. On the second offence (outside of the five days leeway) if you do not have proof of the registry process having been started, it will be considered a traffic violation and you will be fined. Customs will be informed and the vehicle will be taken to your residence and clamped.

That’s an interesting one as last year we were in Spain touring for five weeks. In all my reading of tour guides and websites I didn’t spot anything re tourist plates. They don’t publicise that one do they?

 

[otherclive]

Sorted. Tourist plates are for foreigners who buy a Spanish registered vehicle so they can use it in Spain before taking it out of the country.

 

[Scorpy]

My ACSI book for spain says non motorway 70 kph. And on Motorway 90 kph. And also if your outfit is over 12 meters long you need the yellow and red reflectors.

And here is another item I have just found out. Anyone know about it.

FAILURE TO CHANGE YOUR REGISTRATION PLATES

As a resident of Spain you can drive in Spain with British registration plates for 30 days. As a non-resident you can apply for tourist plates, this allows you to drive in Spain with British registration plates for six months per year (private use only, not for businesses). For your first offence you will be given five days to start the process of registering the vehicle in Spain. Customs are informed. On the second offence (outside of the five days leeway) if you do not have proof of the registry process having been started, it will be considered a traffic violation and you will be fined. Customs will be informed and the vehicle will be taken to your residence and clamped.

That’s an interesting one as last year we were in Spain touring for five weeks. In all my reading of tour guides and websites I didn’t spot anything re tourist plates. They don’t publicise that one do they?

According to EU ruling a member state registered vehicle can drive in any EU country on home plates for 6 months providing the vehicle is taxed, tested & insured in the home country.
Never heard of nor ever seen any 'tourist plates' and we spend the winters in Spain every year.
I checked this with the N332 website and they said you don't have to register the vehicle in Spain if you are there for up to 6 months and then the vehicle goes back to your home country.
Where did the information re Tourist Plates come from-ACSI Book?

Mike

 

[Scorpy]

Sorted. Tourist plates are for foreigners who buy a Spanish registered vehicle so they can use it in Spain before taking it out of the country.

Aha-thought it was a new one on me!!
Thanks
Mike

 

[otherclive]

I think you will find that the car from an EU state can retain its own plates indefinitely providing it is legal in its own country. So a UK car over three years would need to return for its annual MOT whereas a younger car does not. Both however would need UK tax and insurance. The UK owner however can only be resident for a maximum of 185 days per year to retain the rights with the car.

 

[Hutch]

My ACSI book for spain says non motorway 70 kph. And on Motorway 90 kph. And also if your outfit is over 12 meters long you need the yellow and red reflectors.

And here is another item I have just found out. Anyone know about it.

FAILURE TO CHANGE YOUR REGISTRATION PLATES

As a resident of Spain you can drive in Spain with British registration plates for 30 days. As a non-resident you can apply for tourist plates, this allows you to drive in Spain with British registration plates for six months per year (private use only, not for businesses). For your first offence you will be given five days to start the process of registering the vehicle in Spain. Customs are informed. On the second offence (outside of the five days leeway) if you do not have proof of the registry process having been started, it will be considered a traffic violation and you will be fined. Customs will be informed and the vehicle will be taken to your residence and clamped.

That’s an interesting one as last year we were in Spain touring for five weeks. In all my reading of tour guides and websites I didn’t spot anything re tourist plates. They don’t publicise that one do they?

jj

According to EU ruling a member state registered vehicle can drive in any EU country on home plates for 6 months providing the vehicle is taxed, tested & insured in the home country.
Never heard of nor ever seen any 'tourist plates' and we spend the winters in Spain every year.
I checked this with the N332 website and they said you don't have to register the vehicle in Spain if you are there for up to 6 months and then the vehicle goes back to your home country.
Where did the information re Tourist Plates come from-ACSI Book?

Mike

Mike, got it from here. http://www.andalucia.com/travel/driving/fines.htm
Hutch

 

[Buckman]

I saw the post on the CC forum and it was raised way back in August and the CC still have not modified the information. As our combination unit exceeds the 3.5t plus being over 12m, we stick religiously to the 80kph speed limit however we tend to stick to toll roads so no issue towing at 80kph.

 

[VicMallows]

The consensus seems to be that the limit in Spain for a car+caravan is indeed 80kph (50mph), even on motorways (whether free or toll).
Has anyone actually been 'done' for traveling at 90kph on a motorway?

 

[Buckman]

I don't think any one in a foreign registered car wants to take the chance. Having said that if driving in Spain on the equivalent of a A road, we found that Spanish trucks would ride on your bumper forcing you to go faster that you should as it is very unnerving to have 40 ton of HGV three foot behind you travelling at 50mph. If you had to brake for some reason there is no way that HGV will stop in time. Also you cannot pull over to allow them past as very few places to do this.

 

[otherclive]

I don't think any one in a foreign registered car wants to take the chance. Having said that if driving in Spain on the equivalent of a A road, we found that Spanish trucks would ride on your bumper forcing you to go faster that you should as it is very unnerving to have 40 ton of HGV three foot behind you travelling at 50mph. If you had to brake for some reason there is no way that HGV will stop in time. Also you cannot pull over to allow them past as very few places to do this.

I have noticed that since the speed limit for heavy vehicles was increased to 50 mph I now get HGVs on my tail on A roads as they will be running up to governed speed. That’s one reason why DoT Highways Agency are considering increasing the motorway road works limit from 50 mph to 60 mph in certain areas. It’s because tests on Car and light vehicle drivers had significantly higher heart rates when trucks in lane 1 are undertaking them.

 

[Scorpy]

Update 14.11.2017 from Caravan Club:
They have discussed this at length and have no definitive answer!
However, their legal bods are contacting the Gardia Civil for clarification and they will come back to me. To be fair, they have replied and updated me 3 times as to what they are doing so when the definitive answer comes back from Spain I will update you all!
In the meantime I (and would suggest everybody else) will stick to 80kph when Mr Plodo/Cameras are about as I think this is correct limit
Thanks to all for your replies/opinions
Mike

 

[VicMallows]

Update 14.11.2017 from Caravan Club:

Thanks for the update. It's a pity that the original thread on the CC forum hasn't been updated! (LAST POST 20/10/2017).

 

[Scorpy]

Hi All
Received from Caravan Club today:

Thomas Ash

Attachments14:57 (4 hours ago)

to me

Hi Mike,

Just a quick update, we have spoken with the Guardia Civil and the speed limits were the wrong way round unfortunately I have requested that the website be updated as a matter of urgency with the correct information.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention and the speed limits should be updated within the next 24 hrs. Just for your reference the correct speed limits are listed below.

Vehicle

Motorways

Conventional Roads

Other roads

Car towing a trailer up to 3.500 Kg.

90 km/h

80 km/h

70 km/h

Car towing a trailer over 3.500 Kg.

80 km/h

70 km/h

70 km/h

Motorhome up to 3.500 kg.

100 km/h

90 km/h

80 km/h

Motorhome over 3.500 Kg

90 km/h

80 km/h

70 km/h

Kind regards,

Thomas Ash

Operations Co-ordinator -Overseas Sites

Caravan and Motorhome Club

T: +44(0)01342 336766, Int. Ext: 6766

E: thomas.ash@camc.com

W: www.camc.com

 

[VicMallows]

Ah! so for most of us towing the limit IS 90km/hr on motorways .... presumably plus the 10% leeway when overtaking. (Assuming we can trust their source of information :dry: )

Thanks for pursuing it with CMC.

 

[Hutch]

I just thought I would check up and see what the C&MC say about speed limits in France, and as I expected, they have got it wrong, which makes me dubious about their reply, about Spain.
The C&MC for France states , for Motorways, Outfits over 3500 kg is limited to 90kph, and outfits below 3500 to 130 kph. The French rules state that its the cars Train weight that is the governing factor, so of you have say , a SanteFe towing a small Eriba , you would still be limited to 90 kph, but a small car with a train weight below 3500kg towing a light trailer tent then you could travel at 130 kph.

 

[Craigyoung]

Still wouldn't fancy doing 80 mph with a trailer on the back, so I'll be happy to stay at 55 to 60 mph ! Thats all i do in the sunny :lol: uk !

Craig .