Salamanca Car Rental Guide
This page informs you of the car rental possibilities in Salamanca and also describes the main car rental and driving restrictions valid in Spain.
Rental Restrictions
To rent a car, you must be at least 21 years old (age may vary by car category) and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge. Seatbelts are mandatory. Child seats are mandatory for children up to age 3 and children under 12 may not sit in the front seat. An International Driving License is highly recommended.
Driving Restrictions
The minimum driving age in Spain is 18 years. In order to sit in the front, children under 12 must be seated in a child seat. Seatbelts are compulsory for all passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.5‰.
When driving through tunnels, headlights must be on. In built-up areas, the use of horn is only allowed in cases of extreme and immediate danger. Outside built-up areas, you must use the horn to indicate your intention to pass.
On one-way streets, parking is allowed on even dates along the side with even addresses and on odd dates along the side with odd addresses. Always park your car in the direction of traffic flow. Do not park within 5 metres of intersections or entrances to public buildings. Blue Zones or Zona Azul are indicated by signs – parking in these zones is allowed for 1.5 hours from 8 am to 9 pm. There may also be Zona Oras and you have to display a ticket to be allowed to park in these.
Foreigners must pay fines on the spot unless they can present a Spanish bail bond or address of a Spanish friend or company who will guarantee payment of the fine.
Speed limits:| Area | Limit |
| Motorways | 120KM/H |
| Dual Carriageways | 100KM/H |
| Built-up areas | 50KM/H |
| Residential Areas | 19KM/H |
Emergency Numbers
Police Service: 091
Ambulance service: 092
Fire Service: 080
Road Tolls
Many roads in Spain are tolled. Most toll stations accept credit cards, but you are advised to carry cash. The tolls are rather expensive.
Some useful expressions for tourists visiting Spain
Car – el alquiler de coches
Car rental – coche
Drive a car – conducir un coche
About Salamanca
Salamanca is large enough to offer the advantages of a city, but at the same time manages to keep the intimacy of a village. The city is enormously popular with people all over the world who want to learn Spanish because in Salamanca, the inhabitants speak the purest Spanish in Spain – Castilian.
Salamanca was named a European City of Culture in 2002 as being an open and hospitable university town rich in history and the arts. The city has many museums and galleries; many cultural events are organised throughout the year.
Due to the university, the city is a great place for going out for a good time – there is always something happening in the numerous bars, cafes and restaurants.
Area:
Population: 180,000
Country: Spain
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1
Telephone Area Code: 923
Monetary unit: Euro
