When It Snows Inland Spain: A Survival Guide For Expats Drivers

Driving done nan Spanish interior successful wintertime tin look for illustration a segment from a Christmas paper – until it abruptly isn’t. Every year, dense snowfall hits regions galore expats presume enactment sunny year-round. Roads close, cars get stuck, and immoderate drivers find themselves stranded for hours successful freezing conditions simply because they thought ‘that won’t hap here.’

Spain doesn’t enforce wintertime tyres everyplace for illustration nan UK’s colder regions do. But erstwhile snowfall hits, nan rules alteration – fast. And ignoring them tin lead not only to threat but to a good you decidedly don’t want erstwhile you’re already stuck successful a blizzard.

So, earlier you scheme that cosy inland escape, here’s what expats request to cognize to enactment live – and legal.

When nan snowfall chains motion appears… you person nary choice

There isn’t a nationwide norm requiring wintertime tyres aliases snowfall chains. However, erstwhile you spot that bluish R-412 roadworthy motion (the tyre wrapped successful chains), you’re nary longer allowed to proceed unless your car is decently equipped. According to reports from Auto Ronda, nan good for pressing connected without chains tin scope €200.

The DGT (Spain’s postulation authority) besides states that during awesome snowfalls, they tin artifact roads to immoderate conveyance not fitted pinch chains aliases approved wintertime equipment. Yes, they really will extremity you – and they won’t hesitate.

There’s besides a caller item galore foreigners miss: only tyres pinch nan 3PMSF awesome (the upland and snowflake logo) are considered existent wintertime tyres now. The older M+S marking isn’t ever capable anymore, arsenic explained by Lugares de Nieve.

Translation? Winter tyres aren’t mandatory everyplace – but erstwhile they are, they’d amended beryllium nan correct kind.

Pack for illustration you’re not coming Back tonight

If you’re heading anyplace agrarian aliases mountainous, deliberation endurance kit – not metropolis cruisewear. Spanish authorities for illustration N332 many times pass drivers that snowstorms successful inland areas tin trim disconnected entree for hours.

That intends having:

• snow chains already successful your boot
• warm clothing and blankets
• food, h2o and a telephone charger
• a afloat vessel of fuel, conscionable successful lawsuit your heater becomes your champion friend for nan night

Before you moreover time off home, cheque nan upwind and roadworthy conditions utilizing nan DGT postulation site/app and charismatic AEMET forecasts. Roads tin spell from clear to closed successful minutes – and nan only informing mightiness beryllium a push notification you didn’t fuss to check.

Driving connected snow: The rules change

British drivers sometimes presume Spanish snowfall ‘can’t beryllium that bad.’ In inland Spain, it tin beryllium worse. Ice is often invisible. Abrupt braking, crisp steering and accelerating for illustration normal tin nonstop your car spinning successful a heartbeat.

Clear your full car – windscreen, lights, tile – aliases falling snowfall from nan tile could unsighted you nan infinitesimal you deed nan brakes. And ever show personification your route… particularly successful distant areas wherever ‘no signal’ isn’t conscionable a mounting connected your telephone – it’s a measurement of life.

If authorities show drivers to fresh chains, extremity location safe and do it. Guessing you’ll “be fine” is really astir emergencies present begin.

This is simply a large woody for Expats

It’s usually overseas drivers pinch rental cars aliases 2nd homes successful nan countryside who get caught out. There’s nary snowfall successful Alicante aliases Málaga… truthful they presume nan aforesaid rules use an hr inland. They don’t.

A speedy wintertime travel to a “pretty village” tin move into a vulnerable situation. If you’re unfamiliar pinch driving connected snow, nan separator for correction is mini — and nan stakes are overmuch higher.

Final Tip: Practice earlier nan panic

Buy chains early – and study really to fresh them earlier you’re stiff and furious astatine nan roadside. If you regularly thrust successful snow-prone regions, upgrading to 3PMSF wintertime tyres whitethorn prevention you money, clip and accent later. And immoderate you do… scheme utilizing nan DGT and AEMET devices alternatively of relying connected wishful thinking.

Bottom line: When it snows inland Spain, you can’t helping it. Preparation isn’t optional – it’s your lifeline.

Stay equipped. Stay informed. And enactment live retired there.

Stay tuned pinch Euro Weekly News for much news from Spain