A road trip can be an incredible adventure, offering the freedom to explore at your own pace and discover hidden gems along the way. With a little planning — like securing an international driver’s license and getting familiar with local road rules — you’ll set yourself up for a journey that’s as rewarding as it is memorable.
When it comes to road trips, Spain is the dream destination. In fact, thanks to its awe-inspiring landscapes, glittering coastline, immense cultural sites, diverse regional dishes and destination diners, Spain is one of the best places in the world for a memorable road trip.
Why the car is mightier than the train (and the bus)
Road trips are all about unexpected encounters. Taking detours down bumpy trails that barely qualify as roads. Seeing that waterfall the local at a tienda told you about that isn’t even on Google Maps. Getting away from everyone. That’s what you get with a car.
Even major Mediterranean hotspots like Marbella, Estepona or Torrevieja aren’t connected to the rail-line – not to mention small gems like Ubrique or Getaria. The best thing about a road trip is that you start off with a plan, then you get side-tracked – and that’s where the magic happens. So go ahead and rent that car. Here’s where to go. Each of these road trips begins and ends in a major city (so you can actually find a car to rent). And each itinerary aims to cover off a different part of glorious country.
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If you’re looking for an adventure packed with quirky moments, awkward conversations, and unpredictable turns, Paramount+’s The Road Trip offers a perfect escape. Watch all episodes of the new hit comedy-drama series as the characters embark on a campervan road trip to a wedding in southern Spain. Inspired by The Road Trip’s wanderlust, below are three of our favourite Spanish road trips.
Lisbon to Barcelona
Once you’ve flown into Portugal’s capital, found yourself a car, and eaten your fair share of pastéis de nata, it’s time to get driving for three hours towards Spain. Drive through the wild plains of Extremadura, over ancient Roman aqueducts, then head north and skirt along the beautiful Sierra de Gredos mountains.
Once you’ve had your share of tapas and churros in Madrid, you have a choice: go east, towards Valencia and the Mediterranean coast; or go north-east, through Aragon and its capital Zaragoza, before you get to the grand boulevards of Barcelona. What a great dilemma to have.
Bordeaux to Santiago de Compostela
Why start a Spanish road trip in France? Well for starters, Bordeaux is easy to fly into – and the wine’s not too shabby either. Plus, it’s one of the most common starting points for road trips into one of Spain’s most stunning regions, Basque Country
Drive to San Sebastián, gorge yourself on pintxos and then get some iconic burnt Basque cheesecake (tarta de queso) at La Viña. Be sure to visit Gerald’s San Sebastián, an offshoot of the famous Melbourne bar (check out Gerald’s guide for Gourmet Traveller, too). And of course, be sure to get to renowned Michelin-starred restaurants such as Arzak and Mugaritz.
Then keep on driving through Basque destinations like Bilbao and Santander, and through the lush top of Spain known as Green Spain. End with a drive along the soaring peaks of Galicia, before finishing at the Santiago de Compostela – the end-point of the famous Camino de Santiago walk.
Barcelona to Gibraltar
Start in the Catalan capital and check to see whether they’ve finally finished the Sagrada Familia yet. Then, drive down along the Mediterranean coastline by the Balearic Sea until you get to Valencia. Keep going onwards towards Benidorm, where you’ll face an interesting choice: take a ferry to Ibiza with your car and loop around the famous party island, or you can keep going on the mainland. (We wouldn’t blame you for zipping around Ibiza).
If the latter, continue south, then be sure to head up to see Granada and the immense Alhambra. Then, it’s back down to the coast, where you’ll go past Malaga before getting to Marbella and the famous Costa del Sol. Your road trip will end in the British territory of Gibraltar, on the tip of the Iberian Peninsula and overlooking the famous strait.
Want to extend your trip? You can do much worse than heading over to Cádiz, before tacking upwards through Seville, Spain’s flamenco capital, and into the Spanish heartland of Andalusia. Then, enjoy the Roman ruins of Toledo before finishing up in the country’s capital: Madrid.
Looking for more Spain travel inspiration? Watch The Road Trip for the ultimate itinerary from Bristol to Malaga, including Plymouth, Santander and Madrid.
A Mountain of Entertainment. All episodes of The Road Trip are now streaming only on Paramount+.
