Ferry-Drive Touring Holidays
in Spain and Portugal

• Brittany Ferries now offer two crossings a week from Rosslare to Bilbao using the brand-new Galicia and Santoña ships.
• Outbound Friday crossing takes two nights (leaving late Friday evening, arriving at 08.00 Sunday). All other crossings are one-night.
• Crossing times vary between 27 and 31 hours.
• All crossings are operated by Brittany Ferries.
• Galicia and Santoña are both new since 2020 and all run on environmentally friendly LNG.

Principally you need to ensure that you carry the following items:

• Valid driving licence (international licence not required)
• Vehicle insurance (green card is not required)
• Vehicle registration document
• UK sticker (not GB)
• V16 emergency light - NB this is a new requirement for all vehicles visiting Spain from January 1st 2025 - warning triangles are no longer required nor permitted
• Reflective jacket(s) - you must carry at least one hi-vis jacket though if possible it's recommendable to carry one per occupant

For more detailed information please refer to our partner Brittany Ferries’ excellent pages on Driving in Spain and Driving in Portugal

Requirements are similar for the two countries though in Portugal it’s necessary to prepare for the toll system and helpful to register in advance.

Firstly we would once again refer you to our Partner Brittany Ferries excellent pages on Driving in Spain and Driving in Portugal

Driving is generally quite civilised and traffic density is very low, compared to the UK.

Obviously in Spain and Portugal they drive on the right but otherwise the driving rules and conditions are very similar.

A word about roundabouts

One difference to look out for is in the use of roundabouts which was recently clarified by the DGT basically the inner lane should only be used for overtaking (instead of , as habitually the case in the UK, using it to take the right turn). The safest bet is always to enter and stay in the outer, right-hand, lane irrespective of which exit you’ll be taking.

Easy Toll

Register your car with the Portuguese ‘Easy Toll’ system (see link below) before you leave the UK. It’s quite simple, you just need to associate your credit card with your number plate. Don't do this too early as registration is only valid for 30 days (which needs to cover you stay in Portugal). Travel with us and we'll send you a reminder at the appropriate time via your Vamoos app.

https://www.portugaltolls.com/en

Alternatively you can register at the border:

Where to access: Welcome Points located at the border posts at the following locations EN13 – Vila Nova de Cerveira, A24-Chaves, A25 – Vilar Formoso and A22 – Vila Real de Santo António.

How to access: The driver, not having to leave the vehicle, enters the credit card in the payment terminal and the system automatically associates the vehicle’s license plate to the bankcard. The tolls rates owed are directly debited to the account associated with the card. Validity: At the time of accession, valid for 30 days, a ticket is issued as proof and must be kept.

PLEASE NOTE – this covers the automatic gantry tolls found on most motorways but NOT the Via Verde tolls (found near large cities) where you will find barriers and have to pay with cash or card in the traditional way.

• It can be cheaper – for longer trips, more people and out of season travel the ferry can work out more economical...
• It’s more eco-friendly!
• You know the car – whilst it can be fun to try a new car on holiday there is certainly some comfort in having your own vehicle whilst travelling.
• It’s your special car – whilst basic rental cars are plentiful and cheap anything above a compact class (Ford Focus or similar) starts to become more pricey and harder to come by. If you’re used to driving something bigger or better at home it can lead to disappointment. If you have a classic or collectors’ car this can be a big factor in the decision.
• Avoid the hassles of car rental – though the pitfalls of car rental can be navigated – see our article on Avoiding Problems with Car Rental – by taking your own car you eliminate them totally
• Avoid the hassles of airports – another stress point of any fly-drive holiday
• Bring back a boot-full of goodies! though the duty free allowance is somewhat reduced since Brexit you can still stock up on wonderful goodies like Spanish jamón, chorizo, tuna, and perhaps a few bottles of selected wines…

• It can be more expensive – though this can be offset by the boot-full of goodies
• It’s definitely slower – but isn’t slow-travel all the rage now?
• The steering wheel is on the wrong side – this can be a serious disadvantage and needs to be considered. Overtaking on country roads can be hazardous and even impossible at times – then again you’re on holiday, so what’s the rush?
• When things go wrong it’s your car – this also needs serious consideration and it’s imperative that you take out international insurance and high quality international breakdown cover.