🇪🇸 Same-country drive · Spain
Driving from Barcelona to Valencia
Drive from Barcelona to Valencia via the AP-7. Discover coastal views, hidden coves, and vibrant cities on this Spanish road trip.
- Drive time
- 4h 3m
- Distance
- 350 km
- Same day?
- Yes, doable
- under 8 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €40
- petrol · diesel ≈ €36
- Tolls
- ≈ €31
- per-km
- EV charging
- Unknown
- not yet surveyed
On this page
Route map
Route options
Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.
Avoids motorways
+2h 18m- Distance:
- 363 km (+13 km)
- Duration:
- 6h 21m
Via: N-340
How else can you make this trip?
Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.
4h 3m
350 km · €40 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
350 km is far beyond a typical multi-day cycle tour. Try a shorter pair like a day or weekend stage.
4h 15m
FlixBus-eu
See details ↓
4h 47m
Renfe Cercanias
See details ↓
What the drive is like
Drafted from the route's computed data on April 24, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
Leaving Barcelona, you'll merge onto the C-32 motorway heading south. Soon after, the route transitions onto the AP-7 toll road, the main artery that will carry you down the Catalan coast for much of this journey. This section offers glimpses of the Mediterranean, with opportunities to detour towards coastal towns if time allows. Be prepared for tolls on the AP-7, a common feature of Spain's high-speed road network. Keep an eye on fuel prices; they can fluctuate, so topping up when you see reasonable rates is advisable.
As you continue south, the landscape begins to shift, becoming drier and more rugged as you approach the Valencian Community. The AP-7 hugs the coastline for large stretches, providing scenic vistas before eventually merging into the A-7. This transition marks a slight change in the road's character, but it remains a swift and direct route towards your destination. The E-15 designation often appears alongside AP-7 and A-7, indicating its importance as part of the wider European network.
Approaching Valencia, the A-7 gives way to the V-21, the final stretch of motorway leading directly into the city. You'll experience a transition from open road driving to navigating urban traffic. Be aware of potential speed limit changes as you enter more populated areas. The final kilometres offer a clear indication that you've arrived in the bustling port city of Valencia, ready to explore its many attractions.
Route highlights
- Coastal views from the AP-7
- The transition from C-32 to AP-7
- Toll collection points on the AP-7
- The change in scenery approaching Valencia
- The V-21 approach into Valencia city
- Potential detours to Costa Daurada towns
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Easy one-day drive
Comfortable as a single day for one driver. Leave after breakfast, arrive with time to settle in.
- Distance:
- 350 km
- Duration:
- 4h 3m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Mont-roig del Camp 🇪🇸 es
≈117 km≈ 4.8 km detour from the main route
-
Alcalà de Xivert 🇪🇸 es
≈233 km≈ 3.6 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Tolls on motorways in ES
Budget for motorway tolls — France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal charge per-km, Croatia and Greece by section. Contactless cards work almost everywhere; have one loaded.
Long rural stretch on C-32 Autopista Pau Casals
Plan for about 21 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Long rural stretch on C-32 Autopista Pau Casals
Plan for about 20 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Must-know before you go
The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.
City access & emission zones
ZBE Rondes — register your foreign plate before driving in
Must knowBarcelona
Barcelona's low-emission zone covers everything inside the Rondes (B-10 / B-20), Mon–Fri 7:00–20:00. Old diesels and pre-2000 petrol cars are banned. Foreign plates with compliant emission classes still need to register at the city portal — without registration, the camera flags you regardless. Fines start at €100.
Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla now run ZBE low-emission zones
Must knowSpain's Zonas de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE) cover central Madrid (24/7), Barcelona inside the Rondes (weekdays 7:00–20:00), Sevilla, Valencia and a growing list. Foreign plates need to register at the city portal in advance — your Euro emission class determines whether you get in. Without registration, cameras log entry and the fine reaches your home address.
Tolls, vignettes & road payment
Most Spanish tolls were abolished in 2024
TipThe AP-1, AP-7 (Bilbao stretch) and most of the Mediterranean coast highways are now toll-free. A handful remain: AP-9 (Galicia), AP-66 (León–Asturias), Catalonia's C-32/C-16 tunnel approach. Spain is no longer a high-toll country for cars — your fuel + a few specific bridge fees is the realistic budget.
Fuel stations
Off-motorway stations close late evening
TipSpanish provincial fuel stations often close 22:00–07:00, especially in the south. Motorway services (Cepsa, Repsol on the autovía) run 24/7. If you're routing through an Andalusian backroad, fuel before sunset and don't bank on a small-town pump.
Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump
TipMajor brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.
Money & connectivity
EU roaming covers calls, texts and data at no extra cost
TipYour home EU SIM works at home rates across every EU member, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The "fair use" cap on data only applies if you're abroad more than four months. For a 2-week road trip, just use your phone normally — but switch off "data roaming" if you're leaving the EU into UK / CH for any segment.
Emergency & breakdown
112 works everywhere in the EU and continental neighbours
TipSingle number for police, ambulance, fire — works from any phone, any network, any country. On motorways, the orange SOS pillars every 2km connect direct to the regional traffic control centre and pinpoint your location. Use them over your phone if you can — it speeds the response.
Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.
Main roads
The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.
-
AP-7 Autopista de la Mediterrània249 km
-
C-32 Autopista Pau Casals54 km
-
V-21 —19 km
-
A-7 Autovia de la Mediterrània9 km
-
C-31 Autovia de Castelldefels3 km
-
B-20 —3 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Mixed motorway + secondary — varied pace, some scenic stretches.
- Motorway
- 74%
- Secondary
- 1%
- Other / rural
- 25%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Easy
Straightforward drive. One driver, one day, little to worry about beyond fuel and a toilet stop.
- No major complicating factors — motorway-heavy, single country, comfortable length.
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €40
26.2 L × €1.53 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €36
21 L × €1.74 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €39
61 kWh × €0.64 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €31
- ES — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 350 km in-country ≈ €31) Toll-free on the A-network; charged only on AP roads.
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-04.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇪🇸 Barcelona
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
15°
5°
|
15°
6°
|
17°
9°
|
19°
10°
|
21°
13°
|
27°
19°
|
29°
21°
|
30°
22°
|
25°
18°
|
23°
15°
|
18°
10°
|
15°
6°
|
| 19mm | 38mm | 74mm | 66mm | 66mm | 41mm | 61mm | 42mm | 123mm | 86mm | 40mm | 66mm |
hot mild cold
🇪🇸 Valencia
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
17°
8°
|
17°
8°
|
20°
10°
|
22°
12°
|
24°
15°
|
28°
20°
|
31°
23°
|
32°
23°
|
27°
20°
|
25°
17°
|
21°
12°
|
17°
8°
|
| 14mm | 23mm | 62mm | 10mm | 35mm | 15mm | 17mm | 19mm | 105mm | 114mm | 44mm | 45mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Valencia
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Tue 12
☀️
23° / 18°
—
-
Wed 13
☀️
25° / 15°
0.4mm
-
Thu 14
☀️
24° / 14°
—
-
Fri 15
🌧️
25° / 13°
4.1mm
-
Sat 16
☀️
22° / 11°
—
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 17 manoeuvres
- Carrer d'Aribau 0.2 km
- Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes (C-31)
- Autovia de Castelldefels (C-31) 3 km
- — 0.7 km
- — 0.8 km
- (B-20) 3 km
- Autopista Pau Casals (C-32) 21 km
- Autopista Pau Casals (C-32) 20 km
- Peatge de Cubelles 0.4 km
- Autopista Pau Casals (C-32) 12 km
- Autopista Pau Casals (C-32) 2 km
- Autopista de la Mediterrània (AP-7) 249 km
- Autovia de la Mediterrània (A-7) 9 km
- (V-21) 19 km
- Avinguda d'Aragó
- Pont d'Aragó
- Plaça de la Ciutat de Bruges
By coach from Barcelona to Valencia
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 4h 15m
- Direct
- Operator
- FlixBus-eu
- Departures / day
- ~1
- Approximate based on the published schedule.
Show coach corridor on map
Schedules sourced from the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus GTFS feeds via transport.data.gouv.fr. Times are indicative; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Booking link coming soon.
By train from Barcelona to Valencia
Fastest cross-border rail itinerary from the public Transitous planner. Times reflect a typical Monday-morning departure on the next available service-day.
- Fastest journey
- 4h 47m
- 5 changes
- Lead operator
- Renfe Cercanias
- Alternatives
- 2
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- R2S
Show route on map
Routing via the public Transitous OTP planner (community-run MOTIS instance). Cached 24 hours; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Frequently asked
Are there tolls on the AP-7?
Yes, the AP-7 is a toll road for significant portions of this route. Budget accordingly for these fees.
What is the speed limit on the AP-7 and A-7?
The general speed limit on Spanish motorways like the AP-7 and A-7 is 120 km/h, but always watch for variable signs indicating lower limits.
Are there many fuel stations along the route?
Yes, you'll find numerous service areas and fuel stations along the AP-7 and A-7, particularly before and after major towns.
Can I use the C-32, AP-7, and A-7 without a specific sticker?
Yes, for this route within Spain, no specific environmental stickers are required for the main roads themselves, though some cities may have low-emission zones within their centres.
What are the main differences driving in Spain compared to other European countries on this route?
The primary difference for this specific route is the extensive use of toll roads (AP-7) and the general speed limits on motorways. Fuel prices can also vary.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.