🇪🇸 Same-country drive · Spain
Driving from Murcia to Palma
Road trip guide from Murcia to Palma de Mallorca, including route highlights, ferry logistics, and driving advice for coastal Spain.
- Drive time
- 8h 11m
- Distance
- 432 km
- Same day?
- Long day
- under 12 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €50
- petrol · diesel ≈ €45
- Tolls
- ≈ €39
- 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
+1h 9m- Distance:
- 438 km (+5 km)
- Duration:
- 9h 20m
Via: Palma - Eivissa · Dénia - Sant Antoni de Portmany · N-332 · 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.
8h 11m
432 km · €50 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
432 km is far beyond a typical multi-day cycle tour. Try a shorter pair like a day or weekend stage.
No direct service
Our coach data (FlixBus + BlaBlaCar) doesn't list a direct service for this pair. National operators (e.g., National Express in the UK, Eurolines feeders) may still cover it — check their site directly.
What the drive is like
Drafted from the route's computed data on April 25, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
You leave Murcia on the A-7, threading through the sun-baked orchards of the Segura valley before the road opens up into the coastal motorway network heading north toward Alicante. This stretch is straightforward, but watch the heavy holiday traffic merging near Elche; the A-70 bypass around Alicante can become a bottleneck, especially during late afternoon. Keep your speed steady as you transition onto the AP-7, where the Mediterranean views start to dominate the horizon and the road quality remains excellent throughout the coastal run.
Reaching the port of Dénia or Valencia marks the end of the asphalt phase and the start of the maritime leg of your trip. Since this is an island destination, you must account for ferry schedules well in advance, as the coastal ports act as a strict waypoint. Once you drive onto the vessel, the road rules of the mainland stay behind, but the Spanish 120 km/h motorway habits are well-entrenched across the Balearic Islands. When you disembark in Palma, be prepared for narrower urban streets that contrast sharply with the sweeping, multi-lane highways of the mainland.
Fuel prices are generally competitive along the AP-7, but avoid filling up at the motorway service stations directly on the coast if you are on a budget; heading slightly inland into the towns usually nets a better rate. There are no vignettes to worry about in Spain, but keep a card handy for the toll sections of the AP-7, which remain in place on certain segments. If you are traveling in the shoulder season, expect sudden, short-lived Mediterranean rain showers that can make the tarmac greasy, so increase your following distance once the first drops hit the windshield.
Route highlights
- The transition from the A-7 to the coastal AP-7
- Alicante coastal bypass views
- Port of Dénia ferry terminal logistics
- Mediterranean coastline driving near the Mar Menor
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Consider splitting over two days
Technically a one-day drive, but it is a slog. Splitting overnight halfway makes it a much better trip and lets you see the middle, not just the endpoints.
A natural overnight stop near the halfway point: Benidorm (es).
- Distance:
- 432 km
- Duration:
- 8h 11m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Villajoyosa 🇪🇸 es
≈108 km≈ 5 km detour from the main route
-
Santa Eulària des Riu 🇪🇸 es
≈324 km≈ 17.7 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 Palma - Eivissa
Plan for about 130 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Long rural stretch on Dénia - Sant Antoni de Portmany
Plan for about 106 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
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.
Driving rules & habits
Plan your stops, not just your finish time
UsefulOSRM gives you free-flow drive time. Realistic add: 10% on motorway-heavy routes, 25% if you're crossing two cities. Eat at off-peak hours (11:30 lunch, 18:00 dinner) — service-area queues at noon kill 20 minutes. EU fatigue research is consistent: 15-minute break every 2 hours, full 45-minute break before 6 hours. The drive between hours 7 and 9 is where avoidable accidents cluster.
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 Mediterrània / Autopista del Mediterráneo65 km
-
A-7 Autovía del Mediterráneo56 km
-
A-70 —35 km
-
CV-725 carretera d'Ondara a Dénia5 km
-
MU-33 Acceso Sur a Murcia4 km
-
Ma-1 Avinguda de Gabriel Roca2 km
-
EI-600 —2 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Mixed motorway + secondary — varied pace, some scenic stretches.
- Motorway
- 41%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 59%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Challenging
Long day with at least one complicating factor. Split into two days or share the driving.
- Long drive: 8h 11m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- About 236 km on non-motorway roads where speeds and conditions vary.
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €50
32.4 L × €1.54 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €45
25.9 L × €1.72 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €49
76 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
≈ €39
- ES — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 432 km in-country ≈ €39) Toll-free on the A-network; charged only on AP roads.
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-11.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇪🇸 Murcia
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
18°
7°
|
19°
8°
|
21°
10°
|
25°
12°
|
26°
15°
|
32°
20°
|
35°
23°
|
35°
23°
|
30°
19°
|
27°
16°
|
22°
11°
|
17°
8°
|
| 9mm | 15mm | 53mm | 19mm | 66mm | 29mm | 7mm | 8mm | 50mm | 69mm | 11mm | 44mm |
hot mild cold
🇪🇸 Palma
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
16°
9°
|
16°
8°
|
18°
11°
|
21°
12°
|
24°
15°
|
29°
20°
|
32°
23°
|
32°
23°
|
28°
20°
|
25°
18°
|
20°
13°
|
16°
9°
|
| 35mm | 68mm | 76mm | 42mm | 53mm | 37mm | 16mm | 34mm | 62mm | 42mm | 51mm | 34mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Palma
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Thu 21
☀️
27° / 17°
—
-
Fri 22
☀️
28° / 17°
—
-
Sat 23
☀️
28° / 16°
—
-
Sun 24
☀️
29° / 18°
—
-
Mon 25
☀️
29° / 19°
—
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 43 manoeuvres
- Plaza de Julián Romea 0.2 km
- Plano de San Francisco 0.2 km
- Acceso Sur a Murcia (MU-33) 4 km
- Autovía del Mediterráneo (A-7) 28 km
- Autovia de la Mediterrània (A-7) 28 km
- (A-70) 35 km
- Autopista de la Mediterrània / Autopista del Mediterráneo (AP-7) 65 km
- (R-7) 0.2 km
- — 0.6 km
- carretera d'Ondara a Dénia (CV-725) 5 km
- avinguda de Dénia a Ondara (CV-725)
- avinguda de Dénia a Ondara (CV-725)
- avinguda de Dénia a Ondara (CV-725)
- Avinguda de València
- Avinguda de València
- Avinguda Miguel Hernández
- Plaça de Benidorm
- —
- —
- Dénia - Sant Antoni de Portmany 106 km
- Passeig de la Mar
- Avinguda de Portmany (EI-600)
- Avinguda de Portmany (EI-600)
- Avinguda de Portmany (EI-600)
- (EI-600)
- (EI-600)
- (EI-600) 2 km
- (EI-600)
- (EI-600)
- (EI-600)
- Carretera de Sant Antoni de Portmany (EI-600)
- Avinguda de Sant Antoni de Portmany (EI-600)
- Avinguda de la Pau (EI-10)
- —
- Passeig de Joan Carles I
- Carrer d'Iboshim
- Carrer d'Iboshim
- Palma - Eivissa 130 km
- —
- —
- Avinguda de Gabriel Roca (Ma-1) 2 km
- Plaça de la Reina
- Carrer de la Cadena
Frequently asked
Do I need a vignette for Spanish motorways?
No, Spain does not use a vignette system. Some motorways, specifically parts of the AP-7, require payment at toll booths, while others are toll-free.
Is the ferry included in the driving duration?
The duration provided reflects the total travel time including the road journey to the port. Always add a significant buffer for ferry boarding procedures and potential sea-state delays.
What is the speed limit on Spanish motorways?
The standard speed limit on Spanish motorways is 120 km/h, unless otherwise marked by variable electronic signage.
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.