🇪🇸 Same-country drive · Spain
Driving from Palma to Madrid
Essential road trip advice for driving from Mallorca to Madrid, including ferry logistics, Spanish motorway tips, and navigation through the interior.
- Drive time
- 10h 50m
- Distance
- 698 km
- Same day?
- Long day
- under 12 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €81
- petrol · diesel ≈ €72
- Tolls
- ≈ €63
- 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 23m- Distance:
- 737 km (+39 km)
- Duration:
- 13h 13m
Via: Gandia - Eivissa · Palma - Eivissa · N-400 · CM-220
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.
10h 50m
698 km · €81 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
698 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 start this journey with the ferry crossing from Palma to the mainland port of Dénia or Valencia, where you pick up the A-7 and transition onto the AP-7 to begin the drive toward the capital. As you leave the coast, the landscape shifts rapidly from the Mediterranean scrubland to the expansive, arid plains of La Mancha. The coastal stretches are punctuated by distance-based toll sections on the AP-7, so keep your payment method ready before merging onto the toll-free stretches of the A-3 that will lead you inland across the high central plateau.
The A-3 is a broad, well-maintained arterial road, but keep your eyes on the speedometer; speed cameras are frequent through the mountain passes and near the entry points to smaller towns. As you approach the interior, the climate becomes noticeably more extreme, with colder nights and hotter days compared to the coastal regions. Be prepared for the long, straight stretches of the Meseta, which can induce fatigue; pull over at the service stations that dot the highway to ensure you stay alert before tackling the heavy urban traffic on the M-40 or M-30 orbital roads encircling Madrid.
Navigating into the city centre requires caution regarding Low Emission Zones, which strictly regulate older vehicles. Spanish motorways generally permit speeds up to 120 km/h, but the intensity of the traffic as you approach the capital often forces a much slower pace. While the drive is straightforward on paper, the sheer scale of the inland terrain means the transition from sea-level coastal roads to the elevated plateau of Madrid is the most significant change in your driving environment.
Route highlights
- The ferry transit between Mallorca and the Valencian coast
- The transition from the Mediterranean AP-7 to the inland A-3 motorway
- The scenic climb from the coastal plains to the high Castilian plateau
- The final approach into Madrid via the busy M-40 ring road
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Overnight recommended
Too long for a single-driver day. Plan on 1 overnight stop(s) to do this trip right.
A natural overnight stop near the halfway point: Motilla del Palancar (es).
- Distance:
- 698 km
- Duration:
- 10h 50m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Santa Eulària des Riu 🇪🇸 es
≈116 km≈ 8.6 km detour from the main route
-
Javea 🇪🇸 es
≈233 km≈ 34.4 km detour from the main route
-
Torrent 🇪🇸 es
≈349 km≈ 4.8 km detour from the main route
-
Motilla del Palancar 🇪🇸 es
≈465 km≈ 25.1 km detour from the main route
-
Tarancón 🇪🇸 es
≈582 km≈ 40.7 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 Gandia - Eivissa
Plan for about 149 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
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.
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.
Foreign plates must be pre-registered to enter the centre
Must knowMadrid
Cameras read your plate but don't know your emission class. Without registration on Madrid's portal (madrid.es/zbe), the system flags you regardless of the car's actual rating, and the fine reaches your home address weeks later via cross-border collection. Register before you set off.
Madrid 360 / ZBEDEP — pre-2000 cars banned outright
Must knowMadrid
Madrid Central (now ZBEDEP) is one of the strictest emission zones in Europe. Within the 4.7 km² central perimeter (formerly Distrito Centro), vehicles registered before 2000 are banned outright; the rest need to match Spain's "Etiqueta Ambiental" rating. Operates 24/7. Fine is €200 per entry.
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.
-
A-3 Autovía del Este / Autovia de l'Est335 km
-
AP-7 Autopista de la Mediterrània / Autopista del Mediterráneo45 km
-
A-7 Autovia de la Mediterrània17 km
-
Ma-1 Avinguda de Gabriel Roca3 km
-
A-38 —3 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Mixed motorway + secondary — varied pace, some scenic stretches.
- Motorway
- 58%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 42%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Demanding
Tough drive — multiple complicating factors compound fatigue. Strongly recommend splitting across days.
- Long drive: 10h 50m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- About 280 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)
≈ €81
52.3 L × €1.54 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €72
41.9 L × €1.72 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €78
122 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
≈ €63
- ES — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 698 km in-country ≈ €63) 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.
🇪🇸 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
🇪🇸 Madrid
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
11°
3°
|
14°
3°
|
16°
5°
|
21°
9°
|
24°
11°
|
30°
18°
|
35°
20°
|
35°
21°
|
27°
15°
|
22°
12°
|
15°
7°
|
11°
3°
|
| 50mm | 17mm | 120mm | 44mm | 62mm | 43mm | 1mm | 6mm | 64mm | 87mm | 39mm | 30mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Madrid
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Thu 21
☀️
32° / 17°
—
-
Fri 22
⛅
33° / 18°
—
-
Sat 23
☀️
33° / 19°
—
-
Sun 24
⛅
31° / 20°
—
-
Mon 25
☀️
31° / 20°
—
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 27 manoeuvres
- Carrer de la Cadena
- Plaça de la Reina
- Avinguda de Gabriel Roca (Ma-1) 3 km
- —
- —
- Palma - Eivissa 130 km
- Gandia - Eivissa 149 km
- Carrer de la Goleta
- Carrer del Palangre
- Carrer dels Degans
- (N-337a)
- Carretera de Cartagena a Valencia (N-332) 0.7 km
- (A-38) 3 km
- —
- — 0.5 km
- Autopista de la Mediterrània / Autopista del Mediterráneo (AP-7) 45 km
- Autovia de la Mediterrània (A-7) 17 km
- — 0.9 km
- — 1 km
- Autovía del Este / Autovia de l'Est (A-3) 131 km
- Autovía del Este (A-3) 27 km
- Autovía del Este (A-3) 98 km
- Autovía del Este (A-3) 48 km
- Autovía del Este (A-3) 32 km
- Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo
- Paseo del Prado
- Calle de la Cruz
Frequently asked
Are there tolls on this route?
Yes, while many Spanish motorways have become toll-free, parts of the AP-7 are still subject to distance-based fees. Ensure you have a card or cash ready for these sections.
What is the speed limit on Spanish motorways?
The maximum speed limit on Spanish motorways (autopistas and autovías) is 120 km/h, unless otherwise signed.
Do I need any special permits for driving in Madrid?
Madrid enforces Low Emission Zones (ZBE). Check your vehicle's environmental label status before entering the city centre to avoid potential fines.
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.