🇪🇸 Same-country drive · Spain
Driving from Palma to Zaragoza
Road trip guide from Palma de Mallorca to Zaragoza, featuring ferry transit, the Mediterranean coast, and the climb into the Aragonese interior.
- Drive time
- 10h 43m
- Distance
- 681 km
- Same day?
- Long day
- under 12 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €79
- petrol · diesel ≈ €70
- Tolls
- ≈ €61
- 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.
Shortest
+0m- Distance:
- 569 km (−112 km)
- Duration:
- 10h 43m
Via: AP-2 · Barcelona – Alcúdia · AP-7 · Ma-13
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 43m
681 km · €79 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
681 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.
Your journey begins at the Port of Palma, where you must navigate the ferry terminal to load your vehicle for the crossing to the Spanish mainland. Once you roll off the ramp at Barcelona or Valencia, you pick up the AP-7 motorway, which acts as the primary artery for your northward progress along the Mediterranean coast. This route remains largely flat and fast as you track the shoreline, but be prepared for the transition from the humid coastal air to the drier, continental climate as you turn inland toward the Ebro Valley. Switching to the A-23 near Sagunto marks the start of the climb into the interior, as the terrain shifts from coastal orchards to the rugged, arid landscapes of the Teruel province. This stretch is a significant change in pace, with elevation gains that require a steady hand on the throttle. The motorway infrastructure here is modern and well-maintained, though the crosswinds picking up across the plains can be surprisingly strong, so keep a firm grip on the wheel as you approach the Aragonese capital. Entering Zaragoza via the Z-40 orbital, you will find the city feels distinctly different from the coastal hubs; the skyline is dominated by the massive towers of the Basilica del Pilar, which serve as your landmark for navigating toward the center. Since this is an entirely domestic drive, there are no borders or vignettes to worry about, but you should budget for the distance-based tolls that apply on various sections of the AP-7. Fuel up while near the major coastal highways, as prices can fluctuate significantly once you move into the less populated mountainous transit corridors.
Route highlights
- The ferry transit from Mallorca to the mainland Spanish coast
- The transition from the Mediterranean coastline to the arid landscape of the Ebro Valley
- The approach to Zaragoza featuring the sight of the Basilica del Pilar
- The mountainous segments of the A-23 through the Teruel region
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: Segorbe (es).
- Distance:
- 681 km
- Duration:
- 10h 43m (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
≈114 km≈ 11.6 km detour from the main route
-
Javea 🇪🇸 es
≈227 km≈ 40.6 km detour from the main route
-
Alcàsser 🇪🇸 es
≈340 km≈ 2.3 km detour from the main route
-
Segorbe 🇪🇸 es
≈454 km≈ 33.6 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 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.
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-23 Autovía Mudéjar276 km
-
A-7 Autovia de la Mediterrània46 km
-
AP-7 Autopista de la Mediterrània / Autopista del Mediterráneo45 km
-
Z-40 Cuarto Cinturón de Zaragoza6 km
-
Ma-1 Avinguda de Gabriel Roca3 km
-
V-23 —3 km
-
A-38 —3 km
-
Z-30 Ronda Hispanidad2 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Mixed motorway + secondary — varied pace, some scenic stretches.
- Motorway
- 55%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 45%
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 43m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- About 285 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)
≈ €79
51.1 L × €1.54 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €70
40.8 L × €1.72 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €76
119 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
≈ €61
- ES — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 681 km in-country ≈ €61) 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
🇪🇸 Zaragoza
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
12°
4°
|
14°
5°
|
18°
8°
|
22°
10°
|
26°
13°
|
32°
18°
|
34°
20°
|
35°
21°
|
27°
16°
|
23°
14°
|
17°
9°
|
12°
5°
|
| 31mm | 34mm | 58mm | 28mm | 44mm | 48mm | 9mm | 15mm | 57mm | 76mm | 24mm | 25mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Zaragoza
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Thu 21
☀️
34° / 17°
—
-
Fri 22
⛅
35° / 19°
—
-
Sat 23
⛅
35° / 19°
—
-
Sun 24
☀️
33° / 21°
—
-
Mon 25
☀️
33° / 21°
—
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 25 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) 46 km
- (V-23) 3 km
- Autovía Mudéjar (A-23) 276 km
- Autovía Mudéjar (A-23) 1.0 km
- Cuarto Cinturón de Zaragoza (Z-40) 6 km
- — 0.2 km
- Ronda Hispanidad (Z-30) 2 km
- Paseo de Echegaray y Caballero
- Paseo de Echegaray y Caballero
Frequently asked
Is a vignette required for driving in Spain?
No, there is no vignette system in Spain. Instead, you pay distance-based tolls on specific sections of the motorway network, such as the AP-7.
What is the speed limit on Spanish motorways?
The maximum speed limit on Spanish motorways (autopistas and autovías) is 120 km/h, unless otherwise indicated by signage.
Are there any specific driving challenges on this route?
The main challenges include the initial ferry logistics and potential strong crosswinds when driving through the exposed arid regions leading into Zaragoza.
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.