🇪🇸 Same-country drive · Spain
Driving from Sevilla to Zaragoza
Practical guide for driving the 847 km route from the Andalusian capital of Sevilla to the historic city of Zaragoza, covering road choices and regional driving tips.
- Drive time
- 9h 11m
- Distance
- 847 km
- Same day?
- Long day
- under 12 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €102
- petrol · diesel ≈ €91
- Tolls
- ≈ €76
- 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
+3h 44m- Distance:
- 819 km (−28 km)
- Duration:
- 12h 55m
Via: N-420 · CM-210 · CM-310a · A-431
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.
9h 11m
847 km · €102 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
847 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.
2h 15m
from €40
See details ↓
5h 15m
RENFE OPERADORA
See details ↓
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 the heat of the Guadalquivir valley by picking up the A-66 heading north, a route that trades the orange-scented streets of Sevilla for the sweeping, golden plains of Extremadura. This initial leg is smooth and relatively uncongested, allowing you to maintain the 120 km/h limit with ease as the landscape gradually rises toward the heart of the Meseta. By the time you transition onto the A-5 toward Madrid, the intensity of the southern sun begins to fade, replaced by the expansive, open vistas of the Spanish interior.
Navigating the M-40 orbital around Madrid requires extra vigilance, especially during weekday rush hours when local commuters dominate the lanes. Stay alert for sudden lane changes and heavy braking sections where the motorway traffic bottlenecks. Once you clear the capital and shift onto the A-2 toward Zaragoza, the driving becomes more rhythmic. This final stretch cuts across the arid, wind-swept terrain of the Aragon region, where high crosswinds can be common; keep a firm grip on the wheel, particularly if you are driving a tall vehicle.
While this route remains entirely within Spain, the long duration makes fuel planning essential. Prices are relatively stable across the provinces, but service stations become sparser once you leave the major corridors, so it is wise to top up when you see the familiar signs at motorway junctions. Note that while there are no vignettes to purchase for Spanish motorways, specific sections of the network may still operate with distance-based tolls. Stick to the posted speed limits, as fixed radars are frequent on the long, straight stretches of the A-2 leading into the Ebro valley, where Zaragoza eventually emerges from the horizon.
Route highlights
- The transition from the A-66 into the arid plains of Extremadura
- Navigating the M-40 orbital bypass around Madrid
- The long, wind-swept stretch of the A-2 corridor into Aragon
- The distinct change in landscape from the Andalusian south to the Ebro valley
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: Móstoles (es).
- Distance:
- 847 km
- Duration:
- 9h 11m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Los Santos de Maimona 🇪🇸 es
≈121 km≈ 15.6 km detour from the main route
-
Miajadas 🇪🇸 es
≈242 km≈ 2.1 km detour from the main route
-
Navalmoral de la Mata 🇪🇸 es
≈363 km≈ 21.2 km detour from the main route
-
El Álamo 🇪🇸 es
≈484 km≈ 14.6 km detour from the main route
-
Guadalajara 🇪🇸 es
≈605 km≈ 17.3 km detour from the main route
-
Calatayud 🇪🇸 es
≈726 km≈ 41.7 km detour from the main route
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Cross-border drive · ES → ES
You'll leave one country and enter another on this trip. Keep your ID close, even inside Schengen, and check current border-control status before you go.
Tolls on motorways in ES / PT
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.
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.
Sevilla ZBE — old town one-way labyrinth + camera enforcement
Must knowSevilla
Sevilla's ZBE Casco Antiguo (since 2024) covers the medieval centre between the river and the Alcázar. Hours 07:00–22:00 every day. Combined with the existing one-way traffic system, GPS routes change daily — many old streets are pedestrianised this year that weren't last year. Park outside (Avenida de Roma, Plaza de Armas underground) and walk in.
Tolls, vignettes & road payment
A22 Algarve and ex-SCUT roads — electronic only
Must knowPortugal has two toll systems. Most autoestradas use a normal ticket-and-pay barrier. But the A22 (Algarve), A23, A24, A25 and A28 are "ex-SCUT" routes with no booths — only overhead gantries that read your plate. Without a Via Verde transponder or pre-registration, you have 5 days to pay at a CTT post office, or the fine reaches your home address. Easiest fix: rent a Via Verde Visitors transponder (€6/week) at the airport or border.
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-5 Autovía del Suroeste329 km
-
A-2 Autovía del Nordeste299 km
-
A-66 Autovía Ruta de la Plata180 km
-
M-40 —22 km
-
A-5R Autovía del Suroeste3 km
-
SE-30 Circunvalación de Sevilla2 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 98%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 2%
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: 9h 11m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €102
63.5 L × €1.61 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €91
50.8 L × €1.79 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €90
148 kWh × €0.60 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Motorway tolls & vignettes
≈ €76
- ES — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 693 km in-country ≈ €62) Toll-free on the A-network; charged only on AP roads.
- PT — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 154 km in-country ≈ €14)
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-04.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇪🇸 Sevilla
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
16°
8°
|
18°
8°
|
20°
10°
|
25°
13°
|
28°
16°
|
33°
20°
|
37°
22°
|
38°
23°
|
31°
19°
|
27°
17°
|
20°
11°
|
16°
7°
|
| 76mm | 46mm | 152mm | 31mm | 23mm | 23mm | 0mm | 0mm | 23mm | 159mm | 70mm | 54mm |
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.
-
Tue 12
☀️
16° / 13°
—
-
Wed 13
⛅
20° / 10°
—
-
Thu 14
⛅
20° / 10°
0.1mm
-
Fri 15
☀️
17° / 11°
9.6mm
-
Sat 16
⛅
17° / 10°
—
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 24 manoeuvres
- Glorieta Edward Johnston
- Avenida Kansas City
- Avenida Kansas City
- Avenida Alcalde Manuel del Valle 0.1 km
- Avenida Alcalde Manuel del Valle
- Calle Sor Francisca Dorotea
- —
- Acceso a Sevilla desde la SE-30 por el Puente del Alamillo (A-8083)
- Circunvalación de Sevilla (SE-30) 2 km
- Autovía Ruta de la Plata (A-66) 180 km
- Autovía Ruta de la Plata (A-66) 0.5 km
- Autovía del Suroeste (A-5) 305 km
- Autovía del Suroeste (A-5) 24 km
- Autovía del Suroeste (A-5R) 3 km
- (M-40) 22 km
- (M-14) 0.8 km
- Plaza de Eisenhower 0.4 km
- — 0.2 km
- Autovía del Nordeste (A-2) 138 km
- (A-2) 161 km
- — 0.6 km
- — 0.3 km
- Carretera de Huesca (N-330) 0.6 km
- Paseo de Echegaray y Caballero
By plane from Sevilla to Zaragoza
Indicative travel time on a non-stop flight, based on great-circle distance, average commercial cruise speed (850 km/h), and a 90-minute allowance for taxi, security, and boarding.
- Total time
- 2h 15m
- Door-to-door from :from airport.
- In the air
- 46 min
- At ~850 km/h cruise speed.
- On the ground
- 90 min
- Taxi + security + boarding (typical short-haul).
- Route
- SVQ → ZAZ
- 645 km great-circle.
Indicative fare: from €40 — fares vary by season, day of week, and how far ahead you book. Always check the airline or a meta-search before planning around this number.
Show flight path on map
Estimate-only. We don't pull live schedules or fares for flights — see the methodology page for how this number is computed.
Air travel emits roughly 5–10× the CO₂ per passenger-km of rail for the same distance.
By train from Sevilla to Zaragoza
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
- 5h 15m
- 3 changes
- Lead operator
- RENFE OPERADORA
- Alternatives
- 5
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- AVE 03941
Includes a high-speed rail leg (TGV, ICE, AVE, Frecciarossa-class).
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 many tolls on this route?
Most of the route follows major national motorways which are largely toll-free, though some regional concessionary sections may apply distance-based charges.
What is the best time of day to bypass Madrid?
Avoid the M-40 orbital during the morning rush between 07:30 and 09:30, and the evening peak from 18:00 to 20:00 to ensure a smoother transition between the A-5 and A-2.
Are there high-altitude sections on this drive?
The route traverses the elevated Meseta Central, so while you do not cross major mountain passes, you will be driving at significant altitudes where weather can shift quickly compared to the lowlands of Andalusia.
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.