🇪🇸 Same-country drive · Spain
Driving from Tarragona to Mojacar
A practical guide for the 623km drive along the Spanish coast, navigating the AP-7, Mediterranean corridors, and interior plateau crossings.
- Drive time
- 6h 50m
- Distance
- 623 km
- Same day?
- Yes, doable
- under 8 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €91
- petrol · diesel ≈ €72
- Tolls
- ≈ €56
- per-km
- EV charging
- Plenty fast
- 41 of 117 ≥50 kW
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 30m- Distance:
- 763 km (+140 km)
- Duration:
- 10h 21m
Via: N-330 · N-420 · RM-714 · N-211
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.
6h 50m
623 km · €91 fuel
See details ↓
Not realistic
623 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 September 27, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
Exit Tarragona by picking up the AP-7 south, where the Mediterranean breeze follows you for the first leg of the journey toward the Valencian Community. As you pass the industrial stretches near Castellón, you will notice the transition from the AP-7 to the A-7 corridor; keep in mind that while much of this route is free of charge, occasional stretches of the AP-7 may still involve distance-based tolls. Watch your speedometer closely as you move between these road designations, as fixed speed cameras are frequent near the urban centers of Valencia and Alicante.
The route takes a significant turn inland as you navigate via the A-35 and A-33 toward the interior of the Murcia region. This section involves climbing toward the central plateau, peaking at over 700 meters, which provides a stark contrast to the coastal plains you departed earlier. While rare, winter travelers should remain alert during these higher elevation passages as cold air off the surrounding sierras can occasionally drop temperatures quickly, creating localized frost on the exposed sections of the A-30.
Approaching Mojácar, the landscape softens into the arid, sun-drenched hills of Almería. You will eventually descend from the interior highways toward the coast, where the road infrastructure becomes more winding as you near the rugged Cabo de Gata region. Spanish motorway limits are strictly enforced at 120 km/h, and passing through the outskirts of major cities often involves tight lane merging, so maintain a buffer in your schedule to account for potential traffic congestion near the coastal hubs.
Route highlights
- The transition from the coastal AP-7 to the higher interior plateau via the A-33
- The dramatic change in landscape from the lush Mediterranean coast to the arid hills of Almería
- The descent from the central plateau toward the Mojácar coastline
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Long day — start early
Doable in one day but it is a full day behind the wheel. Start before 9am, plan one proper lunch stop, keep the driver rested.
- Distance:
- 623 km
- Duration:
- 6h 50m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Peníscola 🇪🇸 es
≈125 km≈ 7.2 km detour from the main route
-
Moncada 🇪🇸 es
≈249 km≈ 4.3 km detour from the main route
-
Caudete 🇪🇸 es
≈374 km≈ 6.4 km detour from the main route
-
Alhama de Murcia 🇪🇸 es
≈498 km≈ 6.5 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.
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.
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-7 Autovia de la Mediterrània225 km
-
AP-7 Autopista de la Mediterrània224 km
-
A-33 Autovía del Altiplano93 km
-
A-35 Autovia Almansa-Xàtiva33 km
-
A-30 Autovía de Murcia28 km
-
A-370 Carretera de Los Gallardos a Garrucha4 km
-
AL-6113 —3 km
-
N-340A Carrereta Cádiz y Gibraltar a Barcelona3 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 98%
- Secondary
- 1%
- Other / rural
- 1%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Moderate
Manageable but pay attention — long enough that a second driver or a planned lunch break is smart.
- Long drive: 6h 50m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
Elevation profile
Highs, lows, and the total climb / descent along the route.
- Lowest point
- 9 m
- Highest point
- 719 m
- Total ascent
- ↑ 1,369 m
- Total descent
- ↓ 1,225 m
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €91
46.7 L × €1.94 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €72
37.4 L × €1.93 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €70
109 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
≈ €56
- ES — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 623 km in-country ≈ €56) Toll-free on the A-network; charged only on AP roads.
Prices last refreshed 2026-09-28.
Fuel and EV charging along the route
Stations within a few kilometres of the road, sampled at evenly-spaced waypoints.
EV charging
41 at 50 kW or above (fast / ultra-fast).
Fastest first
- BP Mauros — Fuente De La Higuera 300 kW
- C. C. Los Olivos Cieza — Cieza 300 kW
- Aldi Torrent I — Torrent 180 kW
- C.C. Bonaire — Aldaia 160 kW
- GM Amposta — Amposta 150 kW
- McDonalds Amposta — Amposta 150 kW
- E.S. Nieves Ribarroja (Atlante) — Riba-roja de Túria 150 kW
- Virotrans — Riba-roja de Túria 150 kW
- Parking - Tarragona — Tarragona 120 kW
- Consum Residencial La Loma — Chiva 120 kW
- Hotel IBIS Valencia Bonaire Aeropuerto — Aldaia 120 kW
- C.C. Parc Central 100 kW
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇪🇸 Tarragona
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
15°
6°
|
16°
6°
|
18°
9°
|
21°
11°
|
23°
14°
|
28°
19°
|
30°
22°
|
31°
22°
|
26°
18°
|
24°
15°
|
19°
10°
|
16°
7°
|
| 13mm | 31mm | 58mm | 29mm | 41mm | 35mm | 43mm | 48mm | 78mm | 95mm | 54mm | 42mm |
hot mild cold
🇪🇸 Mojacar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
18°
8°
|
17°
8°
|
20°
10°
|
22°
12°
|
24°
15°
|
28°
19°
|
32°
22°
|
32°
23°
|
28°
20°
|
25°
16°
|
21°
12°
|
17°
8°
|
| 15mm | 17mm | 89mm | 17mm | 67mm | 18mm | 7mm | 2mm | 34mm | 64mm | 21mm | 36mm |
hot mild cold
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 26 manoeuvres
- Plaça de la Imperial Tarraco (N 340a)
- Avinguda d'Andorra (N-240)
- Carretera Bilbao - Tarragona (N-240)
- — 0.1 km
- — 0.1 km
- Avinguda d'Andorra (N-240) 0.4 km
- Sortida 33 AP-7
- Sortida 33 AP-7 0.6 km
- Autopista de la Mediterrània (AP-7) 224 km
- Autovia de la Mediterrània (A-7) 55 km
- (A-7) 44 km
- Autovia Almansa-Xàtiva (A-35) 21 km
- Autovía Almansa-Xàtiva (A-35) 12 km
- Autovía del Altiplano (A-33) 93 km
- Autovía de Murcia (A-30) 7 km
- Autovía de Murcia (A-30) 21 km
- — 0.4 km
- Autovía del Mediterráneo (A-7) 75 km
- Autovía del Mediterráneo (A-7) 51 km
- —
- Carrereta Cádiz y Gibraltar a Barcelona (N-340A) 3 km
- Carretera de Los Gallardos a Garrucha (A-370) 4 km
- (AL-6113) 3 km
- Carretera de Turre a Mojácar (AL-6113)
- —
- Calle Unión
Frequently asked
Are there tolls on this route?
While many former toll roads in Spain have been integrated into the free network, you may encounter specific distance-based toll segments on the AP-7, so it is best to keep a payment card ready.
Does this drive cross any mountain passes with snow risk?
The route reaches an elevation of over 700 meters inland. While major snow blockages are uncommon, winter drivers should be aware that the high plateau areas can experience sudden temperature drops and icy conditions.
What is the speed limit on these roads?
The standard speed limit on Spanish motorways (autopistas and autovías) is 120 km/h, though this often reduces to 100 km/h or lower near cities, junctions, and tunnels.
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, OpenTopoData SRTM 30m for elevation, Open Charge Map for EV charging stations, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.