🇪🇸 Same-country drive · Spain
Driving from Valencia to Palma
Essential road trip advice for the drive from Valencia to Palma, including tips for navigating the ferry crossing and Mediterranean road conditions.
- Drive time
- 7h 10m
- Distance
- 356 km
- Same day?
- Yes, doable
- under 8 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €41
- petrol · diesel ≈ €37
- Tolls
- ≈ €32
- per-km
- EV charging
- Unknown
- not yet surveyed
On this page
Route map
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.
7h 10m
356 km · €41 fuel
See details ↓
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 the historic center of Valencia via the V-31, quickly merging onto the AP-7 for the stretch toward the port area. This coastal transit is straightforward, but the transition from the city grid to the high-speed motorway requires attention to the intense Mediterranean traffic flow that characterizes this region. Ensure you allow extra time for the terminal approach, as getting to your specific ferry slip can be congested depending on the season and departure time.
Crossing the Balearic Sea involves trading the tarmac for the ferry deck, which is a significant change in the nature of your drive. Once you roll off the ship in the port of Palma, you are immediately thrust into the island's unique driving environment. Unlike the mainland's wide, multi-lane autopistas, the roads across Mallorca become significantly narrower and more winding as you leave the port, particularly as you head into the Serra de Tramuntana or the smaller rural villages.
Keep in mind that while you remain within Spain, the local etiquette shifts. Drivers on the island are accustomed to slower speeds on secondary roads, and the high volume of rental cars during the summer months means that patience is a necessity. Fuel prices tend to be slightly higher on the island than on the mainland, so topping up before boarding the ferry in Valencia is a savvy move. There are no vignettes to worry about, but keep an eye out for local speed traps that often appear on the approaches to Palma's surrounding towns.
Route highlights
- Valencia's historic maritime port district
- The transition from high-speed AP-7 motorway to island coastal roads
- Scenic arrival into the port of Palma
- Serra de Tramuntana mountain driving
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: Xeraco (es).
- Distance:
- 356 km
- Duration:
- 7h 10m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Javea 🇪🇸 es
≈119 km≈ 29.6 km detour from the main route
-
Santa Eulària des Riu 🇪🇸 es
≈237 km≈ 6.3 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.
-
AP-7 Autopista de la Mediterrània / Autopista del Mediterráneo44 km
-
V-31 Pista de Silla13 km
-
A-38 —3 km
-
Ma-1 Avinguda de Gabriel Roca2 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Rural-road drive — narrow roads, small towns, patience required.
- Motorway
- 14%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 86%
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: 7h 10m behind the wheel at free-flow speeds.
- About 292 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)
≈ €41
26.7 L × €1.54 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €37
21.4 L × €1.72 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €40
62 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
≈ €32
- ES — €0.09/km on the motorway network (≈ 356 km in-country ≈ €32) 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.
🇪🇸 Valencia
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
17°
8°
|
17°
8°
|
20°
10°
|
22°
12°
|
24°
15°
|
28°
20°
|
31°
23°
|
32°
23°
|
27°
20°
|
25°
17°
|
21°
12°
|
17°
8°
|
| 14mm | 23mm | 62mm | 10mm | 35mm | 15mm | 17mm | 19mm | 105mm | 114mm | 44mm | 45mm |
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 19 manoeuvres
- Plaça de la Ciutat de Bruges 0.1 km
- Avinguda d'Ausiàs March 1 km
- Avinguda d'Ausiàs March (V-31) 0.1 km
- Pista de Silla (V-31) 13 km
- Autopista de la Mediterrània / Autopista del Mediterráneo (AP-7) 44 km
- (A-38) 3 km
- — 0.5 km
- Carrer dels Degans
- Carrer del Palangre
- Carrer de la Goleta
- Carrer de la Goleta
- —
- Gandia - Eivissa 149 km
- 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 driving in Spain?
No, there is no vignette system in Spain. Motorways are typically managed through distance-based tolls or are free of charge depending on the specific route.
Is the ferry crossing included in the drive time?
The duration provided accounts for both the road journey to the port and the ferry transit time, though actual crossing times can fluctuate based on sea conditions and carrier schedules.
What should I watch out for when driving in Mallorca?
Expect narrower roads, winding mountain passes, and a high density of inexperienced rental drivers, especially during the peak tourist season.
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.