Buying and Driving a Car (Legally) in Spain for Expats

Whether you are traveling or living in Spain, this introduction is for you if you've ever asked yourself: Can I drive here? Can I buy a car here?

The Series

1. Buying the Car 2. Getting the License 3. Dealing with the (Un)Expected

In the U.S., we largely live amongst sprawling strip malls, congested highways, and crumbling sidewalks with outdated or nonexistent public transport.

The very antithesis of our car-reliant culture, Europe is insanely well-connected. Never built for cars, urban centers are dense and walkable. Countries themselves are concentrated too. Spain, for example, is roughly the size of Texas, with four major metropolitan areas, hundreds of towns and cities, and thousands of pueblos, all linked by a tangled network of trains and busses. The Comunidad de Madrid alone has thirteen metro lines, 219 bus lines, and dozens of trains that stretch out into the rest of

Spain and Europe.

While public transport works well for commuting, exploring cities, or traveling between major hubs, it has some disadvantages. For one, it always entails an extra step of preparation. Depending on where you are, it can demand extra waiting and frustration. Trains are more expensive than flights in Spain, and taking a bus can triple the travel time. But most importantly, some of the most charming spots are hidden in the España vaciada (emptied Spain)—places best reached by car.

For example, the magical medieval town of Albarracín takes only three hours by car from Madrid. Google cannot suggest even one route by public transport. The best method would be a bus or train to the nearby city of Teruel, then another bus to Albarracín, which would amount to some seven hours of travel.

Just southeast of Madrid, several small pueblos boast iconic white windmills along the Ruta de Quijote, all largely inaccessible by bus or train.

If you love hiking, busses have a difficult time twisting up serpentine mountain roads, far from cities, taking you to fairytale trails and enchanted forests, such as the Cerrada de Elías hike in Andalucia's Sierra de Cazorla.

And these three destinations only scrape the tip of the iceberg.

Renting a car is always a useful option, but European rental car agencies are expensive and notorious for scams. For infrequent travel, renting makes sense. However, in my case, I wanted to explore the gems of Spain (as well as make my way into France and Italy) with the independence to stop at historical sites, villages, and natural parks.

Buying a car and getting a Spanish license can seem overwhelming, but the road trips and places explored will make all the hurdles worth it. Unfortunately, as a U.S. citizen residing in Spain, you cannot simply trade your license for a Spanish one. That's why I created this series, a guide to get you behind the wheel and on your adventures. You’ll find advice for Buying the Car, Getting the License, and Dealing with the (Un)expected