What catches British drivers out during their first year in Spain? We asked expats their biggest road gripes in 2026

Plenty of Brits who head to Spain settling into a new life in the sun reckon the driving feels straightforward at first. Then reality bites and some hair-raising lessons follow in those opening days. Forums, expat groups and recent chats show the same gripes keep coming up time after time. What time honoured complaints do Brit expat drivers keep complaining about on Spanish roads in 2026?

“The first piece of advice anyone gave me driving in Madrid was ‘Pitale! Pitale!'” (Meaning “Beep him! Beep him!”), when someone cut in front of us at a busy junction. Certainly a level of road rage I wasn’t used to coming from the UK,” said Paul from Watford.

Malcolm from Wisbech moaned about stopping next to a bus. “Buses here drive me mad! They always stop past the line so you can’t see when the traffic lights change.”

“Oh, it’s got to be Fuengirola. No one looks before crossing the road there. It’s terrifying,” was David’s nightmare.

Roundabouts cause the biggest headaches

Roundabouts still rank numero uno for stressful gripes among British drivers fresh to Spain. The Brits invented them, after all! Spanish rules give priority to vehicles already on the roundabout, even if indicator use can be a laissez-faire affair. According to Dragon Insurance, they are still the number one spot for “accidents, fines, and confusion” on Spanish roads in 2026.

Lane choice adds to the puzzle because rules say that drivers must stick to the outer lane for most exits while there are a plethora of inner lanes for those who just want to drive in circles all day. Cutting across lanes to leave early often leads to close calls, bumps, or the attention of the police, something coppers in Spain are getting heavy with in 2026. UK habits of signalling on entry do not always match local practice either. Loads of newcomers say they take extra time to watch how locals handle these junctions before diving in.

Switching sides of the road takes practice

Driving on the right instead of the left throws many off balance straight away, of course, especially when pulling out of car parks or tackling junctions after a long flight. And then again when returning to the UK after a while in the sun.

Overtaking happens on the left here, and roundabouts run anticlockwise, which feels backwards compared with home. Often, new expats, often choose automatics at first to cut down on extra mental load while they adjust. Who else has suffered bruised knuckles when attempting to change gear on a motorway, only to find the driver’s door is where our instincts expect a gearstick to be?

Rosalind says, “Pray a lot! The drivers have no concept of stopping distances and drive insanely close! Its like a game , but certainly not a fun one.”

Tiredness or busy tourist routes make the switch even trickier, and some admit they clip the kerb more than once early on.

Speed limits and cameras catch people napping

Speed limits appear in kilometres per hour, and that alone trips up drivers used to miles. Motorways usually sit at 120 km/h, main roads at 90 km/h and built-up areas drop to 30 or 50 km/h depending on signs. Most just go with the flow and attempt to drive a bit slower than everyone else.

Spain now has the absolute latest in camera technology these days, and they are everywhere. Cameras sit in all sorts of spots in Spain, including mobile units and fixed speed measures that flash without warning, and even ones that look inside your car. Plenty of Brits report picking up fines for creeping a few kilometres over after misreading a sign or assuming the limit matches UK roads. Recent data sharing between the UK and Spain means some fines now land on doormats back home even after people return.

Indicators and lane habits differ

Spanish drivers often use indicators less than British ones expect. So much so, with certain models of car, they seem to be an expensive optional extra most don’t opt for.

Changing lanes or leaving roundabouts without clear signals draws fines these days as authorities are finally cracking down. Lane discipline on motorways and multi-lane roundabouts can feel loose too, with some drivers drifting or entering from unexpected spots. First-timers who assume everyone will signal like back home soon learn to stay alert and defensive instead.

Fines add up quickly for common slips

Drink-drive limits sit lower than in England and Wales at 0.5 mg per ml of blood, with near zero tolerance for newer drivers. Red lights mean ‘stop’, with no right turn on red allowed. Missing a warning triangle or reflective jacket in the boot can also lead to on-the-spot checks and fines. And let’s not start on the V-16 beacons, now compulsory, but no one seems to know which models. Do the police?

Expats in places like the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca often share stories of quick lessons after one of these slips.

Practical steps to stay clear of trouble

Study a few short videos on Spanish roundabouts before driving and practise in quieter areas first. Keep an eye on speed signs and use sat-nav alerts set to kilometres per hour. Carry your licence, passport and proof of insurance at all times because police checkpoints happen all the time. Advice from a local police officer in Madrid’s Castellana Avenue to Andy from Felixstowe when he (quite fairly) missed a bizarre, nonsensical right-turn sign) was “¡Qué aprendes español la próxima vez!” (Learn Spanish next time!). Not that it would have helped him much. The right-turn thing confuses everyone who doesn’t live in Madrid, Spaniards included.

Hire an automatic car if manual gears plus right-side driving feels overwhelming at the start. Drive defensively, especially in towns where one-way systems and junctions can confused and just stop somewhere safe and consult a map. Everyone gets lost in the first few days. Most people settle in after a few months once the new habits click, but those first twelve months reward extra caution and the patience of a saint.

What about you? What caught you out on the road when you first started driving in Spain?