Spain summer driving guide: The cheapest petrol stations on every major route

One badly timed fuel stop could add around €12 to the cost of filling a 50-litre tank. A new comparison of 12,000 petrol stations reveals where motorists can pay less on Spain’s busiest holiday routes and where a short detour may be worth it.

Find the right stop before the fuel light comes on

Fuel prices are rising again, but where the car is filled can matter almost as much as when. According to the Organisation of Consumers and Users, choosing carefully could save up to 26 per cent on petrol and 18 per cent on diesel.

The figures below are not fixed pump prices, which can change from day to day. They show the stations identified by OCU as the most affordable along each route, together with the maximum possible savings compared with the most expensive alternatives on the same journey.

A-1: Madrid to Irún

The A-1 is one of the more expensive routes, with its best-value stops largely found at either end.

Look for the Alcampo stations in Alcobendas, Oiartzun and Irún, although reaching the Alcobendas site can be awkward without navigation. Diesel drivers should also consider Gerantisan in Nanclares de Oca, Álava.

The AP-1 section and the stretch through Navarra are generally the most expensive.

Possible saving: 15 per cent on petrol and 16 per cent on diesel.

A-2: Madrid to Barcelona and La Jonquera

Some of the strongest options are in Aragón and Catalonia. OCU highlights BonÀrea in Jorba, Alcarràs and Torrefarrera, along with Family Energy in Garrapinillos and BonÀrea in Épila, both near Zaragoza.

There are also cheaper stations between Alcalá de Henares and Guadalajara, although some require leaving the motorway. Drivers may want to fill up before the former toll-road section between Zaragoza and Tarragona, where affordable choices become scarce.

Possible saving: 24 per cent on petrol and 18 per cent on diesel.

A-3, A-30 and A-31: Madrid to Valencia, Alicante and Murcia

Drivers heading towards the Levante coast will find relatively few cheap options between Madrid and Cuenca.

Gasplay in La Roda is one of the best stops after the routes towards Alicante and Murcia divide. Apellan in Molina de Segura is worth considering on the Murcia journey, while Petroprix in Novelda is among the cheapest choices for diesel on the way to Alicante.

Possible saving: 22 per cent on petrol and 15 per cent on diesel.

A-4: Madrid to Cádiz

The A-4 has reasonably priced stations spread throughout the journey, although motorists should check the access direction before approaching some of them.

Ronda Norte in Sevilla stands out as the cheapest option identified by OCU. For diesel, Ballenoil in Jerez de la Frontera is another particularly affordable stop.

Possible saving: 22 per cent on petrol and 17 per cent on diesel.

A-5: Madrid to Portugal

The cheapest opportunities arrive early on this route. Alcampo and Petroprix in Alcorcón are among the best options, but each is more convenient from one direction than the other.

Further west, OCU recommends the Área de San Martín in Badajoz and Ballenoil in Mérida. Otherwise, affordable stations are thinly spread until the road approaches Portugal.

Possible saving: 21 per cent on petrol and 16 per cent on diesel.

A-6 and A-52: Madrid to Galicia

Petroprix in Benavente and Carbugal in Sabón, near A Coruña, are the principal low-cost choices on this comparatively expensive route.

Diesel drivers can also consider Fuel Xpres in Muxa de Arriba, Plenergy in A Coruña and Alcampo in Vigo. Many of the better alternatives are close to the beginning or end of the journey, making an early fuel stop worth considering.

Possible saving: 14 per cent on petrol and 12 per cent on diesel.

A-7: Spain’s Mediterranean coast

The longest route in the guide also offers the largest potential petrol saving.

In Cataluña, OCU highlights BonÀrea in Cambrils and L’Hospitalet de l’Infant, both in Tarragona province, together with Plenergy in Vilafranca del Penedès, Barcelona. Plenergy and Ballenoil stations also offer competitive choices further south between Almería and Cádiz.

Possible saving: 26 per cent on petrol and 16 per cent on diesel.

A-8 and N-634: Across northern Spain

Before reaching the A-8, Car Oil and Valcarce stations along the N-634 in A Coruña province provide some cheaper options. Affordable fuel is harder to find through Lugo, Asturias and Cantabria.

The best prices appear closer to France. OCU recommends Alcampo in Oiartzun and Irún for diesel, Petroprix in Elgoibar for petrol and, to a lesser extent, Alcampo in Durango.

Possible saving: 16 per cent on petrol and 14 per cent on diesel.

AP-9: Galicia’s Atlantic motorway

Most of the AP-9’s cheapest stations are concentrated in A Coruña province.

The principal choices are Alcampo in Ferrol and the Petroprix and Plenergy stations in Santiago de Compostela. There are fewer affordable stops directly beside the motorway further along, unless motorists are prepared to use the parallel national road.

Possible saving: 16 per cent on petrol and 14 per cent on diesel.

A-23 and AP-68: Valencia, Aragón, Navarra and the Basque Country

These routes have some of the lowest average fuel prices in the study.

Tudela offers several good choices, including Petroprix, BonÀrea and Bardenas. Other recommended stops include Alcampo in Logroño and Huesca and BonÀrea in Villanueva de Gállego. Cheaper stations are less common south of Zaragoza and on the Basque sections of the route.

Possible saving: 19 per cent on petrol and 16 per cent on diesel.

A-62: The Basque Country to Portugal

The A-62 has the highest average diesel prices among the routes analysed.

Low Cost Carburantes in Salamanca is one of its best options, although it is not especially easy to reach when travelling towards Portugal. GasExpress in Zaratán, near Valladolid, and Beroil in Buniel and Estépar, Burgos, are other stations worth marking.

Possible saving: 13 per cent on petrol and 11 per cent on diesel.

A-66: Gijón to Seville

MoraOil and Petroprix in Zamora are among the strongest choices on the Ruta de la Plata. Plenergy in Salamanca is also affordable, although it involves a slightly longer diversion.

Further along the journey, motorists can consider Ballenoil in Mérida and Mieres, Petroprix in Mieres and Alcampo in Gijón.

Possible saving: 17 per cent on petrol and 13 per cent on diesel.

Check the price before taking the exit

The cheapest station in July may not remain the cheapest throughout the entire summer. Before setting off, motorists can enter their starting point, destination, fuel type and preferred side of the road into the OCU petrol-station finder.