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Driving in Majorca - What You Need To KnowDriving in Majorca is by far the best way to travel the island. Car hire agencies are easy to find and car hire rates are by no means very expensive. Renting a car will allow you the freedom to witness the beauty of the island at your leisure.Important Update Good News, Effective from July 1st 2011 the speed limit has been returned to the 120KPH for motorway driving. Effect from the 7th of March 2011 the maximum speed limit on Motorways has been reduced to 110 KPH. Avis Car Rental Special New Year Sale Click on the following link to take you directly to the Avis website were you will be able to book the car of your choice. www.avis.co.uk Some Driving Rules in Majorca: The first thing you should know is that when Driving in Majorca … … we drive on the right-hand side of the road. The following are our speed limits in Mallorca: - Small Villages (40 kph) In Majorca, it is obligatory for every passenger in the car, not only the driver to … … wear seat belts. Please ensure that you always have your license and insurance with you when driving in Majorca. We certainly do not want you to get an on the spot fine when on your holidays in Mallorca. When driving in Majorca through built up areas please be aware of pedestrian crossings. Car parking is allowed right up to the crossing and this often restricts the driver’s view of people wanting to cross. You will also find pedestrian crossings within a few metres past roundabout exits and also when leaving main roads onto side streets. So be prepared to stop. In many small towns and villages the local residents will often park on the pedestrian crossings while they do their business. So don’t be surprised when you see this. Parking in Majorca: Some parking zones have Metres and some are free, so ... … I suggest you always check before leaving your car in any parking zone. Also check to see if there is any signage posted in the parking zone. There are also areas in Majorca that have … … Limited Time Parking. In this type of parking area, you must record the time you arrive on a piece of paper and place it somewhere on your front dash board where it is clearly visible, and … … make sure you return to your car before the time that you have specified on that slip of paper. Never park in … … (I)Yellow Lined Zones(/I). You are permitted to park in … … (I)Blue Lined Zones(/I). Never park in … (I)Handicap Zones(/I) … unless you have a special sticker in your window for handicap parking. Warnings: I would say it would be wise to … never drink and drive in Majorca. The nice police officers (guardia civil) are often on the roundabouts. If they suspect that you have been drinking, they will more likely than not, ask you to pull over and take an obligatory breathalyzer test. Petrol Stations The majority of the petrol stations have attendants that will fill your car for you. If you have to fill up yourself, double check to see if the car runs on petrol or diesel. The information is usually found next to the filler cap or on the inside of the flap. It is a good idea to ask at the car rental agency when you get the car just in case there is no information on the filler cap. Some stations you will have problems starting the pump. It could be that you have stopped at a station that requires pre-payment before you can fill up. There are a few of these around unfortunately. Helpful Tips: We have noticed that the Spanish people have been taught to drive on the outside of the roundabout… … even when they are taking the last turn off. So, I suggest you really take care when driving through roundabouts in Majorca. As the roads in some of the small towns can be very narrow, you might want to … … park on the outskirts and walk into the town. This will avoid any stress trying to manoeuvring around tiny roads or for that matter trying finding parking in the town. Palma de Mallorca is a very busy city and, traffic can be quite hectic at times. Often times, it can be difficult to find parking. If you are not a confident driver, I would suggest … … parking on the outskirts of Palma and taking the train, taxis or, a bus into the town. You should not have any problems, if you observe the above rules, regulations, speed limits, and most importantly … please do not drink if you know you will be driving in Majorca. Update 2011 If you are driving through Can Picafort please be aware that there have been changes to the main road. Several roundabouts have been added and a concrete central median has been added. September 2011 Great news for drivers using the Via Centura motorway. The 80 KPH signs have now been replaced with the 120 KPH signs as the roadworks are now completed. October 2010, good news is that the major part of the 3 lane upgrade has been finished. Coming from the Airport the new lane is open from Exit 5A, Soller, and is finished up to Exit 8, Son Rapinya. Please be aware that there is still an 80 KPH speed limit in force, but you might be flashed to move into a slower lane if you are traveling at that speed as the locals tend to ignore the limit. The new by-pass road offically opened in June 2011. If you have the opportunity to travel this road I suggest you have a camera ready. The side of the highway has been finished in stone and these were all hand cut. It is a very impressive sight.
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