Driving to spain

Congratulations on the purchase of your home in the sun ( although it's pissing rain at the moment).

You do know that you will have to matriculate your car when you get it here? The cost of that depends on age, type, emissions etc, etc.

I have heard of people paying quite a lot for what I see at the end of the day is a car with its steering wheel on the wrong side........toll booths, car parks, overtaking !!!!!!

If your cortijo is a holiday home I would price a run around for while you are here and compare it to the cost of matriculation. 

All the best. 

Hi Jack.Sun's cracking the flags here in Liverpool at the moment.but still stuck in the house in lockdown.My new home in Spain is to be my retirement home so no goingback???.My motor is a 15year old droptop,two seater Merc.not worth a lot in the UK but will be brill in the sunshine of almeria.I know it will cost a Bob or two  to change the paperwork, but still cheaper than buying another car I think.your thoughts please.

Hi, a lot of people regret buying or bringing a convertible to Spain because in the hotter months you will need the roof up and the air con on. Also your leather seats will burn the skin off the back of your legs.

Jack is bang on regarding a right hand drive as every time you go into a car park, a supermarket or through a toll etc you will have to get out to take your ticket and pi55 off everyone behind you.

Worth thinking about before you come over.

Good luck with the move

you have to change the headlights as well so add in that cost.  it will also have to pass ITV with emissions might be a problem with a 15 year old car.  The Spanish government are also trying to get cars older than 10 years off the road.   There are some very reasonable second hand cars for sale here much easier to sell your car in UK and buy here.  If you can afford a new one there will also be some good deals post corvid 19 because the garages will be desperate for sales.

Hi Bob, I brought my Mercedes CLK convertible here just over two years ago and had it matriculated. You will have to buy new headlights. We had the lights fitted at The Garage in Arboleas. Used our solicitor to sort out the paperwork. Cost around €900 all in. To me it's worth it as I love the car and enjoy driving around with the hood down out with the summer months. I don't have a problem driving it on 'the wrong side' of the road or having to jump out to pay tolls/car parking.

If you come over by ferry you might find someone who can give you their Britanny Ferries membership info to enable you to receive discount. 

Thanks Lorna.this is what i had in mind.i cant really afford a new car and anyway i love my little car and there is no better feeling than than pushing the button and watching the roof fold down into the boot.i will pick up a set of headlight off ebay and fit them myself to save a bob or two. Once again thanks for the reply.

Bob, one other thing, if it's like my car you most likely only have a rear fog light on the driver's side, in Spain you must have a fog light on the left you can also have two rear headlights. My husband modified my car to enable the left hand fog light as well as the right.

FYI, we bought new headlights from Oscaro.es. for around €200 for the pair.

Hi Lorna i understand about the fog lights but am a bit puzzled about the rear headlights.could you explain please.best regards .bob

The rear fog light was originally on the right hand side only. If you have only one rear fog light , in Spain it has to be on the left hand side. Or you can have two rear fog lights, as I now have, as all my husband had to do was wire it in, everything else was already in situ.