# Snow chains needed?



## Westkirby01 (Jan 25, 2009)

Will be travelling to Portugal via Spain in February 2014. Starting information gathering. Do I need to have snow chains? Are they a legal requirement in Spain for that time of year?

Regards


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

According to a document I downloaded a few days ago:

Spain
Generally, winter tyres are not mandatory in Spain. It is mandatory only when there is a specific public authority order or a specific road sign (in the mountains areas).
Studded tyres are allowed. This kind of tyres is considered as winter tyres.

JohnW


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

It depends which way you are travelling to Spain, it can be a bit challenging through the French Alps or Andorra with snow, but when you actually get further south than Barcelona the weather can be icy but not usually snowy.. And warmer the further south you get. :wink: ..

Where are you heading Algarve?.

ray.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

I believe that France, if under very bad conditions do make chains compulsory but not 100% certain of this.
Alan


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Coming back last March we hit a lot of snow between Salamanca and Burgos. Managed with with snow tyres although we saw a few abandoned cars on the side of the road. Quite exciting and unexpected. 

Go down on the Atlantic side of the Pyrenees and there is less risk of snow there;

Dick


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## charlieivan (Apr 25, 2006)

rayrecrok said:


> Hi.
> 
> It depends which way you are travelling to Spain, it can be a bit challenging through the French Alps or Andorra
> 
> It would be a long way round through the French Alps!!!!!!


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

sun cream not chains

:lol: :lol:


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Glandwr said:


> Coming back last March we hit a lot of snow between Salamanca and Burgos. Managed with with snow tyres although we saw a few abandoned cars on the side of the road. Quite exciting and unexpected.
> 
> Go down on the Atlantic side of the Pyrenees and there is less risk of snow there;
> 
> Dick


On the motorway going from Cordoba to northern Spain, via Madrid this October we noticed a largish number of newish, huge, paved parking areas marked "winter parking" ( can't remember the Spanish but this is our translation). We assumed they were for parking- lorries or everyone ?- when the roads became impassible or difficult. Most of them were fairly isolated with few, if any, facilities or food outlets close by.

Can anyone confirm that this is what they are - or are not ?

G


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

charlieivan said:


> rayrecrok said:
> 
> 
> > Hi.
> ...


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## ob1 (Sep 25, 2007)

[/quote]

On the motorway going from Cordoba to northern Spain, via Madrid this October we noticed a largish number of newish, huge, paved parking areas marked "winter parking" ( can't remember the Spanish but this is our translation). We assumed they were for parking- lorries or everyone ?- when the roads became impassible or difficult. Most of them were fairly isolated with few, if any, facilities or food outlets close by.

Can anyone confirm that this is what they are - or are not ?

G[/quote]

Could be Grizzly - Madrid is well known for attracting snow due to its altitude and we have been stuck there to prove it. The other likely places are of course the Pyrenees and also the Puerto Somosierra on the E5.

Ron


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

charlieivan said:


> rayrecrok said:
> 
> 
> > Hi.
> ...


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Having trucked almost weekly throughout Spain for many years, I can honestly say, it can snow heavy and some roads can get blocked, particularly from Burgos northwards and Soria to Pampalona, but they are pretty good at clearing. My opinion is that when it time to put the snow chains on, it is time to park up, and lets face it, in our M/Hs, we have all the facilities we need, so not a problem :lol: 
Snow chains are not compulsory


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## ceejayt (Nov 25, 2005)

No requirement in Spain See here


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## BrianJP (Sep 17, 2010)

Grizzly said:


> Glandwr said:
> 
> 
> > Coming back last March we hit a lot of snow between Salamanca and Burgos. Managed with with snow tyres although we saw a few abandoned cars on the side of the road. Quite exciting and unexpected.
> ...


More or less all the way now from north of Granada to Madrid ( A4) and then Madrid to the coast ( A1/Ap1 etc etc) the Spanish have built winter parking areas that are primarily intended for trucks tostop at in bad weather although in a motorhome you will be unlucky to be turned away from what I have heard.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

BrianJP said:


> More or less all the way now from north of Granada to Madrid ( A4) and then Madrid to the coast ( A1/Ap1 etc etc) the Spanish have built winter parking areas that are primarily intended for trucks tostop at in bad weather although in a motorhome you will be unlucky to be turned away from what I have heard.


Thanks very much ! That explains it all. I imagine if you're a truck driver you'd have to be pretty well stocked with food and water as we couldn't see one where there were any facilities. We did wonder how long someone would be expected to be there as some of them looked very bleak and exposed. They must be expecting thousands of lorries. We'd no idea that conditions could get bad enough to need them.

G


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## Westkirby01 (Jan 25, 2009)

Thank you all for your replies. 

We will be travelling down from Scotland to the Channel. Ferry to Calais, then down to Spain. Dependant on what members say, we go south to Bordeaux then either continue south into northern Spain and onto northern Portugal, or east to Montpelier and south to Spain and travel round to the Atlantic. Our ultimate destination is the Faro area.

Are any members going south about the 2nd or 3rd week of February 2014? 

Regards


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## amydan (Sep 8, 2009)

going from Santander to Malaga January 5th thinking of buying snow chains are they a requirement by law. If they are anyone know a good place to buy we are in Leeds west yorks


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## Easyriders (May 16, 2011)

We went end of January, Calais, Rouen, Bordeaux, Irun, Burgos, Salamanca, Caceres, Portugal.

The only real problem was snow between Irun and Burgos, but there were loads of snow ploughs out. You might get stuck for a few hours, but generally, they are better at keeping roads clear in Europe than in the UK.Make sure you have enough gas, food etc to be able to cope.

Going via Madrid can often be worse, it's a long way inland on a plateau. We hit a terrible snowstorm one year there in May!

It's worth paying a few tolls, the new ones on the A63 and the ones through (or past) Bayonne to Irun. They don't come to much, and save a lot of time.

It was a bad winter last year pretty well all over Europe, this winter looks like it might be milder. You certainly won't have any problems once you get past Salamanca, though inland can still get cold at night. Try to do all your travelling before daylight fades.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Hey Guys, don't worry, they do get rid of the snow very quickly and when I was trucking around Spain, it was never a problem for me.
Just remember, you have your accommodation and food on your back and a few hours parked up would be no hardship at all.
Much worse for the trucks on skeleton supplies and no toilets. On a tight scheduled.
There are parking areas, restaurants all over the place, just go and enjoy and dont worry 
Throw a few snowballs :lol:


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Also don't discount northern France. 

Last Feb my sister and her hubby had a horrendous CAR trip to their home near Poitiers. From Calais to beyond Rouen the roads were well-snowed in. Only one lane ploughed - and the snow plough had used the off and on ramp so the part between off and on was not cleared at all.

To compound the problem every man woman and dog were using the roads as normal... except at the speed of 25kph. Never tried it but believe a little speed is necessary to keep going in a straight line. Not a snow chain in sight.

Luckily my b-i-l is a more than capable driver.


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

Whether a legal requirement or not it's always advisable to have some on board just in case :roll:


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

*Snow Chains*

There are a variety of sizes available in our local LIDL the moment.....only £20 so might be worth having "just in case" but never really expecting to use them.

We need to practice how to put them on before we actually need to.


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