Chile for Spanish Drivers — Same Speeds, Same Side, but a 0.03 Limit

Of all the long-haul destinations, Chile is among the gentlest for a Spanish driver. You stay on the right, the motorway limit matches Spain’s, and the signage will look reassuringly familiar. The single rule worth committing to memory before you collect a rental is the alcohol limit.

Documents first, because they are easy: your Spanish licence works in Chile for a tourist trip of up to 90 days, and police accept it with your passport. An International Driving Permit is not required — carry one only if a rental clerk insists. The Driving Permit Checker confirms it for your specific dates.

Where Spain and Chile diverge is drink-driving. Spain allows 0.05; Chile draws the line at 0.03, which for most people is below one glass of wine. Enforcement is genuine — sobriety checkpoints appear near Santiago and across the coast in the summer months — and penalties move quickly from fines to having the vehicle held. The honest policy is none if you are driving.

Speeds will feel natural. The autopista runs to 120 km/h, exactly as at home, with rural roads at 100. The one trap is town limits: Chilean urban zones are 60 km/h, and the city fringe of Santiago is camera-heavy, so it is easy to carry open-road pace into a controlled zone. A 10 km/h overspeed costs around CLP 38,000-70,000 (EUR 35-65); the Speeding Fine Calculator gives you a figure.

The real character of a Chilean trip is its length. The Pan-American (Ruta 5) is fast and modern, but the country runs 4,000 km north to south. In the Atacama the gaps between petrol stations stretch to an hour or more, so keep the tank topped up and carry water. Fuel is roughly $1.35/litre, and emergency services answer on 131. The full guide is at driving in Chile.