| Author |
Message |
Martin (Miami348ts)
Intermediate Member
Username: Miami348ts
Post Number: 2093
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2002 - 6:43 am: | |
make sure to get an international drivers license. Your local DMV should be able to help you get thats et up for you.
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Michael N. (Man90tr)
Member
Username: Man90tr
Post Number: 514
Registered: 4-2001
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2002 - 6:36 am: | |
yep, insurance should not be a problem. I did it years ago. You need to go to AAA first and get an International driver's License. Then talk to the dealer you buy the car from and they will steer you to insurance companies that do the short-term insurance. Actually what I did was I made getting full short-term insurance as part of buying the car -- so its gives the dealer incentive to make the calls for you. I paid something like $ 2,000 for a year of insurance. Forgot the company though. If you are buying privately ask the owner who is their insurance company and then get a referral from them. Hope this helps. |
Julio Valladares (Jbanzai)
New member
Username: Jbanzai
Post Number: 7
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2002 - 1:01 am: | |
Ooops, sorry for my bad English. Here it goes again, I hope this one reads better.
Not at all, the roads around Madrid are a lot of fun. Specially the mountain roads in the northwest, at only 20 miles from the city. And almost every city in Spain at less than a 7 hours drive from Madrid. The east coast is only at 3 to 4 hours, Portugal at about 5, and France at 7 hours.
The only times to avoid driving are: leaving the city on Fridays from 5pm to 11pm, and returning to the city on Sundays between 5pm and 12pm. At those times there are huge trafic jams, up to 20 miles long, in the highways from people returning from all around. Litterally millions of cars.
But get a good radar detector. In Spain, and specially around Madrid, there are hundreds of cop cars (Guardia Civil) with radars. They are hard to identify, as they look like normal cars, with no police identification at all. The radar devices are so well hidden that are very difficult to spot. Normally you will se a black dome replacing one of the front lights, that's it. Those radars are mobile, I mean that they take the speeding photos while moving. The photo cameras are so precise that when they sent you the photo at home you can see the color of your eyes. Since January 20th, 2002 if they catch you at more than 50% over the speed limit you lose your license. And they don't even have to stop you any more.
I do not know what will they do with a foreign license though.
The only time of the day that these cars can not take photos is at night for the risk of flashing the drivers. |
Julio Valladares (Jbanzai)
New member
Username: Jbanzai
Post Number: 6
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, May 17, 2002 - 12:31 am: | |
Not at all, roads around Madrid are a lot of fun specially in the mountain roads in the northwest only at 20 miles from the city. And basically any city in Spain is a no more than 7 hours drive from Madrid. The East coast is only at 3 to 4 hours and Portugal at about 5.
The only times to avoid driving are: leaving the city Fridays after 5pm, and returning to the city on Sundays between 5pm and 12pm. At those times there are huge trafik jams up to 20 miles long in the highways from people returning from all around, litterally millions of cars.
But get a good radar detector. In Spain, and specially around Madrid, there are hundreds of cop (Guardia Civil) cars with radars. They are hard to identify as they look normal cars, with no police identification at all. The radar devices are so well hiden that are difficult to spot, normally you will se a black dome replacing one of the front lights, that's it. These radars are mobile and with photo cameras so precise that when they sent you the photo at home you can see the color of your eyes. Since January 20th, 2002 if they catch you at more than 50% over the speed limit you lose your license. And they don't even have to stop you any more.
I do not know what will they do with a foreign license though.
The only time this cars can not take photos is at night for the risk of flashing the drivers.
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Eduardo Barcelo (Edudiaz123)
New member
Username: Edudiaz123
Post Number: 5
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, May 16, 2002 - 8:30 am: | |
Thanks Julio. I'll have a company car for everyday commuting, the 996 or F355 will be for weekend driving and touring around the country. How is the traffic during the weekend? Should i forget about the F355 still?
Thanks, ED |
Julio Valladares (Jbanzai)
New member
Username: Jbanzai
Post Number: 5
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2002 - 5:19 pm: | |
Eduardo, I am from Madrid although I am now living in LA.
You can get insurance, the only thing is that it is going to be more expensive than if you were a citizen as they can not check your driving history. Although compared to US will be very cheap.
I do not know if you have been in Madrid before, but trying to drive a 355 daily as your regular car in Madrid is kind of crazy, the city is just a complete traffic jam all day long, you better go for the 996. |
Andrew (Mrrou)
Member
Username: Mrrou
Post Number: 305
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2002 - 3:11 pm: | |
can u get a european liscence if ur not a citizen? |
Eduardo Barcelo (Edudiaz123)
New member
Username: Edudiaz123
Post Number: 4
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 15, 2002 - 2:51 pm: | |
drivers license? I'm going to Madrid for 6 months and instead of renting i'm thinking of buying a F355 or 996; but would i be able to get insurance with a foreign license? I rather not go through the hassle of getting an european license.
Thanks everybody,
ED (from DR)
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