Before you book
Can I ride a 125cc Vespa in Spain on a car licence?
In Spain a category B car licence covers a 125cc motorcycle, but only if you have held it for at least three years, and only on Spanish soil. That extension is Spanish national law. For a licence issued outside Spain it is not automatic. Tell us which licence you hold when you book and we confirm it before you pay anything.
- The machine
- Vespa Primavera 125, fully automatic
- Licence to ride
- A1, A2 or A — or a Spanish B held three years or more
- Licence to ride pillion
- None at all
- Price
- €149 per scooter, €99 for a passenger on the back
- Group size
- Five Vespas at most, one guide riding in front
- Where we ride
- Back roads in the Marina Alta, no motorways
- Bring
- Your original licence — a photo on your phone is not accepted
What does Spanish law actually say?
Article 5.7 of the Spanish Reglamento General de Conductores lets the holder of a valid category B licence, held for more than three years, ride an A1 motorcycle: maximum 125cc, maximum 11 kW, and a power-to-weight ratio no higher than 0.1 kW/kg. A Vespa Primavera 125 sits comfortably inside those limits.
Two details matter more than people expect. The three years count from the date your B licence was issued, not from your birthday — so in practice you are at least 21. And the extension applies on Spanish territory only: a Spanish B licence does not let you ride a 125 in France, Germany or the Netherlands.
Does that also apply to my Dutch, Belgian or German licence?
Not automatically, and this is the point where the sources you will find online contradict each other. The DGT states that licences issued in the EU and the EEA are fully valid for driving in Spain — valid, that is, for the categories printed on them. The step from B to A1 is not a category. It is a national extension that Spain grants, and on a Spanish licence it is recorded as such.
In practice this means rental firms in Spain handle it differently: some accept a foreign B held three years, others ask for A1 or higher. We do not gamble with it. Tell us which licence you hold and roughly since when, and we come back to you before you pay. If it does not work out you ride on the back instead, or we refund the deposit in full — that has never been a discussion.
What if my licence does not qualify?
Then you ride on the back, and you need no licence at all for that. A passenger pays €99 instead of €149, gets the same helmet with intercom, hears the same stories from the guide, and sits at the same lunch table. On the mountain roads of the Vall de Laguar the view from the back seat is arguably the better one, because you are not the one watching the road.
Couples do this all the time, and so do people who simply do not feel like riding themselves.
Do I have to change gears?
No. The Vespa Primavera 125 is fully automatic: there is no clutch and there are no gears. Twist the throttle to go, let go and brake to stop. That is the whole operation.
Almost everything people are nervous about beforehand turns out to be about gears. Once that falls away, what is left is balance — and if you can ride a bicycle, you have that already.
Is this something a beginner can do?
Yes, and it is worth being precise about why. Before we leave you ride a practice round on a quiet road until the throttle feels normal, however long that takes. The guide rides in front and everyone is on intercom, so you hear a bend coming before you see it. We average around 45 km/h, on back roads with little traffic, and never on a motorway. There are never more than five Vespas in the group.
Most of our guests have never ridden a scooter before. The half hour after the practice round is usually the moment people stop thinking about the machine altogether.
When is this not for you?
We would rather say this now than on the morning itself.
If you have never balanced on two wheels at all, a mountain road is not the place to find out. If you have real vertigo, know that the road to Benimaurell has drops on one side and no barrier. If you have had recent surgery, a shoulder or wrist that is not fully back, or anything that makes an unexpected movement painful, tell us and we will talk it through. And if the weather turns, we move your day or refund you in full — riding a Vespa through rain on a mountain road is not the day we want to give you.
What should I bring and what should I wear?
Bring the original licence. A photo on your phone is not accepted, and neither is a copy — that is not us being difficult, it is what the insurance requires.
Closed shoes, long trousers and a light jacket. Mornings in the mountains run several degrees cooler than the coast, even in July, and the descent in the afternoon is windier than you expect. Between November and March a proper jacket and thin gloves make the difference between a good morning and a cold one. We provide the helmet and the intercom.
Questions people ask
Do I need an international driving permit?
Not for a licence issued in the EU or the EEA — those are valid in Spain as they are. For a licence from outside the EU, bring an international driving permit alongside your own licence.
How old do I have to be to ride?
Eighteen for an A1 licence. If you are relying on the Spanish B-held-three-years route, that makes you at least 21 in practice. There is no minimum age for a passenger, but for a child the feet have to reach the footrests.
Is a helmet included?
Yes, for the rider and the passenger, with an intercom in it. You will not need to shout at anyone all day.
Can two people share one Vespa?
Yes. One rider and one passenger per Vespa. The rider needs the licence; the passenger does not.
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Not sure whether your licence works?
Send us a message with the type of licence and roughly when you got it. We will tell you the same day, before you pay anything.
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