01 Oct 2012 7:59 AM:

Hello, Mabel:  I would advise extreme caution when driving alone on the AP7. We got robbed 2 days ago driving south between Barcelona and Tarragona. We were driving a French registered car, not UK. Our tyre was spiked at a service station; we were followed;  as we pulled over to inspect  the damage to a relatively new tyre, Mr Friendly (Romanian) speaking strange Spanish, stops to "help" place the red triangle in the correct spot, while accomplice helps himself from the car; all done in a flash, a classic scam and we feel like idiots. If you are alone, it means that you can't stop at all at any service station because you shouldn't leave your car unattended for one second.  It's a long drive from the French border to Valencia and beyond wthout stopping!  Finding an alternative route seems a good idea.  And, yes, the AP7 is horribly expensive on tolls.

Community thread: Gangs hitting tourists and spanish drivers on motorways

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