How to travel around during the eclipse
The eclipse scheduled for 12 August will generate an extraordinary volume of travel to the optimal viewing areas. As it coincides with the summer vacations, a period of intense travel throughout the country, it is essential to plan journeys accordingly.
To ensure safe travel and minimise congestion, government agencies have developed a number of coordinated lines of action. The aim is to prevent the situations such as those recorded in similar astronomical events at international level, such as long traffic jams on roads, increased accident rates, issues for emergency services and hindered local mobility.
Coordinated institutional action
The authorities are implementing the following measures to protect public safety and manage traffic:
- Police Reinforcement: Implementation of reinforcement plans by the Security Forces and Corps to maintain citizen protection.
- Traffic Management: execution of specific plans on the road network, under the coordination of the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) and the competent bodies in the autonomous communities with their own police force.
- Mobility Study: The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility is developing an analysis to identify congestion risks, propose measures in the transport system and support decision making.
Recommendations for safe observation
In order to enable the work of the institutions and for your own convenience, we ask you to take note of the following information
- Avoid travelling on the same day of the eclipse, especially after maximum, when returning people cause traffic peaks.
- Prioritise observation locations close to the high-capacity network, with around one minute of total eclipse ensuring a fully satisfactory experience.
- Plan journeys in advance and prioritise the use of public transport whenever possible. Impromptu travel is discouraged, especially in tourist areas.
- Exercise extreme caution on the road and respect road safety regulations.
- Do not abandon your belongings, avoid showing valuable objects and always comply with the instructions of authorities and emergency services.
- Keep informed through official channels and always follow the instructions of the DGT and the traffic authorities.
- Have the official security forces app, Alertcops, installed.
Links and official resources
Always keep yourself informed through the channels of the traffic and safety authorities:
Ministry of the Interior - Official Alertcops website. It offers the citizen security and emergency services of the National Police and the Guardia Civil in a fast, direct, discreet and efficient manner.
https://alertcops.ses.mir.es/publico/alertcops/
https://alertcops.ses.mir.es/publico/alertcops/sobre-alertcops.html
- National Geographic Institute (IGN): Access its official eclipse page for maps, trajectories, times and tools to help you locate critical eclipse viewing points. https://eclipses.ign.es
- Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT): The DGT uses digital channels that provide information on traffic conditions, accessible at any time and from any device. These include:
- Official web viewer Traffic status and incident map https://etraffic.dgt.es/etrafficWEB/ where the user can consult the traffic status, cameras, incidents, weather and restrictions.
- Creation of a banner and space on the DGT website for the eclipse www.dgt.es.
- Official social media, such as X (@DGTes and @informacionDGT)
- The information is accessible to traffic information providers (navigators) at the national traffic information access point https://nap.dgt.es/.
In addition, information is provided via roadside message boards, Radio-Traffic bulletins and the 011 telephone service.
Impact studies
The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility is currently assessing the potential impacts on mobility resulting from the Trio of Eclipses, including demand forecasts and analyses of the effects on transportation infrastructure and services, as well as proposals for measures to ensure mobility.