The A-3, The Hottest Amusement Park in Madrid

Why isn’t the A-3 a toll road? It is more than a means of getting from Madrid to Valencia; it is an amusement park. So why not charge an entrance fee? .


Driving down the A-3 this morning, I saw the electronic billboards flash warnings about a speed limit control campaign. I started chuckling as I drove past the third one without having seen a single speed limit sign.

Aside from the Clowns who typed out the message that morning for the electronic billboards, there are Roller Coasters, Merry-Go-Rounds and Bumper Cars. I can enjoy the park every morning if I like. The provincial government is missing out on a big revenue source.

Where to find the rides:
Roller coasters. All the off ramps from the highway which branch off again to other highways, towns or re-enter the main highway. What makes these roller coasters so thrilling is that the exit sign for the town or highway you are looking for will likely be posted on the off-ramp after the exit and not before. My favorite? Try exiting onto the M-45 and try to make it to the M-50.

Merry-Go-Rounds. All the round-a-bouts leading to and from the highway are so skillfully planned you can get motion sick from the ride. Small signs are posted at each of the round-a-bout exits with short messages such as “Madrid, M30, M40, Valencia” and “Santa Eugenia, Centro Comercial, M-40”. Wait, wasn’t the M-40 mentioned twice? And which way are the other two highways, the M-45 & M-50? Let’s drive around again. My favorite? Exit 11 and, then, try to find IKEA.

Bumper cars. This is one of the best rides on the entire A-3. I like it mostly because of the adrenalin factor. Bumper cars are played on the entrance and exit ramps. What typically happens is that an exit sign (with an arrow) indicates that your exit is the next one. It is hung over a lane with a dotted white line, obviously an exit lane. But - NO - it is the end of an entry lane! Bump the car to the left to get back in the travel lane quickly before your lane ends. My favorite? Exit 6 driving towards Valencia.

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