Transportation Go there, travel in the country and after
Getting around Spain is relatively easy - there is an excellent bus network and car hire is among the cheapest in Europe, although not recommended if you are planning to stick to big cities. The rail network is variable, but can be a comfortable way of making a long inter-city journey, and is great for exploring the area around Barcelona in particular. Remember that on public holidays timetables can alter - and there are lots of public holidays in Spain.
by Air
Check here for flights to the main airports of Spain from USA , UK , South America and The Netherlands.
It is possible to get internal flights within mainland Spain, although the most commonly used routes are those to the Balearic and Canary Islands. Good rates are often available to fly to the two island groups from within Spain.
Iberia, Spanair and Air Europa operate an extensive network of internal flights from the major airports. Contact Iberia's main office in Madrid, Tel:+34 902 400-500, for details.
There are major airports at Madrid and Barcelona and, for charter flights, at Girona, Malaga and Alicante. Any departure tax payable is included in the air fare and there should be no additional tax payable at the airport following check-in.
by Train
The rail network in Spain is a mixture of the good, the bad and the downright confusing. An extensive intercity network connects all Spain's major cities and for longer journeys trains tend to be modern, fast and reliable.
For shorter regional or urban journeys the number of timetables and bewildering range of fares could leave you scratching your head, although major stations should be able to offer you some help.
There are good underground train services (metro) in Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia and Bilbao.
Inter-city trains offer a standard of comfort to rival air travel, although they must be booked in advance. A superfast AVE service, similar to France's TGV, connects several routes in Southern Spain.
by Bus
The bus network is a lot more extensive than the rail network, and the prices (around EUR5.25 per 100km) are certainly easier to work out.
Although a number of companies run buses in Spain, as a rule the buses themselves are uniformly comfortable and well maintained. It is always important to check exactly where the bus departs from as larger towns have more than one bus depot. In some areas buses have started to replace trains and are fast becoming the major means of national, as well as local, transport.
by Car
The road network in Spain is very good, although driving in major cities can be nerve-wracking. Away from the cities the driving is less aggressive and roads aren't as congested. The mountainous north can be impassable during winter months because of snow.
The minimum driving age is 18. A Driving Licence must be carried at all times. If you do not hold a licence from an EU country, you must have a current International Driving Permit if you intend to drive in Spain. Driving is on the right-hand side of the road. The driver and all passengers in the front and rear of the car must wear seat belts if fitted.
Speed limit on motorways is 120km per hour (70mph), with a 50km per hour (30mph) urban centres. A toll may be payable on some Spanish highways.
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by Boat
Spain enjoys a long Mediterranean coastline and has good, modern ferry links to the Spanish island groups, Africa and other Mediterranean countries. Superfast routes exist to the Balearic islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza using ultra-modern catamaran passenger ferries but conventional ferry crossings can take some time.
The state-owned Trasmediterranea (Tel: +34 902-454-645) operates daily ferry routes to the Canaries (via Cadiz), the Balearics (via Barcelona), and to Morocco, a short hop away via the port of Algeciras.
