Public Transport in Spain

Airports: in There are several international Airports in Spain, the most important being Madrid Barajas Airport, from where it is possible to arrive at the city in taxi, bus or subway. Other cities with international airports are: Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga, Seville and Alicante.

Airplane: The Spanish flag airline is Iberia, that covers the international and domestic destinies. The great majority of international companies has flights to the most important centres of Spain. Other companies that take care of the cabotage destinies are Spanair and Air Europe.

Buses: The local bus services in cities run from around 0600 until between 22:00 and midnight, when a more expensive night system comes into operation. Most buses don't have a lot of seats, opting instead for maximum standing room. Urban buses are quite slow although some major cities provide dedicated bus lanes. Most towns have a bus terminal. Keep in mind that when waiting at a bus stop, the bus may not always stop for you unless you indicate you wish it to.

Cars: Spain has a roads network of more than 150,000 kms. The freeways are well maintained and cross the country from north to south, someone?s requires a toll in pesetas. The allowed speed limit are of 130 km/h in the freeways, 90 km/h in other roads, and descends to 50 km/h in populated areas. It is obligatory to have the driving licence in use and is recommendable to contract an insurance.

Metro: There are metro lines in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. They offer the fastest way to get around these cities and are unsurprisingly crowded during rush hours. Special tickets are available including a cheap day return, a metrocard allowing three / five days unlimited use, and weekly and monthly passes. A map (plano del metro) showing the lines in different colours can be obtained from ticket office.

Taxis: You should only use taxis that display a special licence. They are of a very high standard as they are governed by strict legislation. They display a green light when they are free (libre). They can be flagged down or found at a taxi rank and are metered but have a set price for certain journeys. Tipping is a customary 5-10%.

Train: The railway network is directed by the state company called Red Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Españoles (RENFE) and connects all the regions of the peninsula. The trains usually have air conditioning and car restaurant. There are high speed trains (AVE) between Madrid and Seville and Madrid and Malaga. There are also a huge variety of local, short-distance trains called tranvía (also a tram). Suburban commuter trains (cercanías) are second class only and stop at all stations. Tourist trains exist, like the Transcantábrico and Expreso Andaluz, a good way to discover those regions. The Spanish railway service is one of the cheaper in Europe and has discounts like the Railway Tourist Card, that allows limitless trips between three and ten days in the period of two months. It?s also possible to use the European railway pass. The seats reservation is recommended for the interurban services.