Which means of transport to use Spain?

From the airport to the city centre Spain

In Madrid, you can get to the city center by metro (line 8, 30 to 40 minutes), from 6am to 1:30am. By bus, the "Exprés Aeropuerto" connects the airport to Atocha station, from 6am to 11:30pm and Cibeles station, from 11:30pm to 6am (about 40 minutes). Another option is the C1 line of the cercanías, (6am to 12:15am, 25 min) or the cab, the most convenient but most expensive with a fixed fare of 30 €.

In Barcelona, several options are available: metro, train and cab, aerobús, with an average of 30 min regardless of the mode of transport. To reach the center of Plaça Catalunya, the best option is the aerobús. For a cab, count at least 30 €.

In Malaga. There are three options for getting to the city center: the C1 line (from 5:45 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., 15 minutes), which stops at the Maria Zambrano train station, and is the safest way to get to the city center; the A Express line (from 6:25 a.m. to midnight), which takes a long time due to traffic jams; and the cab, which costs about €25, but has the same constraints.

In Seville, no metro. It will be the cab (about 25 €) or the EA bus line that goes from the airport to the Prado de San Sebastián station, from 5:20 am to 1:15 am (average duration of 30 min), with a stop at the Santa Justa station and connections at the arrival with the streetcar and the bus station of San Sebastián.

Arrival by train Spain

Basically, the Spanish railroads have four types of trains: the AVE, equivalent to the TGV, which connect many large cities, fast and very accessible in terms of price; the Avant and media distancia trains which serve the regions; the FEVE lines, with a narrow band, which serve the Cantabrian horn (Asturias, Galicia...), the region of Murcia and the province of Alicante; and the cercanías network, around certain large cities whose radius oscillates between our RERs and TERs. In Madrid, the Charmartín station, in the north, serves the northwest of Spain and France, while the Atocha station, in the south, serves the south of Spain. In Barcelona, the Sants station is used for trains coming from France. And serves Spain. The stations of Malaga and Seville also welcome AVE. Once in Spain, you can also count on bus connections that work very well on circuits around a city or to reach a small village. This means of transportation is less expensive than the train, less comfortable, but sometimes faster on certain destinations that require a change of train.

Public transport Spain

In Spain, there are seven cities with a metro: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and, since 2010, Seville, Malaga and Granada, the last one to date (2017). Essential for visits to the first two cities, it is less so for the others, for which the city bus network is more appropriate. Knowing that in general, they bypass the oldest areas, which are best visited on foot. Many cities have set up night bus systems, especially during the weekend. Streetcars have also been developed (Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Seville, Zaragoza...) logically for the inhabitants rather than for tourists, and as such will be less useful for visits.

Bike, scooters & co Spain

All the major Spanish cities have set up a bicycle lending system, equivalent to the Parisian Velib. Everywhere, bicycle use has increased and the Covid pandemic has led to a new boom, as in France (nearly 7.7 million users in 2021, i.e. nearly 700,000 more). Cities like Madrid and Barcelona are leading the way, followed closely by Valencia and Seville. In the city, bicycles have dedicated passages, which are not always easy to read, but which are increasing. And this is becoming a privileged way to discover a city, especially if it is flat or by the sea. For the less sporty, you can rent electric bikes almost everywhere. As for electric scooters, they have also spread in many cities, and as for the bicycle, their use has been boosted by the Covid crisis (nearly 400,000 more users). Their speed is limited to 25 km/h, they must not ride on sidewalks and wearing a helmet is mandatory since September 2021. Finally, you should know that another means of travel is very popular in cities, walking, ideal for discovering the small streets and increasingly favored by the very significant increase in fully pedestrian areas in the city centers.

With a driver Spain

Depending on the city, the classic cabs will have different colors: all white with a red stripe on the front doors in Madrid, yellow and black in Barcelona or white with a yellow stripe in Seville... But all of them have a little green light when they are free(libre) or red when they are not(ocupado). You will find them without difficulty in the city. For the traffic of the big names of VTC like Uber and Cabify, it depends a lot on the city where you will stay. Prices are consistent from city to city, but the Costa Brava has much higher prices than other places.

By car Spain

Spain has a good network of highways that allow you to cross it. There is a distinction between freeways(autopistas) and expressways (autovías). The former are toll roads, the latter are free, with a speed limit of 120 km/h. Its road network (national or provincial) is generally of good quality, as it has also benefited from numerous European funds to bring it up to standard. On the other hand, cars will be practically banned in the city, with the reflex to park on arrival by choosing a public parking lot and not leaving anything in your car.

Accessibility Spain

In general, Spain is very considerate of people with reduced mobility. Public transportation is well implemented in the major cities. On the other hand, the circulation of wheelchairs or strollers can be more difficult in some casco antiguo with cobblestone streets or when the pedestrian-bike-tram spaces are not very clear or well respected. Many beaches also have a system of assistance for people with reduced mobility, accessible from the end of June to September.

Tourist traps Spain

This will depend a little on the city and the place, but in general, it is better to be careful with cab fares. Beware, for example, of bicycle cabs that operate in Barcelona without a license.