Most of Spain is well covered by both bus and rail networks and for journeys between major towns there's often little to choose between them in cost or speed. On shorter or less obvious routes buses tend to be quicker and will also normally take you closer to your destination; some train stations are several kilometres from the town or village they serve and you've no guarantee of a connecting bus. We've listed approximate journey times and frequencies in the "Travel details" sections, and local peculiarities are also pointed out in the guide. Car rental may also be worth considering, with costs among the lowest in Europe. If your trip to Spain is part of a wider European tour, then it may be worth investing in a rail pass, such as the InterRail ticket
By bus
Unless you're travelling on a rail pass,
buses
will probably meet most of your transport needs; many smaller villages are accessible only by bus, almost always leaving from the capital of their province. Service varies in quality, but buses...
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By train
RENFE
, the Spanish rail company, operates a horrendously complicated variety of train services, divided into three main sections.
Cercanías
are local commuter trains in and around the major cities.
Regionales
are equivalent...
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By car
Whilst getting around on public transport is easy enough, you'll obviously have a great deal more freedom if you have your
own car
. Major roads throughout the country are generally good, and traffic, while a little hectic in the cities, is...
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Hitching
As in most other countries these days, we do not recommend hitching in Spain as a safe method of getting around.
If you are determined to hitch, be warned that the road down the east coast (Barcelona-Valencia-Murcia) is notoriously difficult, and...
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By bicycle
Taking your own bike can be an inexpensive and flexible way of getting around, and of seeing a great deal of the country that would otherwise pass you by. Do remember, though, that Spain is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe and in the...
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By plane
Iberia and the smaller, slightly cheaper subsidiary Aviaco, as well as the independent companies Spanair and AirEurope, operate an extensive network of internal flights. While these are quite reasonable by international standards, they still work out very...
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