For information on travel to and within the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, see the respective sections.

The national airline is IBERIA (IB) (website: www.iberia.com). Many airlines operate to Spain, including an increasing number of low-cost airlines from the UK.

From Barcelona to London is two hours; from Ibiza is two hours 20 minutes; from Madrid is two hours 20 minutes and from Málaga is two hours 45 minutes. From Madrid to Los Angeles is 12 hours 20 minutes; to New York is eight hours 35 minutes; to Sydney is 30 hours.

Spain boasts over 30 international airports. Information on the major airports follows; information on any of the others can be obtained from AENA (Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navegación Aérea), Calle Arturo Soria 109, Madrid 28043 (tel: (90) 240 4704 (customer service line); website: www.aena.es), which is the organisation responsible for running all of the Spanish airports.
Madrid (MAD) (Barajas) is 13km (8 miles) northeast of the city. To/from the airport: A bus service departs to the city around every 18 minutes on weekdays and every 19-23 minutes at weekends (0600-2325) and underground services run every four to seven minutes (0600-0200) costing Eur;1. Taxi service is available. Facilities: Restaurants and bars, bank, several car hire offices, hotel reservation and tourist information desks, and outgoing duty free shop.
Barcelona (BCN) (el Prat) is 3km (2 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Bus service to the city departs Mon-Fri every 15 minutes, Sat every 30 mins and Sun every 20 mins (0600-0100). Rail service is every 20 minutes (0625-2350). Taxi service to the city is available, costing about Eur;18 (travel time - 30 minutes). Facilities: A bank, restaurant, bar, several car hire companies, hotel reservation and tourist information desks and duty free shops.
Alicante (ALC) (Altet) is 12km (7 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Bus service runs to the city (0655-2310) every 10 to 40 minutes, costing Eur;1. A taxi service is available to the city, costing about Eur;12. There is a taxi connection between Alicante and Valencia Airport. Facilities: Duty free shop, bank, bureau de change, car hire, tourist information and restaurant.
Málaga (AGP) is 10km (6 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Buses run every 10 to 30 minutes (0700-0000). A train service runs every 30 minutes, costing Eur;1.05-Eur;1.15 (0700-0000). A taxi service to the city is available, costing Eur;12. Facilities: Duty free shop, bank/bureau de change, restaurant and car hire.
Valencia (VLC) (Manises) is 8km (5 miles) west of the city. To/from the airport: An aero bus takes passengers into the city (0600-2200), costing Eur;2.50. Other buses travel to the city every 15 minutes (0630-2345) ). Taxis cost about Eur;14 plus a Eur;2.75 supplement. Facilities: Several car hire firms, bank/bureau de change, restaurant, bar and duty free shop.

None.

Main ports: Barcelona (website: www.apb.es), Cadiz (website: www.puertocadiz.com), Santander (website: www.puertosantander.es), Valencia (website: www.valenciaport.com/cultures/es) and Vigo (website: www.apvigo.com).
Brittany Ferries (tel: (08703) 665 333; website: www.brittany-ferries.com) operates a service to Santander (on the north coast) from Plymouth (travel time – 18 hours), twice-weekly. P&O European Ferries (tel: (08705) 202020; website: www.poportsmouth.com) operates a twice-weekly service from Portsmouth to Bilbao (travel time – 35 hours).

The quickest route by train from the UK is through the Channel Tunnel with connections from Paris to Spain. Eurostar is a service by the railways of Belgium, the UK and France, operating direct high-speed trains from London (Waterloo International) to Paris (Gare du Nord) and to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). It takes two hours 40 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and two hours 20 minutes to Brussels. For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: (0870) 600 0792 (travel agents) or (08705) 186 186 (public; within the UK) or +44 (1233) 617 575 (public; outside the UK); a £5 booking fee applies to all telephone bookings; website: www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: (08705) 848 848; website: www.raileurope.co.uk).
There are direct trains between Madrid–Paris and Madrid–Lisbon, as well as Barcelona–Paris, Barcelona– Zürich or Milan, Barcelona-Montpelier and Barcelona–Geneva. These services are called Estrella, Talgo or Train-Hotel. On other international services to and from Spain, a change of train is necessary. However, work on the AVE (high-velocity train) route between Madrid and Barcelona is expected to be completed in 2006, after which the French border connection is expected to be fully operational in 2010 and it will be possible to connect with the French TGV (high-velocity route) and the rest of the high-velocity routes in Europe. Motorail services run between Paris and Madrid. For more information, contact the Spanish Rail service (tel: (020) 7224 0345; website: www.spanish-rail.co.uk).
Rail passes: The Inter-Rail pass offers unlimited second-class train travel in up to 29 European countries (includes Morocco and Turkey) split into eight zones (A-H). Three different tickets are available: a ticket covering one zone (two to six countries, 16 days' validity), a ticket covering two zones (six to 10 countries, 22 days' validity) and an All Zone Pass (29 countries, one month's validity). Ferry services between Italy and Greece are included. Passengers must be resident in Europe for at least six months before the pass is used. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 year receive a reduction of about 30 per cent. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50 per cent. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Inter rail (website:www.interrail.com).
The Eurailpass offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months or three months. The Eurailpass Youth ticket is available to those under 26 and offers unlimited second-class train travel. The Eurailpass Flexi allows either 10 or 15 travel days within a two-month period. The Eurail Selectpass is valid in three, four or five bordering countries and allows five, six, eight or 10 travel days (or 15 for five countries) in a two-month period. The Eurail Regional Pass allows four to 10 travel days in a two-month period in one of nine regions (usually two or more countries). Children receive a 50 per cent reduction. The passes cannot be sold to residents of Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia or the Russian Federation. Available from The Eurail Group (website: www.eurail.com).

The main route from the UK is via France. The main motorways to Spain from France are via Bordeaux or Toulouse to Bilbao (northern Spain) and via Marseille or Toulouse to Barcelona (eastern Spain). There are numerous and excellent road links with neighbouring countries. Eurolines (52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0AU; tel: (08705) 143 219; website: www.eurolines.com) and National Express (9 Ensign Court, 4 Vicarage road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3ES; tel: 08705 808 080; website: www.nationalexpress.com) run regular coach services from the UK to Spain.
Travellers can either choose Mini-Pass breaks or book a 15-, 30- or 60-day pass. The six Mini-Passes give travellers the freedom to visit three cities, with prices starting from £55. Travellers can stay as long as they like in each city.
For information on documentation and traffic regulations, see Travel – Internal section.

Domestic flights are run by IBERIA (IB) (website: www.iberia.com), Air Europa (website: www.air-europa.com), Binter (website: www.binternet.com and Spanair (website: www.spanair.com). Scheduled flights connect all main towns as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands and enclaves in North Africa. Air taxis are available at most airports. Reservations should be made well in advance.

There are regular hydrofoil and car and passenger ferry sailings from Algeciras to Tangier and Ceuta (North African enclave); Málaga and Almeria to Melilla (North African enclave); Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante to the Balearic Islands; and Cádiz to the Canary Islands. There are also inter-island services, including a catamaran service linking Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, which takes three hours and runs twice a day. For further information, contact Trasmediterránea c/o Southern Ferries (tel: (902) 454 645; website: www.trasmediterranea.es).

The state-owned company RENFE (website: www.renfe.es) operates a railway network connecting all the regions on the Iberian peninsula. It is mainly a radial network, with connections between Madrid and all the major cities. There are also some transversal services connecting the northwest coast with the Mediterranean coast, as well as services from the French border down the Mediterranean coast. Principal trains are air conditioned, and many have restaurant or buffet service. Reservations for passenger services in Spain may be made in the UK through the Spanish Rail service (see above), European Rail Travel (tel: (020) 7387 0444; website: www.europeanrail.com), Freedom Rail (tel: (0870) 757 9898; website: www.freedomrail.com) and Ultima Travel (tel: (0151) 339 6171).

The Spanish rail system is one of the cheapest in Europe and various discounts are available. Travellers under 26 can purchase a RENFE Tarjeta Explorerail, which allows unlimited travel on all but some regional and fast trains. It can be bought in Spain, or in the UK from selected travel agents, and is available for seven-, 15- and 30-day periods. For more discount rail travel, See Travel International section.
Note: Seat reservations are required on all intercity trains. This ruling applies to the passes and cards mentioned above.

The Ave service averages 300kph and connects Madrid and Seville in two hours 15 minutes, with 12 services each way via Córdoba. Some services also stop at Ciudad Real and Puerto Llano (La Mancha). The stretch from Madrid to Lleida has been in operation for several years. Planned completion of the Madrid to Barcelona leg is due in 2006, and the high-speed border connection with France in 2010. Also, in 2010, the stretches from Cordoba to Malaga, Madrid to Valencia and Madrid to Valladolid should be ready. The Talgo 200 connects Madrid and Malaga thrice-daily in four hours 35 minutes. Holders of most of the cards and passes mentioned above qualify for discounts, albeit less substantial than the rates quoted above.

The Andalus Express and Transcantábrico offer a pleasant way of discovering their respective regions. There are also a number of privately-run narrow-gauge railways in Spain, located mainly in the north of Spain as well as the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands, which run at a leisurely pace through picturesque scenery. For more information on tourist trains, contact the Spanish National Tourist Office (see Top Things To Do).

Motorways are well-maintained and connect Spain north–south. Tolls are in operation on some sections and have to be paid in Euros. Trunk roads between major cities are generally fast and well-maintained. Rural roads are of differing quality. Bus: There are bus lines which are efficient and cheap, operating between cities and towns. Departures are generally from a central terminal at which the operators will have individual booths selling tickets. Most places have a bus link of some kind, even the more remote villages. Car hire: All major car hire companies are represented in major cities. Drivers must be over 21 to hire a car. Motorcycles: No person under 18 may hire or ride a vehicle over 75cc. Crash helmets must be worn. Regulations: Traffic drives on the right. Side lights must be used at night in built-up areas. Spare bulbs and red hazard triangles must be kept in all vehicles. Traffic lights: two red lights mean ‘No Entry’. Parking laws are rigorously enforced. The speed limit for motorways is 120kph (80mph) in general, but for buses and lorries the limit is 100kph (60mph); in built-up areas the limit is 50kph (30mph); for other roads it is 90kph (56mph). Documentation: Most foreign licences including Canadian, EU and US are accepted. Third Party insurance is compulsory, plus a Green Card if bringing your own car (available from insurance company).

Traffic in Spanish cities is normally heavy, and urban driving takes some time to adjust to. City public transport facilities are generally good. Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia have metros as well as buses. Pre-purchase multi-journey tickets are sold. Other towns and resorts are well served by local buses. Metered taxis are available in most major cities and a 2 to 3 per cent tip is customary.

The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Madrid to other major cities and towns in Spain.

	Air	Road	Rail
Barcelona	1.00	8.00	8.00
Canary Is.	2.30	-	-
Mallorca	1.00	-	-
Palma	1.10	6.00*	5.00*

*Plus nine hours by boat (three hours by catamaran).