Travel to Spain

Flying to Spain

Spain's main carrier is Iberia (www.iberia.com). Multiple airlines offer flights to Spain from the UK, including British Airways (www.ba.com), easyJet (www.easyjet.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com). American Airlines (www.aa.com), Delta (www.delta.com) and United (www.united.com) are among the airlines flying direct from the USA.

Flights tend to be most expensive in summer, from June to September. The cheapest time to travel is from November to December (outside of the Christmas season).

Major airports are: Alicante-Elche Airport, Barcelona Airport, Bilbao Airport, Federico Garcia Lorca Granda-Jaen Airport, Fuerteventura Airport, Gran Canaria Airport, Ibiza Airport, Jerez Airport, Madrid Barajas Airport, Malaga Airport, Menorca Airport, Palma Airport, Seville Airport, , Lanzarote Airport, Tenerife Sur Airport, and Valencia Airport.

Airport Guides

Flight times

To Madrid: from London - 2 hours 20 minutes; New York - 7 hours 15 minutes.

Air passes

To visit Spain on an air pass, oneworld (www.oneworld.com) offers Explorer, Global and Circle Pacific passes which give access to over 220 European destinations. Similarly, Star Alliance (www.staralliance.com) can accommodate travellers looking for a comprehensive journey as it serves nearly 300 destinations in more than 40 European countries. Prices are available via their online mileage calculator.

Departure tax

None.

Travelling to Spain by Rail

There are direct trains from France and Portugal to Madrid and Barcelona. Border connections link with the French TGV (high-velocity route) and the rest of the high-velocity routes in Europe. RENFE (tel: www.renfe.com) operates the Spanish railway network.

Rail passes

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 31 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for three days in a month, five days in a month, seven days in a month, 10 days in two months, 15 days in two months, one month and two months across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia & Herzegovina, Lithuania, North Macedonia and Montenegro.

Reductions are available for travellers under 27 and over 60. Children under 12 are free when travelling with an adult using an Adult Pass. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on some ferry routes. Interrail passes are available for European residents only.

Eurailpass: offers unlimited train travel in up to 31 European countries. Tickets are valid for three days in a month, five days in a month, seven days in a month, 10 days in two months, 15 days in two months, one month and two months across all participating countries. Reductions are available for travellers under 27 and over 60. Available from Eurail (www.eurail.com).

Rail note

International train travel to Spain is easy and comfortable, although not as affordable as air travel. Most international routes to Spain are long-distance journeys and overnight trains are usually equipped with sleeper cabins.

Driving to Spain

Road conditions in Spain are generally good, but beware of steep and narrow mountain roads. The country is mapped out with well-connected roads, making cities and towns easily accessible by car.

The major driving routes into Spain cut through the French and Portuguese borders. The Autovia A-I links the French border to Madrid (via Burgos and Irún) and the Autovia A-II to Barcelona (via Zaragoza). From Portugal, the southern route via the coast, E1 (A49), passes through Seville, Huelva and Faro; while the northern route, E90 (A6) links Badajoz with Lisbon.

Eurolines international coach services (www.eurolines.com) has several bus routes that serve major cities in Spain, with connections to destinations across Europe.

Getting to Spain by boat

With its coastlines surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, Spain is an excellent destination to explore on water. By boat, it is easy and convenient to travel from Spain to Morocco, France, the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands. Its major ports include Algeciras (www.apba.es), Bilbao (www.bilbaoport.es), Barcelona (www.apb.es), Santander (www.puertosantander.es) and Valencia (www.valenciaport.com).

Cruise ships

Spain is one of the most popular stops along major Mediterranean cruise routes. Most cruises stop at Barcelona and Malaga where a flurry of attractions, restaurants and entertainment centres.

Ferry operators

Brittany Ferries (www.brittany-ferries.co.uk) operates a service to Santander from Plymouth and Portsmouth (journey time - 20 to 24 hours) and to Bilbao from Portsmouth (journey time - 24 to 32 hours).

River Routes

River cruises sail from Pinhão in Portugal to Vega de Terrón, close to Salamanca in Spain. Several companies organise these leisurely river cruises navigating the wine region of Portugal and continuing on to Spain.