Travel to Granada

Flying to Granada

British Airways operates direct flights to Granada from the UK. The most expensive time to travel is in July and August (peak tourist season), while you can find cheaper flights, and less scorching temperatures, in spring and autumn. It's always worth booking well in advance for the best deals. There are no direct flights from the USA, so the best option is usually to change in Madrid.

Flight times

From London - 2 hours 40 minutes; New York - 10 hours (including stopover); Los Angeles - 16 hours 30 minutes (including stopovers); Toronto - 12 hours 30 mins (including stopover); Sydney - 29 hours (including stopover).

Travel by road

Traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18. The speed limit for cars and motorcycles is 120kph (75mph) on motorways, 100kph (62mph) on dual carriageways, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (31mph) within towns.

Foreign visitors require a valid driving licence to drive in Spain. National licences from EU countries are accepted, while nationals of other countries are advised to obtain an International Driving Permit. Third-party insurance is required and documents should be carried at all times.

Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) (tel: +34 900 100 992; www.race.es) has reciprocal agreements with the AA and RAC in Britain and the AAA in America.

Emergency breakdown services

Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE) (tel: +34 902 112 222).

Routes

Granada is at the junction of the east-west Almería-Seville A92 highway and the north-south A44 from Jaén to Salobreña (on the Mediterranean coast), giving good access to all parts of Andalucía and other regions of Spain. North of Jaén, the A44 joins the A4 highway to Madrid. The A92N for the eastern Mediterranean coast branches off the A92 at Guadix, east of Granada.

Coaches

Granada's bus station, Carretera de Jaén, is 3km (2 miles) northwest of the centre. Alsa (tel: +34 902 422 242; www.alsa.es) runs buses from Granada to other destinations within and beyond Spain.

Time to city

From Seville - 2 hours 40 minutes; Malaga - 1 hour 30 mins; Madrid - 4 hours.

Travel by Rail

Services

Granada Station is on Avenida de Andaluces, off Avenida de la Constitución, 1.5km (1 mile) west of the city centre. Spain has an excellent and efficient high-speed rail network.

Operators

Spanish rail services are operated by RENFE (tel: +34 902 240 505; www.renfe.com). There are direct trains from Granada to Madrid, Seville and Barcelona, as well as local trains to other destinations within Andalucia.

Journey times

To Madrid - 4 hours; Seville - 3 hours ; Barcelona - 7 hours 15 minutes.

Transfer

Several city buses pass the railway station. Get off at Avenida de Consititucion III, from where it is a one-minute walk to the station.