Spain transportation: Public transport in Spain: trains, trams, and buses

Transportation in Spain – Study in Spain

How will you get around while you live and study in Spain? There is certainly no shortage of transportation options available to you, and here we will look at those options and help you learn just a little bit more about them. With this information you can easily get anywhere that you need to go, any time that you need to get there.

Rental Car

Rental cars are available to students in Spain, although there may be restrictions on what can be rented due to your age. A rental car can be rented by the day, the week or the month, with tremendous discounts the longer that you have the vehicle. Many different types of vehicles are available for rental, and the good thing about a rental car is that you always have access to transportation so you can easily get where you need to be without delay. Another great thing about a rental car is that you can travel more, visiting nearby cities if you so choose to do so.

Public Transportation

Public transportation is also available in cities throughout Spain and one of the most common ways that students get around. There are several options for public transportation throughout Spain. Do keep in mind that the public transportation available  to you may vary.

  • Train: Train travel is a popular way to get around. It is really convenient, though service is very limited on the main line, the Spanish Speed Train (AVE), running only from Catalonia to Andalusia and crossing over Madrid.  The AVE is more expensive than other train options, though all are affordable for most students. Additionally the trains are quite, clean and comfortable so you can ride them with ease.
  • Bus: Bus is also popular for getting around Spain. They go places that the train does not go, offering more frequent service and more destinations. There are several different coach companies offering busses throughout Spain at very costs, all very affordable for the budget.
  • Taxi Cab: A taxi cab rental is available in most Spain cities. Taxi cabs are convenient and can take you anywhere that you need to go. Taxi cabs operate 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The rates for a taxi can be expensive with taxi cab companies charging a per meter rate for each destination. Flat rates to/from the airport may be available.
Walking

Walking is an option that you can use in many different cases. While it is certainly not possible to walk everywhere you want to go, you can walk to your destination oftentimes. When you walk you are saving yourself money, as well as providing yourself with a number of health benefits. Walking is a great way to get out and enjoy the fresh air and explore the city while you are at it.

Most students in Spain will find they use several of the different methods of transportation, so It is best to get familiar with all of them so you always know just what to do when you need to get out and about.

Also keep in mind that Spain has about 70  different airports that can help you get to and from your destinations both inside and outside of the country.

The Three Best Modes Of Transportation In Spain.

Spain has a widespread transportation network that covers the entire country. With such an excellent transportation network, Spain has become a great place for tourists visiting  Europe. People want to be comfortable when they travel and they get that comfort and convenience in Spain.

In this article, we will talk about the different modes of transportation available to locals and foreign tourists. We will also give a comparison of all the major modes of transportation in Spain.

Spain is one of the most developed and culturally rich countries in the world. It offers several different types of transportation to its citizens and visitors. Speed rails and modern metro systems make Spain’s transportation system one of the best in Europe. Spain’s transit and transportation system is convenient, comfortable and cost-effective. It will cost you less than driving a personal vehicle to work. The three major modes of land transportation in Spain include;

  • Taxi Services ➧
  • Bus Transportation ➧
  • Railroads ➧

Taxi Services In Spain

In addition to government-owned taxis, you can also find driving services like Uber in Spain. For shorter distances, people tend to prefer travelling through taxis. However, the public rail and bus system is extremely efficient and covers a lot of areas. So the taxis aren’t that high in demand in Spain.

Bus Transportation In Spain

Bus transportation in Spain is quite efficient and reliable. The buses are almost always on time. There are many different business companies in Spain. Some of the major players in the market are Avanza , Alsa, Eurolines, Flixbus and Monbus.  All these are high quality and cost-effective bus services. In addition to these amazing bus services, you can also find FlixBus for international travel to other countries in Europe. The fares are ridiculously reasonable for the services they offer. Almost all buses in Spain are equipped with state of the art equipment which ensures that the passengers enjoy a convenient and reliable travelling experience. The bus is the cheapest and the most common mode of transportation in Spain.

RailRoad System In Spain

The railroad system in Spain does not just include metro and fast speed trains but it also includes a widespread tram network as well. The tram network was almost destroyed at the beginning of the last century however in the 1990s, there was a surge in popularity for tram network. These days trams are one of the cheapest ways to travel around major cities in Spain. The government is currently working on expanding the tram network. Foreign travellers who don’t have tram networks in their countries tend to love travelling on trams.

In addition to trams, the Spanish railroad system also includes speed rails and metro trains. Trains are quite honestly the best way to travel around Spain. There are different train services in the country that offer unique and competitive services. You can even find train rides for as low as 20 euros and you can also find trains that would ask you hundreds of euros for the same ride. The difference is because of the amount of convenience and high-quality services they provide.
Renfe, ‘The Spanish National Highway Company’ provides the service of high-speed rails all over Spain. This service is known as Alta Velocidad Espanola (AVE). The train moves at a speed of about 310 Kilometers/hour. AVE offers luxurious services at a relatively reasonable price. For example, A ride from Seville to Madrid would only cost you around 75 euros and you will be able to enjoy high speed and high-quality transportation experience. Renfe also has another project in the works. Renfe’s AVLO is going to start its operations in April 2020. It is going to be a low cost but high-speed train service in Spain. Its high speed and cost-effectiveness add a lot of value to the entire rail service.

So the comparison between three major modes of land transportation in Spain shows that the bus is the cheapest way to travel around Spain while trains offer the most convenience and comfortability.

Transport. Spain in Russian – all about life in Spain

Means of transportation in Spain are the most common – airplanes, helicopters, buses, subways, trains, cars, motorcycles and bicycles. Most of the urban population prefers public transport. It is quite cheap and convenient, a ticket for one trip on a bus, metro, tram or train within one zone, for example, in Barcelona costs 2.15 euros, a ticket for 10 trips (T10) in the first zone costs 9.95, for travel to the second zone – 19.60, to more remote zones the ticket becomes more expensive accordingly. When using the T10 ticket, you can transfer from one mode of transport to another for some time (approximately 1-1.5 hours in the city), and the fee will be charged only for one trip, which will be noted on the ticket. When traveling by train outside the city, the ticket becomes more expensive as the distance of the station, in particular, a one-way trip from Barcelona to Blanes on the Costa Brava (about 1.5 hours) will cost 6.15 euros.

Conveniently readable diagrams are located on the walls of the subway in prominent places, at railway stations there are timetables for electric trains, a ticket can be paid almost everywhere through the terminal, both in cash and with a bank card. But if you don’t understand the system of zones and the principle of operation of the ticket vending machine, then pay for the fare at the window where the cashier sits. As clearly as possible, tell him the name or show on the map the place of interest to you. The next step is to go through the turnstile and validate your ticket there. Attention! In Spain, there are several types of turnstiles, both for the right and left hand, and if the ticket is accepted, but the turnstile does not let you in, go around it on the other side. Keep your ticket until the end of the trip, you will need it to go outside. All suburban trains from Barcelona go through underground tunnels, like the metro.

Electric trains depart from the central underground stations of Catalunya and Espanya squares in different directions, so you should carefully study the name of the flight. Also in Barcelona there are two railway stations for long-distance trains. These are Estació de França and Barcelona Sants. Major flights, including the new AVE high-speed trains, start from Sants. Now a train to Madrid will take you 2.5 hours, and a round-trip ticket (ida y vuelta) costs an average of 130 euros. Barcelona also has the Barcelona Nord bus station, from where you can go to different parts of Spain. From the bus station, people also leave for those cities with which there is no railway connection, including many remote resort villages, the cost of bus tickets is 10–12 euros or more, depending on the distance.

If you are tired, you can take a taxi to travel outside the tourist area of ​​Barcelona. In urban suburbs for distances within thirty kilometers can be reached for 40-60 euros. A traveler without knowledge of the language, without detailed maps of the area and under the scorching sun, may find it difficult to reach his destination on his own, through the public transport system.

Thrifty tourists will like to travel inside cities by bus. Their routes are well thought out, the salons are always clean, the staff is friendly. Payment is made either in cash to the driver, or with the same single travel card for 10 trips. There are universal travel cards for both the week and the month. But for the tourist they are not relevant. Free riders are rarely fined for lack of them, because for free entry into the subway, the skills of a circus acrobat will be required, and in a half-empty bus, a “hare” cannot do without an invisibility cap.
The schedule displayed in beautiful color tables at public transport stops is usually respected, with a difference of 5-10 minutes from the indicated time. It happens that buses are delayed and miss the time indicated in the schedule, but this happens infrequently. In any extreme case, for example, if you cannot wait for a late bus, just take a taxi. The metro closes at about 1 am.

Another part of the inhabitants of Barcelona actively uses motor vehicles. They are like a swarm of mechanical bees, forever rushing through the ancient streets. There are a lot of motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and other two-wheeled vehicles. There are also accidents as a result of collisions with buses and cars. But the eternal temptation of the city dweller to be free from traffic jams and problems with parking turns out to be stronger than the fear of an accident. If you are a tourist from Russia who has rented a car, be extremely careful. Russian drivers are not too accustomed to motorcycles in such numbers and on the road they often “don’t see” a motorcyclist rushing ten centimeters from the side of the car. A young man on a moped, cutting off your car without embarrassment, will not surprise anyone, here the motorcycle exists to get to the place as quickly as possible and park easily.

On hot weekdays in the city center, a motorist will have to park “until the characteristic sound”, so do not judge strictly those who scratched your bumper a little today. Tomorrow you will do the same to someone else.

For those wishing to avoid the hustle and bustle of motorways, a helicopter flies from Barcelona. A four-seater air car will take passengers to Andorra in 45 minutes, and even faster to the coastal cities of Catalonia. Such a flight is not cheap compared to public transport, but suits people of high business and politics, for whom every day of their lives is worth its weight in gold.

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