The Public Transport in Spain: well organised, reliable and convenient

2019-09-02

Spain has a Public Transport which is perfectly organized: there are several options for traveling through the country and this is not nearly as expensive as in other countries. Spain is the second country in the world and the first in Europe if you look at the number of kilometers of high-speed lines: 2,665 kilometers already in use and even more in the future. And Spain also has the longest high-speed route; that from Barcelona to Málaga, no less than 1,121 kilometers. The high-speed trains of "AVE" (Alta Velocidad Española) run through the country at over 300 km / h and offer you as a traveler a very comfortable ride.

With the bus

Those who want to travel cheaply through Spain can also take the bus. Buses may not always be the fastest, but the cheapest means of transport. A bus ticket costs you around 8 euros per 100 km. The buses in Spain are luxury. When you travel with the so-called 'coaches', you are in an air-conditioned bus, a TV screen and you have power. In addition, there are of course the regular buses that you will find in every country. You can also travel to the more remote villages and regions by bus. Certainly in mountainous areas you come further by bus than by train. The regional bus services in Spain are provided by various private companies. The information about public transportation in Spain is therefore a bit chaotic. Each bus company is responsible for its own travel information. This information may sometimes be missing or outdated at bus stations. Tip: always check the number of the bus, the arrival and departure times at the counter. You can buy tickets for the bus at the bus station or online a month in advance. Almost every bus company has a website with travel information, but unfortunately almost always in Spanish. The most important are:

• Alsa: www.alsa.es

• Movelia: www.movelia.es

By train

Traveling by train through Spain is cheap and comfortable. A national and some regional train companies operate on the extensive rail network

Renfe

The long-distance trains in Spain are fast, comfortable and punctual. Renfe is the national Spanish railway company and has long-distance trains (the so-called Tren de Larga Distancia), medium-distance trains (Spanish: Tren de Media Distancia) and commuter trains (Spanish: Cercanias) that run between the largest cities in Spain. Furthermore, the Renfe also runs the high-speed AVE train and the international TALGO / TALGO 2000 train. Most trains are divided into the Preferente (1st class) and Turista (2nd class) classes. It is best to go to the counter to buy the cheapest ticket. With the so-called Promo tickets you can get a discount of up to 70% depending on the train. The conditions are that you cannot cancel and that you cannot choose a seat yourself. You can buy a promo ticket online or simply at the counter at the station. You can buy train tickets for the Renfe trains in Spain at the train stations at the counter or online via www.renfe.com.

Feve

Feve is the longest narrow-gauge network in Europe, with an area of ​​1,192 km and no fewer than 400 stations and stops. The track runs through the autonomous regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Castile and León and Murcia. There are Feve Cercanías (commuter) hubs in each of the regions. An exclusive service from Feve is a 650 km line, the Transcantábrico, which runs the entire length of the north coast of Spain and connects the cities of San Sebastián, Bilbao, Santander, Oviedo and Ferrol. These trains are operated as a holiday service and are equipped with bedrooms, lounges and restaurants and journeys usually last eight days and seven nights. A wonderful experience! Read more about it here. One of the longest regular (non-touristy) Feve services runs between Leon and Bilbao (a journey of around 7 hours).

Discover northern Spain on board a train?

At Spain is More you can choose from no fewer than 4 different train journeys. The Transcantabrico is one of the most luxurious train journeys in the world (see above). The Expreso de la Robla takes you from Bilbao through the mountains of the Picos de Europa to León or along the coast to Gijón. Each sleeping compartment has its own bathroom and the prices include all meals during the train journey. Before and after the train journey you will spend the night in beautiful hotels that we will carefully select for you. Want to know more about our train journeys? Then click here. 

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