Getting Around Spain

Since 2021 three companies have competed on Spain’s high-speed lines, and fares fell sharply as a result. All of them use the same tracks and stations and reach the same top speeds of around 300 km/h, so the differences are price, luggage and comfort.

Renfe’s slower long-distance trains also matter. Alvia and Intercity trains switch gauge to run onto conventional track, reaching Bilbao, San Sebastián, Cádiz, Huelva and Gijón, and the Euromed runs the Mediterranean coast from Barcelona to Valencia and Alicante. For international trips, Renfe runs trains from Barcelona and Madrid to Lyon and Marseille, and SNCF TGVs connect Barcelona with Paris in about 6.5 hours.

Fastest scheduled times on the main lines, with the fare range from a promotional advance ticket to a last-minute flexible one:

Two gaps are worth knowing. There is no through train between Madrid and Lisbon, so take a bus or fly. And Barcelona to Andalusia by train takes nearly six hours, so a 1h35 flight to Seville or Málaga often makes more sense. For Toledo, Segovia, Córdoba and Girona, a high-speed day trip from Madrid or Barcelona is easy and cheap.

Book on the operators’ own sites or apps (Renfe, Ouigo, Iryo) or through a ticket comparison site that shows all four at once. Tickets open two to six months ahead, and the cheapest seats on Friday and Sunday afternoons and holiday weekends sell first; four to eight weeks ahead is the sweet spot. Seats are always reserved, and you show a QR code on your phone at the gate.

Big cities have more than one station. Madrid’s southbound and eastbound trains mostly use Puerta de Atocha, while trains to the north and northwest, and a growing number of Barcelona and Valencia services, leave from Chamartín-Clara Campoamor: check your ticket. Barcelona’s main station is Sants; Valencia’s high-speed station is Joaquín Sorolla, a 10-minute walk from the old Nord station. All long-distance trains have airport-style X-ray checks for bags, and gates usually close a few minutes before departure, so arrive 20 to 30 minutes early.

The Spain Pass maths. Renfe’s Spain Pass, sold to non-residents, gives 4, 6, 8 or 10 long-distance Renfe journeys within one month, from roughly €215 for four trips in Estándar, about €54 a journey. A Madrid to Seville, Seville to Granada, Granada to Madrid trip booked six weeks out on Avlo, Ouigo and AVE costs around €90 to €120 in total, so the pass loses. It wins only if you book within a week of travel in high season, when single AVE fares climb past €80, or if you want flexibility. Interrail and Eurail passes are valid on Renfe trains with a compulsory seat reservation, but not on Ouigo or Iryo.

Below the high-speed network, Renfe runs Avant shuttles on high-speed track (Madrid to Toledo, Segovia, Ciudad Real; Barcelona to Girona, Figueres and Lleida; Seville to Córdoba; Málaga to Granada via Antequera), Media Distancia regional trains and Cercanías (Rodalies in Catalonia) commuter networks around Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Bilbao, Asturias and other cities. Regional fares are low, typically €3 to €20, and Cercanías singles cost about €1.50 to €4.

Useful regional lines for visitors include the Málaga Cercanías C1 along the Costa del Sol to Torremolinos and Fuengirola, the Rodalies R2 Sud from Barcelona to Sitges, and the Madrid Cercanías to El Escorial and Alcalá de Henares. In the Basque Country the Euskotren network links Bilbao and San Sebastián in about 2h40, and narrow-gauge Renfe trains (the old FEVE lines) follow the north coast through Cantabria and Asturias slowly but scenically. Regional tickets can usually be bought at the station on the day.

Accessibility is good on high-speed trains and main stations. Renfe’s free Atendo assistance service helps travellers with reduced mobility board and alight; request it when you book.

Long-distance buses cost less than trains and reach places trains do not. Alsa is the largest operator, covering most of the country and running airport services; Avanza, Damas (western Andalusia), Socibus, Monbus (Galicia) and FlixBus fill in the rest. Fares are €10 to €35 for trips of 3 to 6 hours, and the premium “Supra” or “Premium” classes add wider seats for a few euros more.

Take the bus for these routes: Málaga to Granada (1h30 to 2h, about €12 to €15, hourly), Málaga or Seville to Ronda, Granada to the Alpujarras villages, Málaga to Nerja and Marbella, Bilbao to San Sebastián (1h20 against 2h40 by train), and anywhere in the Picos de Europa or rural Extremadura. The Madrid to Lisbon overnight bus takes about 8 hours. Book online for the big routes in summer; for local and village buses, pay the driver or at the station kiosk.

BlaBlaCar ride-sharing is widely used for routes poorly served by public transport, and costs about the same as the bus.

Domestic flights are the only practical way to reach the Canary Islands from the mainland (2h30 to 3h from Madrid, €40 to €150 one way) and the fastest way from Barcelona to Andalusia or Galicia. Iberia and Iberia Express, Vueling, Air Europa, Ryanair and Volotea cover the mainland and Balearics; Binter is the main airline within the Canaries, with 25 to 45 minute hops between islands. Madrid to Barcelona flights still exist but rarely beat the train door to door.

Ferries connect the mainland with the Balearic Islands year-round, with more sailings from June to September. Book a few weeks ahead in summer, especially with a car.

Mainland to Canaries ferries from Huelva and Cádiz take 30 to 40 hours and only make sense if you are bringing a car. Ibiza to Formentera costs roughly €20 to €40 each way; overnight Barcelona to Palma sailings cost €40 to €80 for a seat and more for a cabin.

Driving is easy outside the big cities and is the best way to see the white villages of Andalusia, the Galician coast, La Rioja’s wineries and the islands. Traffic drives on the right. Limits are 120 km/h on motorways, 90 km/h on other rural roads, 50 km/h in towns and 30 km/h on single-lane urban streets, and fixed and mobile speed cameras are everywhere. The blood alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l (0.3 for drivers in their first two years), and non-resident drivers pay fines on the spot.

Most motorways are free autovías, and since 2020 and 2021 the former toll AP-7 through Catalonia and Valencia and the AP-4 from Seville to Cádiz have been free too. Tolls remain on roads including the AP-9 in Galicia, the AP-6 and its branches from Madrid to Segovia and Ávila, the AP-68 from Bilbao to Zaragoza, the AP-66 between León and Asturias, the Basque provincial motorways, the Madrid radial roads and the AP-7 toll section on the Costa del Sol; cards are accepted at every booth.

Rental cars cost €25 to €60 a day outside summer and €60 to €120 in July and August, plus a young-driver fee under 25. Rental desks want a credit card in the driver’s name, and US and other non-EU licence holders need an International Driving Permit (UK licences are accepted alone). Spanish cars must carry a V16 flashing beacon instead of warning triangles from 2026. Most big cities have low-emission zones (ZBE) and historic centres closed to non-resident traffic, so park outside and walk; paid street parking is marked in blue.

Every big Spanish city has cheap, frequent public transport, and most old towns are best on foot.

For full Barcelona fare maths see our Barcelona costs guide. Taxis are metered and reasonable, and Uber, Cabify, Bolt and FreeNow work in the main cities. Most cities have public bike share (BiciMAD in Madrid, Sevici, Valenbisi) and e-scooters, though helmet and pavement rules vary by city. For a full budget breakdown see our Spain costs guide, and for arrivals our Spain airports guide.