Major roads provide access from Portugal to the west and France which borders Spain to the northeast. Road travel within the country can vary. Many roads are not of a good standard but Spain has received billions of Euros in aid from the European Union.

Traveling to and within Spain

Written by: Ken Jones

Mainland Spain is situated on the Iberian peninsula in the southwest of Europe. It also encompasses two groups of islands. The Islas Baleares (Balearic Islands), in the Mediterranean, Mallorca the largest island is just over one hundred miles off the eastern coast and the Islas Canarias (Canary Islands) which are situated approximately five hundred miles to the southwest and lie off the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Mellila and Cueta are two Spanish enclaves in Morocco on the African continent.

Whilst Spain is one of the world’s leading destinations for the package holiday there is more to this country than the beaches of the costas and islands. The independent traveler will want to move around see what more Spain has to offer.

Getting there - There are thirty one airports on the mainland serving the following cities and towns: A Coruna, Albacete, Alicante, Almería, Asturias, Badajoz, Barcelona, Bilbao, Burgos, Cordoba, Girona, Granada, Jerez de la Frontera, Leon, Madrid, Malaga, Murcia, Pamplona, Reus, Sabadell, Salamanca, San Sebastian, Santander, Santiago, Sevilla, Valencia, Valladolid, Vigo and Zaragoza. In the Canaries the islands of El Hierro, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, La Gomera, Lanzarote and Tenerife and in the Balearics Ibiza, Menorca and Mallorca all have airports. Gibraltar, the British colony at the southern most tip of Spain, also has it’s own airport. British Airways and the Monarch fly daily to Gibraltar from several departure points in the United Kingdom and Monarch has some very good deals on seats. Major carriers provide scheduled flights to Spain but it is also a principal destination for budget airlines with return flights available for less than 100 Euros from other European cities. It is also possible to pick up bargain seats on the many charter flights serving the tourist industry. Air travel within Spain, with the exception of a couple of budget airlines, is expensive.

Major roads provide access from Portugal to the west and France which borders Spain to the northeast. Road travel within the country can vary. Many roads are not of a good standard but Spain has received billions of Euros in aid from the European Union and much of this has been spent on the infrastructure and so it is also possible to travel on some of the newest and finest roads on the continent. The country is well served by many bus companies linking the major towns and cities with express services. There are also a wealth of local bus services.

The train service is well developed enabling access to the country from both Portugal and France and fast travel between towns and cities within Spain. Fares are cheap compared to some other major European countries. Madrid and Barcelona are served by extensive Metro (underground railway) networks.

In addition to the many inter island services ferries run from the mainland to both the island groups and the two enclaves in Morocco. The Canary Islands are served by a boat running from Cadiz. The journey is long, some 48 hours and the sea conditions often make for a rough passage. It may be preferable to fly although as we have already pointed out this can be expensive. Ferries from Tariffa and Algeciras, in the Andalucian province of Cadiz, run to Tanger in Morroco. Ferries also link the enclave of Cueta with Tariffa, Algeciras and Malaga. Mellila, the other enclave is served by a boats out of Malaga and Almeria. The Balearic Islands have services to the mainland running to Barcelona, Valencia and Denia.

More information about traveling in Spain can be found in the Spanish Travel Guide Find Spanish hotels, hostals and pensions, property for rent and sale in our Spanish Directory.

About the author

Ken Jones runs two websites. A Spanish Travel Guide which includes a commercial directory wth extensive listings for hotels, hostals and pensions, property for rent and sale. And a Sailing Site which features

Related articles

  • Avoid the air travel hassles

    Air travel is convenient, but at the same time, can be as annoying as anything a traveler can do. Recent security measures, flight delays and other problems can turn a pleasant vacation into a nightmare. There have been numerous stories about how to deal with these problems, but they tend to deal...

  • Tips on best travel discounts on-line

    Booking travel online is big business these days and on the plus side puts a lot of power in the hands of the consumer to reserve their own travel arrangements. But it’s critical you know 5 things to get the best deal and discount available. So before you begin your travel research and...

  • The key to getting a cheap flight

    Unless you are planning a short domestic trip, the cost of airfare is usually a deciding factor in an overseas trip. Most people with moderate incomes simply can´t afford to fly regularly, as much as they would like to. There are, however, some people out there who are flying all the time on...

  • How to find the top flight deals

    Here are some tips for you to get cheaper air tickets. 1. Shop in the Internet: This is the most convenient way of checking air tickets’ price. You won’t have to canvass travel agencies. Some internet sites even offer internet only discounts that you can benefit from if you avail of...

  • Great ways to get the best airfare

    Air travel is no longer considered a luxury only available for the wealthy and is now almost essential to our way of life. Instead of driving hundreds of miles to visit friends and family, attend a business meeting, or enjoy a vacation hotspot, a flight can whittle your travel time to a couple of...

  • Flight deal research matters

    The websites dedicated to helping you book a vacation, such as Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz amongst others, are not all they are advertised to be. They advertise that you can save money booking your whole vacation with them. In some cases it may be true but more often than not I believe you can...

  • Best discount travel strategies

    Due to the high costs involved, most people don´t travel nearly as much as they would like too. Unless you are well off, chances are that traveling is something you only do a handful of times in your life, and there is therefore a tendency to try and get as much out of the experience as...

  • Charter flights for discount travel

    Almost anyone will probably agree that in a perfect world they’d be able to travel more. It is one of the most natural human desires to want to see different parts of the world and experience new things. And anyone who has traveled will probably agree that you don’t really appreciate or...

  • Best way to find and buy a domestic flight

    If you’ve been shopping for cheap flights online, you have encountered hundreds if not thousands of sites selling airfares. These sites are made of Mega Online agencies, Airlines, Online Airfares Specialists, Traditional Brick and Mortar (B&M) Travel agencies. This presents a huge pool of...

  • Find cheap Canary Island flights using Google

    If you are anything like me, you wait for the last minute cheap flights or package holiday deals. Problem is they usually fly out the next day or the day after. I tend to go 1 week 3 times a year so to make the most of it I need to research the location so I know what my plans are e.g. water...

  • Book your summer beach break in advance

    With the exception of your friends and family it always seems to be the same type of people you speak to about summer holidays. With me it always seems to be taxi drivers or barbers. After the invariable discussions of how bad the weather is and asking how busy they have been on that particular...

  • About the Spanish transport infrastructure

    Mainland Spain is situated on the Iberian peninsula in the southwest of Europe. It also encompasses two groups of islands. The Islas Baleares (Balearic Islands), in the Mediterranean, Mallorca the largest island is just over one hundred miles off the eastern coast and the Islas Canarias (Canary...

  • How to find cheap flights to Spain

    In this day when people tend to book their own flights online, it is important to know what the travel agents have for known for years about getting their customers the best deals and cheapest flights to Spain or anywhere else for that matter. When booking your own flights or just researching...

Related news items

Perillo's New Spanish Eyes Tour
Travel to Spain on a 12-day, all-inclusive tour visiting Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Costa del Sol, Granada and more. One low price covers all, inclu...

Visit Spain for Less
Independent and escorted tours enter to win two tickets to Europe.

Spain Travel Discount
Shop for airfare, hotels, tours and more. Visit STA Travel.

Travel to Spain your way
Customize independent multi-city vacations. 100 plus suggested itineraries.

Save on Air Travel to Spain
Save up to 70% off published air fares on all major airlines. Discounts on group, business, first class and last minute travel. Call toll free now ...

Travel to Spain from the USA
Super saver airfare. Travel from US to Europe, Asia, Spain, Caribbean, Latin America, Australia, and Africa.

Travelzoo SuperSearch: Travel To Spain
Save time and money. Travelzoo lets you quickly search multiple sites for flights. Enter your search criteria just once, and find deals from airlin...

Travel to Spain & Portugal
Unique small group tours of historic Spain and Portugal. Free catalog.

A Premier Tour Operator to Spain
Escapade Vacations offers complete tour packages to Spain, Portugal and Madrid.

Travel to Spain
Disney Cruise Line new destination. The ideal Disney vacation that fits your family's needs and dreams.

Luxury Travel to Spain
Luxury travel to Spain: Book now for big savings. Hot deals and travel auctions, too.

Spain Travel: Hotels in Spain
Visiting Spain? Find deals and read hotel reviews.

Gourmet Food & Wine Vacation in Spain
Tuscany, why? Hands-on Catalan cuisine classes in our beautiful private boutique hotel. Visit the great wineries of the Priorat. Olive oil tasting,...

Travel Spain in Private Cars
Chauffeured limousines, sedans, minibuses and luxury coaches with multilingual drivers for travel around Spain and Europe. Airport shuttle and priv...

Spain Hotel Discounts
Save up to 75% on hotels in Spain. Pay at check-in. No booking fees.

La Manga Club in La Manga, Spain
Luxury villas and apartments to rent at La Manga Club in southern Spain. Europe's sporting and leisure resort including three golf courses.

Discover Hidden Spain
Journey off the beaten path and explore Spain on a walking tour. First-class inns and hotels. Expert guides. 25 years experience.

Plan Your Luxury Spain Vacation Easily
Let our personal travel specialists help plan your luxury Spain vacation.

IJ's Exotic TigerPaw Adventures
IJ Singh's TigerPaw Adventures to India, Australia, Chile, Tanzania, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Italy, Brazil and beyond.

Spain and Travel at Amazon.com
Buy books at Amazon.com. Low prices and easy shopping. Search the full text of books. Free Super Saver Shipping on qualified orders over $25.