Car Hire in Spain - Getting to Spain

Flights to Spain are numerous particular to tourist destinations from European cities, but peak season flights can be crowded. Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela, Seville, Granada, Málaga, Almería, Alicante, and Valencia all have international airports. Bargain and charter flights are numerous, especially during the summer. Madrid and Barcelona handle long haul flights, with daily trans-Atlantic flights. Málaga is Andalucía and the Costa del Sol’s principal terminal but Almería, Seville, Jerez de la Frontera and Gibraltar also receive some international flights.

The rail network is extensive and it’s possible to travel directly from Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona to many European cities, although there is sometimes a change of carriages at the border, and the tickets are only marginally cheaper than flying. Barcelona to Nice runs several times a day from Estació Sants, and overnight trains leave from Madrid and San Sebastian for Lisbon. The AVE trains are the quickest.

Buses are cheaper and frequently leave from Madrid and Estació del Nord in Barcelona for France. Buses also run regularly from Seville to the Algarve and other Portuguese destinations.

Ferry services connect Spain directly with the UK and Morocco, as well as the Balearic Islands (Barcelona and Valencia).