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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Spain

Note: For information on travel to and within the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, see the respective sections. There is a continuing threat in Spain from both domestic and international terrorism. 192 people died and over 1400 were injured following bomb attacks on three trains in Madrid in March 2004. A group purporting to represent Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility on 13 March. ETA, the Basque terrorist group, continues to threaten further attacks, including against the tourism industry. However, most visits to Spain are trouble-free. Back to Top International Airports Spain boasts over 30 international airports. Information on the major airports follows; information on any of the others can be obtained from AENA (Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navegacin Area) Calle Arturo Soria 109, Madrid 28043 (tel: (91) 321 2950; fax: (91) 321 2955; website: www.aena.es), which is the organisation responsible for running all of the Spanish airports. Madrid (MAD) (Barajas) is 13km (8 miles) northeast of the city. A coach service departs to the city around every 10 minutes (0445-0200) and underground services run every 5 minutes (0630-0130). Taxi service is available. Airport facilities include restaurants and bars, bank, several car hire offices, hotel reservation and tourist information desks, and outgoing duty-free shop. Barcelona (BCN) (del Prat) is 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city. Bus service to the city departs Mon-Fri every 15 minutes, Sat every 30 mins and Sun every 20 mins (0600-2400). Rail service is every 30 minutes (0613-2340). Taxi service to the city is available. Airport facilities include a bank, restaurant, bar, several car hire companies, hotel reservation and tourist information desks and duty-free shops. Alicante (ALC) (Altet) is 12km (7 miles) southwest of the city. Bus service runs to the city (0700-2335). A taxi service is available to the city. There is a taxi connection between Alicante and Valencia Airport. Airport facilities include a duty-free shop, bank, bureau de change, car hire, tourist information and restaurant. Bilbao (BIO) (Sondika) is 11km (7 miles) north of the city. Bus, taxi and rail services to the city are available. Airport facilities include a restaurant, duty-free shop, tourist information desk and car hire. Mlaga (AGP) is 11km (7 miles) southwest of the city. Buses run every 30 minutes. Train service runs every 30 minutes. Taxi service to the city is available. Airport facilities include duty-free shop, bank/bureau de change, restaurant and car hire. Santiago de Compostela (SCQ) is 10km (6 miles) northeast of the city. Buses and taxis are available to the city centre. Airport facilities include bar, banks, car hire and shops. Seville (SVQ) is 12km (7 miles) from the city. Taxis and buses are available to the city centre. Valencia (VLC) (Manises) is 10km (6 miles) west of the city. A rail service, taxis and buses (0600-2020, every 80 minutes) are available to the city centre. Airport facilities include several car hire firms, bank/bureau de change, restaurant, bar and duty-free shop. Departure tax: None. Back to Top Air Travel Domestic flights are run by IBERIA (IB) (website: www.iberia.com), Air Europa (website: www.air-europa.com), Binter (website: www.bintercanarias.es) and Spanair (website: www.spanair.com). Scheduled flights connect all main towns as well as to the Balearic and Canary Islands and enclaves in North Africa. Air taxis are available at most airports. Reservations should be made well in advance. Spain’s national airline is IBERIA (IB) (website: www.iberia.com). Many airlines operate to Spain, including an increasing number of low-cost airlines from the UK. Approximate flight times: From Barcelona to London is 2 hours; from Ibiza is 2 hours 20 minutes; from Madrid is 2 hours 15 minutes and from Mlaga is 2 hours 40 minutes. From Madrid to Los Angeles is 13 hours; to New York is 7 hours 25 minutes; to Sydney is 30 hours. Back to Top Travel By Water There are regular hydrofoil and car and passenger ferry sailings from Algeciras to Tangier and Ceuta (North African enclave); Mlaga and Almeria to Melilla (North African enclave); Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante to the Balearic Islands; and Cdiz to the Canary Islands. There are also inter-island services, including a catamaran service linking Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, which takes 3 hours and runs twice a day. For further information, contact Trasmediterrnea (tel: (91) 423 8500; fax: (91) 423 8555; website: www.trasmediterranea.es) or their representative in the UK: Southern Ferries (tel: (020) 7491 4968; fax: (020) 7491 3502). Brittany Ferries (tel: (08703) 665 333; website: www.brittany-ferries.com) operates a service to Santander (on the north coast) from Plymouth (travel time – 22 hours). P&O European Ferries (tel: (08705) 202020; website: www.poportsmouth.com) operates a twice-weekly service from Portsmouth to Bilbao (travel time – 36 hours). Back to Top Rail The state-owned company RENFE (website: www.renfe.es) operates a railway network connecting all the regions on the Iberian peninsula. It is mainly a radial network, with connections between Madrid and all the major cities. There are also some transversal services connecting the northwest coast with the Mediterranean coast, as well as services from the French border down the Mediterranean coast. Principal trains are air conditioned, and many have restaurant or buffet service. Reservations for passenger services in Spain may be made in the UK through the Spanish Rail service (see above), European Rail Travel (tel: (020) 7387 0444; fax: (020) 7387 0888), Freedom Rail (tel: (0870) 757 9898; fax: (01253) 595 151) and Ultima Travel (tel: (0151) 339 6171; fax: (0151) 339 9199). Discount Rail Travel: The Spanish rail system is one of the cheapest in Europe and various discounts are available. Travellers under 26 can purchase a RENFE Tarjeta Explorerail, which allows unlimited travel on all but some regionales and fast trains. It can be bought in Spain, or in the UK from selected travel agents, and is available for 7-, 15- and 30-day periods. Travellers can also enjoy savings by using any one of the European passes available, such as the Euro Domino Freedom Pass, which enables holders to make flexible travel arrangements. The pass is available in 19 European countries, but must be bought in the country of residence for which a valid passport or other form of ID has to be shown. In the UK, this pass is available from Rail Europe 179 Picadilly, London W1, UK (tel: (0870) 584 8848; website: www.raileurope.co.uk). The tickets are valid for 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 days within 1 month. Also available from Rail Europe, the Inter-Rail Pass (website: www.inter-rail.co.uk) allows up to 50 per cent reductions for second-class rail travel in 28 countries; the pass is now also available for those aged over 26 (at a higher cost). The Rail Senior Plus card entitles senior citizens to 30 per cent discount on rail travel into and out of Spain, even during peak hours. This discount does not apply when only travelling internally. The card is available from most British Rail stations. Note: Seat reservations are required on all intercity trains. This ruling applies to the passes and cards mentioned above. High-Speed Trains: The Ave service averages 300kph and connects Madrid and Seville in 2 hours 15 minutes, with 12 services each way via Crdoba. Some services also stop at Ciudad Real and Puerto Llano (La Mancha). The stretch from Madrid to Lleida has been in operation for several years. Planned completion of the Madrid to Barcelona leg is due in 2006; and the high-speed border connection with France in 2010. Also in 2010, the stretches from Cordoba to Malaga, Madrid to Valencia and Madrid to Valladolid should be ready. The Talgo 200 connects Madrid and Malaga thrice-daily in 4 hours 35 minutes. Holders of most of the cards and passes mentioned above qualify for discounts, albeit less substantial than the rates quoted above. Tourist Trains: The Andalus Express and Transcantbrico offer a pleasant way of discovering their respective regions. There are also a number of privately-run narrow-gauge railways in Spain, located mainly in the north of Spain as well as the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands, which run at a leisurely pace through picturesque scenery. For more information on tourist trains, contact the Spanish National Tourist Office (see Contact Addresses section). There are direct trains between Madrid–Paris and Madrid–Lisbon, as well as Barcelona–Paris, Barcelona– Zrich or Milan and Barcelona–Geneva. These services are called Estrella, Talgo or Train-Hotel. On other international services to and from Spain, a change of train is necessary. However, work on the AVE (high-velocity train) route between Madrid and Barcelona is expected to be completed in 2006, after which the French border connection is expected to be fully operational in 2010 and it will be possible to connect with the French TGV (high-velocity route) and the rest of the high-velocity routes in Europe. Motorail services run between Paris and Madrid. For more information, contact the Spanish Rail service (tel: (020) 7224 0345; e-mail: enquiries@spanish-rail.co.uk; website: www.spanish-rail.co.uk). Travelling from the UK, the quickest way is to travel by Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (travel time – 3 hours) with a connection to Spain. For further information and reservations contact Eurostar (tel: (0870) 600 0792 (travel agents) or (08705) 186 186 (public; within the UK) or (1233) 617 575 (public; outside the UK only); website: www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: (08705) 848 848). Travel agents can obtain refunds for unused tickets from Eurostar For Agents, 2nd Floor, Kent House, 81 Station Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD, UK. Complaints and comments may be sent to Eurostar Customer Relations, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London SE1 8SE, UK (tel: (020) 7928 5163; e-mail: new.comments@eurostar.co.uk). Back to Top ROAD: There are more than 150,000km (95,000 miles) of roads. Motorways are well-maintained and connect Spain north–south. Tolls are in operation on some sections and have to be paid in Euros. Trunk roads between major cities are generally fast and well-maintained. Rural roads are of differing quality. Bus: There are bus lines which are efficient and cheap, operating between cities and towns. Departures are generally from a central terminal at which the operators will have individual booths selling tickets. Most places have a bus link of some kind, even the more remote villages. Car hire: All major car hire companies are represented in major cities. Motorcycles: No person under 18 may hire or ride a vehicle over 75cc. Crash helmets must be worn. Regulations: Traffic drives on the right. Side lights must be used at night in built-up areas. Spare bulbs and red hazard triangles must be kept in all vehicles. Traffic lights: two red lights mean ‘No Entry’. Parking laws are rigorously enforced. The speed limit for motorways is 120kph (80mph) in general, but for buses and lorries the limit is 100kph (60mph); in built-up areas the limit is 50kph (30mph); for other roads it is 90kph (56mph). Documentation: Most foreign licences including Canadian, EU and US are accepted. Third Party insurance is required, or a Green Card if bringing your own car (available from insurance company). URBAN: Traffic in Spanish cities is normally heavy, and urban driving takes some time to adjust to. City public transport facilities are generally good. Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid and Valencia have metros as well as buses. Pre-purchase multi-journey tickets are sold. Other towns and resorts are well served by local buses. Metered taxis are available in most major cities and a 2 to 3 per cent tip is customary. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Madrid to other major cities and towns in Spain. Air Road Rail Barcelona 1.00 8.00 8.00 Bilbao 0.50 5.00 6.00 Canary Is. 2.30 - - Mlaga 1.00 5.00 7.00 Mallorca 1.00 - - Palma 1.10 6.00* 5.00* Santander 0.50 5.00 6.00 Seville 0.55 6.00 7.00 Valencia 0.50 5.00 4.00 Note: *Plus 9 hours by boat (3 hours by catamaran). The main route from the UK is via France. The main motorways to Spain from France are via Bordeaux or Toulouse to Bilbao (northern Spain) and via Marseille or Toulouse to Barcelona (eastern Spain). A number of coach operators offer services to Spain. In the UK Eurolines, departing from Victoria Coach Station in London, serves more than 20 destinations in Spain. For further information, contact Eurolines, 4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire L41 1PP, UK (tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; website: www.eurolines.com or www.nationalexpress.com). For information on documentation and traffic regulations, see Travel – Internal section. Back to Top

Car Hire Spain

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout the Spain.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Spain