Expats living and travelling in Spain will find that there is high quality public transport links and the country offers some of the best services in EU which range from modern metro system to connected speed rails giving residents.
Public Transport
The public transport methods in the country are very comprehensive and organised which allows everyone to travel between cities.
The national rail network is one of the popular ways of getting to locations, but expats can also use buses, metros and airplanes.
Trains
Train travel is considered to be one of the easiest and quickest ways to get around the country offering cheap tickets in Europe with two classes of tickets available.
The most operated train services are by RENFE – La Red de Los Ferrocariles ESpanoles which is considered to be excellent and is intergrated with regional and urban networks. This company also offers discounts and special prices for travellers at popular times of the year for families and discounts could be as much as 50% with tickets being available on the websites.
Expats who are travelling between the cities, a new high speed network train is available which is known as AVE. This is a high speed link which is able to travel between Madrid, Barcelona, Cordoba and Seville within three hours and also allows travel to France. This may not be the cheapest but it is one of the fastest ways in getting around. As well as this, if the high speed train is more than five minutes late, passengers will be entitled to a refund.
Regional train services are available in certain areas of the country such as .Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), this operates in North eastern Spain.
Metros
Some of the main cities such as Madrid, Bilbao, Valencia and Barcelona all have underground railway systems which offer a quick way of getting around. Public transport tickets can be purchased which permits travel on all modes of public transport.
Buses
The larger areas in the country have widespread bus networks as well as options for inter city travel. The services that are run vary from the area but most urban areas for bus services are well run. Spain also offers cheap tickets for bus travel especially of you are travelling between regions. The disadvantage of this is that it can take a lengthy time to reach the destination on a bus.
Buses are the most common method of transport which is used and expats will find that the coastal towns and rural villages are only accessible by bus travel.
Private bus services are also available however they are known to be uncoordinated with buses leaving from different destinations rather than a central bus station.
Tickets can be bought online or at a bus terminal using the ticket office or the machines, if not passengers have the option to purchase their single ticket from the driver when you enter the bus, although there may be an extra charge for this.
Bus services in the cities run from 6am till 11pm or midnight.
Taxis
Expats also have the option in using a taxi which are available in all areas especially in the cities and are reasonably priced. Drivers tend to deliver a good service and it is advised that expats know where they are going and to ensure that the driver has switched on the meter.
Cycling
Many cities in Spain are bicycle friendly and have a good infrastructure with dedicated cycle lanes and facilities. Travelling around Spain on a bike is a popular activity in the summer months.
Domestic Flights
Spain has many airports across the country for expats who want to travel throughout the Spanish mainland easily. Expats that want to travel throughout Spain quickly can use the domestic flights that are available. The large airlines include Iberia, Air Europa and Vueling, in addition to several others.