Guide to public transportation in Spain

The public transportation system in Spain is well structured and well-developed. However, there are many types of different transportation system to choose from. This article is designed to resolve all the doubts.

1. Introduction

Traditional means of transportation such as airplanes, trains, buses, trams, and metros are widely implemented in Spain.

• In metropolitan cities like Barcelona and Madrid, all the transportation means mentioned above can be found. To make the transportation system better to be understood, some cities launch one-for-all municipal travel ticket that combines buses, trains and trams together.
• However, in a small village, probably only buses are available, sometimes even without buses.

2. Airline

If you want to travel to long-distance destinations or islands, airline is the best option to save time. In Spain, there are a lot of international as well as domestic airlines to choose from. Famous domestic airlines include IBERIA airlines and Vueling. 

The train is another important public transport which falicitates your journey in Spain. Spain is home to one of the world’s largest high-speed rail networks, second only to China.

• Renfe is the national rail company of Spain. It’s expected to expand its internet connections to all the autonomous regions in Spain in the Iberian Peninsula.
• Apart from Renfe, there are also regional trains to connect better within the same autonomous region or within the same province. In Spain there are 12 commuter rail networks:
  • Asturias: Cercanías Asturias
  • Catalonia: Rodalies de Catalunya
  • Bilbao: Cercanías Bilbao/Bilboko Aldiriak
  • Cádiz: Cercanías Cádiz
  • Madrid: Cercanías Madrid
  • Málaga: Cercanías Málaga
  • Murcia/Alicante: Cercanías Murcia/Alicante
  • Santander: Cercanías Santander
  • San Sebastián: Cercanías San Sebastián
  • Sevilla: Cercanías Sevilla
  • Valencia: Cercanías Valencia
  • Zaragoza: Cercanías Zaragoza
  • Bilbao, Cantabria y Asturias: Cercanía AM
• For large metropolitan cities, there exist other train systems to connect within and around the city:
  • Euskotren Trena: Metro networks and rail lines in the Basque Country
  • Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya: FGC operates rail in and around Barcelona including mountainous, beach or other areas.
• Trains from other countries also entered Spanish market, such as trains of Spanish company SNCF.  

4. Metro&Tranvía:

There are several cities in Spain with metro lines:

• Barcelona: TMB
• Bilbao: Metro Bilbao
• Madrid: Metro Madrid
• Seville: Metro Sevilla
• Palma de Mallorca: Metro Palma – CTM - TIB
• Valencia: Metro Valencia
• Malaga: Metro Malaga
• Granada: Metro Granada

Except for metro lines, there exists tram/tranvía in many cities, a metro type with possibilities to watch the beautiful streets. Some famous trams examples include:

• A Coruña: Tranvía Historico
• Alicante: Alicante TRAM
• Barcelona: Trambaix, Trambesòs, and Tramvia Blau
• Bilbao: Euskotren Tranbia
• Madrid: Metro Ligero
• Murcia: Tranvía de Murcia 
• Parla: Tranvía de Parla 
• Sóller: Tranvía de Sóller
• Vitoria-Gasteiz: Euskotren Tranbia
• Zaragoza: Tranvía Zaragoza

5. Bus

Spain does not have a national bus company, but rather each municipality has their own buses routes. Several examples are:

• Barcelona:TMB
• Bilbao: Bilbobus and BizkaiBus
• Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Guaguas Municipales
• Madrid: Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Madrid (EMT Madrid)
• Málaga: Consorico de Transporte Metropolitano del Área de Málaga (CTMAM)
• Murcia: Transportes de Murcia
• Palma: Empresa Municipal de Transportes de Palma de Mallorca (EMT Palma)
• Sevilla: Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla (TUSSAM)
• València: Empresa Municipal de Transportes de València (EMT València)
• Zaragoza: Consorcio de Transportes del Área de Zaragoza 

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For international expats, medical insurance is a necessary document for several types of visa applications such as student visas, golden visas, and non-lucrative visas.

Our expat insurance promises to not only facilitate you the easy access to visa but cover you both within and outside the Spanish territories as well. When you travel out of Spanish territories, we still help with medical and hospitalization, expenses abroad, travel delays, loss of luggage, and 30+ other items.

Reference:

Metro maps in Spain. (2021). Retrieved 22 October 2021, from https://mapa-metro.com/en/Spain/

Our contents will be updated according to the most recent legislation. Last update: 22/10/2021