TRAVELSPAIN - SPAIN+
SPAIN is a country of large
geographical and cultural diversity, Spain is sometimes a surprise to
people who know its reputation for great beach holidays. There is
everything from lush meadows in the Northern provinces, snowy
mountains to almost desert in the South.
Spain is a member of the European Union and the Schengen
Agreement, which governs its visa policies. No visa is required for
citizens of other EU member states, and those of nations with whom the
European Union special treaties.
There are no border controls between
Spain and other Schengen Agreement nations, making travel less
complicated.
The easiest way to get around most parts of Spain is by bus. Most
major routes are point to point, and very high frequency. There is a
different operator for each route, but usually just one operator per
route. At the bus station, each
operator has its own wicket. The staff at any of them are usually
happy to tell you who operates which route, however.
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TravelSpain
Traveling To And Within Spain
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, Almerķa,
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.
Air travel within Spain,
with the exception of a couple of budget airlines, is expensive. It is
best to arrange in advance for a cheap ticket to Spain
and combine it with flights within Spain. HOTELS in Spain
can be part of a Spanish tour package.
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