Transport
Motorways
Spain has more than 16,000 kilometres of motorways. The vast majority of them are toll-free. Nevertheless, there is a series of roads that may require the payment of a toll. The cost varies in each case, but there are generally alternative routes that are free to use. If you are coming to Spain in your own car, you will have to ask for a temporary circulation permit for the vehicle at Customs. It is valid for six months, after which you must register your car in Spain. In all cases, the vehicle’s number plate should include an oval sticker indicating the country it comes from (for cars from the European Union, the EU flag on current number plates is sufficient). With regard to driving insurance, citizens from the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, need to have the insurance policy with the receipt justifying its validity.
In Spain, safety belts are mandatory for all the occupants of the vehicle and there are speed limits on all roads. These are 120 km/h on dual carriageways and motorways, 90 km/h on all other roads and 30 km/h in built-up areas.
Air connections
Concerning air connections, most Spanish airports have flight connections to major cities all over the world and most of them are less than 20 kilometres from main city centres, which you can get to by train, taxi, bus or metro. The main Spanish airports according to passenger traffic are:
- Madrid
- Barcelona
- Palma de Mallorca
- Málaga – Costa del Sol
- Gran Canaria
- Alicante/Elche
- Tenerife Sur
Trains
The majority of trains you'll take on the Spanish rail network are run by RENFE, the country's national train company. High-speed and night trains connect Spain to other European countries through an extensive network of high-speed trains (AVE). When you choose to take these trains you'll be eligible for discounts on cultural visits, and you'll also be able to see some of the country's most important tourist destinations in record time. AVE connections and the constant development of new railway infrastructure also enable faster local trips, such as Madrid - Toledo (30 minutes).
You can search for Spanish train times in the Interrail timetable as well as on the RENFE website.