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Urban transport
Underground
The most important Spanish cities (Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Bilbao),
have a metropolitan underground transport network (“Metro”), which
is very easy to use. The underground is an efficient and excellent means of
transport, especially if you wish to escape from traffic jams.
Bus
All Spanish cities have an extensive network of public bus services. Some cities
have combined travel passes, which are valid for the different types of transport
(underground, bus and suburban train), monthly travel passes and other options.
Suburban trains (“Cercanías”)
Suburban trains link the largest Spanish cities with their suburbs, dormitory
towns or important areas. They are widely known for their punctuality and high
passenger capacity.
Taxis
All large and medium-sized cities have a public taxi service. You can easily
hail a taxi on the street or wait for one at a taxi stop, which is clearly marked
as such. You can also order a taxi by telephone (called radio taxis). All taxis
are equipped with a taximeter. Special rates (airport service, night and holiday
rates, etc…) must be displayed in plain view of the customer.
Interurban transport
Airports
Most major Spanish cities have an airport and many cities – for their
importance as tourist destinations – have international airports (Madrid,
Barcelona, Alicante, Bilbao, Malaga, Sevilla, Valencia, Santiago de Compostela,
Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Santa Cruz de Tenerife
and Lanzarote). Travel from the airport to the city can be done by taxi, special
bus lines and, in some cases, by suburban train or the underground.
Plane
Iberia (www.iberia.es) is
Spain’s National Airline, operating both domestic and international flights.
Direct flights are also provided to the most important cities and tourist destinations
by all the leading international airlines. The two most important local airlines
next to Iberia are Spanair (www.spanair.es) and Air Europa (www.air-europa.com).
AirMadrid (www.airmadrid.com), specialised in cheap flights, is the most recently
established local airline company.
Train
RENFE (www.renfe.es) is Spain’s
State Railway Company. The RENFE network connects all regions of the peninsula.
Most trains have heating, air conditioning and a snack bar. The “AVE”
High-Speed Trains connect Madrid-Seville (with stops in Ciudad Real, Puertollano
and Córdoba), and Madrid-Zaragoza-Lérida, three times faster than
by car. Their service is very punctual.
Bus lines
The bus offers an alternative means of travel in Spain. There are several bus
companies that operate routes within the country and abroad. For more information
on the bus companies in your city, province or district, please contact your
City Council’s information office.
Private transport
Cars and roads
Spain has an extensive road network, covering over 150,000 km. The radial motorways
connect the different regions of the Iberian Peninsula, and the enormous efforts
made over the past few years have been largely directed at their improvement
and maintenance. Most motorways are toll-free, with the exception of some isolated
stretches. On motorways, the maximum speed limit is 120 km/h, and in urban areas
50 km/h. Drivers must have a valid international driving licence and vehicle
insurance. The use of the safety belt is mandatory, even inside the city centre.
For more information on the Spanish road network, road safety and vehicles procedures,
please visit the web page of the Directorate-General of Traffic (www.dgt.es).
Driving licence
Driving licences issued in EU countries are also valid in Spain. If you are
planning to stay in Spain for more than six months, you must inform the Provincial
Directorate of Traffic, so your details can be registered. In accordance with
EU guidelines, driving licences issued by EU member states will maintain their
validity in Spain, but the minimum age for driving shall be determined by the
equivalent Spanish licence (18 years).
National driving licences issued by a non-EU country are only valid for the
first 6 months of stay, as long as they were drawn up in accordance with Annex
9 of the Geneva Convention, Annex 6 of the Vienna Convention, or in Spanish.
International driving licences shall be valid if they conform to Annex 6 of
the Geneva Convention or Annex E of the International Convention of Paris. After
these first 6 months, the international driving licence must be exchanged for
the Spanish equivalent and the holder of the international licence must pass
a driving exam. This does not apply to driving licences issued in Andorra, Argentina,
Bulgaria, Colombia, South-Korea, Ecuador, Japan, Morocco, Peru, Switzerland
and Uruguay.
The new driving licence by points system will come into effect in Spain in July
2006. Each infraction will result in a loss of points, depending on the severity
of the offence. All drivers start with 12 points on their licence. For more
information, please visit the website of the Directorate General of Traffic:
www.dgt.es.
Rental cars
The majority of the main car rental companies have offices in Spain. You can
find them listed in the Yellow Pages (http://www.paginas-amarillas.es/)
under “automóviles y furgonetas (alquiler)”.
Importing your own vehicle
If you decide to import your vehicle from an EU or non-EU country to Spain,
you must register the vehicle at the Provincial Traffic Directorate of your
place of residence, where you will be informed of the documentation required.
For more information, please visit the web page of the Directorate General of
Traffic: www.dgt.es.
In addition to the local banks, there are also a large number of international banks operating in Spain. Normal banking hours are from 8.00 am to 2.30 pm from Monday to Friday. Online banking and telephone banking have gained widespread acceptance. Spain also has a dense network of cash points, with Servired and 4B having the largest number of terminals. Attention: a cash withdrawal fee is charged if your bankcard does not belong to the same network as the cash point. All major credit cards are accepted in the majority of shops. Paying by cheque, on the other hand, is not very common.
| Bank | Web page |
| BSCH | www.gruposantander.es |
| BBVA | www.bbva.es |
| La Caixa | www.lacaixa.es |
| Caja Madrid | www.cajamadrid.es |
| Banesto | www.banesto.es |
| Banco Popular | www.bancopopular.es |
Opening a bank account
Spanish residents who wish to open a bank account will only need a valid passport
or residence permit. Non-residents can also open a bank account in Spain, but
they will need to produce a certificate of non-residence, issued by the Police
or local consulate, a copy of their census register, and a valid passport or
identity card.
Bank transfers
Since 1st July 2003, cross-border bank transfers in euros within the EU are
treated as domestic money transfers, and must therefore be charged the same
commission rates as money transfers between Spanish banks. SWIFT and IBAN wire
transfers are charged with an additional commission. All bank transactions from
abroad involving more than 12,500 € must be reported to the Central Bank
of Spain (“Banco de España”).
Internet
Internet use in Spain, though still far below the level of northern European
countries, is becoming increasingly more widespread and is experiencing rapid
growth. The price cuts on ADSL lines and the benefits of instant Internet access
have contributed to a tremendous boom in the number of Internet users in Spain.
Main Internet Providers in Spain
| Operator | Web page |
| AOL | www.aol.com |
| Arrakis | www.arrakis.es |
| Excite@Home | www.excite.com |
| Lycos Network | www.lycos.es |
| MSN | www.msn.es |
| Telefónica | www.telefonica.es/internet |
| Terra Networks | www.terra.es |
| Vodafone | www.infonegocio.vodafone.es |
| Wanadoo | www.wanadoo.es |
| Ya.com Internet Factory | www.ya.com |
| Yahoo | www.yahoo.es |
Mobile telephony
Mobile telephones are very popular in Spain, especially among the younger generation.
Although price wars have pushed down prices considerably, mobile telephony is
still more expensive than fixed-line telephones. Third Generation mobile phones
are also rapidly gaining popularity despite their elevated price.
Leading mobile telephony companies in Spain
| Company | Market share | Web page |
| Telefónica móviles (Movistar) | 49,1% | www.movistar.es |
| Vodafone | 27,4% | www.vodafone.es |
| Amena | 23,5% | www.amena.com |
Television
Television channels in Spain are either free or are offered for a monthly subscription
fee. There are two public and three private (Antena3, Tele5 and Cuatro) national
television channels. Each Autonomous Region also has 1 or 2 autonomous television
channels. Over the past years, several local televisions have emerged in the
Spanish media scene, but they are still a minority. Many buildings, especially
those in residential areas, have a satellite dish allowing access to television
channels from all over the world.
Given the fact that analogue television is gradually being phased out, many television channels have already switched over to digital broadcasting, which is known as TDT (Terrestrial Digital Television). In order to view digital television, it is necessary to have your antenna modified and to connect a decoder to your television set. Another alternative is Canal Satélite Digital, a leading provider of digital pay-TV services in Spain, which has its own decoder For more information on TDT and Canal Satélite Digital, please visit their respective websites at: www.tdt.es and www.csatelite.es.
