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TRANSPORT
46
Public Transport
BARCELONA
AIRPORT: Most scheduled flights arrive at
Barcelona's El Prat de Llobregat Airport
(tel. 93 298 3838), 12km to the south of the
city. Easyjet also flies there, while charter
flights and budget airline Ryanair fly to
Catalunya's other airports Girona or Reus.
The quickest way to get to the city centre
is by train from the station opposite
Terminal A. Trains to central Barcelona
leave every 30 mins (€2.15). The Airbus
service leaves every 15 mins and takes
from 30-60 mins depending on the traffic.
It costs €3.45, stops at Plaza Espana and
terminates in Placa Catalunya. A taxi to
central Barcelona costs about €20.
BUSES: The main bus station is Estacio del
Nord, Carrer d'Ali Bei 80 (tel. 93 265 6508)
and Eurolines/Linebus (tel. 93 265 0700)
operates the majority of services.
Most long-distance and international services
use the Estacio d'Autobuses de Sants
beside Sants train station. Contact
Eurolines/Julia Via (tel. 93 490 4000); Alsa-
Enatcar (www.alsa.es, tel. 902 42 2242)
also operate routes across Spain.
TRAINS: The main station is Sants (Placa
dels Paisos Catalans), which has a link to
the airport and serves major Spanish cities
and France. The Estació França (Avinguda
del Marques de l'Argentera) has daily
international trains to Geneva, Milan,
Paris and Zurich. Local Rodalies trains go
all over Catalunya and stop at every station.
Deltas stop slightly less and
Catalunya Expres are the fastest. For train
RENFE information tel. 934 900 202. For
regional routes in Catalunya, FGC
(www.fgc.catalunya.net, tel. 93 205 1515).
METRO: A single journey costs €1 but a T-
10 (tarjeta multiviaje) for €6, is valid for 10
journeys. For a month's unlimited travel,
buy a T-mes (€39). A T-familiar is valid for
up to 70 journeys and transferable and the
T-joven, for under 21s, is valid for 90 days'
unlimited travel. See: (www.tmb.net).
TAXIS: tel. 933 300 804
MALAGA
AIRPORT: Malaga airport (flight information:
tel. 952 048 484) is situated 10km
south west of the city centre, just off the
main N340 coast road to Estepona. The
no.19 bus runs every 30 minutes from in
front of Terminal B to the centre of
Malaga, from 6.30am-11.30pm (€1). Trains
from the airport into Malaga's Centro-
Alameda leave every 30 minutes (€1).
TRAINS: Malaga's RENFE station is on
Explanada de la Estación. The regional
network takes in Seville, Cordoba and
Granada, and local trains to Torremolinos
and Fuengirola leave every 30 minutes.
BUSES: Malaga's bus station (tel. 952 350
061) is behind the RENFE station. All
Malaga's bus companies operate from this
terminal. In summer arrive an hour or
early as tickets can sell out, especially to
Granada. Buses to Fuengirola run every 40
minutes; to Marbella every 30 minutes.
ALICANTE
AIRPORT: El Altet airport (tel. 966 919 000)
is 11km from Alicante by the A7 motorway.
The airport bus leaves for central
Alicante every hour and takes about 40
minutes. A single journey costs €1.50.
There are also a dozen buses a day from
the airport to both Benidorm (about €3
single journey, 1hr) and to Denia (€7, 1hr
30mins).
TRAINS: Alicante's main train station is
Estacion de Madrid on Avenida
Salamanca with trains to Madrid, Murcia
and Valencia (tel. 902 240 202 for info.).
Trains on the FGV line to Benidorm and
Denia leave from the far end of Playa
Postiguet. For info, tel. 965 262 233.
Renfe Alicante information is at
www.renfe.es or tel. 902 240 202.
BUSES: The bus station for local and international
services is on Calle Portugal (tel.
965 130 700). For Ubesa routes within the
province of Alicante, you can contact tel.
96 513 0143.
SPAIN EXPAT SURVIVAL GUIDE WWW.EXPATICA.COM