Means of Transport
Almost one third of the international travellers coming to Spain use air transport. It is considered that more than 50 million people pass by the Spanish airports every year. For, after the USA and France, Spain is the most visited country in the world.
The strategic geographical position and its tourism attraction explain its importance in the international passenger air traffic, representing more than 75 % in Europe. The domestic traffic centre is Barajas Airport in Madrid, linked by an air shuttle with Barcelona. After this, Madrid, with the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands are the lines with a highest traffic density.
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| ave high speed train |
The train is also used a lot in Spain. It has different services and comprises the entire national territory. 'Cercanias' is the name of the local networks. The trains work from 6:00 a.m. until midnight with trains every 15 minutes. Most lines are connected to an underground station. Regional trains have many destinations; the so called 'Grandes Lineas' (Big Lines) is a network designed to reach points more than 400 Km. away from the departing point, and the train AVE is a high speed service that covers the journey from Madrid to the south of Spain
The most important cities, such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, etc. have effective underground networks working, in many cases up to 20 h. per day, from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. In fact Madrid underground is considered on e of the best in the world, if not the best. Bus lines comprise very far routes reaching all cities; most of them work from 6:00 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. After that time, there is night buses service working until 6: 00 a.m. Besides, there are bus stations for long domestic or international journeys.
Taxi service is the most comfortable means of transport, though it can be a little more expensive. Nevertheless, it is considered one of the cheapest in Europe. There is a 'bajada de bandera' (initial tariff). Generally, there is a charge between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., as well as on Sundays and holidays. A small tip is usually given to the taxi driver.
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