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Traveling in Spain

On-Base Shuttle

Naval Station Rota has a free shuttle bus provided by the Public Works Department. The bus does a round robin throughout the installation with stops at designated locations. All U.S. I.D. cardholders (military, dependent and contract personnel) may ride the bus.

Off-Base Transportation

Bus

Rota is well connected by bus to neighboring towns and cities and there are efficient bus services in all major cities and towns in Spain. Buses are the cheapest and most common form of public transportation and most coastal towns and rural villages are accessible only by bus. The quality and age of buses vary considerably. You can buy a ticket from the ticket office or a machine before boarding the bus or buy a single ticket from the driver or conductor as you enter the bus (there may be an extra charge).

Passengers in Spain usually enter a bus from a front door (marked entrada) and get off from the center or side exit (salida). Most buses are driver-only operated, although some city buses (e.g., blue buses in Madrid) have the entrance at the rear where you pay a conductor who sits by the door. It is usually necessary to signal before the stop (parada) where you wish to get off by pressing a button (which activates a bell in the driver’s cab).

Rota Bus Routes

Taxi

Generally, taxi drivers in Spain are courteous and honest and fares are reasonable. Fees are pre-set or metered so be sure you understand the fare before departing. Taxi stands (paradas de taxi) are located at airports, outside railway stations and at major intersections. In larger cities you can hail a taxi in the street but in small towns you’ll find them available at the taxi stands.

Train

There is easy access to several train stations from Rota like Jerez de la Frontera (about 19 miles away), El Puerto de Santa María (about 14 miles away) and Cadiz (about 29 miles away). Renfe runs Spain’s high-speed trains and other mainline trains, as well as local and suburban trains nationwide.

Tickets can be purchased online at: Renfe or at the train station before boarding the train.

Long-distance Buses

Inter-city buses are usually faster than trains and cost less. Much like air travel, most buses offer several class options with different services and prices. Each class can offer a different set of amenities which includes everything from movies, TV, refreshments, free WiFi, space for pets and door-to-door pickup service. There are regular international bus services between Spain’s major cities and many European cities as well, but the trips are often very long.

The following are webpages for some companies in Spain that provide the coach services listed above. Spain Tours website doesn’t recommend one over another and this is by no means a complete list, but here are a few sites that might be helpful as you research the transportation available if bus trips sound appealing to you:

Eurolines
Alsa-Enatcar
InterBus
Damas
Hife

Flying

The closest airports are Jerez (25 miles away), Seville (85 miles away) and Gibraltar (94 miles away).

Catamaran

Cadiz can also be reached by sea via catamaran.

Catamaran Timetable

For more information on transportation in Spain, visit the webpage provided:
Public Transportation Spain

Helpful Links

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