How to Get Around Spain

Rail first

Spain's high-speed AVE network is one of the most extensive in Europe and is the right default between cities — Madrid to Barcelona, Seville or Valencia in a few hours. The first line, the 476-kilometre Madrid to Seville route, opened for the 1992 Expo; the network built since has made flying between mainland cities largely pointless.

When a car earns its keep, and when it is a liability

A car is genuinely useful for rural regions like Extremadura and for the Andalusian hill towns, and a liability in historic city centres, many of which restrict non-resident vehicles. Note that car rental companies have a legal duty to register your passport details when you collect a vehicle.

Flights and the islands

Domestic flights make sense mainly for reaching the Balearic and Canary Islands, which is where the internal air network actually earns its place. Within cities, metro and bus networks are excellent in Madrid and Barcelona specifically; elsewhere the centres are compact enough to walk.

Carry photo ID, and wait while it is registered

You must produce photo ID if a police officer asks — Guardia Civil, national, regional or local — and the police may hold you at a station until your identity is confirmed. Ignoring a direct request from an officer can be treated as "disobedience", which is a criminal offence. Hotels and tourist accommodation have a legal duty to register your passport details, so wait until staff have done so or taken a copy rather than leaving your passport at reception to collect later.

Verified against UK Government (GOV.UK; FCDO travel advice abroad), September 2026.

The AVE is the default, not the fallback

Spain runs one of Europe's most extensive high-speed rail networks and it has changed the shape of internal travel: Madrid to Barcelona, Seville or Valencia is a few hours station to station, with no airport at either end. The first line, the 476-kilometre Madrid–Seville route, entered service on 21 April 1992 for the Seville Expo. Book ahead for the fares rather than the seats.

Fly only over water

Domestic flights earn their place for the Balearic and Canary Islands and almost nowhere else. The Canaries are 1,000 kilometres off the mainland and a different proposition entirely — a winter destination rather than a summer one.

Cars: right for the countryside, wrong for the cities

A car is genuinely useful in Extremadura, Castile, the Andalusian hill towns and the Pyrenees, where the bus network is thin and the distances between anything worth stopping for are real. It is a liability in historic centres, many of which restrict non-resident vehicles. Rental companies must register your passport details when you collect the vehicle.

Photo ID is a legal requirement, not a suggestion

You must provide photo ID if asked by a police officer — Guardia Civil, national, regional or local force — and the police have the right to hold you at a station until they have confirmed your identity. Ignoring a direct request from an officer can be considered "disobedience", which is a criminal offence in Spain. You may also be asked for ID when paying by card: some shops accept a driving licence or a passport copy, some want the passport.

Registering at your accommodation

Hotels and tourist accommodation have a legal duty to register the passport details of guests who check in. Wait until staff have registered them or taken a copy — do not leave your passport at reception to collect later.

Summer: heat, fire and flood

Extreme weather affects many parts of Spain over the summer, and AEMET publishes both the heat warnings and the wildfire risk. Wildfires happen often, including on the islands. Causing one is a criminal offence even if unintentional, barbecues in forest areas carry heavy fines, and cigarette ends and empty bottles are both named in the advisory. Flash flooding is the other side of it and can shut roads and railways at short notice.

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Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against UK Government (GOV.UK; FCDO travel advice abroad) — You must provide photo ID if asked by a police officer in Spain, including the Guardia Civil and national, regional and local police forces, and the police have the right to hold you at a police station until they have confirmed your identity; ignoring direct requests of a police officer can be considered disobedience, which is a criminal offence, Hotels, tourist accommodation and car rental companies in Spain have a legal duty to register the passport and other details of tourists who check in or collect a vehicle, and travellers should wait until hotel staff have registered their passport details or taken a copy rather than leaving the passport at reception to collect later, You must provide photo ID if asked by any Spanish police force and the police may hold you at a station until your identity is confirmed; ignoring an officer's direct request can be considered disobedience, a criminal offence, Wildfires happen often in Spain including on the islands during the summer months; causing a wildfire is a criminal offence in Spain even if unintentional, cigarette ends must be properly extinguished, barbecues should not be lit and empty bottles should not be left behind, and there can be heavy fines for not following the rules against lighting outdoor barbecues in forest areas, Extreme weather can affect many parts of Spain particularly over the summer months, with warnings published by the Spanish Meteorological Office AEMET, and flash flooding can cause travel disruption and damage to property and infrastructure (September 2026).