From my own direct experience, the classic road trip around Andalusia remains the best way to discover the region: having a car allows you to enrich the classic Seville-Cordoba-Granada itinerary with visits to natural sights, sea views, the pueblos blancos and the enchanting smaller towns, where the true Andalusian spirit often resides. For this reason, I have published an article with my advice on car hire in Andalusia, and a series of itineraries to do mainly by car that can provide the right inspiration for creating your trip in southern Spain.
That said, not everyone can or wants to hire a car for their trip to Andalusia. The reasons can be all sorts: some people travel alone and cannot split the costs, some prefer the comfort of train journeys, others are worried about the inconvenience of traffic or parking… in short, it is not uncommon to choose to visit Andalusia by train or bus, especially if you only have a few days available and your travel plan mainly involves visiting the main cities. In this article we will see how to get around Andalusia without a hire car, using exclusively public transport.
Transport and public transport in Andalusia
In my article on how to plan a road trip of Andalusia, I had already mentioned the good standard of public transport on links between the major cities: there are trains in Andalusia, they are reasonably priced and they make getting around fairly easy. One of the most common routes by bus or train is Seville-Cordoba, but Seville-Granada and Cordoba-Granada are also fairly typical routes when travelling around Andalusia by public transport. Not to mention all the connections from Seville to Malaga and Cadiz, towards the sea. Clearly, though, if we intend to visit Andalusia a little more thoroughly, journeys of this kind will take more time and cost more.
Below, here is how to get around Andalusia by train or bus.
Andalusia by Train
In Spain there are various rail operators. In addition to the state railways, Renfe, there are also several private high-speed operators. Here are the main trains you will come across when travelling in Andalusia:
- Local trains:
- Renfe Media Distancia: these are the main regional trains, connecting different cities and making several intermediate stops along the way.
- Renfe ALVIA: these are “hybrid” trains that use both conventional railway lines and high-speed lines. Journey times are usually somewhere between those of regional and high-speed trains.
- High-speed train:
- Renfe AVE: Spain’s main high-speed rail service, and the one that generally offers the highest level of comfort.
- Renfe AVANT: high-speed trains for medium-distance journeys, usually under 200 km, with a single travel class.
- Renfe AVLO: the low-cost version of Renfe’s high-speed trains. It has just one class and a more basic service, but fares are usually cheaper.
- IRYO: Spain’s main private high-speed rail competitor. It uses Italian Frecciarossa trains and is one of the main alternatives to AVE services. It often offers very competitive fares.
- OUIGO: another private operator, originally from France, running on several Spanish high-speed routes. It also often offers very competitive fares.
The trains you will use are therefore mainly operated by the public Renfe service, but not only. The high-speed trains serve the following routes:
- Seville-Córdoba train: it takes about 40-45 minutes
- Córdoba–Málaga train: takes about 1 hour
- Seville-Málaga train: there is no direct line, but this route can be done by high-speed train by taking advantage of the two routes mentioned above
Below is the time needed to travel between the other major cities on slower, but direct, trains:
- The Seville-Granada train takes over 3 hours
- The Seville-Malaga train takes just over 2 hours
- The Malaga-Granada train takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes
- The Seville-Cadiz train takes around 1 hour and 40 minutes
- The Cordoba-Cadiz train takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes
To check prices, timetables, routes and journey times for the various trains, you can use Omio, a useful and reliable price comparison site for trains and coaches in Andalusia and beyond. Naturally, you will also find connections to the smaller towns, and you can check the number of changes, the cost and the length of the journey to decide whether it is worth it. Tickets have no surcharges.
Find train times and fares on Omio
In the provinces of Seville, Malaga and Cadiz, Cercanías commuter train lines are also available, making it relatively quick and easy to reach smaller towns and destinations within the province. The following routes may be particularly useful:
- Malaga-Fuengirola (for the Costa del Sol beaches)
- Cadiz-Jerez
- Seville-Utrera
- Seville-Cartuja (Isla Magica)
Andalusia by Bus
Those who prefer to travel by road rather than by rail should make a note of this name: ALSA, the transport company offering the largest number of bus routes between the main cities (among others, I’d also mention Comes and Portillo). In general, journeys are clearly slower and not always cheaper than trains, but it is possible to find direct connections to smaller towns and destinations that are harder to reach by train (unless you are willing to make changes and spend a considerable amount of time waiting). Here are the travel times needed to get from one city to another by bus.
- Seville-Córdoba bus: around 2 hours
- Bus Seville – Malaga: 2 – 4 hours
- Bus Córdoba-Málaga: 2.30 – 3.30 hours
- Seville-Granada bus: 3 hours
- Bus Malaga-Granada: 1.45 – 2.30 hours
- Seville-Cadiz bus: 1.30 – 2 hours
At the link below you can check bus prices and timetables in Andalusia: Omio also lets you find the fastest and cheapest option with no extra charges, of course providing all the journey details and comparing fares with trains and carpooling services such as Blablacar.
