Spain has an increasingly efficient transport system. All the major cities have airports and flights from all over the global arrive and those of Madrid and Barcelona. Both the road and rail networks were greatly improved by during the 1980s and in the run-up to Expo and Olympics in the 1992. Intercity rails services are efficient, but coaches are a faster and more frequent option between smaller towns. In much of rural Spain, however, public transport is limited and a car is the most practical solution for getting about. Ferries connect mainland Spain with the UK, North Africa and the Balearic Islands.

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Arriving by Air
Spain is served by most international airline. Iberia, the national airline, has scheduled flights daily into Madrid and Barcelona from all West European capitals (but just four times a week from Dublin), and once or twice weekly from most east European capitals.

British Airways is currently the only UK Airline offering scheduled flights to Spain. It serves Madrid and Barcelona daily from London Heathrow and London Gatwick; also Madrid from Manchester, and Barcelona from Birmingham.

Of the several US airlines serving Spain, Delta Airlines and TWA fly to both Madrid and Barcelona. Iberia has a more comprehensive service from the USA, as well as direct flights to many destinations in Spain from the cities of Toronto and Montreal.

There are no Airlines operating direct flights between Spain and Australia.

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International Airports
The most regular international services operate from Madrid and Barcelona. Palma de Mallorca, Tenerife Sur, Malaga, Lanzarote, Ibiza, Alicante, Fuerteventura and Menorca handle large amounts of holiday traffic. The first four are especially busy - Palma topped 12 million passengers in 1993. Most is seasonal traffic, mainly from north European countries and at peak summer holiday time these airports can get crowded.

Details of public transport to and from Spain's most important airports are given below. All the Balearic and Canary Islands have international airports, except Hierro, which has a domestic one, and la Gomera, which has no airport. Melilla and Ceuta are served by domestic flights only.

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Air Fares
Air Fares for flights to Spain vary through the year, depending on demand, they are generally highest during the summer months. Special deals, particularly for weekend city breaks, are often offered in the winter and may include a number of nights at a hotel. Look out for Iberia's Bravoair fares, and for Debonair or Easyjet for competitive deals. Christmas and Easter flights are almost always booked up well in advance.

Charter flights from the UK serve airports such as Alicante, Malaga and Girona near beach resorts. These can be very cheap, but less reliable, and often fly at unsociable hours. Make sure your agent is ABTA bonded before booking.

Local car hire companies may offer good deals at resort airports, but read rental terms carefully.

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Domestic Flights
Most of Spain's domestic flights have traditionally been operated by Iberia and Aviaco, its affiliated airline. In recent years, however, this monopoly has been broken to encourage competition. The two main alternative carriers are Air Europe and Spanair. The most frequent shuttle service is the Puente Aéreo, run between Barcelona and Madrid by Iberia. It flies every 15 minutes at peak business times, hourly at other times. A self-ticking machine allows passengers to buy tickets up to 15 minutes before a flight departs. When a flight is full, waiting passengers are always offered a seat on the next available shuttle. The flight usually takes 50 minutes.

Aviaco, Air Europa and Spanair services between Madrid and the regional capitals are not as frequent as the Puente Aereo, but their prices are usually slightly lower. They operate in a similar way to Apex tickets: the earlier the booking is made, the greater the discount. The cheapest ticket, which must be booked a week in advance, can save up to one-third of the full price. Flights to the provincial cities usually operate in the morning and evening. They can be expensive, costing as much as € 120,- for a one way trip. Pressure from the intercity rail services may eventually result in lower air fares.

Flights to the Balearic and Canary Islands, and island hopping flights between the are operated by an Iberia-affiliated company: Binter Travel agencies often offer a variety of special deals on internal flights, which may include one night more in a hotel. It is worth shopping around. These deals are advertised in the Spanish press.

Some flights from domestic airports are billedas international flights but they do not go directly to foreign destinations. Instead they stop en route at major cities like Madrid or Barcelona.