Getting around and getting home

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. After reading, you can judge whether a place keeps you connected to the rest of Spain and to home. That matters because connectivity decides how often you can visit family, whether you need a car, and whether an island or a small village is workable for you.

Start with "How well connected is each part of Spain by air and rail?". It gives the overall picture for every region. Then go deeper where it counts for you: direct flights to your home country, where trains can replace a car, life without a car outside a big city, and island flights, ferries and resident discounts.

Key rules

• Madrid airport traffic: Madrid-Barajas airport handled about 66 million passengers in 2024.
• Barcelona airport traffic: Barcelona-El Prat airport handled about 55 million passengers in 2024.
• Island resident discount: Residents of the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla receive a 75% discount on the base fare for flights to the mainland.
• Ferry discount: Residents of the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla get a 75 percent discount on ferries between their islands and the mainland.
• Madrid–Zaragoza train: The fastest AVE journeys from Madrid to Zaragoza take roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the service.
• Proof of residence: To claim the island resident discount on flights, you must be registered on the municipal padrón (resident register) in that territory, proven by a residence certificate and identity document; Spanish nationality is not required.

Documents you may need

• Identity document — Flights, ferries and resident discounts for island life

• Certificado — Flights, ferries and resident discounts for island life

Getting around and getting home: questions that cross several articles

Can I rely on a fast train to reach a big airport for flights home?

Often yes, if you live on a corridor that runs to Madrid or Barcelona. Those two airports have the widest choice of year-round and long-haul flights, and high-speed trains radiate from Madrid to most major cities. Read "How well connected is each part of Spain by air and rail?" and then "Where in Spain can high-speed and regional trains replace a car?".

Will my direct flight home still run in winter?

Not always. Coastal airports such as Málaga, Alicante and Palma lose a large share of their international seats in winter, and Ibiza and Menorca lose far more. Madrid and Barcelona barely change, and the Canary Islands are busiest in winter. See "Which Spanish cities have direct flights to your home country?".

I need a direct flight to the US or Latin America. Does that limit where I can live?

Yes, it narrows the choice. Madrid has the broadest long-haul network and Barcelona is next. Other airports have only a few routes, mostly seasonal. Start with "Which Spanish cities have direct flights to your home country?", then check the rail links to Madrid or Barcelona in "Where in Spain can high-speed and regional trains replace a car?".

Can I live without a car if my town is off the high-speed lines?

It depends on the place. Regional trains outside the main corridors often run only a few times a day, and some lines have just one or two. Read "Life without a car outside a major Spanish city" for what that means day to day, and "Where in Spain can high-speed and regional trains replace a car?" for the lines.

How do island flights and ferries change my plans for getting home?

Island residents on the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla get a 75% discount on the base fare for flights to the mainland, and 75 percent off ferries to the mainland. The Canaries also have strong winter international flights, while the Balearics lose many in winter. Read "Flights, ferries and resident discounts for island life" and "Which Spanish cities have direct flights to your home country?".

Flight routes, winter schedules and regional train frequencies change often, so check current timetables before you choose where to live.