Planning a Trip

Getting There

By Plane -- Iberia (tel. 800/772-4642 in the U.S., or 90-240-05-00 toll-free in Spain) flies several times a day between Madrid (and elsewhere via Madrid) and Seville's Aeropuerto San Pablo, Calle Almirante Lobo (tel. 95-444-90-00). It also flies several times a week to and from Alicante, Grand Canary Island, Lisbon, Barcelona, Palma de Majorca, Tenerife, Santiago de Compostela, and Zaragoza (once a week). The airport is about 9.6km (6 miles) from the center of the city, along the highway leading to Carmona. A bus run by Amarillos Tour S.A. (tel. 90-221-03-17), meets all incoming flights and transports you into the center of Seville for 2.50€ ($4). For airport information, call tel. 95-444-90-00.

By Train -- Train service into Seville is now centralized into the Estación Santa Justa, Av. Kansas City s/n (tel. 90-224-02-02 for information and reservations). Buses C1 and C2 take you from this train station to the bus station at Prado de San Sebastián, and bus EA runs to and from the airport. The high-speed AVE train has reduced travel time from Madrid to Seville to 2 1/2 hours. The train makes 23 trips daily, with a stop in Córdoba. Twenty-three trains a day connect Seville and Córdoba; the AVE train takes 45 minutes and a TALGO takes 1 1/2 hours. Five trains a day run to Málaga, taking 3 hours; there are also four trains per day to Granada (3 hr.).

By Bus -- Although Seville confusingly has several satellite bus stations servicing small towns and nearby villages of Andalusia, most buses arrive and depart from the city's largest bus terminal, on the southeast edge of the Old City, at Prado de San Sebastián, Calle José María Osborne 11 (tel. 95-441-71-11). Several different companies make frequent runs to and from Córdoba (2 1/2 hr.), Málaga (3 1/2 hr.), Granada (4 hr.), and Madrid (8 hr.). For information and ticket prices, call Alsina Graells at tel. 95-441-88-11. A newer bus station is at Plaza de Armas (tel. 95-490-80-40), but it usually services destinations beyond Andalusia, including Portugal.

By Car -- Seville is 540km (341 miles) southwest of Madrid and 217km (135 miles) northwest of Málaga. Several major highways converge on Seville, connecting it with the rest of Spain and Portugal. During periods of heavy holiday traffic, the N-V (E-90) from Madrid through Extremadura -- which, at Mérida, connects with the southbound N-630 (E-803) -- is usually less congested than the N-IV (E-5) through eastern Andalusia.

Visitor Information

The tourist office, Oficina de Información del Turismo, at Av. de la Constitución 21B (tel. 95-478-75-78; www.andalucia.org), is open Monday to Friday 9am to 7:30pm, Saturday 10am to 2pm and 3 to 7pm, and Sunday and holidays 10am to 2pm.