Planning a trip to Valladolid, Spain

Getting There -- Flights to Valladolid land at Vallanubla Airport, Hwy. N-601 (tel. 98-341-55-00), a 15-minute taxi ride from the center of town. Air Nostrum (tel. 90-240-05-00; www.airnostrum.es) routes daily flights to and from Barcelona.

Valladolid is well serviced by 16 daily trains to and from Madrid (trip time: 3-4 1/2 hr.). The one-way fare is 15€ to 34€. Another city with train links to Valladolid is Burgos (16 trains per day). The train station (Estación del Norte), Calle Recondo s/n, by Plaza Colon (tel. 90-224-02-02; www.renfe.es), is 1.6km (1 mile) south of the town's historic center, 1 block southwest of the Campo Grande park.

The bus station is an 8-minute walk from the railway station, at Puente Colgante (tel. 98-323-63-08) on the southern edge of town. There are more than a dozen buses every day to and from Madrid (trip time: 2 1/4 hr.). Eight buses per day arrive from Zamora (trip time: 1 1/4 hr.), three buses per day from Burgos (trip time: 1 1/2 hr.).

Valladolid lies at the center of the rectangle created by Burgos, León, Segovia, and Salamanca, and is connected to each by good highways. From Madrid, driving time is about 2 1/4 hours. Take superhighway A-6 northwest from Madrid, turning north on 403.

Visitor Information -- The tourist office, inside Pabellón de Cristal, Calle Acera de Recolectos (tel. 98-321-93-10; www.turismocastillayleon.com), is open in winter daily 9am to 2pm and 5 to 8pm, summer daily 9am to 8pm, and Easter week daily 9am to 9pm.