Getting Around Granada
Granada is a compact city where most of the sights sit close together in the centre, but its hills, narrow lanes and restricted traffic zones shape how you move around. The Alhambra and the Albaicín sit on opposite hills on the east side of town, separated by the Carrera del Darro and a small river, and climbing up to them on foot can be strenuous. Fortunately, public transport, taxis and a good pair of shoes will cover almost everything a visitor needs.
On Foot
Walking is the best way to experience Granada, especially the older parts of the city. Be prepared, though: streets are frequently short, winding and narrow, and some put you in very close proximity to auto traffic — not to mention the scooters that dart down alleyways and around cars and buses. Larger streets have proper sidewalks, while alleyways use short iron posts along the side to mark an informal pedestrian edge.
- Many streets are so short they won't even be named on a map, so a decent map helps but won't solve everything.
- Keep local landmarks in mind — church towers and hills are good ones — to maintain a general sense of direction.
- Granada has several hilly areas, most notably the Albaicín and the entrances to the Alhambra, with many stairways and steep streets. Buses can take you to the major tourist sights if the climb is too much.
- Watch your step in residential areas: dog excrement is a known problem, though street sweepers do an effective job and it is much less of an issue in the heavily touristy areas.
- Expect uneven surfaces and cobblestones.
Public Transport and Travel Cards
Granada's public transport is easy to use once you have the right card. A rechargeable green travel card lets you use all means of public transport — metro, regional trains, and city and regional buses — at a lower price. It can be bought in tobacco shops and must be charged with a minimum amount. Other travel cards issued by the metro or the city bus operator exist, but each only works on certain modes, so the green card is the flexible option for a visitor mixing buses and metro.
Buses
Local buses cover nearly all sights of interest and run quite frequently. Most city buses travel through the heart of town along Gran Vía, stopping in front of the cathedral.
- The small red-and-white minibuses marked "Alhambra Bus" are the best way to explore Granada, the Albaicín and to reach the Alhambra.
- Route C30 connects the city centre to the Alhambra, C31 travels up to the Albaicín, and C34 goes to the Sacromonte.
- Single tickets are cheap, and multi-trip cards bring the per-trip price down further — useful if you plan to ride several times.
- Printed timetables for individual routes aren't available, but major bus stops along the main boulevards have screens showing when the next bus arrives.
- At smaller stops, you can find out when the next bus is coming by sending a text using the SMS system; directions are printed with images on each bus stop sign and are easy to follow even without much Spanish.
Metro and Rail
Granada has a single metro line, which is handy for reaching the bus station and the western side of the city. A single ticket is inexpensive, and for multiple rides it's worth buying a travel card, which brings the cost per journey down. On the national rail side, Granada's train station is served by local buses: walk out the front door, continue straight down the street to the main avenue (Avenida de la Constitución) and turn right — within a block you'll find a bus stop that takes you to the city centre.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis in Granada are reasonably cheap and are a practical option for reaching the bus station or the airport. For longer intercity trips around Andalusia, carpooling services such as BlaBlaCar often beat train and intercity bus prices.
Driving
Driving in Granada is a nightmare best avoided. The central district is a mess of narrow, one-way streets and is restricted to buses, taxis, scooters and tourists with hotel reservations, enforced by traffic cameras that photograph licence plates and fine violators. Hotels will often recommend not driving in at all. If you insist, contact your hotel in advance with your licence plate number and they will give you directions to the hotel or a parking garage — follow them exactly or risk a fine. Outside the historic centre the streets are wider and driving is far less of a hassle, but there are few tourist sights in those areas. Cheap parking can be found through online booking sites, with central garages offering nightly rates and unlimited entries; on arrival, take the ticket from the machine and present it along with your website receipt to the booth attendant.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Granada's nearest airport is Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén Airport, a small airport west of the city that serves a limited number of flights. For budget airlines you're often better off flying into nearby Málaga. Iberia provides daily flights to and from Madrid, and there are also budget flights to and from Barcelona, Rome and Paris operated by Vueling.
From the airport you have two main options:
- Taxi — the simplest door-to-door choice, at a modest fixed-style fare.
- Bus — run by Alsa, with two routes into Granada, each running several times a day and generally timed to meet plane arrivals. One route goes to the Palacio de Congresos, the local convention centre south of the city centre, and makes several stops through the centre including Gran Vía de Colón opposite the cathedral; you can catch it back from stop 1a on Gran Vía de Colón, next to the local bus stop Gran Vía 1. The other route is faster and takes you to the bus station in the city's north.
Both airport buses leave roughly on the hour. If you're heading onward from the bus station, bus line 33 reaches the eastern city centre and the metro serves the western city centre.