Visiting other cities from Zaragoza (or conversely)

Visiting other cities from Zaragoza (or conversely)

Are you staying at Zaragoza and want to visit other cities?
Are you staying in other Spanish cities and you want to come some days and visit Zaragoza?
Are you coming from any other airport and travelling by train later?
Take a look to this information. It will be useful

Renfe Travel Plan

It is a forfait pass available within one month. You can choose Tourist or Business class and minimum four tickets to use in one month.

It is mandatory to be a foreing citizen. At any time your ticket will be asked for, they will ask your passport too. You may demostrate you are not a Spanish citizen. It is, indeed, a promotion planned for foreing tourists, not for Spanish people who travel a lot (despite if you are living for a while in Spain you can ask it too...)

You will have to choose between 4 and 12 journeys per month. You can buy it by internet (or at any ticket office in stations) six months before, and you will just have to use it while that month.

For an adult 4 ticket pass, price is 163 EUR (40,75 EUR/journey).
For an adult 12 ticket pass, price is 392 EUR (32,66 EUR/journey).

How can you buy it?

You will buy by internet and later you will have to use the pass number for any ticket you will buy. These tickets (the only document available for travelling) can be bought at station ticket offices or by internet. If you buy by internet you can print or even you can save the document in your mobile phone (for railway control it is enough to be able to scan a bar code).

Where can I travel?

You can make any journey within the Spanish high speed network. But just take care that one ticket = one journey and it doesn't matter distance. This is, you can use to go from Zaragoza to Calatayud or you can use to go from Zaragoza with a direct train to Malaga. It is one ticket in both cases. Obviously in the first case it will doesn't worth but in the second case, think that you are crossing all Spain with only one ticket.

If you want to go to Valencia you will need two ones because there is no direct train (and in 2013 summer Alicante will be available too). If you want to go to Toledo it will worth to use a ticket pass to Madrid and later paying in cash a ticket to Toledo (it is a short journey and very cheap... but another ticket).

In summary, you can use it for going to:
- Figueres Vilafant (think in this chance if you are going to come by train. You can reach there with a French TGV and use your first pass ticket to Zaragoza)
- Gerona (think in low cost companies. It has a lot of Ryanair flights)
- Barcelona (think in visiting the city but also link to the airport)
- Tarragona (and shuttle to any beach)
- Madrid (similar to Barcelona, think in the city but also in a link with airport)
- Ciudad Real, Puertollano (do you want to see a different countryside?, go there and rent a car..., absolutely different)
- Cordoba, Malaga, Sevilla, etc... (yeah... Zaragoza-Seville is less than four hours by train and will require only ONE TICKET)

It doesn't worth for Lerida, Calatayud, Huesca, etc... because short distances. If you go to Toledo, Valladolid or Segovia you could use it for Madrid but really... use it only if you are sure you will not use all the tickets (it is a very cheap ticket but if you are going to lose it, it will be free).

Albacete, Cuenca, Valencia... will require a train link at Madrid and... another ticket. Take care if it worths to use two tickets in spite of buying and paying in cash.



AND REMEMBER RETURN TICKET. This is... are you coming by plane to Zaragoza or by plane or train to other airport or Figueres Station?. If this is the case... remember you will use there your first two tickets with this fare!!!.

Are you staying anywhere in Spain linked with Zaragoza?

If you are, think in travelling for a while and visiting Zaragoza. The same pass will be available at any case... Remember: up to 350 km/h, less than four hours for a Seville-Zaragoza, just 1:20 for a Madrid-Zaragoza...

Do you have any other questions?

You can visit this webpage. It is in English and with the link to buy your Pass.

You can also make a comment in this blog and I will try to answer you


http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/viajes_internacionales/spainpass/index.html

2013 Touristic Bus

2013 Touristic Bus

Entreprise that manages bus transport in Zaragoza has posted in his web that 2013 touristic bus will have the same journey, similar dates and SAME FARES than in 2012.

It is pending only to have a look to new schedules only.


More information in this post

Touristic Bus

Touristic Bus

As many other cities, Zaragoza has a touristic bus too.

It was in 1997 when first service was created. Just a bus with a 30-minute tour only in city centre but enough for a fast visit to the city.
Today service has been enlarged. In last years and according to city enlargement we have seen many changes. Sometimes two different tours, shorter and enlarged. Sometimes two different tours in different ways and today a single tour but much longer.
In fact it takes 75 minutes to make a tour in the Touristic Bus.

2013 UPDATE: SAME STOPS, JOURNEYS AND FARES THAN 2012

What is the touristic bus?

It is a service in double deck bus where you can get on and get off as many times as you want while a full day.

It has twelve stops. It will start in city centre, in front of the Cathedral and Roman forum, but after a Tour you can remain in the bus (except in the last service in the morning and evening).

You can choose any stop to get off the bus, visit something around and get on again... as many times as you want within the same day.

Where are those stops?

This is the last map for service

You might consider only the largest journey with red line and red spots (we will talk later about green and blue lines).

Main stop is with a green square besides the cathedral in this map. That is the first stop.
Take advice that journey makes a picture like a "snake". This means that you can get off anywhere and, if after your visit maybe a stop in the opposite direction is not far away. You can have a look to schedules for each stop and organise your visit.

Hint: Delicias train and bus station has a stop in the Arrivals area. If you arrive by train to Zaragoza... you can get from station to your hotel or destination just by touristic bus. Tickets can be bought in the bus too.

In the centre of this image, a Touristic Bus Stop, near La Aljafería. It appears a map and schedule on it

Google street Image

What is its schedule and operating dates?

It will operate mainly weekends and bank holidays from middle March to December.
Since 1st July until middle of September it will operate daily.
In some dates (mainly Easter and special holidays) service can be only in the morning.

Frequencies are one bus every 25 minutes. There are three buses, 75 minutes per journey... so 25 minutes every bus.

In almost all the year when service operates this is the schedule (departing Stop number 1 in front of Cathedral).
Morning: 10:30 to 13:25, one bus every 25 minutes
Evening: 16:45 to 19:40, one bus every 25 minutes.

Take advice that they are last services for each stop. This is... bus departing at 19:40 will make a full tour and finish at 20:55 in the same point. Just think that at Plaza La Seo you will not be able to take a new bus after that hour, and some minutes later at P.Independencia and so on.
Of course tickets used in the morning are accepted in the evening. Just service stops from 14:40 (last morning arrival to Cathedral Square) to 16:45 (first evening departure).

With your ticket you will receive a handout with monuments in each stop and schedules for them.

Where can I buy tickets?

Tickets can be bought at the same bus prior to entry.
Nevertheless if you want to save time, or if you want to assure you have your ticket you can buy them in advance on-line (http://www.zaragozaturismotiendaonline.com/turismo/inicio.asp) in the official Zaragoza municipality webpage or in any tourist office

Having a ticket do not assure seat in each bus. Seats have no numbers and you cannot choose upper or downer deck. They just assure you can entry them.

Prices and languages

Touristic bus for one day costs 8 Euro / person
Youth pass is accepted and cost will be 6 Euro
Kids younger than 5 are free but have no seats.

Touristic bus is included in Zaragoza Card and other cards that we talk about them in other entrances in this blog. Depending about your stay in Zaragoza it will worth to buy the Zaragoza Card because includes this service

A guide will make explanations at least in Spanish. Nevertheless they speak English too.

Headphones are included in the price with the full explanation of the tour in several languages including English.

Does it worth the Touristic Bus?

Yes. 

Except in that case you know the city, it is a fast and nice way to move within main touristic points in the city, specially those that are interesting but not in the city centre. You will have the schedules and a sum-up about the monuments or areas you can visit in every stop.

If you are going to stay for a short time in Zaragoza or you have a full agenda and not too much time, it will be the best way to know about the city and have a full look around it.

Better than visiting only a monument or something like that, having a full tour.

And... you can plan the bus you are going to get. Even if you make a full tour with non-stops, just hearing explanations, it will make you knowing something better about the city.

Which are other Touristic buses in the city?

Children touristic bus

Everyday there is a touristic bus with animation for children (sorry, but live animation is available only in Spanish).
It is at 16:30 everyday except in July and August when it is at 20:15. It take an hour and will make the green line tour (the same one that in the touristic bus with without going to arrivals in the Station and not approaching Casa Solans near the river)

It has no stops. You will enter and make a full tour (can be taken on only in front of the Cathedral)
Fare is 7,50 Euro.

Night touristic bus
Even the touristic bus tour is nice... looking from an upper bus deck in the night with all monuments lighted can be nicer!!!

In July, August and until middle September every Friday and Saturday night at 21:45 a night journey will run.
They will depart in front of the cathedral and will not make any stops. Journey will be the same than for children bus (blue line in the map).

Are you in Zaragoza because other reasons rather than tourism and really have no time to visit the city?
Sorry but... there is no excuse. At 21:45 you have an appointment and in one hour, even with live explanations, or headphones, you will have a full view of the city.

Tickets can be bought at the same bus but we will recommend to buy them in advance on-line or at tourism office if possible.

Sites that can be visited very near to any Touristic Bus Stop and have a thread in this blog:

Zaragoza Aquarium
The four cathedrals (Different stops)
El Pilar Tower (Lift)