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

Zaragoza: Top 10 for Spanish tourists

Zaragoza: Top 10 for Spanish tourists

According to two different entreprises and their anlayisis, Zaragoza is within the top most visited cities in Europe by Spanish citizens. This is, they have included all cities in Europe but only Spanish citizens.

Therefore, for Expedia.es, Zaragoza would have been the ninth city most visited (after some other Spanish cities but also after Rome, Paris, London and Berlin). They took the number of bookings made over their webs and... Zaragoza is in the Top 10

Another well-known webpage, Trivago, considerates Zaragoza as the tenth in 2012.

Haven't you planned your visit yet?

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

Zaragoza: The four cathedrals city

Zaragoza: The four cathedrals city

How many cathedrals does Zaragoza have?. The answer is four.
Yes, it is true. Why so many?. Let's tell the whole story.

Let us count. One, two, three and four

Yes... first Cathedral: Seo de San Salvador (in this blog, every time we will talk about the "Cathedral" we will talk about that one. Otherwise we will indicate the name of it)
Second Cathedral: Basilica del Pilar
Third Cathedral: Basilica de Santa Engracia
Fourth Cathedral: Iglesia de San Pablo

Why so many cathedrals?

It is common for some dioceses to have a main cathedral and a Second-cathedral. And always a church has been considerated and consecrated as cathedral it will keep the range for ever.
After the Middle Age in Zaragoza there were two different dioceses. One at El Salvador (current cathedral) and second one at El Pilar. The diocese of El Pilar had, indeed, two cathedrals: main cathedral at El Pilar, second-cathedral at San Pablo.
And, Huesca diocese had the Santa Engracia church (it was consacrated as basilica just some decades ago) as his second-cathedral. Even if it was 72 km away and between two other diocese, this church was really a cathedral of Huesca. In fact, it was the church that gave more incoming to the Huesca diocese.
Zaragoza dioceses were unified only in one: El Salvador, and obviously with one arch-bishop and one religious structure only. So then El Salvador got the consideration as "Main cathedral" of the city but El Pilar and San Pablo kept their consideration of "second-cathedral".
In the middle SXX, the Second Vatican Council asked every diocese in the world to keep their limits as many near to administrative limits. Obviously you can always think if some village should change of bishop or shouldn't but it was very clear that they were asking to Huesca diocese not to have a second cathedral in a city where another archbishop was ruling all the religious administration.
Santa Engracia changed from Huesca diocese to Zaragoza diocese being another "second-cathedral".
And... you can find one "Main Cathedral" in Zaragoza and three "second-cathedrals". One plus three equal to four.
Four cathedrals in the same city (and really not far away)

What are their real names?

Let's start saying that Cathedral is translated into Spanish as "catedral" (without the "H") but into Aragonese as "Seo". Aragonese is a very little spoken language in the northern Aragon but there are some words that will be very used in Zaragoza. It will be very often to hear about the "Seo" instead of the "Catedral". Whayt it will be considered as a mistake is to talk about "Catedral de la Seo" because it should be translated something as "cathedral of the cathedral" or something like that. Just because "catedral" and "seo" mean the same in different languages. In spite this case... a great deal of guides will remain using that WRONG name.
Main Cathedral, San Salvador, will be used with the same name in English. You can translate it as "St. Saver" for instance... but remember that the city with the same name is not translated (the capital of the country El Salvador).
Second-cathedral, El Pilar, is usually called by the same name and it is one of the city's icon. A correct translation will be "The Pillar" (the Virgin appeared over a pillar, therefore its name) but I have never red that translation
Second-cathedral, San Pablo, could be easily translated as St. Paul (it is the name of the neighbourhood, by the way)
Second-cathedral, Santa Engracia, has no translation into English.

Were can I find more information and how can I visit them?

Obviously in the Tourism office were they will say the timetables for any cathedral.
El Pilar and San Salvador are included in the guided walks. Entrance to El Pilar is free. Entrance to San Salvador it is not, but not expensive and it worths a lot!!.
Santa Engracia has a very interesting crypt with its timetable. Ask in Tourism office for more detailed information.
San Pablo is not far away from city centre but in a slum neighbourhood that it is changing quickly and being refurbished. It has not a concrete timetable for visits but in the webpage they say that in the mornings they are opened 9:00 to 12:30, they have a morning mass at 9:30 and they ask everyone who wants to visit it to go when the mass has finished, monday to saturday. So you will have 10:00 to 12:30 monday to saturday to visit it.
Take notice that El Pilar and San Pablo are that little list of places that can be visited on mondays, if you are in the city that day.

In further posts we will talk about these cathedrals, one per one.

How can I reach them?

Walking, by public transport or by touristic bus.
San Salvador: Touristic bus in cathedral stop. Tramway in Plaza de España
El Pilar: Touristic bus in El Pilar (Echegaray y Caballero). Tramway in Plaza del Pilar-Murallas
Santa Engracia: Touristic bus in P.Independencia. Tramway in Plaza Aragon
San Pablo: Touristic bus in Conde Aranda. Tramway in Cesar Augusto

And some pictures

Seo de San Salvador (Main Cathedral)

Basilica del Pilar

Basilica de Santa Engracia

Iglesia de San Pablo

A Choir students "concert" at the Basilica del Pilar.

A Choir students "concert" at the Basilica del Pilar.

There is a veeeery ancient choirboys group at the Basilica del Pilar. It is known that its patron saint lived around year 1250!!!!!.
Every day this small group sing in the Basilica for a mass.
You can hear them (obviously free). Just remember that you will be in a Catholic mass and respect and silence is required and expected. At any case... be sure it worths a lot!!.

The "Infanticos" group.

Infanticos is the name given for the 20-ish children who will sing every day in the Basilica. They are aged 6 to 12 and have a very good music training.
Despite its training and being very famous in the city, there aren't many events outside of the Basilica with this group. Every year for Christmas date they make just a concert and, as a school, they participate in several activities around the region or maybe far away, which will include some concerts.
But... for instance, it was in a Christmas TV program in the Aragonese television in December 2012 when they made the first appearance in TV. A lot of centuries of History and never, never in TV until then.

 

 

Not only a choirboys group but a school

It is a really school where children can go from 1st primary school to 6th primary school. They will end their studies there and will continue at any other school (almost all of them in one school that manages almost this education and has its own building with education until 18-years).
Children of 1st and 2nd (aged 6 to 8) will go to first mass in the Basilica and later to class, ending every day at 18:30
Children 3rd to 6th (aged 8 to 12) will stay living in the school because will manage activities while weekend. If they live in Zaragoza they can go home for sleeping but staying in the first event every morning. They usually make shifts to be free one weekend out of two.
They will have all subjects as a normal school, with their marks and so on. But... they will have a very important music training. This will include singing and an instrument. Children (with their parents) are asked to choose the instrument they want to learn: piano, violin, flute, ...
Being in the school with the extra accademic training in music will ratify basic and intermediate level of their instruments (it is not usually for a children so young to have that level, be sure!!!) and will be able to go to the advanced music level for their instrument.
There are some pupils of this school who keeps with music after 18. As music teachers, orchestra directors, etc...

How can I hear them?

Every day, monday to saturday, they will collaborate in the 9:00 mass in the Basilica del Pilar, singing there. You just need to go to mass and hear them.
Sundays will be more special but... at 7:00
And the major, major day is the October 12th (the major Zaragoza day, the Pilar Virgin's day), and they will sing at 4:30 (yes, 4:30 in the morning... or better in the night, not in the afternoon, and they are very punctual).
It really worths to hear them.
Anyway, the Basilica has loudspeakers and a single part of the hymn will be played at 09:00, 12:00 and 20:00, 365 days. It will be very easy to recognise it if you are in the old city but it can be heard from several kilometres away. But you need to pay attention. It takes just half minute.

 

 

Choirboys entering the Basilica

 

Do they make other activities?

Yes. Some (very few) concerts and you will see them along the Basilica.
It is a strong tradition in Zaragoza to take all children and go with them besides the Virgin statue. They will be these choirboys who will manage it. There are several hours while weekend when you can see it.

Guided Tours around Ancient city centre

Guided Tours around Ancient city centre.

You can have a guided tour in several languages organised by tourism office. Walking around main monuments in city centre and knowing some secrets of old streets that maybe they will not appear in some guide.
It is just a tour with an official guide. It is not visiting inside a monument but walking around several of them. You will enter in some of them and explanations could be given inside some monuments or just... in any Ancient street

What's Guided tours?

Tourist office will prepare several guided visits for main monuments. Some of them are available only in Spanish but there is one available in English, French, German and Italian.
Guide will make explanations in these three languages and you will be free to ask him any question being sure he/she will answer you with no problem.

Which are their timetables and fares?

It is a 2 hours walking tour around city centre. It runs on saturday afternoon (spring, autumn and winter 16:00, summer 18:00) and will require a 10 people minimum. You can book your visit one day in advance buying your ticket at Tourist office (you will assure at the same time that you have your ticket as well as it is not cancelled because no minimum).
Fare for year 2013 is 5,50 EUR but it doesn't include entrance to the Cathedral (it will include the entrance for any other monument in the visit).
If you bought the Zaragoza Card, this visit will be free for you.

What's the itinerary we will do?

Visit will start at 16:00 or 18:00 depending the season in front of Basilica del Pilar. There is a Touristic Bus Stop just behind it (and the main stop, in front of the Cathedral is only 300m ahead).
You will enter inside the Basilic and the Cathedral (entrance not included in the price) with explanations in English, French, German and Italian for all of them. You will make the following tour around the city.

Other visits can be modified according to the day or timetable but in anyway, the streets to run across the itinerary are the best ones for making a tour in the Ancient city.
You will know about the "Lonja" (Modern era market, only for trade, not purchasing), about the cathedral environment, Roman city (be sure no time to enter in any of these museums... they will require at least half a day but you will know about it and be able to ask anything to prepare your visit if you want).
You will know about some of the Mudejar towers. It is an architectural style that can be found in central-south Aragon and four towers remains in Zaragoza (In Teruel city, Unesco stated Mudejar buildings as Human Heritage). But also something about Renacentist palaces in city centre and finishing in the central market, Roman walls and Zuda tower.
This is a really very short description. Walking around the city with the guide you will know more.

Are there other guided tours?

Yes, they are not in English but enough interesting to make them.
Ask for timetables and schedules at any tourist office.
There is another guided tour around the city centre (daily in summer, and on weekends and special dates the rest of the year) that could help if you are not able to go to the English guided tour on Saturday afternoon.
There are gastronomic tours inside city centre. Despite explanations are only in Spanish... do not hesitate to take this tour as well as fare includes a visit to several shops, bars or bakeries and tasting products.
For instance, saturday morning there is a "Chocolate tour". You will start at 11:00 and will visit four different sites (be sure they are some of the best known in the city) were tasting sweet and chocolate products... and finishing before lunch time.

We are sorry but a local product tasting tour is also at 11:00 on saturday mornings so, except if you are going to be for more than one week... you will have to choose. With this visit you will enter in a very selective shops or markets with some goods ready to be tasted.

Price for both of them is 13 EUR. Little discount for children.
Not included in Zaragoza card.
Even if visit is only in Spanish, touristic guides in Zaragoza speak English so any question could be answered by them.
Wanna visit Zaragoza by bike?. If you have your bike (Zaragoza bike 3 days pass is accepted), you can walk with your guide and he will make some stops somewhere to make explanations.

And... in Spanish there are many other visits (daily in summer). Just ask for them because, despite you will not understand the language, the chance to enter or visiting easily somewhere is there and questions will be answered in English.

Something else to visit?

Yes, of course.
They are really too many visits within Zaragoza.
Several days you will find special visits for disabled people. These will be so specific and adapted one day to deaf people, other day for blind people. Two visits more for physic disable people (absolutely ready for wheel chairs) and for intellectual disables.

They will run some of main Zaragoza documents for only 2,50 EUR.
Visits will be every saturday at 12:00 but take schedule of each one of them (one saturday for deaf people, next for blind, etc...)
And, of course, a Tour for children.
Just ask for any of them at Zaragoza Tourist offices.
There are other visits to some monuments. This is, one guide that with its timetable daily will make at several hours some guides to any visitor.
Many of these visits are included in the Zaragoza card

Finally... in English there is only one visit on Saturday afternoon... but if you are going to stay for longer in Zaragoza you can try with some of them in Spanish. Just ask!.

Zaragoza Aquarium

Zaragoza Aquarium

Wanna visit something different in Zaragoza?
There is an Aquarium in the city. But it is not an usual aquarium indeed. It is an aquarium with only river fishes (no sea fishes or other sea animals).
In fact, it is the biggest River Aquarium in Europe.
It was opened when the International Exhibition in 2008 and it remains open to public everyday (365 days per year).

It will take about two hours visiting this aquarium and, maybe after visiting monuments, museums and that stuff... be sure it will be a quite different visit!.

How can I arrive to Zaragoza Aquarium?

You can arrive in tramway (Pablo Neruda stop going from city centre and Clara Campoamor, just the opposite avenue, to go back to centre) or by the Circular bus lines (Ci1 and Ci2) stopping at Ronda de Rabal avenue.
Zaragoza Aquarium is just in the centre of this map
https://maps.google.es/?ll=41.669081,-0.896909&spn=0.003398,0.018883&t=h&z=16
(and sorry, google maps is not updated in this area yet and it will appear under construction)
And... in summer, if Zaragoza Ebro boats are operating, one of their stops will leave you very close to the Aquarium (and maybe you can get a discount if using it)

If you got a Bike pass, there are stations near it.

And... there is a Touristic Bus stop besides it. If you are using it, take a look to the map because you can get off near it.

In summer it is possible to arrive by vessel. Ask for timetables

When can it be visited?

EVERYDAY.
Aquarium opens everyday from 10:00 to 20:00 Friday, Saturday and Sunday while all the year and also everyday in July, August and September.
From October to June, Monday to Thursday it will open 11:00 to 19:00
In Christmas' eve, Christmas, New Year's eve and New year's day ask for special timetable... but it remains open.
If you are going to stay several days in Zaragoza take notice that Mondays will open because several sites will close on Monday and it is the best way to plan your visits.
Adult fare without any discount is 14 euro. There are discounts for children, senior citizens and other advertisments with discounts.

What will I find at Zaragoza Aquarium?

It is based over a "world river" in the centre of the Aquarium (without taking notice, a huge, huge, huge fish tank with fishes from any river of the world will be visited eight times from different points).

And around the World river there is one river per continent. In each river you will find information (translations into English and French are available) about flora and fauna. You will get wrapped by an atmosphere that will remember you the area of the river and will find several fishes or other animals of every year.

You will start in the Nile river in Africa. All the fishes and also Egyptians crocodiles. Aquarium responsibles are happy to say that they suceed with these animals when they got new baby-crocodiles, not very often inside an Aquarium.

Next stop is for Mekong river in Asia. It will be interesting looking about differences between rocky mountains in this river and later the rice grounds near the ocean. You will have different atmospheres in each ones.

Continue with the Amazonas river in America. What can you find there?. Almost all varieties of fishes and other animals, incluiding piranhas, snakes and caymans.



Keep on with Darling river in Oceania and finally, Ebro river in Europe (just the river you have 100m ahead) and... you can be sure that almost all Zaragoza citizens who have visited the Aquarium have discovered something new there.

You can walk as fast or slow as you want. Is something like a little zoo, but only river fishes and so on. You will not have too many visitors at the same time and you can make a nice tour inside

Of course children are welcome and the Aquarium prepares all kind of activities while the year for children if booking. Children will enjoy looking so many animals in this building.
Just take notice that it is a River Aquarium, not a Sea Aquarium. For instance you will not have Whales nor sharks. Animals will be smaller. Maybe crocodiles are the biggest ones.
It is not better neither worst than Sea Aquariums. It is just... different

What about around the Aquarium?

Aquarium was opened while 2008 International Exhibition and remains opened since there. There are a lot of things to have a look in the nearby. Just have a look to any post with the tag "Expo" because you will be able to visit all of them at once, avoiding to go several times to the same corner of the city.


Are there other things to visit around?

Of course:
- all walking area from old international exhibition centre, refurbished for citizens
- Pabellon puente (Bridge pavilion), an unique brigde
- Parque Metropolitano del Agua Luis Buñuel (Metropolitan Water Park, Luis Buñuel)