How to Get Around Seville

For anyone who wants to truly experience Spanish culture at its best, a visit to the city of Seville is practically a must. Famous for its preserved Flamenco culture, beautiful architecture and excellent food, it's a charming city wherever you look.

There 's plenty to see, do and see in Seville, but an important aspect of any travel itinerary is knowing how to get to the different places; in this article I'll explain in detail the best alternatives available.

Seville's rich history and culture mean that my favourite way to get around Se ville is to go with a professional tour company.

As you will soon realise on your trip, getting to know Seville is much more than just walking through its streets or seeing its famous museums, as the historical context adds so much to the particular idiosyncrasy of this beautiful destination.

Fortunately, numerous companies offer this type of experience taking the traveller on a tour of Seville' s main and most important monuments; but also to more secret places that you won't see in conventional travel guides.

Walking tours of Seville

The best way to really admire and get to know a city will always be to walk through its streets with the people who live there. In Seville this is no different and a walking tour of the main attractions allows you to soak up the atmosphere and flavour of Seville.

You can find both night tours and tapas tours and my favourite tours are the ones that include a visit to the Barrio Santa Cruz (Seville's Jewish quarter), the Real Alcázar of Seville and the Cathedral of Seville.

Seville Bike Tours

The bike tours in Seville, on the other hand, have the enormous advantage of covering large areas in short periods of time (between 2 and 3 hours); although Seville is a rather small city. They also include the accompaniment of an expert guide and all the necessary equipment.

These types of tours are perfect for visitors with tight itineraries, so if you only have one day to get to know Seville, don't hesitate! Booking a bike tour through the streets of Seville will allow you to get a quick overview of the whole city and make the most of your day.

As its name suggests, Seville's tourist bus is a resource designed exclusively to serve the thousands of tourists who flock to the city.

With an operation similar to that of other major cities in Europe, when you book your ticket for the Seville tourist bus you will be taken on a tour of the city's main historical monuments and sites of greatest interest to travellers. But also:

• Recorded commentary is provided in different languages including, of course, Spanish and English.
• The route covers approximately 14 stops and you can hop on and off as many times as you like.
• The service can be purchased for 24 hours or 48 hours.
• The price of the bus service starts from €25 and a new bus passes along the route approximately every 30 minutes.
• The ticket can include free entry to some of the city's monuments and museums such as the Flamenco Museum.
• Among the attractions that you can visit on the city's tourist bus are: the Cathedral of Seville, the Giralda, Plaza de Toros, Barrio de Triana and the Torre de Oro.

The public transport system in the city is highly efficient, organised and punctual, as well as economical. The transport network is very well interconnected, which translates into a system that will allow you to easily get from one point in the city to another.

If you are on a multi-day city trip, such as visiting Seville in 5 days, and you are looking for mobility alternatives that will allow you to save money, don't hesitate for a second.

Seville Metro

The Seville Metro system has a total of 22 stations spread over 188 kilometres and connects the main areas of the Andalusian capital.

However, it is not a system that I recommend for tourists visiting the city for the first time, as the interesting thing about Seville is the possibility of walking through its streets, not moving underneath them. However, if you need a quick and economical way to get around, the metro is a great option.

• Timetable: from 6:30 am to 11:00 pm from Monday to Thursday; on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the timetable is extended from 6:30 am to 2:00 am.
• Frequency: varies between 5 minutes for peak times and 15 minutes for off-peak times and days.
• Price: from €1.50 per ticket.
• Tip: keep in mind the route and map of Metro stops in Seville.

Seville Tramway

Also known as Metrocentro, this system is ideal for getting around Seville's historic centre and moving between the main attractions. San Bernardo station is the main station, which in turn allows the tram to connect with the Seville metro line L1 and with the C1 and C4 suburban train lines.

• Timetable: Monday to Friday from 06:00 to 23:30, Saturdays until 01:50 and Sundays from 07:00 to 23:30.
• Frequency: 5 to 10 minutes.
• Price: approximately €1.40 each way.
• Tip: keep in mind the route and stops map of the Seville Tramway.

Seville Bus

A transport system that the people of Seville have been using for decades. The city's bus system offers a total of 44 lines that operate during the day and 9 lines that operate exclusively at night.

Together they provide a service not only to the city centre but also to the nearest points on the outskirts of Seville.

• Timetable: every day of the year from 06:00h to 23:00h.
• Frequency: from 15 to 20 minutes.
• Price: from €1.40 per person. To save money on your trip to Seville, you can buy the tourist transport card, valid for 1 or 3 days, which offers unlimited travel.
• Tip: check in detail the available routes, timetables and much more information on the official website of the transport company Tussam.

The historic centre of the city of Seville concentrates most of the attractions and main points of interest, so if you decide to take a taxi, I recommend that you do so mainly for short distances or to go to your hotel or accommodation if it is very far from the central area.

Costs to consider

Keep in mind the following rates when hiring a taxi service in the city:

• The price per kilometre starts at €0.92 and the flag-down charge is approximately €1.33.
• The taxi fare from the airport to the city centre is approximately €25.
• The average waiting time is around €20.
• On Sundays, public holidays and late at night the fare usually increases.

Companies offering the service.

The regulated taxi companies in the city are very easy to recognise, as the cars are white and are identified by the TAXI sign on the bonnet; the licence number is easily visible on the side of the vehicle. Here are some of the companies with contact numbers.

• Taxi Sevilla Santa Justa. Located at Calle Cloro, 2. The telephone number is +34 645 23 01 97.
• Radio taxi Sevilla. The offices are located at Avenida de Kansas City, 42. The telephone number is +34 954 98 11 44.
• Taxi Sevilla Mercedes. The offices are located at Calle San Eloy, 57. The telephone number is +34 669 202 136.
• Taxi Aljarafe 24 Horas. Located in Calle Puerta de la Macarena, 31. The contact number is +34 654 110 110.

In recent years, Seville has become one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Spain. Nowadays it has a mobility system very adapted to this means of transport, which is why more and more tourists and locals prefer to move around using two wheels instead of their feet.

If you are going to be in the Andalusian capital for less than a week, for example 4 days in Seville, I recommend you to rent your bike in Seville to be able to move faster and with much freedom around the capital.

You can choose between several time options to return it whenever you want and, in addition, equipment such as helmet, complementary seat or lock is usually included.

The train is the ideal option for travelling beyond the city limits of Seville from 10€ each way. As the capital of the Andalusian region, Seville is the ideal starting point to go to areas such as Cordoba and Granada.

Although for this type of adventure my general advice is to book an organised tour from Seville, it is advisable to be aware of alternatives such as the train service at Santa Justa Station, San Bernardo Station and Virgen del Rocio Station.

But if you are looking for organised tours in the city of Seville you will find excursions to the following destinations.

• Tours to Granada
• Tours to Doñana
• Tours to Cordoba
• Tours to Gibraltar