HOW TO GET IN ZARAGOZA

Here’s an advantage few Spanish cities can boast: it’s just 300 km from four of the most important cities in Spain, with super fast connections thanks to the AVE high speed train. Here are all your options for getting to Zaragoza, with times, prices and tips to make your arrival as smooth as possible.

Getting to Zaragoza by train: the star option

If there’s one thing that defines Zaragoza, it’s its strategic position on the high-speed rail line. Zaragoza-Delicias station, the city’s largest and most important, sits right in the Delicias neighbourhood, close to the Expo 2008 site, and is located right in the middle of the Madrid-Barcelona AVE line.

Times and frequencies

• Madrid – Zaragoza / Barcelona – Zaragoza: around 90 minutes to cover the 300 km separating the city from both capitals.
• Frequency: over 20 trains a day per route and direction, practically one every hour (and sometimes every 30 minutes).

📌 Fun fact: if you’re planning a trip around Spain between Madrid and Barcelona, Zaragoza makes the perfect stop for a few days, since it’s literally halfway between them. With deals, you can find tickets from around €25 from either capital.

You can also arrive by AVE from Andalusia, with direct trains or by changing in Madrid, and the conventional rail network connects you to many other parts of Spain. You can check timetables and buy tickets on the Renfe website.

Getting to Zaragoza by bus

The Central Bus Station is in the same complex as Delicias train station, so switching between the two modes of transport is as simple as walking across the building.

Zaragoza also acts as an important connecting hub, linking the AVE line with destinations like the Basque Country, Navarre, La Rioja, Teruel and the Pyrenees via bus. If you’re planning to head to any of these areas during your trip between Madrid and Barcelona, Zaragoza is your natural first stop.

Main companies and destinations

• Alsa: Madrid-Barajas Airport, Avignon, Barcelona, Bilbao, Casablanca, Gijón, Guadalajara, Madrid, Marseille, Nice, Oviedo, Pamplona, Paris, Santander, Toulouse and Vitoria.
• Eurolines: buses that take you from Zaragoza to practically any European city, with transfers.
• Hife: Mediterranean coast destinations, such as Benicarló, Benicàssim, Port Aventura, Salou and Tarragona.

Getting to Zaragoza by plane

Zaragoza Airport has direct connections to several domestic and European destinations. Some operate year round, while others run only during the summer season (April to October).

Year round flights

London, Milan, Bucharest, Brussels, Cluj-Napoca (Romania), Tenerife and Palma de Mallorca.

Seasonal flights (summer)

Lanzarote, Menorca, Ibiza, Paris, Munich, Venice and Athens.

Airlines operating each route

• Ryanair: Milan-Bergamo, London-Stansted, Paris-Beauvais, Brussels-Charleroi, Lanzarote and Palma de Mallorca.
• Wizz Air: Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca.
• Vueling: Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Tenerife.
• Volotea: Munich, Venice, Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca.
• Air Europa: Lanzarote, Palma de Mallorca and Ibiza.

📌 Tip: if your Erasmus includes plans to travel around Europe, Zaragoza Airport can be a good starting (or return) point to round off your route, especially in summer months when the range of destinations expands.

Getting to Zaragoza by car

If you’d rather come by road, keep in mind that Zaragoza is about 300 km from major cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia. The roads connecting the city to these destinations are fast roads, motorways and dual carriageways (with both toll and free options), and the journey usually takes around 3 hours.

We recommend using Google Maps’ route planner to organise your trip depending on where you’re coming from, since the options (toll vs. free) can significantly affect total travel time.

How to get to the centre from the train station and the airport

From Delicias station

• Urban bus: several lines connect the station to the city centre.
• Taxi: there’s a taxi rank right at the station.
• Cercanías train: if you’re heading to the centre, take line 1 and get off at Goya station, located on the Gran Vía-Fernando el Católico axis. If you’re arriving by AVE, this leg is often included in your ticket.

From Zaragoza Airport

• Airport bus: the most affordable and fastest way to reach both the centre and the Delicias intermodal station.
• Taxi: for around €20 and in under 20 minutes, you can reach most destinations in the city.
• Car hire: there are several rental company offices right at the airport, ideal if you want to explore the areas around Zaragoza or take a trip to other nearby destinations.