GETTING TO VALLADOLID
By Plane
Valladolid Airport
There are flights coming in from London-Stansted, Barcelona, Paris, Valencia, Dusseldorf (Weeze), Milan (Bergamo-Orio al Serno), and Brussels-Charleroi.
To and from Valladolid airport
Bus: there are regular buses from Valladolid airport every 90 mins. approx.
- Check timetables with information desk at the airport.
- Bus company: Linecar.
Taxi: taxi fares are inexpensive in Valladolid. Going to the airport may cost 20-25 euros approx.
Madrid Airport (Barajas)
Being a bigger airport, Barajas offers more flights, and could be a good option for flying to Spain. It is very well connected with Valladolid by train and coach (see the specific sections below).
To and from Madrid airport
Metro: In Madrid is a tube line (#8) to the airport, with one stop at terminals 1-2-3 and another one to terminal 4. Metro is an excellent option to travel around Madrid generally –not just to and from the airport. It’s fast, efficient and punctual.
- Website of Madrid Metro: http://www.metromadrid.es/en/index.html
- Note that when travelling to and from the airport you have to pay an additional fee (1€)
Taxi: there are always taxis available at the airport.
- There’s not a fixed fare for taxis from the airport, it depends on the distance and traffic conditions. Mind rush hours –on weekdays between 7:30-9:00AM and 6:00-8:00PM. A one-way trip from Barajas Airport to Chamartín train station (for Valladolid) during non-rush hour is approximately 25-30 euros.
- An additional fee for luggage and airport service is usually charged. More info at the airport website (see below)
City bus: you can take a Madrid city bus, though this might be slower than other options.
Long-distance bus: there are a few direct buses from Madrid airport (terminals 1 & 4) to Valladolid at a very reasonable price.
- Travel time: 3:30 hours
- Bus company: ALSA
- Check timetables. Most of the buses leave early in the morning or late in the evening/night.
- There is no ALSA ticket office at terminal 4, so it is highly advisable to purchase your tickets in advance.
- ALSA website:
http://www.alsa.es/portal/site/Alsa?portal.alsa.request.locale=en_GB
By Train
Valladolid train station (Valladolid-Campo Grande) is one of the major stations in Spain. Trains arrive here from virtually any Spanish city, as well as from Paris.
Valladolid-Campo Grande railroad station is located at the city centre, close to most hotels and restaurants.
- Note that if you’re going to the Faculty of Arts Building, where the Congress sessions and registration will be held, it’s about a 30 minute walk through the city.
Trains Madrid -Valladolid: the fastest way to connect from Madrid is via high-speed trains, which take exactly an hour.
- Trains for Valladolid leave from Madrid-Chamartín station (from 6:30AM to 9:00PM)
- You can book your train trip online, if you want to make sure you have seat availability.
- Note that there are other cheaper trains, but they take much longer.
- RENFE is the main railway company operating in Spain. For further info, check at http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html
By Bus
Valladolid bus station is very close to its train station, and therefore also within walking distance to the city centre and the rest of places of interest.
As in the case of the trains, Valladolid is connected by bus with virtually every city in Spain.
- Several bus companies operate from Valladolid: AutoRes, La Regional, Cabrero, Linecar, etc.
Buses Madrid-Valladolid: There is a bus service from Madrid every hour from 8AM until 11:30PM.
- Buses for Valladolid leave from Madrid main bus station (Estación Sur-Méndez Álvaro)
- Travel time: 2:30 hours
- Bus company: ALSA
- ALSA website
http://www.alsa.es/portal/site/Alsa?portal.alsa.request.locale=en_GB
By Car
Valladolid is located at the centre of Castilla y León, and therefore, several national main roads converge here.
Driving Madrid-Valladolid
→ Take turnpike AP6 towards A Coruña for 183 kms
→ At Tordesillas, take highway A62 towards Burgos for 28 kms
- Total distance: 211 kms.
- Cost of toll: 10.05€
- Speed limit in Spain: 110 km/h in motorways
Other roads to Valladolid
- From NW (Galicia): AP6
- From N (Cantabria, Basque Country, France...): A67 / A62 / AP1
- From E (Soria, Aragon, Catalonia...): N122
- From SW (Salamanca, Central Portugal): A62
- From W (Zamora, Northern Portugal): A11
Car rental
All major car rental companies have offices both at airports and train/bus stations.
Car rental companies with offices in Valladolid:
- Europcar: offices at the airport and at the train station
- http://www.europcar.com/
- Avis: offices at the airport and at the train station
- http://www.avis.com/
- Hertz: offices at the airport and by the bus station (Calle Italia 10)
- http://www.hertz.com/
- National-Atesa: offices at the airport and at the bus station
- http://www.atesa.es/webcorporativa/home.aspx?idioma=en-US
ONCE IN VALLADOLID
Valladolid
Valladolid is the capital of the autonomous community (i.e., state) of Castilla y León (Castile and León). It is a mid-size city, easy to walk about –everything in the city centre is within walking distance. For instance, if you want to go from the Plaza Mayor (the heart of the city) to the Congress venue, it will only take you 20 minutes. Here’s a map with the most relevant places for our Congress:
http://maps.google.es/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=es&dirflg=w&msa=0&msid=218170450516926811914.0004a018129719bdef4d1&z=12
Useful information
- Banks open only 9AM-2PM Mon-Fri. All banks should be able to change Pounds, Dollars or other currencies into Euros. They would also cash your travel cheques.
- Shops open 10AM-2PM and 5PM-8:30PM Mon-Fri (also Sat morning, but not on Sundays). Credit cards (Visa, Master Card) are accepted almost everywhere, but usually not American express.
- Bars and cafes are open through the day (and some until late at night). Most of them would take only cash for orders under 15 €.
- Restaurants and tapas bars open for lunch time (13:30-15:30) and dinner time (20:30-23:30)
- The Faculty of Arts, our venue, is located next to a very lively and popular neighbourhood of the city, with shops of all sorts, bars and restaurants. The touristic centre and the main shopping area downtown (where hotels are located) are just within 20 minutes’ walk.
- Electric wall outlets are different from those in the States, Great Britain or Ireland. In Spain electric current is the same as in the U.S., but British travellers will need a converter as well as an outlet adapter. Make sure you get the proper adapter before you travel.
- English: most young people will probably be able to communicate with you in English. People at airports, bus/train stations, hotels, etc would most definitely speak English.
- Weather: it is normally hot and dry in July in Valladolid, but it normally cools off a bit in the night time (a light jacket could be advisable). Here are average temperatures in Valladolid in the last few years: http://www.aemet.es/en/elclima/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=2422&k=cle
- Sunblock could be a good idea, particularly for the excursions.
- If you are spending some time in Madrid, beware of pickpockets! They are in the most touristic spots and even ride public transports. Mobile telephones are a favourite target. Valladolid is generally a safer and quieter place.
- There are some special transport tickets for tourists who are spending a few days in Madrid: http://www.metromadrid.es/en/viaja_en_metro/tarifas/abonos/contenido02.html
What to do in Valladolid
Information about bars, restaurants and the like will be available very soon.
Until then, here are some links with useful tips and information about things to do and see here:
Useful numbers
Taxi: 983 207 755 / 983 291 411
Emergencies: 112
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