More than sixty million visitors travel to Spain every year to enjoy the country’s 315 sunny days, also its rich and diverse history and culture. As a result, the Spanish government spends millions of Euros per year on tourism and transport infrastructure to service the country’s growing population and its ever growing numbers of visitors. Therefore Spain has to be one of the easiest and most affordable of the world’s popular destinations in terms of its accessibility.

Rail travel in Spain is very efficient, fast and relatively affordable . Before you commute by train, you need to make an itinerary, not taking everything for granted. There many different routes that are not very well served and you’ll find the the coverage is also not efficient at many places. You cannot expect everything to be cheap and quick always while decided to travel by train. Planning involves looking and going through the entire timetables and different routes of train in Spain. Different websites and portals can cater to your needs.

Rail travel in Spain also takes very little time, particularly at the Madrid-Barcelona AVE and Madrid- Seville Road. Inter rail passes and Eurail also makes travel cheaper in Spain. There are large numbers of discounts that are offered by these trains and the facilities they offer are also excellent but while choosing to take it you need to be very wise.

Seasoned American travelers typically use AVE when visiting Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville. Yet, why not be a bit inventive and explore such hidden gems as Valencia, Bilbo, and Malaga. AVE, super-fast trains that run up to 220mph while linking major cities with Madrid, and hotel-trains, Spain’s “hotels on wheels” that serve routes with lesser traffic. Both are highly convenient, offer a superior experience, and boast one of the best on-board  food service.

Whatever your final destination you should be able to find cheap flights to some of Spain’s main airports and then use local and regional travel services to access your destination of choice; as I hope I’ve shown, the whole of Spain is incredibly easily accessible.

Traveling Spain by train is a great experience but there are some things you need to know before you go. Spain’s train network is fast, reliable and relatively cheap but if you go without an itinerary and assume that everything is going to work out, you might find yourself in hot water

Although Spain’s network is vast and impressive, there are a few routes that are not very well served and certain parts of the country are rather difficult to get to and from. Finding out which train you need to be on is probably the most important part of traveling by rail in Spain so try to spend some time on this and make sure you get it right.

It isn’t always going to be quick and easy so make sure that you are ready for anything. Travel with an open mind and don’t really expect the norm to keep happening. Trains break down, connections are missed and people often get on the wrong trains altogether. Don’t be embarrassed about asking for help if you are in any of these situations because looking like an idiot is much more desirable than sitting on the wrong train for three hours having no idea how to get to where you’re going.

For the most part, traveling by train through Spain takes very little time. The more common routes have very fast trains with very few stops because it tends to travel these roots much more often. Traveling over half of the country from Madrid to Barcelona is a relatively quick trip that will leave you with much of the day to see sites. The same goes for traveling down to the south of the country from Madrid to, say, Seville.

Traveling Spain’s rail network with a Eurail Pass is a great way to save some money, if you’re going to be taking the train quite frequently. In addition to the savings that can be had with a Eurail pass, it also gives you peace of mind and saves you some time having to wait in line to purchase tickets from the ticket booth. Make sure that your train doesn’t require a reservation prior to getting on or else you will have to pay out the nose for it once you are already on the train.

If you do have to, booking tickets for the train is rather simple compared to getting one’s for buses and rented cars. Spain only has one rail company and there is no need to search through multiple sites to find the best deal. Simply going up to the counter and paying for the ticket is often the cheapest way to get it. Ticket lines are not normally long so you shouldn’t miss any trains due to those. The people that work for the rail company were always helpful and usually spoke my language. If I couldn’t find somebody who spoke English, some helpful Spaniard would usually chirp in and translate for me.

Make sure that you find your trip to at least a small degree of accuracy so that you have some idea of where you would like to be the next day. Don’t, however, plan it down to the second because if you happen to miss one train or have a bag stolen, you will screw up your entire trip. With just a little common sense and an open mind you will have a great trip through Spain and see one of Europe’s most beautiful countries.

On my coastal train tour of the Mediterranean, Spain’s Costa Del Sol is a obvious stop for all my beach needs and more. Costal Del sol means “Coast of The Sun” and you better believe it. This coastal region enjoys an average 300 days of sun a year, and shares the latitude of southern California, and even claims the warmest winter temperatures of anywhere in Europe.

The Costa del Sol was only a series of small quiet fishing villages until the 1950s where it took-off as a get-away for Europe’s upper-class and royalty, where they could enjoy the beaches with some privacy. Now Costa del Sol is a global hot-spot for tourists looking for sun and relaxation in its gorgeous surroundings.

To start here let me fill you in on some of the tasty cuisine you’ll find in this area. Let me start with my favourite drink: Sangria. Sangria is made from Spanish red wine, a local specialty or sometimes white. It consists of fresh wine, and any number of delicious fruits or other liquors and ice. You can imagine sitting sea-side at a chiringuitos (beach restaurant) with a huge ice-cold jug of wine, with a rainbow of fresh fruit packed in, nothing is more refreshing and relaxing. Also note that the Spanish like there drinks strong, their regular servings of liquor are about twice as strong as drinks in North America.

For food you can bet on all the fine seafood the Mediterranean brings in: mussels, squid, prawns and several types of fish. The coast of Spain offers many types of meats, but I love their pork recipes. Chorizo is a popular one in western culture, and here is where you can find many different varieties to try, but watch out if you are sensitive to hot spices. Eggs are also a staple, with huge omelets full of meat and veggies that will please anyone. For desert, coffee, chocolate and churros are staples. Churros are a fritter-like snack that is covered in sugar and cinnamon and is dipped in rich hot chocolate; this is not to be missed.

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Now let me fill you in on some top beaches of the region to enjoy all this wonderful food and sangria on this stop of my Eurail train tour:

Alcaidesa, Cadiz: a huge, semi-urban beach. Not usually that crowded due to its size, it also offers amenities of the city and a large golf course nearby.

Tarif, Caduz: This beach is for those who crave a beach unspoiled by urbanization, so don’t expect all the services of the bigger beaches.

Carvajal Beach, Benalmadena: This is another large urbanized beach like the one in Alcaidesa. The golden sands and quiet waves make it a popular spot for families, so expect it to get quite crowed in the summer months.

Cabopino, Marbella: This is another example of an unspoiled beach with super-clear water and fine sand. Note there is a nude beach to its west called Dunas de Artola

My next Eurail stop is in the famous French Riviera, known for its rich and famous and celebrity patrons.

The capital of Spain, located in the heart of the peninsula and right in the center of the Castillian plain 646 meters above sea level, has a population of over three million. A cosmopolitan city, a business center, headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family, Madrid also plays a major role in both the banking and industrial sectors. Most of its industry is located in the Southern fringe of the city, where important textile, food and metal working factories are clustered. Madrid is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife.The grand metropolis of Madrid can trace its origins to the times of Arab Emir Mohamed I (852-886), who ordered the construction of a fortress on the left bank of the Manzanares river. Later it became the subject of a dispute between the Christians and Arabs until it was conquered by Alonso VI in the 11th century. At the end of the 17th century, a defensive wall was built for the protection of the new outlying areas, tracing the roads of Segovia, Toledo and Valencia. During the 18th century, under the reign of Carlos III, were designed the great arteries of the city, such as the Paseo del Prado and Paseo las Acacias.Madrid.Travel Guide.Photos ———————————————————————- Ciudad de Madrid, fábula de Europa y capital de España, conocida como la capital del encanto y de la alegría. Describiendo nuestra …

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Traveling to Madrid? Take a look at the city, the sights, get ideas for where to do, what to do. A rough-cut Madrid Travel Guide from Viator.com

Itook this video clip during a trip to the Tenerife (part of the Canary Islands) in November and December of 2006. I am actually a travel writer and have written more than 700 articles from a variety of different locations. My articles are published at www.travelandtransitions.com. I have also been compiling my content into FREE travel ebooks about destinations such as Havana, Mexico City, Sicily, New York City, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and many others. The books also have useful travel info and practical travel booking tools. Feel free to check them out at http

WatchMojo.com - A look at the city of Madrid, Spain, and some brief history and essential tourist spots. For more visit www.WatchMojo.com!