Someone somewhere once said "It's not the destination, but the getting there that counts" - and somewhere else, a plane-load of tourists shifted their swollen legs, threw away their complementary reading material and hooted with laughter.
Let's face it: if you're travelling to Spain, the idea that the journey is preferable to the destination is ridiculous - hell, the idea is ridiculous even if you're taking the train to Grimsby. Basically, unless you're doing a road trip across America, travelling sucks, and the only thing to do is to make it as brief and painless as possible. Here, we look at the best ways to get from the UK to Spain - and offer some tips on cutting down the journey stress.
Flying
Spain is only between two and three hours away by plane (depending on where in the UK you're flying from and where in Spain you're flying to), so naturally flying is the most popular option for tourists. There are international airports at Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, Murcia, Malaga, Santiago de Compostela, Bilbao, Seville, and Valencia. Iberia (the national carrier) and British Airways offer scheduled flights, while Easyjet, bmi and Virgin Express all do well-priced deals from around the £30 return mark (before tax), although these are mainly to Madrid, Alicante, Barcelona, Malaga and Bilbao. As ever, you'll get much better value for money if you book well in advance.
Spain is, of course, the original package holiday destination: if you'd rather travel with a tour operator than organise transport and accommodation separately, you're spoilt for choice. Kirker, Travelscene, Mundi Color, Bridge Travel, Eclipse 2001, Sovereign, Airfares Direct, Premier, Leisure Direction, Osprey and Thomson all operate to Spain; no matter where you want to go or what you want to do, you're bound to find that one of them offers something suitable for you.
By sea
Nervous flyer? Never fear: there are other ways to reach the Balearics. If a stiff sea breeze is what you need to clear your head before your holiday, you'll be pleased to learn that it is possible to travel to Spain by way of the ocean wave. Brittany Ferries and P&O both sail direct to Spain from the UK throughout the year. However, you do need time to spare: voyages take between one and two days.
Brittany Ferries sail twice weekly from Plymouth to Santander, from where there are daily trains to Madrid and beyond (see their website for dates and fares). The trip takes around 24 hours. P&O sail once or twice a week from Portsmouth to Bilbao (the port in Bilbao is actually Santurtzi, 13km north-west of the city), and the voyage lasts 35 hours (two nights and a day). For further information, visit poportsmouth.com.
By train
Spain is over 700 miles away from the UK. This may sound like an awfully long train journey to those of us accustomed to the vagaries of the British transport system, but in fact many people find the idea of taking to the rails an attractive one. Europe's railways are notoriously good, and it's easy - and comfortable - to reach Spain by train. The Eurostar links London with Paris, and from there Talgo trains (or 'trainhotels', providing a restaurant car, a bar and sleeping cars) run overnight to Madrid and Barcelona, from where you can use the country's excellent internal rail network to reach pretty much any destination you please. The journey takes just an afternoon and a night from London, but be prepared to pay: a standard Eurostar return ticket from London to Paris costs £79, and a Leisure return for a four-berth sleeper on a Talgo train from Paris to Barcelona comes in at £134 (£143 to Madrid). Tickets can be booked through Rail Europe, on 0870 5 848 848, or on their website.
By coach
Not for the fainthearted. Depending on where you're leaving from in the UK and where you're heading in Spain, the journey can take anything up to 36 hours - a long time on a coach by anyone's standards. Thanks to the explosion of low-fares airlines, coach travel to Spain has also lost what was originally its major advantage - its comparative cheapness. A Euro-Apex return from London to Barcelona with Eurolines (the main operator) costs £69 and takes 28 hours - hardly worth it when you can get a return flight from £30, leave London at lunchtime and be sipping cocktails on the beach a matter of hours later. Still, if you want to travel overland and don't fancy paying the full whack for a train, then a bus may be for you. Check Gobycoach.com for more information on timetables and fares.
By car
Not in any hurry? Why not turn your journey into part of your holiday and drive to Spain? A cross-country trip across France takes you past some fine scenery, and there's plenty of opportunity for stops for croissants and café au lait on the way. Plus, with France and Spain both now in the Eurozone, the need to fiddle around changing peskily small amounts of francs in peseta when you hit the border has disappeared. Another recent development which has improved the lot of the trans-continental driver is the advent of the car-carrying Eurostar trains, which operate from Folkestone to Calais. Once you're in Calais, a non-stop drive will see you in Spain 15 hours later - although there's no need to take it that fast, of course. And once you get there, you'll have the advantage of your own transport without the hassle of having to organise it. Who can say fairer than that?
