Getting Around On The Balearic Islands

When traveling to the Balearic Islands, it would be worth an effort to know about the ways in which you could reach them from the mainland and how to travel between the islands themselves during the course of the vacation. Not knowing about them could lead to wasting valuable time which, if saved, could have been used to see more of the various beauties the islands have to offer.

Mode of Travel: Air

Flights in the region are operated by Air Europa, Vueling, Spanair and Iberia and fly pretty regularly. However, using air as the mode of transportation from the mainland to the islands does not come close to being worth the cost. This analogy is derived by comparing the prices (around €100) and the fact that the flight travel time is less than 30 minutes.

On the other hand, tourists who choose to reach the islands directly and not come to Spanish mainland first may find air travel the best. For example, for as low as €150, people can travel from Germany to Ibiza while £40(excluding taxes) is all it would cost to reach the same destination from U.K. Thousands of tourists take advantage of such cheap fares across the year. Tickets may be bought for cheaper prices if the bookings are done well in advance.

Mode of Travel: Boat

That leaves with the sole mode of travel as the boats. They more than make up for the extra time taken for travel (compared to flights) by allowing travelers to witness firsthand, the great beauty of the surroundings. There are a number of ferry companies of which, the most famous one is the Acciona Trasmediterranea. All companies have offices on the different islands from where the tourists can purchase their tickets. To facilitate better workability, there is also an option of booking the tickets online or from any of the travel agencies operating in the region. The only disadvantage is that the timetable of ferries change very often and can be difficult to follow.

Boats connect all islands to the mainland and finding a boat at any time of the day is not difficult. The boat service is available in three types.

1) Standard Ferries: These are the oldest around and only a few of them are still operational. Although they are slow, tourists prefer them to spend some leisure time while travelling.

2) Super Ferries: This group of ferries comprise of larger and faster boats. They are the largest in number and are very commonly found in the region.

3) High Speed Ferries: These are the fastest around and are usually hired by people who are looking to making a fast journey to their final destination.

The costs of travel of course depend on the distance and the mode of boat service hired (faster the transportation, higher the costs). Visit the tourism website of the islands to know more about ways of travel. There is always an option of going to the destination and enquiring from the tourist help centers that can be found on almost all islands.