Seville City - Bus & Tram

The brand new Seville trams

by Fiona Flores Watson

Seville has an extensive bus network, covering all barrios around the city. Most buses leave either from Puerta de Jerez (south of the centre) or from Plaza Ponce de Leon (east). The circular buses, C3 and C4, follow the ring road around the old city centre. One small bus takes a circular route inside the centre, the C5.

They run from about 6am to 11.30pm, with night buses leaving from the Prado from 12 midnight to 2am. For more information, see the Tussam website.

Tickets cost 1.20 euros per trip, bought onboard.

A cheaper option is the Tarjeta Multiviaje (plastic card, 1.50 euro refundable deposit), which you can recharge, and can also be used on the tram (see below). The minimum amount is six euros, for 10 journeys sin transbordo (without changes, ie using one line only) or seven euros, for 10 journeys con transbordo (with changes, using more than one line). The cards and recharges are available from kiosks and estancos (tobacconists).

A good option for short visits are the one-day card (4.50 euros) or three-day card (8.50 euros), offering unlimited travel.

Those who live in Seville and are empadronado (enrolled on the city's database of residents) can get a 30-day card (Tarjeta 30 dias) for 30 euros.

This is valid for 30 consecutive days from first use.

If you live in a town outside Seville, you can get a green rechargeable card (Consorcio de Transporte Metropolitano Area de Sevilla), which is valid on inter-urban buses, city buses, trams, and also the metro. For more information see www.ctas.es

Tram (Metro-Centro)

The tram (tranvia) leaves from Plaza Nueva, goes down Avenida de la Constitucion past the Cathedral, stopping at the Archivo de Indias and then at San Fernando (Puerta Jerez), and terminates at the Prado de San Sebastian. It currently covers 1.3km. A new section is due to in February 2011, which will extend the service to San Bernardo train station. Confusingly, the tram is called Metro-Centro, even though it's nothing to do with the metro. It runs from 6am to 1.30am.

You can buy a ticket (1.20 euros) at any station, from the machine on the platform, which you stamp on the tram itself. A more economical option is the combined bus/tram rechargeable pass, Tarjeta Multiuso (see above, Bus).