Seville – Travel Guide
With its rich Moorish heritage, manifested in its intricate architecture and vibrant culture, Seville invites quite a variety of visitors from around the world. The city’s lively flamenco scene pulses through its streets, echoing the passion of its people. Discover and wander through centuries-old neighborhoods where every corner tells a story of its storied past. Stroll along the Guadalquivir River for scenic views, or walk through the old, tree-lined streets of Barrio Santa Cruz to discover the local flavor of Sevilla’s tapas bars, boutique shops and outdoor plazas.
All about Seville
Getting Around Seville
On Foot
The heart of Seville is along the east bank of the Guadalquivir River. The Old Town (casco antiguo, sometimes called casco histórico), once enclosed by walls, is compact and best explored on foot. Almost all the sights lie between two of the major bridges: the Puente de San Telmo and the Puente de Isabel II (also known as the Puente de Triana).
You`ll need a detailed street map (available at local newsstands and in bookstores) that provides tourist information, places of interest and the locations of vital services (such as the police station) for your explorations; although you can more or less count on getting lost in the intricate maze of the Barrio Santa Cruz, for which no adequate map exists.
By Tram
The tram (tranvia) leaves from Plaza Nueva, goes down Avenida de la Constitucion past the Cathedral, stopping at the Archivo de Indias, San Fernando (Puerta Jerez), the Prado de San Sebastian and terminates at San Bernardo train station. An expansion to Santa Justa train station is expected to be completed by the end of 2020. Although the tram is called Metro-Centro, it has nothing to do with the Seville Metro. It runs from 6:15 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. You can buy a ticket (€1.50) 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 Multiviaje (see above).
By Bus
Seville has an extensive bus network, covering all barrios around the city. It is run by TUSSAM (short for Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla, Sociedad Anónima Municipal, www.tussam.es, website in Spanish only) and there are 36 bus lines which operate in and around the city. Most buses leave from San Bernardo Metro station, Prado de San Sebastian bus station, Ponce de Leon, or Plaza del Duque. Buses run daily from 6:00am to 11:30pm with limited night service from the Prado from 12 midnight until 2:00am. Buses C1, C2, C3, and C4 run circular routes between the main transportation terminals within the city center. One small bus, the C5, takes a circular route inside the center, from Puerta Jerez to Plaza del Duque. The city tourist office can provide a booklet detailing these bus routes (circulares interiors). The fare is €1.40 per ride or you can buy a Tarjeta Multiviaje (plastic card, €1.50 refundable deposit), that is rechargeable, and can also be used on the tram. The minimum amount is €6.90 for 10 journeys sin transbordo (without changes) or €7.60 for 10 journeys con transbordo (with changes, using more than one line). They can be purchased (and recharged) at tobacco stands (estancos) and news kiosks. For general bus information, call tel. 955 010 010.
A bus run by TUSSAM meets all incoming flights at Seville`s Aeropuerto San Pablo and transports you into the city center for €4. The buses take you to and from the airport, with the final destination in the city being the Plaza de Armas bus station. Buses leave the airport beginning around 5:20 a.m. and stop shortly after midnight. For more information, including a timetable, visit https://www.tussam.es/uploads/pdf/HORARIOLINEAAEROPUERTO.pdf.
By Metro
The Seville Metro began operations on April 2, 2009. It currently has one line operating out of four that are planned. Line 1 runs east-west, from Ciudad Expo in the Aljarafe (surburbs on the hill beyond Triana) to Olivar de Quintos in Montequinto, Dos Hermanas, passing through Los Remedios (Parque los Principes, Plaza Cuba), south of the center (Puerta Jerez, departure point for many buses lines, and Prado, where you catch the tram), and on to San Bernardo, which offers Cercania (surburban) train services.
It runs from 6:30 a.m. (7.30 a.m. Saturdays and holidays) to 11 p.m. (2 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays). Semana Santa and Feria have special schedules. Tickets cost €1.35 if you stay in the same zone (there are three), €1.60 (two zones) and €1.80 (all three zones). If you use a reloadable card (Consorcio de Transporte, see Bus), they work out cheaper (€0.82, €1.17, and €1.37). A one-day ticket costs approximately €4.50, offering unlimited travel. For more information on the Metro, visit www.metro-sevilla.es/en.
By Taxi
Taxis, which are white with a yellow stripe, are plentiful and may be hailed on the street (look for the green light on the roof to indicate it`s available) or from specified taxi stands. This is an excellent means of getting around, especially at night, when streets can be dangerous due to muggings. Cabs are metered with fares starting at €3. There are extra charges for luggage, weekends, holidays and night time. You are not required to tip taxi drivers, although rounding off the amount is appreciated. Call Tele Taxi (tel. 95-462-22-22) or Radio Taxi (tel. 95-458-00-00).
Taxis are available at the airport and you can expect to pay around €20-€25 for cab fare from the airport to the city center. Legal taxis are metered, but it’s a good idea to get an estimate of the fare from the driver before you climb aboard.
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More Getting Around
By Bike
SEVici (en.sevici.es), Seville`s public bike rental service, has 2,500 bicycles available from 250 stations around the city, approximately 900 feet apart. There are 75 miles of cycle lanes in the city, making it one of the best-served cities in Spain for this extremely clean, green and healthy means of transport. To date, SEVici`s bikes have been used 10 million times, with an average 25,000 daily uses. The service is available to both tourists and residents alike. The one week pass, available from terminals is ideal for those who are only making a brief visit to the city, although be aware that for the one week pass, you have to pay a €150 deposit. At the bike station terminal you enter a short-term pass code, enter the number of the bike you want (each bike post has a number), and unlock it within one minute. To return a bike, you fix it to a post, then check that the indicator light below the post is flashing, and that you can hear a beep to tell you that you have fixed the bike to the post correctly.
At the terminal, you can register to use the short-term service using your credit card and add credit onto your long-term card, as well as get a printed receipt with your chosen route and check-a-map to find the closest available pick-up or return posts.
Short-term pass
Weekly registration fee: €14.33
First 30 minutes: Free
1st hour (after the first 30 minutes): €1.03
2nd hour and more: €2.04
By Car
We strongly recommend that you do not drive in Seville! The narrow alleys, lack of parking and infinite one-way streets make driving complicated at best, highly stressful at worst.
If your hotel has a garage, you`re best off driving straight there when you arrive, and straight out again when you leave. Also, be sure to map out your route to your hotel carefully, looking out for one-way streets, or you could easily end up getting lost, caught on the ring-road by mistake, or stuck facing the wrong way down a narrow street and having to deal with impatient, irate locals. While this may sound obvious, many visitors don`t realize just how difficult it is driving in the center.
In addition, new traffic restrictions mean that if you spend more than 45 minutes in the center, between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday, you will be fined €200 (hotel garages and public car parks are exempt from this). Multiple cameras have been installed to monitor traffic so consider yourself warned! (These tickets don`t just magically go away if you ignore them when you return to the U.S. either.)
Seville FAQ
How do I get from the airport to my hotel?
Many people arriving in Seville will be arriving at Seville Airport (Aeropuerto de Sevilla, IATA code SVQ), which is about six miles from the center of the city. 6.3 million passengers passed through the airport in 2018 alone. If you have not booked a private transfer with us, then a bus run by TUSSAM, Transportes Urbanos de Sevilla (www.tussam.es) meets all incoming flights and transports you into the city center for €4. The bus is available from 5:20 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. daily.
Alternately, taxis are available at the airport and you can expect to pay around €20-25 for cab fare from the airport to the city center. Legal taxis are metered, but it`s a good idea to get an estimate of the fare from the driver before you climb aboard.
How do I get from the train station to my hotel?
Train service into Seville is centralized at the Estación Santa Justa. From here, buses C1 and C2 take you to the bus station at Prado de San Sebastián near Plaza de España, Calle Manuel Vazquez Sagastizabal, s/n. (tel. 95-441-71-11). Taxi service is also available.
How do I get around the city using public transportation?
The Seville Metro currently has one line operating out of four that are planned. Line 1 runs east-west, from Ciudad Expo in the Aljarafe (surburbs on the hill beyond Triana) to Olivar de Quintos in Montequinto, Dos Hermanas, passing through Los Remedios (Parque los Principes, Plaza Cuba), south of the center (Puerta Jerez, departure point for many buses lines, and Prado, where you catch the tram), and on to San Bernardo, which offers Cercania (surburban) train services. It runs from 6:30 a.m. (7.30 a.m. Saturdays and holidays) to 11 p.m. (2 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays). Semana Santa and Feria have special schedules. Tickets cost €1.35 if you stay in the same zone (there are three), €1.60 (two zones) and €1.80 (all three zones). If you use a reloadable card, they work out cheaper (€0.82, €1.17, and €1.37). A one-day ticket costs approximately €4.50, offering unlimited travel. For more information on the Metro, visit www.metro-sevilla.es/en.
Most buses leave from San Bernardo Metro station, Prado de San Sebastian bus station, Ponce de Leon, or Plaza del Duque. Buses run daily from 6:00am to 11:30pm with limited night service from the Prado from 12 midnight until 2:00am. Buses C1, C2, C3, and C4 run circular routes between the main transportation terminals within the city center. One small bus, the C5, takes a circular route inside the center, from Puerta Jerez to Plaza del Duque. The city tourist office can provide a booklet detailing these bus routes (circulares interiors). The fare is €1.40 per ride or you can buy a Tarjeta Multiviaje (plastic card, €1.50 refundable deposit), that is rechargeable, and can also be used on the tram. The minimum amount is €6.90 for 10 journeys sin transbordo (without changes) or €7.60 for 10 journeys con transbordo (with changes, using more than one line). They can be purchased (and recharged) at tobacco stands (estancos) and news kiosks.
Please note: Buses do not go directly into the town`s medieval center since the streets are too narrow, but you can actually walk most everywhere in Seville.
The tram (tranvia) leaves from Plaza Nueva, goes down Avenida de la Constitucion past the Cathedral, stopping at the Archivo de Indias, San Fernando (Puerta Jerez), the Prado de San Sebastian and terminates at San Bernardo train station. An expansion to Santa Justa train station is expected to be completed by the end of 2020. Although the tram is called Metro-Centro, it has nothing to do with the Seville Metro. It runs from 6:15 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. You can buy a ticket (€1.50) 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 Multiviaje (see above).
How do I call/hail a taxi?
Taxis, which are white with a yellow stripe, are plentiful and may be hailed on the street (look for the green light on the roof to indicate it`s available) or from specified taxi stands. This is an excellent means of getting around, especially at night, when streets can be dangerous due to muggings. Cabs are metered with fares starting at €3. There are extra charges for luggage, weekends, holidays and night time. You are not required to tip taxi drivers, although rounding off the amount is appreciated. Call Tele Taxi (tel. 95-462-22-22) or Radio Taxi (tel. 95-458-00-00).
Read More
More Seville FAQ
Is Seville a walking city?
The heart of Seville is along the east bank of the Guadalquivir River. The Old Town (casco antiguo), once enclosed by walls, is compact and best explored on foot. Almost all the sights lie between two of the major bridges: the Puente de San Telmo and the Puente de Isabel II (also known as the Puente de Triana).
You`ll need a detailed street map (available at local newsstands and in bookstores) that provides tourist information, places of interest and the locations of vital services (such as the police station) for your explorations; although you can more or less count on getting lost in the intricate maze of the Barrio Santa Cruz, for which no adequate map exists.
I will have a car in Seville, where can I park?
If you`re planning to explore Andalusia then a car makes travel convenient; however, we do not recommend driving a car in Seville as almost all of its narrow streets run one-way toward the Guadalquivir River. This medieval city was designed for horse-drawn carriages rather than cars and requires considerable patience (and a good map) to navigate.
If you are renting a car we suggest you pick it up as you depart the city to avoid excessive rental/parking expenses. If you must have a car while in the city then your hotel may offer a car park (for a fee), but your best bet is one of the public garages, which are safer and less expensive.
Warning: Small items such as hand luggage, cameras and laptops are commonly stolen from parked cars. Don`t leave anything in a parked car and keep doors locked, windows up, and valuables out of sight while driving!
Where can I rent a bicycle in Seville?
SEVici (en.sevici.es), Seville`s public bike rental service, has 2,500 bicycles available from 250 stations around the city, approximately 900 feet apart. There are 75 miles of cycle lanes in the city, making it one of the best-served cities in Spain for this extremely clean, green and healthy means of transport. To date, SEVici`s bikes have been used 10 million times, with an average 25,000 daily uses. The service is available to both tourists and residents alike. The one week pass, available from terminals is ideal for those who are only making a brief visit to the city, although be aware that for the one week pass, you have to pay a €150 deposit. At the bike station terminal you enter a short-term pass code, enter the number of the bike you want (each bike post has a number), and unlock it within one minute. To return a bike, you fix it to a post, then check that the indicator light below the post is flashing, and that you can hear a beep to tell you that you have fixed the bike to the post correctly.
At the terminal, you can register to use the short-term service using your credit card and add credit onto your long-term card, as well as get a printed receipt with your chosen route and check-a-map to find the closest available pick-up or return posts.
Short-term pass
Weekly registration fee: €14.33
First 30 minutes: Free
1st hour (after the first 30 minutes): €1.03
2nd hour and more: €2.04
Is Seville a dangerous city? Are there certain areas I should avoid?
Due to widespread unemployment, the city has experienced a crime wave in recent years. The Parque de María Luisa can be especially dangerous as well as the highway to Jerez de la Frontera and Cádiz. Muggings and pickpocketing are common so travelers should exercise caution, carry limited cash and credit cards, and leave passports and personal documents in a safe location; and never leave cars unattended with luggage inside. If an incident does occur, file a police report immediately! The police station is on Paseo de las Delicias (tel. 954 948 930).
Can I pay/tip in US Dollars?
The currency of Spain is the Euro (€). U.S. dollars are not accepted. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand or be prepared to exchange your dollars for Euros upon arrival. Currency exchange desks can be found at the airport and many locations throughout the city. For more detailed information, consult our guide to tipping in Spain by clicking here.
I don’t speak Spanish. Will many people speak English?
English may be spoken at your hotel and in the tourist areas, but not everywhere. We suggest you get a good English-Spanish guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.
What is the food like?
In Seville, there is a mix of unique flavors only available in this region. There are three main components to a morning meal in Southern Spain: the tostada (toast) café (coffee) zumo natural (juice). Moreover, the Gazpacho and Salmorejo are traditional dishes that are both very popular in Seville. If you want something special, try jamón ibérico. You’ll also find plenty of dishes that are common across Spain, like tortilla de patatas (Spanish potato omelet).
What are the best areas for shopping?
The pedestrian zone of Calle Sierpes, with its iconic awnings strewn across the street from rooftop to rooftop, is the main shopping street of Seville. Mostly dedicated to locals, its stores rarely feature trendy or high-fashion shops. These tend to be located near Plaza Nueva. The side streets leading off from Sierpes, especially Calle Tetuán, are also great places for shopping. Calle Cuna is another popular shopping street.
If you`re looking for Andalusian handicrafts, head for the narrow streets of Barrio de Santa Cruz. Other antiques and handicraft shops are found in the area west of the cathedral, including El Arenal. Major stores are open Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 8:00pm. Smaller stores often observe the siesta, doing business from 9:30 or 10:00am to 1:30 or 2:00pm and again from 4:30 or 5:00pm to 8:00pm.
`Los Hippies`, what Seville bargain hunters call their flea markets, operate Wednesday through Saturday at various locations around the city selling anything from antiques and junk to Cordovan leather goods and clothes. There are no set hours, but it`s best to go before noon.
When are the normal mealtimes? What is the standard for tipping?
Eating out is an intrinsic part of the Andalusian lifestyle and most Sevillanos eat out at some point during the day. Lunch usually happens from 2 p.m. and dinner is from 9 p.m. at the earliest, though 10 p.m. is the norm. It is a bit cheaper to have drinks and tapas at the bar rather than sitting at a table. Locals usually leave very small tips – just odd change for drinks and snacks. Unless you are somewhere upscale, where International rules apply, a 10% tip for a meal is considered generous while 5% is more the norm.
Note: You often have to show your passport when paying by debit or credit card. Also, you must carry your passport with you by law.
Top Attractions
Royal Alcazar
Explore this stunning royal palace complex with its mix of Moorish and Gothic architecture, lush gardens, and intricate tile work.
Seville Cathedral
Marvel at one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world, home to Christopher Columbus’s tomb as well as the iconic Giralda bell tower.
Plaza de España
Admire this majestic semicircular plaza adorned with colorful tiles, bridges, and a canal, offering a glimpse into Seville’s architectural splendor.
Metropol Parasol
Ascend to the top of the “Mushrooms of Seville,” a modern architectural marvel offering panoramic views of the city and beyond.
Unique Experiences
Setas de Sevilla Experience.
This remarkable urban structure, affectionately referred to as “The Mushrooms” has emerged as a must-visit attraction for those who appreciate the fusion of modern aesthetics, cultural exploration, and quite remarkable panoramic cityscapes.
Sevilla’s Traditional Gastronomy Tour.
Traditional gastronomy from Seville, delights with its rich tapestry of flavors, featuring stylish dishes like gazpacho and salmorejo soup, hearty stews such as cocido de garbanzos, and sweet treats like torrijas.
Plaza de España Experience.
Located in the heart of Seville amongst Maria Luisa Park, is a large plaza with stunning architecture that celebrates the city’s rich history and cultural heritage.
Explore Seville Cathedral.
Also known as the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede in Spanish, is one of the most iconic and impressive landmarks in Seville, and is often regarded as one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world.
Casa de Pilatos Tour.
This historic residence showcases a fusion of traditional Seville architectural styles, including Renaissance, Gothic, and Mudejar influences. Visitors can also explore the grand palace rooms, lush courtyards and beautifully landscaped gardens.
What to expect while traveling
