Getting Around in Cordoba: information, costs, and tips

Cordoba is a wonderful city, one of the "three greats" of Andalusia, in southern Spain. A city rich in history, where you can notice an important Arab influence while walking through the historic center! That's right: this is a destination to be discovered on foot, immersing yourself in its beauty and ancient streets, admiring churches and palaces and getting lost in wonderful hidden gardens! A destination that will steal your heart.

Ready to go? Here's what to know about getting around in Cordoba: information, costs, and tips for organizing your trip better!

Cordoba is a city to experience on foot, admiring buildings and Arab architecture, immersing yourself in the Jewish quarter and discovering the most beautiful gardens! For a first approach to the city, we recommend joining a guided walking tour with a local!
If you prefer not to walk, you can opt for the convenient tourist bus, with stops near every major attraction!

Generally, there is no need to use public transportation. However, if you wish to move to the surrounding areas, you can benefit from the network of urban buses. If you plan to use the public transport frequently, we recommend considering the Tourist Card, a 24h pass (€5.00) or 72h pass (€10.00) to use directly on the vehicle!

Rental cars, essential if you are doing an on-the-road trip in Andalusia, will be completely unnecessary within the city center. Therefore, choose a hotel with parking.

Recommended solutions and means: on foot, tourist bus, bus (only for the suburbs)

Not recommended solutions and means: car

Recommended city card and subscriptions Tourist Card (from €5.00 - see details)

Cordoba has its own airport, the Córdoba Airport (ODB), located about 10 km from the center. There are no direct flights from Italy, in fact, in many cases, you may have to make two layovers. For this reason, the best solution is to arrive in Seville (135 km), at the Seville Airport, and then transfer by land.

Distance to the center 10 km / travel time: 20 min;

By taxi average cost €15.00 / travel time: 20 min

By bus average cost €2.00 / line 2 (Cruce Aeropuerto-República Argentina)

Distance to the center 135 km / travel time: 1 h 30 min;

By bus + train bus line EA Seville Airport - Santa Justa Station (30 min) + train line Sevilla-Santa Justa (45 min) / ticket cost: from €20.00

By taxi average cost €130.00 / travel time: 1 h 30 min

Cordoba is a city to explore on foot! Within its streets are centuries of history, and among its palaces, you can admire traces and influences from different cultures! Not to mention one of the main attractions of the city, accessible only on foot: Los Patios, which are wonderful gardens hidden among the houses, small corners of paradise! Strolling through its streets will allow you to fully immerse yourself in its atmosphere, and additionally, the historic center is compact and attractions are close to each other!

For a first approach to the city, we recommend participating in a complete 4-hour walking tour, which includes not only the city but also entry to the Mosque, the Alcázar, and the Synagogue of Cordoba! If you want to discover the most beautiful and hidden gardens, we recommend the tour of authentic patios in Cordoba!

In Cordoba, you will find only an urban bus network, managed by the Aucorsa (Autobuses de Cordoba S.A). There are no other means of transport except taxis, which are reasonably priced. Make sure to only take the official ones, which display prices on the window. For a scenic tour and to get oriented, we recommend the tourist bus, with stops near the main attractions!

In reality, you won't need the buses to move around the city, especially since some areas are completely off-limits to traffic, but they are an excellent means to reach and visit the surroundings if you do not have a rental car! Alternatively, if you don't want to use public transport or a car, you can also visit the surroundings by opting for guided tours that include transport, such as the guided tour to Medina Azahara, one of the wonders just outside the city!

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The urban transport network is truly efficient and widespread, covering the entire historic center and surrounding areas. Even if you opted for accommodations outside the center, there's no problem; you just need to take line 1, 3, or 4 to reach it! The lines that have stops near the main attractions are 4, 5, 11, and 12. To reach the Sierra Nevada, there is a dedicated bus (€5.00).

Some technical info: buses in the city generally operate from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, although each line may have slightly different schedules based on the route. A single ride costs €1.30, but if you plan many trips, we recommend opting for the Tourist Card, which is a ticket specifically designed for tourists (24h €5.00, 72h €10.00).

Downloadable map bus-cordoba

Hours from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Single ticket cost €1.30

Ticket pack/subscription cost Tourist Card 24h €5.00, Tourist Card 72h €10.00, monthly Tourist Card 30 days €33.00

Once you arrive in Cordoba, it's not recommended to get around by car! Not because of orientation issues or difficulties in navigating; simply because a car is unnecessary. The city, as we have seen, is perfect for exploring on foot, and if needed, there are always buses and taxis! Don't underestimate parking issues, which could be quite tricky since there are not many available in the city!

If you arrive in Cordoba by car, being part of an on the road trip in Andalusia (where a car is the best way to travel), we recommend choosing accommodations with parking for your guests, so you don't have to worry about your vehicle throughout your stay.

In the center of Cordoba, some streets are closed to traffic, such as the Jewish quarter. Additionally, in certain areas, permission is required for entry, known as the Access Authorization to the Historic Center (ACIRE). You can find all the precise information on the official Cordoba mobility website.

Parking in Cordoba can be very difficult. This is due to the restricted traffic areas, one-way streets, and a limited number of street parking spots!

On the street, parking is found in the blue zone, the classic parking spots indicated by lines of this color. The zone is paid generally Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-2:00 PM and 5:00 PM-9:00 PM, and Sat 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. Rates start from €0.25 for the first 15 min and go up. Alternatively, you can opt for public parking, the most famous being Parking La Ribera, near the Guadalquivir River (Get directions). From here you can easily reach the center on foot. Rates: 1 h €1.80, 2 h €3.60, 3 h €5.10, 5 h €5.10, with the option to stay even more days.