Getting Around, Tenerife Travel, Transport and Car Rental

(Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain)

One of the most popular of the Canary Islands, Tenerife is a major holiday destination and is home to an excellent travel and transport infrastructure. Many visitors travelling to Tenerife arrive at the Tenerife Sur Airport (TFS), on the southern side of the island, although the more northerly Tenerife Norte Airport (TFN) also serves a range of airlines, with both offering a selection of ground transport options.

Car hire in Tenerife is generally the preferred way to travel around the island and a number of car rental transport companies can be found at the airports, together with many of the main resorts, such as El Médano, La Laguna, Playa de las Américas, Puerto de la Cruz and Santa Cruz. Regular buses travel all over Tenerife and are particularly inexpensive, with 'Bonobus' cards providing discounted bus transport. Taxis are also in plentiful supply around Tenerife, and whilst an extremely convenient way to travel, tend to be more expensive than other modes of transport.

Airports / Arriving by Air

There are two airports located on the island of Tenerife, both offering a range of daily flights which travel to other nearby islands, mainland Spain, many European destinations and several international cities.

Tenerife South Airport (TFS) - Reina Sofia, Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, 38610, Canary Islands, Spain
Tel: +34 922 759 000
Located around 20 km /12 miles from the Playa de las Américas, Tenerife South Airport (TFS) stands on the southern side of the island. With around nine million passengers each year, this busy airport is where all international chartered flights arrive. Open throughout the day and night, Tenerife Sur Airport offers a range of ground transport, including TITSA buses, which run every hour and travel to both the Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos, with the travel time for both locations being less than 30 minutes. Further airport buses travel daily to and from Santa Cruz de Tenerife (around one and a half hours), and also Puerto de la Cruz and the Tenerife Norte Airport.

Tenerife South Airport (TFS) Guide

Tenerife North Airport (TFN) - Los Rodeos, La Laguna, Tenerife, 38297, Canary Islands, Spain
Tel: +34 922 635 874
The Tenerife North Airport (TFN) lies on the northern side of the island and is a relatively small airport, operating mainly inter-islands flights. Tenerife Norte Airport (TFN) also serves a number of mainland flights, with ground transport including regular bus travel and inexpensive taxis.

Tenerife North Airport (TFN) Guide

Car Rental

Car hire transport companies are in plentiful supply around the island of Tenerife and provide one of the best ways to explore, allowing you to travel where and when you want. Rental agencies on Tenerife include a mixture of both international and Spanish car hire firms and can be found in all of the island's main resorts. Small cars usually provide the best value for money, with older cars being particularly cheap, although in general, rental cars tend to be less expensive than on mainland Spain. In Tenerife, cars drive on the right-hand side of the road and the drivers must be at least 21 years old. Motorcycles, mopeds and scooters can also be rented on Tenerife and discounts are available depending upon the length of rental, with crash helmets being a requirement.

Book your Tenerife TFS Car Rental here.

Book your Tenerife TFN Car Rental here.

Buses and Coaches

Tel: +34 92 531 300
A selection of buses travel all over the island of Tenerife, with further networks around the larger cities and towns, including Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Useful timetables can be found in bus stations, hotels, shops and tourist information centres around Tenerife. Operated by TITSA (Transportes Interurbanos de Tenerife SA), bus fares are extremely inexpensive and 'Bonobus' cards offer big savings if you intend to use bus transport to travel around the island during your stay.

Boats and Ferries

Weekly Trasmediterránea ferries travel from Cádiz on mainland Spain's Mediterranean coastline to Santa Cruz de Tenerife via Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Further ferry, hydrofoil and jetfoil services regularly travel to all of the surrounding Canary Islands.

Taxis

Taxis are available anywhere around the island of Tenerife and are a fairly expensive mode of transport, although extremely convenient, with many taxi ranks in prominent locations in the main resorts, often charging fixed rates for specific journeys. Tenerife taxis can be easily spotted by a distinctive green light on the roof or in the windscreen, together with an official 'SP' (servicio público) taxi plate. Tourist taxis are becoming an increasingly popular way to travel and sightsee around Tenerife, with a number of routes and itineraries often available.