Car hire Salamanca

Introduction

Salamanca is an incredibly beautiful city in Spain. The sandstone Renaissance houses are only done justice at sun set when they radiate a golden glow. This gave the city its nickname La Dorada, the Golden City. The entire old center, including of course the Roman bridge across the Tormes River, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Population

The city has over 150,000 inhabitants.

Location

Salamanca is located in the western part of the Spanish autonomous region of Castile and León. The city is built on hills near the Tormes River which discharges into the Duero River, northwest of town, near the border with Portugal. Salamanca lies about 200 kilometers west to northwest of the Spanish capital Madrid.

Economy

Salamanca is a university city with a world-famous university and other institutes for higher education. Tourism is important for local economy, but there are also industrial activities. A large veterinary vaccine manufacturer and a fertilizer manufacturer are based here. The factory of lingerie brand Luchina-Lizetta is also based in Salamanca.

Airports

Salamanca Airport is situated 20 kilometers east of the city center. All year round there are connections with for example Barcelona, the Canary Islands and Paris, supplemented with charter flights in summer months. The airport is easily reachable by rental car via highway A50. The way and exit to the airport are clearly signposted.

Public Transport

The city has excellent public transport, consisting of thirteen bus lines. As Salamanca is a university city, there's also a night bus. Plans exist to construct a streetcar line. The main bus stop in the center is near Plaza Poeta Iglesias, near the Plaza Mayor, the heart of the old city. Salamanca lies on a crossroad of railways; there are for example train connections with Valladolid and Madrid.

Traffic and Parking

As in most historical city centers, the center of Salamanca, Plaza Mayor and the surrounding streets, are a pedestrian zone. There aren't many parking places in the center and many streets are one-way streets, making it easy to go the wrong way. There's a large underground parking garage, Reyes de España, on the south side of the city center, near the Enrique Esteban Bridge. There are also two parking facilities on the north side of the old city center (Plaza de Santa Eulalia and Campillo), but the number of places is limited.

Hotels

Salamanca has a good choice of accommodations, in all price ranges. There are cheap guesthouses, basic chain hotels, but also luxurious accommodations. If you like to get a good night's sleep, it's better not to choose a hotel near the Plaza Mayor. Also bear in mind that few staff speak any other language but Spanish, especially in the basic family hotels. If you want to visit the city in summer months, we advise booking your accommodation well in advance.

External Sources

For more information about Salamanca, we recommend Google and the following sources:

• Wikipedia, Salamanca
• Official website Salamanca
• Tourist Information Salamanca