Mérida Bus Station

Mérida's bus station is on Avenida de la Libertad, on the right bank of the Guadiana, opposite the old town. Intercity services leave from here to link the city with the other Extremaduran capitals and with cities outside the region, and there is a taxi rank at the door. It is the alternative to the train when your destination has no direct connection or the timetables do not suit.

Services and operators

The municipal tourist office sums up the main road connections like this:

• Avanza: Madrid – Mérida – Badajoz – Lisbon.
• Alsa: Seville – Mérida – Cáceres, continuing to Salamanca and Santiago.
• Leda: Seville – Mérida.

Frequencies and fares change with the season and the city council does not publish them: check each operator's website or app (avanzabus.com, alsa.es and leda.es) and buy your ticket in advance in summer and on long weekends. The station information number given on the municipal tourism website is 924 371 404.

Getting to the centre

From the station you cross the river by the Lusitania bridge, the modern one, or by the Roman bridge, which is pedestrian-only and comes out beside the Alcazaba. It is about a 20-minute walk to the Plaza de España, over flat ground: Mérida has no big hills. Walking across the Roman bridge is already part of the visit, with the Alcazaba ahead of you and the Guadiana below.

If you have luggage, take a taxi from the rank at the station or call Radio Taxi (924 371 111) or Tele Taxi (924 315 756). You can also use the city bus: it has six lines that meet on Paseo de Roma, plus the night bus (Búho); stops and timetables are at merida.vectalia.es and in its app, and the phone number is 924 304 502.

If you are driving to pick someone up

In the centre, the O.R.A. regulated parking limits you to 3 hours in the blue zone and 1 hour in the green zone, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, and on Saturday mornings. The city council recommends the supervised car parks in the centre, such as the one at the Roman Theatre, which has spaces for coaches and motorhomes.

What to combine it with

If you arrive early, leave your rucksack at your accommodation and start with the Alcazaba, just across the bridge. Then stop by the Roman Theatre tourist office for a map and the day's opening times, and go into the theatre and amphitheatre. If you are travelling by train on another leg of your trip, the Renfe station is north of the centre, on Calle Cardero.