Mérida Train Station

Mérida's train station is on Calle Cardero, north of the historic centre, about 800 metres from the Roman theatre and a quarter of an hour's walk from the Plaza de España. It is one of the best-connected stations in Extremadura: according to the municipal tourist office, Renfe links Mérida directly with Madrid, Cáceres, Badajoz, Seville and Ciudad Real. There is a taxi rank at the door and a supervised car park next to the building.

Trains and tickets

The trains that stop here are Renfe Media Distancia (regional) services. Timetables change with each season and some routes have only a few services a day, so check the day's times on the Renfe website or app before you set out, and buy your ticket in advance if you are travelling at a weekend or on the nights of the Classical Theatre Festival, in July and August. For Renfe information, the municipal tourism website gives the number 902 240 202.

If your journey continues to Lisbon or to other cities with no direct train, look at the buses too: the bus station is on the other side of the Guadiana, and Avanza services to Badajoz and Lisbon leave from it, along with Alsa and Leda services to Seville.

From the station to the centre

On foot, the way to the centre is flat: the tourist office points out that Mérida has no big hills. In about fifteen minutes you are in the Plaza de España, and the Roman theatre and amphitheatre are about 800 metres away. Very close to the station, on the northern edge of the old town, you also have the Los Milagros aqueduct, beside the Albarregas river: it makes a good first stroll if you arrive travelling light.

With a suitcase or at night, there is a taxi rank at the door. If there are no cars, call Radio Taxi (924 371 111) or Tele Taxi (924 315 756). The city bus has six lines, almost all of which pass along Paseo de Roma, plus the night Búho; timetables and stops are on the operator's website, merida.vectalia.es, and in its app, and the phone number is 924 304 502.

If you arrive by car

The train station car park, run by Saba, is one of the supervised car parks the city council recommends for leaving your car near the centre; it does not publish its rates on the tourism website. On the street, a good part of the centre has blue and green zones (O.R.A.), with a maximum of 3 hours in the blue and 1 hour in the green, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, and on Saturdays from 9:00 to 14:00. You pay at the meters or with the Moviltik app.

Tips

Before heading into the centre, stop by the Roman Theatre tourist office to ask for a map and the monuments' opening times. If you are staying in the city, the Nova Roma hotel is about 800 metres from the station.