Bus Travel in Majorca is Easy. Here’s the Ultimate Guide to How to Use Buses in Majorca

Bus travel in Majorca is easy. The public bus service in Majorca is cheap, reliable, easy to use and covers a large percentage of the island. The red and yellow liveried buses are a regular sight in Majorca as they travel between the larger population centres like Palma, the tourist beaches and attractions like the Caves of Drach.

But, are they tourist friendly? Can non-Spanish speaking travellers navigate the island’s buses easily? The answer is a resounding yes. This article will show how easy bus travel in Majorca is as a tourist.

Island wide bus services are run by Transportes de les Illes Balears (TIB) while the city council owned, Empresa Municipal de Transports (EMT) runs urban services within Palma.

How do I know which Bus I need in Majorca?

The intercity bus service in Majorca is run by Transportes de les Illes Balears (TIB), and their website (www.tib.org) provides access to both up-to-date timetables and an excellent, easy to use, journey planner.
Bus travellers simply need to enter their start point, destination and the time they want to leave and the system will provide the times, bus numbers, change points, bus stop names and the departure/arrival times for each leg of a journey.

Travellers who know which bus to take can access specific timetables complete with each stop on the route and times for the day. These can be easily downloaded to phones or mobile devices.

Travellers wanting to use urban services within Palma, can check out the EMB route planner.

Is Travelling by Bus Cheap in Majorca?

Yes, bus travel in Majorca is very cheap, as long as you use a credit card onboard, or buy a ticket online. Paying with cash on the bus is discouraged by offering significant discounts for cashless payment.

Bus travel in Majorca is priced on a zonal system. You pay for the number of ‘hops’. 

E.g., a trip from Cala D’or on the East coast to Alcudia in the North requires 3 buses. Cala D’or to Campos, Campos to Palma and Palma to Alcudia. If you pay on board, this counts as 2 hops, 2 hops and 3 hops respectively, totalling 21 Euros. BUT, if you buy an online ticket or tap in with your credit card, that drops to 4 hops and a mere 5.40 Euros (2024).

If you’re travelling with several people, use the same card by tapping in (and out) once for each passenger. This gets you further incremental discounts for each person up to a maximum of 5.

Are Buses in Majorca Accessible?

Yes, Majorcan buses are, in the main part, accessible for wheelchair users and other passengers with special needs. As well as dedicated spaces for wheelchairs and priority seats near the front of the bus for passengers with restricted mobility, the buses ‘tilt’ when they stop, lowering the step up to make them easier to board and leave.

Majorcan buses also have a ramp system which allows wheelchair users to access the bus. This is situated at the rear, exit door, so disabled passengers should enter the bus this way. Stop buttons are set at a low height to allow wheelchair users to indicate to the driver that their stop is approaching.

Most Majorcan buses have excellent on-board route information, with visual and audible cues telling passengers what the next stop is. On some buses, a video screen displays the next few stops. This allows passengers who require more time to prepare to leave the vehicle.

Tips for Using Buses in Majorca

Bus travel in Majorca is easy, but there are some rules (some unwritten).

• Be on Time – Majorcan buses are usually pretty punctual, so it pays to arrive at the stop a few minutes early.
• Eating and Drinking on Majorcan Buses – Don’t! Water is permissible, but you won’t see any food or fizzy drinks/alcohol consumed on board.
• Using Priority Seats – Be prepared to give up your seat if someone needs it more.
• Tap in/Tap Out – Don’t forget to validate your ticket or tap in and out when you board or exit a bus. A ticket inspector will fine you, and a fee is applied to credit card payments for failure to tap out. If, for any reason, the exit machines aren’t working, the driver can flip the entrance validator at the front to allow tapping out.

Great Places to Visit by Bus in Majorca

Bus travel in Majorca is comprehensive. The beaches and tourist attractions are easily reached by public transport. Here’s a few ideas.

Palma – Majorca’s capital is the hub for TIB’s bus system and is further served by the EMB urban bus service, making it easy to visit by bus. The Estació Intermodal, the central bus station, is about a 15-minute walk from the Cathedral, Arab baths and other main historic sites.

Caves of Drach – These spectacular show caves near Porto Cristo are well served by bus. The hour-long tour through the caves includes a brief classical music concert given from rowing boats on the underground lake, After the show, you can be rowed across the lake.

Be careful on your way home, the bus stop is in a different place to where you’ll be dropped off, it’s right outside the cave complex entrance.

The tours of the caves sell out, so make sure you pre-book a ticket.

Alcudia – The walled city and Roman ruins of Alcudia are well worth a visit by bus. For a few euros, you can explore the ancient theatre and remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman settlement before walking the crenelated walls of the medieval town.

S’albufera – The best nature reserve on the island, and possibly the best in the whole of the Balearics, is located on the north coast. A rare example of Spanish wetlands, it attracts many species of waders, including endangered species like the Red-knobbed coot and the purple swamphen. The bus drops you at the entrance to the reserve.

Valldemosa – Easily accessible by bus from Palma, this beautiful cobblestone town in the mountains is famous for having been the home of composer Chopin for a while in 1838. Don’t miss the monastery and the piano recital.

Conclusion

So, yes, bus travel in Majorca is easy. After reading this post, you should have everything you need to avoid the cost and hassle of hire car rental. This guide will help you use Majorca’s bus system to travel wherever you need to on this beautiful Balearic Island.

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