Tenerife is an island ideal for both beach holidays and exploring. That's why, more than ever, you'll want to know how to get around Tenerife, how much it costs to rent a car or buy a bus ticket...
Rent a car
The most comfortable way to get around the island is by rental car, which you can find at almost every turn. There are plenty of rental agencies at the airports, in every major hotel, and even in travel agencies. All you need is a Czech driving licence and depending on the season and type of car you rent, you will pay around 20 eur to 35 eur per day.
The roads around Tenerife are of good quality, with motorways running around the perimeter of the island and tarmac roads leading high into the mountains.
For detailed information on car hire prices, Tenerife traffic, petrol prices and other practicalities, see the article Renting a car in Tenerife.
TITSA buses
For those who are not keen on renting a car, there is a bus service that can provide convenient transportation throughout Tenerife.
The bus will take you not only to the cities, but also to the beaches and even to Teide National Park.
Tenerife buses are modern, air-conditioned, the system is clear and the routes to populated and tourist areas are very frequent.
Bus services are provided by a single carrier, Titsa, both intercity and public transport in each of the larger towns.
- All information can be found on the website titsa.com
Tickets - prices and where to buy them
Tickets are valid on all Titsa buses, plus the tram that connects Santa Cruz de Tenerife with La Laguna.
Ticket prices are low and there are several ticket options. Here are some examples of the most commonly used tickets.
- 24-hour ticket - valid on all bus and tram connections throughout the island: 10 eur (+ 2 eur for a card, but you can top up other tickets)
- 7-day ticket - valid on all buses and trams throughout the island for 7 calendar days: 50 eur (+ 2 eur for a card, but you can top up other tickets)
- 1 ride - Santa Cruz de Tenerife - valid for one ride only, no transfers: 1,25 eur
- 1 ride in the Santa Cruz metropolitan area - valid for travel to Teresitas Beach, La Laguna or Norte Airport (TFN), for example: 1,45 eur
Another option is the Ten+ Wallet card, which can be shared by multiple passengers. It also costs 2 eur to buy (you can then top up any number of other tickets on the same card), and when you buy it you get a credit of 10 to 99 eur. This is then deducted according to the distance travelled, and the fare is about 20% cheaper than if you bought individual tickets. This ticket is suitable if you are travelling with several people for shorter distances.
For intercity connections, individual ticket prices are calculated according to the distance travelled, for example:
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Puerto de la Cruz: 5,25 eur
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Los Cristianos: 9 eur
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife - Tenerife Sur Airport (TFS): 9,35 eur
- Los Cristianos - Costa Adeje: 1,45 eur
- Puerto de la Cruz - La Orotava: 1,45 eur
- Puerto de la Cruz - Teide cable car: 6,20 eur
- Costa Adeje - Teide cable car: 8,05 eur
- For a breakdown of prices on all routes, see the website titsa.com
If you will be on the island without a rental car, it is definitely worth buying a 7-day pass. Firstly, you'll save money and secondly, you won't have to deal with paying tickets every time you go.
Where to buy tickets?
There are several ways to buy bus tickets.
The cheapest and easiest of these is to download the ten+ móvil app (Google Play / App Store) on your mobile phone, through which you can buy any type of ticket except ten+ Wallet. In the case of multi-day tickets, this saves 2 eur on the purchase of the card.
Another option is to buy a ticket from a kiosk at the major bus stations or from a vending machine, but these are only at the stops at the two Tenerife airports and also at all tram stops in Santa Cruz and La Laguna.
The last option is to buy a ticket from the driver, but he only sells single ride tickets, not recharge cards or 24-hour or 7-day tickets. Payment can only be made in cash up to a maximum of €10.
For more information on transport to the airport, see:
By tram
The largest city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is served by a separate public transport tram system. Two routes cross the city from west to east and north to south, with the T1 line continuing to La Laguna. Tickets can be bought from a machine at the bus stop, one ride costs 1,10 eur, while all the above multi-day tickets or the ten+ Wallet card are also valid here.
Official information can be found at metrotenerife.com.
Taxi
In all major cities you will find official white taxis on every corner, which are reliable and hassle-free. The meter is always on and you will hardly encounter any cases of unfair treatment of foreigners by taxi drivers. The starting rate is around 3,20 eur and further you pay around 1,10 eur per kilometer. At night the rates are always about 5% higher.
Neither Bolt nor Uber operate in Tenerife yet.