One of the best ways to discover the most amazing and greatest places around the island is exploring it by bus. However, it is always a bit scaring to pick up the bus when you don’t know a city. “Where does this bus go to?” “Would I get lost?”… Stop overthinking! In order to calm your anxiety, we have prepared a little guide with all the information you need to know about bus services in Gran Canaria.
Bus Services and Public Transport in Gran Canaria
Down below you will find a list with every point you need to know about bus services and public transport in Gran Canaria.
The “Guaguas” bus service will take you anywhere on Gran Canaria
Nowadays, there are just two companies which provide bus services on Gran Canaria: Global and Guaguas Municipales. These buses have 24 hour service to almost every corner of Gran Canaria. Almost every bus is luxuriously furnished and the vast majority of them have air conditioning as it is very necessary due to the warm temperatures.
The bus company Global, which can be recognized by its blue buses, will take you anywhere on the island. The bus company Guaguas Municipales services operates primarily in the capital city, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
These buses are recognizable for its yellow colour.
Global, your bus services on Gran Canaria
Global is the largest Spanish local public transport which organizes bus services in Gran Canaria. It is a modern and efficient company, which you can see by the high technology buses. Global provides daily a great public transport network to the Canary Islands.
Paying for the Global bus services
You have to ask for a ticket to the bus driver once you are in the bus, and you only have to tell the driver where you want to go. In terms of paying on the bus, you have to pay with cash. You must pay in euros, and you can pay with notes, but you have to bear in mind that the bus driver may not have change, so you better pay with coins the exact amount of money.
One option is named the AB bus pass. You can purchase this bus pass in advance, but it is only valid on the route indicated on the map. If you get this card, you will have a discount of 20% off the regular fare.
Moreover, you can reload the card at several outlets in Gran Canaria.
Another one, the TRANSGC card gives you an even better discount than the AB card. This TRANSGC bus pass is probably the best option if you are thinking about staying in the island for a long time. The only disadvantage is that you have to pre-order this card. The card itself is free, but you have to pay the reloading.
You must recharge the card with a minimum amount of 15 euros. The total discount will be up to 60% and it will depend on how much you money have charged. If you charge between 15 and 59 euros, you will have a discount of 20% off the regular fare. If you charge between 60 and 99 euros, you will have a discount of 30% off the regular fare. And if you charge from 100 euros, you will have a discount of 40%.
Families with at least four children, students and pensioners will receive an additional 20% discount.
As we have already mentioned, you have to order these cards in advance. Order your card a few weeks before you leave on vacation. You can pick up your card after about 10 days at the San Telmo bus station in Las Palmas. Cards are personal, so you must be sure to add your photograph and your ID number.
It is very important that you scan the TRANSGC card at the reader when you are boarding the bus and when you get off it. If you don’t do this, the correct amount won’t be deducted. Oh, and don’t worry if you don’t have enough credit on the bus pass, you will be able to get on the bus! However, that money will be deducted from your next reload.
Paying for the Guaguas Municipales bus services
In this case, you have to request a ticket once you are in the bus and you also have to pay directly to the bus driver. You must pay with cash, better coins, and if you want to pay with a note, it must be from a maximum of 10 euros. If you can, pay with exact change. The fare per person just one way is 1.40 euros.
There is a ride ticket — Bono-2 — that allows you to make two trips and its cost is 2.40 euros, so you save some money! You may use to take a different bus to go to another destination, or simply as a round trip. If you want to acquire this card, you have to buy it into local shops or bus stations first, like San Telmo or Santa Catalina bus station in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
If you are interested in other options, you should know that there is also a yellow electronic card, named “Bono Guagua” which is probably the most recommended one. It is a ride ticket that allows you to make 10 trips, and you can pick up any bus from Guaguas Municipales. This card must be purchased previously into local shops or bus stations, and you can pay with cash or credit card.
The price of the card itself is 1.50 euros, plus the 10 bus rides, which price is 8.50 euros. This card enables you to reload a minimum of 8.50 euros and a maximum of 50 euros. This card must be scanned at a card reader when you are boarding the bus, and you have to wait until you see the green colour light.
The last option is Bono Bus — the blue card — and it is a ride ticket with which you can make 10 bus rides. It is quite similar to Bono Guagua, the only difference is that this card is free and it cannot be reloaded. You are also allowed to use it at all the lines of Guaguas Municipales. This card can be bought in advance at bus stations or local shops. The price of this card is also 8.50 euros for 10 bus rides.
We hope that this information about bus services on Gran Canaria has been useful to organize your next trip to the island! If you are still looking for accommodation, you can check our web page and take a look at our villas and apartments and enjoy the best services! If you have any doubt or you need more information, don’t hesitate to contact us!
