If you are arriving by air, as many of you will be, you will arrive in Menorca by flying into the Aeroport de Menorca (IATA code MAH), or Menorca Airport, about three miles southwest of Mahón, the capital, and adjacent to the town of Sant Climent. There is year-round service on Iberia's regional carrier Iberia Regional to Palma de Mallorca, Madrid, and Valencia, and summer service on British Airways from London-City and Gatwick, Finnair from Helsinki, Swiss Air from Geneva, and Lufthansa from Frankfurt and Munich, among other legacy airlines.

If you are picking up a car rental from the airport, you will find that Hertz, Europcar, InterRent, and airport transfer offices are all located inside the main terminal before you exit. Your car might be in parking lot 1 (directly outside the terminal) or in parking lot 2 (to the right of the terminal and parking lot 1). If you are catching a bus into Mahón, the L10 line run by the Torres Coach Company departs to the left if you are exiting the terminal. The first departure leaves the airport at 5:55 a.m. daily (buses run less frequently in winter), with buses leaving every half-hour in the summer season beginning at 6:55 a.m., continuing until 10:25 p.m. Two final buses leave the airport at 11:25 p.m. and 12:25 a.m. (not in winter). The trip takes 10 minutes in total and drops you off at the Estació d'Autobusos near the Plaça de s'Esplanada, just outside Mahón's historic center. The ticket costs under €3 per person between the airport and Mahón, and you can buy the ticket directly on the bus in cash with denominations up to €20 (change will be provided). For more information on this route, visit www.bus.e-torres.net/en/lineas-regulares/route-10.

Navigating the island from the airport is fairly straightforward if you are driving. The Me-14 motorway will take you out of the airport, and at a roundabout the Me-14 meets the Me-12. If you turn right at the roundabout, after keeping straight at another roundabout you will hit the Ronda de Maó, the ring road surrounding Mahón City. If you turn left at the roundabout, you will eventually reach the town of Sant Climent next to the airport, with the road reaching its western terminus in Cala en Porter (also written on some signs as Cala'n Porter). If you go straight at the original roundabout, keep straight at one more roundabout and you will then reach the Me-1 motorway, which connects Mahón with Ciutadella de Menorca, via the towns and villages of Alaior, Es Mercadal, and Ferreries. Turn left and you travel in the direction of Ciutadella; turn right and you are traveling in the direction of Mahón.

There is no train service on Menorca.

There is an island-wide bus service, run by Transportes Menorca (TMSA). The following cities and towns can be reached via Transportes Menorca buses: Mahón, Es Castell, Bintaufa, Sant Lluis, Alcalfar, S`Algar, Punta Prima, Binibeca (sometimes written as the Catalan Binibèquer), Sant Climent, Es Canutells, Cala en Porter, Alaior, Son Bou, Es Migjorn Gran, Sant Tomàs, Es Mercadal, Ferreries, Cala Galdana, and Ciutadella de Menorca. You will find that these cities and towns are the vast majority of the areas Tripmasters sells on Menorca.

Routes from Mahón's Estació d'Autobusos are easy to remember. If you have trouble, go back to this page and consult this list:

-Route 1 goes to Ciutadella de Menorca. (Travel time: 60 minutes) (Route 14 is an express bus that takes 45 minutes.)
-Route 2 goes to Es Castell. (Travel time: 15 minutes)
-Route 3 goes to Sant Lluis. (Travel time: 15 minutes)
-Route 21 goes to Sant Climent. (Travel time: 10 minutes)
-Route 22 goes to Es Canutells. (Travel time: 25 minutes)
-Route 31 goes to Cala en Porter. (Travel time: 25 minutes)
-Route 32 goes to Son Bou. (Travel time: 25 minutes)
-Route 51 goes to Cala Galdana. (Travel time: 50 minutes)
-Route 71 goes to Sant Tomàs. (Travel time: 45 minutes)
-Route 73 goes to Es Migjorn Gran via Alaior. (Travel time: 30 minutes)
-Route 91 goes to S`Algar via Alcalfar. (Travel time: 25 minutes)
-Route 92 goes to Punta Prima via Sant Lluis. (Travel time: 25 minutes)
-Route 93 goes to Binibeca/Binibèquer via Sant Lluis. (Travel time: 20 minutes)

In addition, the Torres Coach Company provides additional bus service for the city of Ciutadella de Menorca.

Hailing a taxi, or reserving one ahead of time, is very easy to do in Menorca. You will find the highest number of taxis driving around in the cities of Mahón and Ciutadella. There are a total of 25 taxi ranks scattered across the island. In Mahón you can find these taxi ranks at Menorca Airport, Placa d`Espanha, and Placa de s`Esplanada. In Ciutadella you can find the taxi ranks at Port Antic, Placa de Senplaxada, and on Avinguda de Jaume I el Conqueridor across from Placa d`Artrutx. For more information on taxi ranks, visit www.taxismenorca.com/en/stops. To call ahead and reserve a taxi with the island-wide Asociatión Menorquina de Radio Taxi, dial +34 971 36 71 11. (There is a €5 surcharge for taxis reserved in advance.)

Prices for taxis vary based on distance. All cabs (painted white) will be metered, but it is helpful to ask the taxi driver how much the price is expected to be before you go. Taxi drivers are required by law to follow the island's fare practices so you can be assured you will not be gouged on the price. Here are some sample fares from Menorca Airport so you can get an idea of what you will be spending. Keep in mind that these prices can rise at night (after 10 p.m.), on weekends, and on fiesta days.

-to Ciutadella de Menorca: €60-€70
-to Cala Blanca: €65-€75
-to Cala en Porter: €20-€25
-to Punta Prima: €25-€30
-to Mahón City: €10-€15
-to Cala Galdana: €50-€55
-to Platja den Fornells: €40-€50

Menorca's road network sufficiently connects each of the island's cities, towns, and villages. Taxis reach every point on the island, and buses stop at nearly all of the important cities and towns. As such, it is a breeze to navigate your way through Menorca. If you do have questions, don't hesitate to ask someone. Many older residents who didn't grow up here moved here to retire so they are usually willing to help someone who needs to know where to go.

Menorca has been very safe not just in terms of petty crime but also during the coronavirus pandemic. The UK Government found that it was among the safest locales in Europe for travelers in 2021, taking into account the local government's vaccination, masking, and hygienic responses. Whether with COVID or with crime, take the same precautions you would at home. While as of this writing in 2022, Menorca ended its mask mandate in April except for those riding public transportation or going to a hospital, the Spanish or Balearic governments can bring back masks in public places at any time, so be sure to check the current COVID status before you go. Likewise, with crime, be alert at all times and maintain a good grasp on your surroundings. You will be in very few positions where you will be accosted by beggars or pushy salespeople at markets, but a firm "no", no eye contact, and walking in the opposite direction will do the trick in nearly all cases.

Menorca is known for its homegrown souvenir offerings such as gin, wine, cheese, saffron, jewelry, and leather items such as bags or sandals (known as avarcas). You will find these items sold at the many local markets throughout the island. While major towns have markets in the winter as well (the artisan market in Mahón in front of the Cathedral -- sometimes called Mercat des Claustre -- is open daily year-round from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), let me tell you a bit about the summer markets.

-Mahón's summer market opens every Tuesday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Placa del Calme by the fish market (Mercat de Pescados), also featuring live music.
-Es Castell's market happens each Tuesday on Carrer Sant Josep near Cales Fonts. There is also an extra market during the summer right at Cales Fonts, which runs from 7 p.m. to midnight daily.
-Ciutadella's summer evening markets run daily from 7 p.m. to midnight and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays along the Carrer Baixada.

For those who enjoy the mainstream shopping experience, there are shopping malls in Mahón (Binipreu Menorca) and Ciutadella (Es Forn) which also sell souvenirs, many handcrafted, with some more in the "gift shop" variety.

The currency of Spain is the Euro (€) and U.S. dollars are not accepted for payment. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand or be prepared to exchange your dollars for euros upon arrival. Currency exchange desks and ATMs can be found at your arrival airport and at many locations throughout the island.

The official language of Menorca, like the other Balearic Islands, is Catalan, with Spanish used in a secondary capacity. English is widely spoken and understood in Menorca, due to its enduring popularity with British package tourists, many of whom decided to retire here. English should be spoken at your hotel, in tourist areas such as large-scale resort complexes, bars and restaurants geared toward tourists, and many shops, but keep in mind that for as spoiled as you may be in this regard, it won`t be spoken everywhere. We suggest you get a good English-Catalan dictionary and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10. To ask someone if they speak English, say `Parles anglès?`.