Perhaps the easiest way to get around the main towns of Lanzarote, here's a potted guide to the local bus service.

There is a fairly good bus network around Lanzarote, provided by Arrecife Bus. A network of around 17 bus routes will ferry you around the island.

Known to the locals as "guaguas" (pronounced 'wah wah'), the bus network spans the holiday resorts as well as villages inland and for long journeys costs a lot less than a taxi. Two people travelling from Arrecife to Playa Blanca, for example, would pay less than €5,00. The equivalent journey in a taxi would be around €40,00. So keep a few euro coins with you!

The network uses Arrecife as it's hub, most routes will start or terminate at the capital, so if you're travelling a long distance, you may need to change at the terminus. It's a nice chance to view the bay and beach in the capital, as the main bus terminus is at the end of the beach. It isn't like a typical UK sheltered bus station - it's a few bus stops on opposite sides of the street, with the queue usually formed by sitting along the wall.

If you want to use the bus network a lot, pre-pay cards are available in values of €12 and €22 - giving you a 20% discount on the cost of your journey, which is calculated on the bus depending on your journey. You can pick the cards up where you see the "Bono Bus" sign.

One barrier to using the local bus network may be language - how do you ask for a ticket?

It's quite simple really. Where in English you'd say "one to the town centre please", the Spanish to is 'a'. So you'd say "Un a Arrecife Por Favor". (Oon a arr-e-cee-fe por fabor). We'll let you figure out what to ask for if there are several passengers going somewhere else.

Routes and timetables are available from all tourist information offices, or from the Arrecife Bus website: http://www.arrecifebus.com/