How to reach Granada
The International Airport of Granada, 15 minutes drive from Granada downtown, is connected by several flights per day with Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Palma de Mayorca airports that have connections with most relevant cities in Europe and the rest of the world. Some other European cities (i.e. London, Manchester, Paris, and Milan) are also connected to Granada by direct flights operated by low cost companies. Alternatively, the International Airport of the Costa del Sol (Malaga), 130 km from Granada, serves multiple international destinations, mainly (but not only) within Europe.
For those arriving at Granada airport, the fastest way to go to the city is by taxi. The cost is about 30€ from the airport to downtown Granada. Note that taxis from Granada airport do not use a meter to calculate the fare. They have fixed fares depending on the destination area. There is also a regular bus service usually sinchronized with flight arrivals, which arrives to the city center in ~45 min. for a cost of 2.90€.
For those arriving at Malaga airport, the best way to arrive to Granada is to take one of the several direct buses that leave everyday from the airport to Granada bus station. The timetables of this line can be consulted here. The trip takes 2 hours 20 minutes and a one-way ticket costs ~12€. If you arrive at the airport at an inconvenient time to get the direct bus to Granada, an option may be to get a bus, or taxi, from Málaga airport to Málaga bus station (or a local train to Malaga Maria Zambrano train station, located next to the Central Bus station, local trains run every 20 minutes) and then catch a bus to Granada. There are buses from Malaga airport to Málaga bus station every 30 minutes, and from Malaga to Granada every hour (see the site of ALSA bus company). The journey takes about 2 hours and costs ~10€.
The train station is fairly central. The Spanish National Railway Company (RENFE) has a good website giving full information in English about trains in Spain. However, there is currently no train service to Granada due to construction work for the new high-speed line. The civil works for the new line are expected to finish by spring 2018. It is then possible that the train service is restored by the time of the TOG meeting.
There are plenty of buses everyday from virtually all large Spanish cities. If interested, you may check the site of the ALSA bus company. The bus station is slightly out of Granada downtown but besides taxi, there are also frequent city bus lines and a tram/metro line to get to the center. The local bus and tram stops are just outside the main entrance to the bus station. Tickets for the local bus can be bought from the driver. Tickets for the tram have to be bought from the vending machine in the tram platform, and validated on board. Take the tram in the direction "Armilla" to reach Granada downtown.
Granada is well communicated by freeway road with all main Spanish cities. It takes about 5 hours from Madrid and 90 minutes from Málaga. The car option may be problematic though with regard to parking. Also, several streets in the central area of the city (including the historic quarters) have restricted access to vehicles, other than residents and public transport. You should have not problem if you head to one of the hotels for which we have block-reservations, which are far from the restricted area. If you decide to reserve a different hotel, we recommend that you contact your hotel for access instructions.
Moving within Granada
Besides taxi, there is a metro line that crosses Granada essentially in the north-south direction, and plenty of bus lines that allow you to reach every single area in Granada.
About Granada
Granada is a historic city in Andalusia, the southernmost region of the Iberian Peninsula in Spain. Granada is located at the feet of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (including the highest peak in the Iberian Peninsula), and at 30 minutes drive to the Mediterranean coast. The region surrounding Granada was populated by Iberians from at least the 8th century B.C. The region has furthermore experienced Phoenicial, Greek, Punic, Roman and Visigothic influences, although the city was founded in 711 by the Moors, who conquered large areas of the Iberian Peninsula, thus establishing Al-Andalus (Moorish Spain). Even centuries after the "re-conquest" by the Catholic Monarchs, Granada's most famous historical monuments (e.g. the Alhambra) and areas are still those built by the ancient civilizations from North-Africa, although latter monuments from the middle ages can also be visited.
A few web links with further touristic and monument information about Granada are listed below: