Lonely Planet Publications
TRANSPORT
AIR
THINGS CHANGE...
After Madrid, Barcelona is Spain s busiest
international transport hub. A host of airlines, The information in this chapter is particularly vulner-
including many budget airlines, fly directly able to change. Check directly with the airline or a
to Barcelona from around Europe. One im- travel agent to make sure you understand how a fare
portant exception is budget airline Ryanair, (and ticket you may buy) works and be aware of the
which uses Girona and Reus airports (buses security requirements for international travel. Shop
link Barcelona to both). carefully. The details given in this chapter should be
Most intercontinental flights require pas- regarded as pointers and are not a substitute for your
sengers to change flights in either Madrid or own careful, up-to-date research.
another major European hub.
Iberia (and its Barcelona-based low-cost
Delta (DL; 901 116946, in the US 800 221 1212; www
%
subsidiary Clickair), Air Europa, Spanair and
.delta.com)
Vueling all have dense networks across the
country and, while flights can be costly, you
EasyJet (U2; 807 260026, in the UK 0905 821 0905;
%
can save considerable time by flying from
www.easyjet.com)
Barcelona to Madrid and other major cities.
FlyGlobeSpan (Y2; in the UK 0871 271 04 15; www
%
General sites that list competitive fares
.flyglobespan.com)
include:
Germanwings (4U; 91 625 97 04, in Germany 0900
%
Cheap Tickets (www.cheaptickets.com)
191 91 00; www.germanwings.com)
ebookers (www.ebookers.com)
Iberia (IB; 902 400500; www.iberia.es)
%
Expedia (www.expedia.com)
Jet2 (LS; 902 881269, in the UK 0871 226 1737;
%
Flightline.co.uk (www.flightline.co.uk)
www.jet2.com)
Lastminute.com (www.lastminute.com)
Lufthansa (LX; 902 220101, in Germany 0180 583 84
%
Openjet (www.openjet.com) 26; www.lufthansa.com)
Opodo (www.opodo.com) Meridiana (IG; in Italy 892928; www.meridiana.it)
%
MyAir (8I; in Italy 899 500060; www.myair.com)
Skyscanner (www.skyscanner.net) %
Ryanair (FR; 807 220032, in the UK 0871 246 00 00, in
%
Travelocity.co.uk (www.travelocity.co.uk)
Ireland 0818 303 030; www.ryanair.com)
TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com)
Singapore Airlines (SQ; 902 012514; www.singaporeair
%
.com)
Airlines
Sky Europe (NE; 807 001204, in Slovakia 02 3301
%
Most airlines have information desks at the
7301, in Hungary 06 1777 7000; www.skyeurope.com)
airports they serve. The following airlines all
Spanair (JK; 902 131415; www.spanair.com)
%
fly to and from Barcelona.
Sterling Airlines (NB; 91 749 66 43, in Denmark 70 10
%
Air Berlin (AB; 902 320737, in Germany 0180 573 78
%
84 84; www.sterling.dk)
00; www.airberlin.com)
Swiss (LX; 901 116712, in Switzerland 0848 700 700;
%
Air Europa (UX; 902 401501; www.aireuropa.com)
%
www.swiss.com)
Alpi Eagles (E8; in Italy 899 500058)
%
Thomson Fly (TOM; in the UK 0871 231 46 91; www
%
American Airlines (AA; in the US 1 800 433 73 00; www
.thomsonfly.com)
.aa.com)
Transavia (HV; 807 075022, in the Netherlands 0900
%
British Airways (BA; 902 111333, in the UK 0870 850
% 0737; www.transavia.com)
9850; www.britishairways.com)
US Airways (US; 901 117073, in the US 800 428 4322;
%
Clickair (XG; 902 254252; www.clickair.com) www.usairways.com)
%
Vueling (VY; 902 333933; www.vueling.com)
%
Continental (CO; 900 961266, in the US 1 800 231
%
0856; www.continental.com) Windjet (IV; 900 996933; w2.volawindjet.it)
%
263
TRANSPORT AIR
CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVEL GETTING INTO TOWN
Climate change is a serious threat to the ecosystems that humans rely upon, and air travel is the fastest-growing
Barcelona El Prat Airport
contributor to the problem. Lonely Planet regards travel, overall, as a global benefit, but believes we all have a respon-
Transport from Barcelona s El Prat airport is proving increasingly inadequate to meet the growing flow of passengers.
sibility to limit our personal impact on global warming.
The A1 Aerobśs ( 93 415 60 20) runs from the airport to Plaa de Catalunya (Map pp108 9; Ź 4.05, 30 to 40
%
minutes depending on traffic) via Plaa d Espanya (Map pp140 1), Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes (Map pp102 3)
Flying & Climate Change
and Plaa de la Universitat (Map pp108 9) every six to 15 minutes (depending on the time of day) from 6am to 1am.
Pretty much every form of motor transport generates CO (the main cause of human-induced climate change) but planes
Departures from Plaa de Catalunya are from 5.30am to 12.15am and go via Plaa d Espanya. Buy tickets on the bus or
are far and away the worst offenders, not just because of the sheer distances they allow us to travel, but because they
from machines at the airport (if they are working!). Considerably slower local buses (such as the No 46 to/from Plaa
release greenhouse gases high into the atmosphere. The statistics are frightening: two people taking a return flight
d Espanya and a night bus, the N17, to/from Plaa de Catalunya) also operate.
between Europe and the US will contribute as much to climate change as an average household s gas and electricity
Train operator Renfe (www.renfe.es) runs the C10 line every half hour between the airport (from 6am to 10.29pm)
consumption over a whole year.
and Estació de Frana (Map pp84 5) in Barcelona (handy for La Barceloneta and El Born). It stops at Estació Sants (the
Carbon Offset Schemes
main train station) and Passeig de Grącia along the way. The first service leaves from Estació de Frana at 5.20am and
Climatecare.org and other websites use carbon calculators that allow travellers to offset the greenhouse gases they
the last at 10.42pm. When all works well, the full trip takes about 35 minutes. A one-way ticket costs Ź 2.60 (unless
are responsible for with contributions to energy-saving projects and other climate-friendly initiatives in the developing
you have a multiride ticket for Barcelona public transport see p269).
world including projects in India, Honduras, Kazakhstan and Uganda.
A tunnel to extend this rail line to the new south terminal has been mooted, and one day (no-one is game to predict
Lonely Planet, together with Rough Guides and other concerned partners in the travel industry, supports the carbon
when), a new Metro line (line 9) will connect the city with the airport (it was originally planned for 2004!). Line 1 will
offset scheme run by climatecare.org. Lonely Planet offsets all of its staff and author travel.
also be extended to the airport. In theory, the high-speed AVE Barcelona Madrid train line should also have a branch
For more information check out our website: www.lonelyplanet.com.
line to the airport.
A taxi to/from the city centre about a half-hour ride depending on traffic costs Ź 18 to Ź 22. Occasionally,
unscrupulous drivers overcharge, so keep an eye on the meter; fares and charges are posted inside the passenger side
www.aena.es) is 13km west of Tarragona and
of the taxi. For those with their own wheels, parking is available at each terminal (Ź 1.60 an hour to a maximum of
Airports
108km southwest of Barcelona.
Ź 17.45 a day). Expensive guarded parking (www.parkingvipbarcelona.com, in Catalan/Spanish; Ź 70 for the first 2
Barcelona s El Prat airport ( 902 404704; www.aena.es)
%
days) is also available.
lies 12km southwest of the city at El Prat de
Mon-Bus ( 93 893 70 60) has regular direct buses from the airport to Sitges (Ź 2.85; p255). In Sitges you can catch
%
Llobregat. The main airport building con-
BICYCLE
it at Passeig de Vilafranca near the taxi stand. The trip takes about 35 minutes and runs hourly.
tains three terminals. Terminal A handles the
Bike lanes have been laid out along quite a
Alsa ( 902 422242; www2.alsa.es) runs the Aerobśs Rpid bus service several times daily from Barcelona airport
bulk of international arrivals and departures %
few main roads (including Gran Via de les
to various cities including Girona, Figueres, Lleida, Reus, Port Aventura and Tarragona. Fares range from Ź 12.40/22.30
by non-Spanish airlines. Terminal B handles
Corts Catalanes, Avinguda Diagonal, Carrer
one-way/return to Tarragona up to Ź 25/45 one-way/return to Lleida.
international and domestic flights by Span-
d Aragó, Avinguda de la Meridiana and Car-
ish airlines and a handful of other European
rer de la Marina) and a growing, if ad hoc,
Girona-Costa Brava Airport
airlines. Terminal C is largely for the Pont Aeri
network of secondary streets, so it is possible
Sagals ( 902 130014; www.sagales.com) runs hourly bus services from Girona-Costa Brava airport to Girona s main
%
(Puente Aereo), the Barcelona Madrid shut-
to get around on two environmentally friendly
bus/train station (Ź 2.05, 25 minutes) in connection with flights. The same company runs direct Barcelona Bus services
tle. A new south terminal, designed by local
wheels. A waterfront path runs northeast from
to/from Estació del Nord bus station (Map pp102 3) in Barcelona (one way/return Ź 12/21, 70 minutes). Regular trains
architect Ricardo Bofill, should be operational
Port Olmpic towards Riu Bess. Scenic itiner-
run between Girona and Barcelona (Ź 5.90 to Ź 6.70, up to 1 hours).
by late 2008. Since none of the planned rail
aries are mapped for cyclists in the Collserola
A taxi into Girona from the airport costs Ź 15 to Ź 18. To Barcelona you will pay around Ź 120 to Ź 130. Parking costs
links will be in place for years, the new ter-
parkland, and the ronda verde, a 72km cycling
an average Ź 0.95 an hour or Ź 8.65 a day.
minal will be linked to the existing terminal
path that extends right around the city s out-
For greater flexibility at greater cost, check out Resorthoppa.com (www.resorthoppa.com). They put on minibuses
building by bus.
skirts, is about 60% complete.
to destinations around the region, including Barcelona.
In the main building, the arrivals halls are
City laws make it illegal for cyclists to use
on the ground floor; departures are on the
bus lanes and footpaths, meaning that, where
Reus Airport
1st floor. The tourist office ( 9am-9pm) is on the
h
bike lanes are not present, the cyclist is con-
Buses run between Reus airport and Barcelona (Estació d Autobusos de Sants; Map pp140 1) to meet flights (Ź 11/18
ground floor of Terminal B. A smaller office
demned to a fair amount of traffic-dodging.
one-way/return, 1 hours). Other buses serve Reus (Ź 3, 10 minutes) and local coastal destinations. Check Ryanair s
on the ground floor of Terminal A operates
Barcelona has a long way to go before becom-
website (www.ryanair.com) for the latest timetables. There is limited free parking from 8am to 11pm.
the same hours. Lockers (which come in three
ing a seriously bike-friendly town.
sizes) can be found at the car park entrance
You can transport your bicycle on the
opposite Terminal B. You pay Ź 3.70/4.20/4.80
Metro on weekdays (except between 6.30am
an annual fee and ride these red and white
BarcelonaBiking.com (Map pp64 5; 656 356300; www
%
for 24 hours. There are plans to install special
and 9.30am or 4.30pm and 8.30pm). On
bikes from one stop (scattered all over town,
.barcelonabiking.com; Baixada de Sant Miquel 6) City and
lockers for skis, snowboards and other bulky
weekends and holidays, and during July and
including near many Metro stations) to an-
mountain bikes.
items. Each terminal has a lost-luggage office
August, there are no restrictions. You can
other effectively an alternative system of
Barnabike (Map p93; 93 269 02 04; www
on the arrivals floor. %
use FGC trains to carry your bike at any time
public transport.
.barnabike.com; Carrer del Pas de Sota la Muralla 3;
Girona-Costa Brava airport ( 902 404704; www
% and Renfe s rodalies trains from 10am to 3pm
per hr/24 hrs Ź 4/18; 10am-9.30pm) rents out an
h
.aena.es) is 12km south of Girona and about on weekdays and all day on weekends and
Hire assortment of bikes (including kick bikes) and karts,
80km north of Barcelona. You ll find a tour- holidays.
A growing array of companies have bicycles Trikkes (odd three-wheel contraptions), electric bikes
ist office ( 972 18 67 08; 8am-8pm), ATM and Bicing (www.bicing.com, in Catalan/Spanish) is a
% h
for hire. They include: and bikes for kids.
lost-luggage desks. Reus airport ( 902 404704; resident-only public bicycle system. Folks pay
%
264 265
lonelyplanet.com
lonelyplanet.com
TRANSPORT BICYCLE
TRANSPORT BICYCLE
ferries between Genoa and Barcelona. The Girona, Figueres, Lleida, Ripoll and Puigcerdą. ing where permitted. Note that, as of 2008, a
BEB (Map pp108 9; 93 451 15 53; www.beb.com.es;
%
Carrer d Enric Granados 61; rental per day Ź 20; 9am- journey takes 18 hours. Ticket prices depend Various bus companies operate across the re- speed limit of 80km/h is in force in Barcelona
h
on season and how far in advance you pur- gion. All of the following operate from Estació and 16 neighbouring municipalities.
9pm) offers more relaxed cyclists the option of renting
motorised bikes. You are provided with bike, battery and chase. An economy-class airline-style seat can The AP-7 autopista (motorway) is the
del Nord (Map pp102 3; 902 303222; www.barcelona
%
charger. Discounts are available for longer periods. Book- cost as little as Ź 16 in winter, while a single main toll road from France (via Girona and
nord.com; Carrer d Ali Bei 80; Arc de Triomf), except
m
ings must be made a day in advance. cabin suite in high season can cost Ź 199. The Figueres). It skirts inland around the city be-
Hispano-Igualadina and TEISA:
same company runs weekly (year-round) fore proceeding south to Valencia and Ali-
Biciclot (Map p93; 93 221 97 78; www.biciclot.net;
% Alsina Graells ( 902 422242; www2.alsa.es) Part of the
%
ferries between Barcelona and Tangiers, in cante. About 40km southwest of Barcelona,
Passeig Martim 33; per hr/day Ź 5.50/Ź 18; 10am-3pm
h Continental-Auto group, it runs buses from Barcelona to
the AP-2, also a toll road, branches west off the
Morocco, too. Grimaldi Ferries ( 902 531333, in Italy
%
& 4-8pm Apr-Sep, 4-6pm Oct-Nov, 10am-3pm Sat & Sun
destinations west and northwest, such as Vielha,
AP-7 towards Zaragoza. From there it links up
081 496444; www.grimaldi-ferries.com) operates similar
& holidays Dec-Mar; Ciutadella Vila Olmpica) Handy
m La Seu d Urgell and Lleida.
with the A-2 dual carriageway for Madrid (no
services from Barcelona to Civitavecchia (near
seaside location.
Barcelona Bus ( 902 130014; www.sagales.com, in
%
tolls). Several other shorter tollways fan out
Rome, 20 hours) and Livorno (Tuscany, 19
Ciclo Bus Barcelona (Maps pp108 9, p93 & pp64 5;
Catalan & Spanish) Runs buses from Barcelona to Girona
into the Catalan heartland from Barcelona.
hours) up to six days a week. An economy-
93 285 38 32; per hr/half-day/full day/two days/week
%
(and Girona-Costa Brava airport), Figueres, parts of the
As a rule, alternative toll-free routes are
class airline-style seat costs from Ź 29 in low
Ź 4.50/11/15/21/56) Barcelona Town Hall lays on this
Costa Brava and northwest Catalonia.
busy (if not clogged). The A-2 is the most
season to Ź 72 in high season on both routes.
bicycle hire service in three locations: Plaa de Catalunya
important. From the French border it follows
Hispano-Igualadina (Map pp122 3; 902 447726;
%
(Easter to October only), Passeig de Joan de Borbó (Easter-
the AP-7, branches off to the coast and then
www.igualadina.net; Estació Sants & Plaa de la Reina
Oct only) and Plaa del Portal de la Pau (Monument a
BUS
drops into Barcelona, from where it heads
Maria Cristina) Serves central Catalonia.
Colom). You can also buy a card for 10 hours (Ź 15), to be
west to Lleida and beyond.
used when you want.
Barcelona
SARFA ( 902 302025; www.sarfa.com) The main
%
Barcelona is 1930km from Berlin, 1555km
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB; 010;
ClassicBikes (Map pp76 7; 93 317 19 70; www % operator on and around the Costa Brava.
%
from London, 1145km from Paris, 1300km
.barcelonarentbikes.com; Carrer dels Tallers 45; per hr/day www.tmb.net) buses run along most city routes
from Lisbon, 1200km from Milan, 780km from
TEISA (Map pp108 9; 972 20 48 68; www.teisa-bus
%
Ź 6/15; 9.30am-3.30pm & 4-8pm) You can book a bike every few minutes from 5am or 6am to 10pm
h
Geneva and 690km from Madrid.
.com; Carrer de Pau Claris 117; Passeig de Grącia)
m
online, and they have foldable bikes. or 11pm. Many routes pass through Plaa de
Coming from the UK you can put your car
Covers a large part of the eastern Catalan Pyrenees from
Catalunya and/or Plaa de la Universitat. After
Un Cotxe Menys (Map pp84 5; 93 268 21 05; www on a ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao with
%
Girona and Figueres. From Barcelona buses head for
11pm a reduced network of yellow nitbusos
.bicicletabarcelona.com; Carrer de l Esparteria 3; per
P&O Ferries ( in the UK 0871 664 5645; www.poferries.com)
Camprodon via Ripoll and Olot via Besalś. %
(night buses) runs until 3am or 5am. All nit-
hr/half-day/full day/week Ź 5/11/15/70; 10am-2pm &
h
or from Plymouth to Santander with Brittany
bus routes pass through Plaa de Catalunya
4-6pm Mon-Fri; Jaume I) This business also organises
m
Ferries ( in the UK 0870 907 6103; www.brittany-ferries
%
and most run every 30 to 45 minutes.
bike tours.
Long-Distance
.co.uk). From either destination there is still a fair
Long-distance buses leave from Estació del
drive to Barcelona. Another option is to take a
BUS TURSTIC
Nord (above). A plethora of companies oper-
ferry to France or the Channel Tunnel car train,
BOAT This hop-on hop-off service, run by TMB, op-
ates to different parts of Spain, although many
Eurotunnel ( in the UK 0870 535 3535; www.eurotunnel
%
erates from Plaa de Catalunya (Map pp108 9) and
come under the umbrella of Alsa-Enatcar ( 902
%
.com). The latter runs round the clock, with up
Balearic Islands
Plaa de la Porta de la Pau (Map pp64 5), and cov-
422242; www.alsa.es). For other companies, ask at
to four crossings an hour (35 minutes) between
Passenger and vehicular ferries operated by
ers three circuits (44 stops) linking virtually all
the bus station. There are frequent services
Folkestone and Calais during high season.
Acciona Trasmediterrnea (Map p93; 902 454645;
%
the city s main sights. Tickets are available on-
to Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza (up to 20
Vehicles must be roadworthy, registered
www.trasmediterranea.es; Drassanes) to/from the
m
line (www.tmb.net) and on the buses, and cost
a day) and several daily departures to distant
and have third-party insurance. Ask your
Balearic Islands, dock around the Moll de
Ź 19 (Ź 11 for children from four to 12 years) for
destinations such as Burgos, Santiago de Com-
insurer for a European Accident Statement
Barcelona wharf in Port Vell. Information
one day of unlimited rides, or Ź 23 (Ź 15 for chil-
postela and Seville.
form, which can simplify matters in the event
and tickets are available at the terminal
dren) for two consecutive days. Buses run from
Eurolines (www.eurolines.com), in conjunction
of an accident. A European breakdown as-
buildings along Moll de San Beltran (Map p93)
9am to 8pm and the frequency varies from
with local carriers all over Europe, is the main
sistance policy is a good investment. EU na-
along Moll de Barcelona (Map p93) or from
every five to 25 minutes. Buses do not operate
international carrier. Its website provides links
tional driver s licences are accepted, while
travel agents. Standard fares for a Butaca
on Christmas Day or New Year s Day.
to national operators; it runs services across
other nationalities require an international
Turista (seat) from Barcelona to any of the
The two key routes take about two hours; the
Europe and to Morocco from Estació del
driver s licence.
islands are Ź 46.50 on standard ferries or Ź 75
blue route covers the south of the city (includ-
Nord, and Estació d Autobusos de Sants (Map pp140 1;
on high-speed catamaran ferries. Cabins for
ing the old town, Montjuc and the waterfront)
Carrer de Viriat; Sants Estació), next to Estació Sants
m
up to four people are also available on over-
and the red route goes further north (taking in
Hire
Barcelona. For information and tickets in Bar-
night standard ferries.
La Sagrada Famlia, Park Gell, Pedralbes and
Avis, Europcar, National/Atesa and Hertz
celona, contact Alsa-Enatcar. Another carrier
Another company with links between
Camp Nou). The third (green route), from Port
have desks at El Prat airport, Estació Sants
is Linebśs (www.linebus.com, in Spanish).
Barcelona and the Balearic Islands is Baleąria
Olmpic to the Frum, runs from mid-March
and Estació del Nord. Rental outlets in Bar-
( 902 160180; www.balearia.net).
%
to September and takes half an hour.
celona include:
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Avis (Map pp108 9; 902 248824, 93 237 56 80; www
%
Italy
.avis.com; Carrer de Crsega 293-295; Diagonal)
Catalonia m
Driving
Grandi Navi Veloci (Map p93; 902 410200, 93 443 98
% Much of the Pyrenees and the entire Costa
Cooltra (Map p93; 93 221 40 70; www.cooltra.com;
%
An effective one-way system makes busy city
98, in Italy 010 209 4591; www1.gnv.it; Moll de San Beltran; Brava are served only by buses, as train serv-
Passeig de Joan de Borbó 80-84) You can rent scooters
traffic flow fairly smoothly. Driving in the
Drassanes) runs daily high-speed, luxury ices are limited to important railheads such as
m
Ciutat Vella area is largely illegal and frustrat- here for around Ź 20 a day, or as little as Ź 90
266 267
lonelyplanet.com
lonelyplanet.com
TRANSPORT BOAT
TRANSPORT CAR & MOTORCYCLE
a month in low season, plus add insurance. mum of Ź 19 per day). The first four hours
They also organise scooter tours. your car is held are free.
TICKETS & TARGETES
Europcar (Map pp108 9; 93 302 05 43; www.europcar
%
The Metro, FGC trains, rodalies/cercanas (Renfe-run local trains) and buses come under one zoned-fare regime.
.com; Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 680; Girona)
m
Single-ride tickets on all standard transport within Zone 1 (which extends beyond the airport), except on Renfe
METRO & FGC
Hertz (Map pp140 1; 93 419 61 56; www.hertz.com; trains, cost Ź 1.30.
%
The easy-to-use TMB Metro ( 010; www.tmb.net)
%
Targetes are multitrip transport tickets. They are sold at most city-centre Metro stations. The prices given here are
Carrer del Viriat 45; Sants)
m system has six numbered and colour-coded
for travel in Zone 1. Children under four years of age travel free. Options include:
lines. It runs from 5am to midnight Sunday
MotoLoco (Map p93; 93 221 34 52; www.motoloco.es;
%
Monthly transport pass (Ź 46.25) unlimited use of all public transport.
to Thursday, from 5am to 2am on Friday, and
Passeig de Joan de Borbó 80-84) A similar deal on scooter
Targeta T-10 (Ź 7.20) 10 rides (each valid for 1ź hours) on the Metro, buses, FGC trains and rodalies. You can
from 5am to 5am on Saturday and days im-
rental, and virtually next door, to Cooltra.
change between Metro, FGC, rodalies and buses.
mediately preceding main holidays. Line 2 has
National/Atesa (Map pp108 9; 902 100101,
%
Targeta T-50/30 (Ź 29.80) 50 trips within 30 days, valid on all transport.
access for people with disabilities and a hand-
93 323 07 01; www.atesa.es; Carrer de Muntaner 45;
ful of stations on other lines also have lifts. Targeta T-DIA (Ź 5.50) unlimited travel on all transport for one day.
Universitat)
m
Line 11, a short suburban run, is automated, Two-/three-/four-/five-day tickets (Ź 10/14.30/18.30/21.70) unlimited travel on all transport except the A1
Pepecar (Map pp108 9; 807 414243; www.pepecar
%
and in the future the other lines will also run Aerobśs; buy them at Metro stations and tourist offices.
.com; Plaa de Catalunya; Catalunya) Specialises in
m
without the need of a driver. See pull-out map
cheap rentals with a mix of cars (the Smart Fines
for a map of the Metro system.
cars for two people are the cheapest). They
Suburban trains run by the Ferrocarrils de la Gen- The fine for being caught without a ticket on public transport is Ź 40 (a minimum that theoretically can be raised to
have four branches, including one near Sants
eralitat de Catalunya (FGC; 93 205 15 15; www.fgc.net) Ź 6000!), in addition to the price of the ticket. If you pay on the spot you get 50% off the fine. There s also a minimum
%
train station at Carrer de Bjar 68 (Map pp140 1),
include a couple of useful city lines. All lines Ź 30.05 fine for smoking on the Metro.
and another near the airport at the Hotel Tryp
heading north from Plaa de Catalunya stop at
Barcelona Aeropuerto. Note that the phone
Carrer de Provena and Grącia. One of these
The high-speed Tren de Alta Velocidad
number is expensive to call and customers are Fono Taxi ( 93 300 11 00) is one of several taxi
%
lines (L7) goes to Tibidabo and another (L6
Espańola (AVE) between Madrid and Bar-
encouraged to book on the website. companies with taxis adapted for those with
to Reina Elisenda) has a stop within spitting
celona began operating in 2008 (four years
disabilities. Taxi Amic ( 93 420 80 88; www.terra
Vanguard (Map pp102 3; 93 439 38 80; www.vanguard %
%
distance of the Monestir de Pedralbes. Most
late!). Seventeen trains per day run in each
.es/personal/taxiamic, in Spanish) is a special taxi serv-
rent.com; Carrer de Viladomat 297; Entena) For
m trains from Plaa de Catalunya continue be-
direction, seven of them non-stop (two
ice for people with disabilities or difficult situ-
motorbikes.
yond Barcelona to Sant Cugat, Sabadell and
hours, 40 minutes). One-way prices range
ations (such as transport of big objects). Book
Terrassa. Other FGC lines head west from
from around Ź 40 (on the condition that they
at least 24 hours in advance if possible.
Plaa d Espanya, including one for Manresa
Parking
are purchased online at least 15 days before
that is handy for the trip to Montserrat.
Parking in the Ciutat Vella is virtually only
travel) to Ź 163 ( for an open ticket valid for
Depending on the line, these trains run
for residents, with some metered parking
Trixis
a year). The line will eventually (perhaps
from about 5am (with only one or two serv-
available. The narrow streets of Grącia are
These three-wheeled cycle taxis ( 93 310 13 79;
% by 2012) extend to Perpignan, in southern
ices before 6am) to 11pm or midnight Sunday
not much better. The broad boulevards of
www.trixi.info; Plaa dels Traginers 4) operate along France, to connect with the French high-
to Thursday, and from 5am to about 1am on
l Eixample are divided into blue and green
the waterfront (11am to 8pm daily) between speed TGV network.
Friday and Saturday.
zones, which, for visitors, means the same
March and November). They can take two Another high-speed AVE train, known
thing: limited meter parking. Fees vary but
passengers and cost Ź 10/18 per half-hour/ as Euromed, runs on standard, wide-gauge
tend to hover around Ź 2.35 to Ź 2.85 per hour.
hour. Children aged three to 12 pay half-price. Spanish tracks, and connects Barcelona with
TAXI
Many car parks charge similar rates.
You can find them near the Monument a Valencia and Alicante.
Taxis charge Ź 1.75 flagfall (Ź 1.85 from 9pm to
Anything marked in yellow usually means
Colom and in front of La Catedral. Most long-distance (largo recorrido or
7am weekdays and all day Saturday, Sunday
you are permitted to stop for up to 30 minutes
Grandes Lnias) trains have 1st and 2nd
and holidays) plus meter charges of Ź 0.78 per
for cąrrega (loading) and descąrrega (unload-
classes (known as preferente and turista).
kilometre (Ź 1 at night and on weekends). A
TRAIN
ing) only. Most of these zones operate from
After the AVE, Euromed and several other
further Ź 3 is added for all trips to/from the air-
Train is the most convenient overland option
8am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm Monday to
port, and Ź 0.90 for luggage bigger than 55cm similarly modern trains, the most common
for reaching Barcelona from major Spanish
Saturday. long-distance trains are the Tren Articulado
x 35cm x 35cm. The trip from Estació Sants
centres like Madrid and Valencia. It can be a
Note that many car parks will not accept Ligero Goicoechea Oriol (Talgos). They are
to Plaa de Catalunya, about 3km, costs about
long haul from other parts of Europe, where
camper vans it can be a real problem parking cheaper, slower and tend to stop at all sta-
Ź 8 to Ź 10. You can call a taxi ( 93 225 00 00, 93
%
budget flights frequently offer a saving in time
one of these in central Barcelona. tions en route.
300 11 00, 93 303 30 33, 93 322 22 22, 704 101112) or flag
and money. For information on travelling
Parking motorbikes and scooters is easier. A trenhotel is a sleeping-car train with up
them down in the streets. The call-out charge
from the UK, contact the Rail Europe Travel Centre
On occasion you ll see spaces marked out es- is Ź 3.09 (Ź 3.86 at night and on weekends). In
to three classes: turista (for those sitting or
( in the UK 0844 848 4064; www.raileurope.co.uk; 1 Regent
%
pecially for bikes. Parking on the pavements in a couchette), preferente (sleeping car) and
many taxis it is possible to pay with credit card
St, London SW1). For travel within Spain, infor- gran clase (for those who prefer to sleep in
is illegal, but many do it.
and, if you have a local telephone number,
mation is available at train stations or travel
sheer luxury!).
If you get towed, call the Dipsit Municipal (car you can join the T033 Rądio taxi service for
agents. A network of rodalies/cercanas serves
The main international and domestic train
pound; 901 513151). Depending on where your booking taxis online (www.radiotaxi033.com,
%
towns around Barcelona (and the airport).
station in Barcelona is Estació Sants (Map pp140 1;
car was nabbed, you will be directed to one in Spanish). You can also book online at www
Contact Renfe ( 902 240202; www.renfe.es) for in- Plaa dels Pasos Catalans; Sants Estació), located
%
of several pounds around town. You will pay .catalunyataxi.com. General information is m
formation on these services.
Ź 147 for the tow and Ź 1.90 per hour (maxi- available on 010. 2.5km west of La Rambla. Direct overnight
%
268 269
lonelyplanet.com
lonelyplanet.com
TRANSPORT METRO & FGC
TRANSPORT TRAIN
trains from Paris, Geneva, Lisbon and Milan
TRAM902 193275; www.trambcn.com) runs three
arrive here, as do services from a number of
TMB (
%
other cities across Spain and France.
tram lines (T1, T2 and T3) into the suburbs
Estació Sants is equipped with a tourist of-
of greater Barcelona from Plaa de Francesc
fice, a telephone and fax office, currency ex-
Macią and are of limited interest to visitors.
change booths open between 8am and 10pm,
The T4 line runs from behind the zoo (near
ATMs and a consigna (left-luggage lockers; small/big
the Ciutadella Vila Olmpica Metro stop) to
locker for 24hr Ź 3/4.50; 5.30am-11pm).
h
Sant Adrią via Glries and the Frum. The
A second train station is being constructed
T5 line runs from Glries to Badalona. All
at the other end of the city in La Sagrera.
standard transport passes are valid.
270
lonelyplanet.com
TRANSPORT TRAM
DIRECTORY
Of the city s museums, the ones most
BUSINESS HOURS
likely to capture children s imagination are
Generally Barcelonins work Monday to Fri-
the Museu Martim (p78), the Museu de la
day from 8am or 9am to 2pm and then again
Xocolata (p89) and the interactive CosmoCaixa
from 4.30pm or 5pm for another three hours.
(p121).
In the hot summer months, many work an
In summer, you will be rewarded with
horario intensivo (intensive timetable), from
squeals of delight if you take the kids to one
around 7am to 3pm.
of the city s pools (p224) or the beach (p96). In
Banks tend to open between 8.30am and
cooler weather parks can be a good choice. A
2pm Monday to Friday. Some also open from
roam around Montjuc, including exploration
around 4pm to 7pm on Thursday evenings
of its Castell (p143), should appeal. The sheer
and/or Saturday mornings from around 9am
weirdness of Gaud s Park Gell (p117) will
to 1pm. See Post, p277, for post office open-
have older children intrigued, and everyone
ing times.
likes getting lost in the maze of the Jardins del
Museum and art gallery opening hours
Laberint d Horta (p135). The Zoo de Barcelona
vary considerably but as a rule of thumb
(p88) is a universal child-pleaser.
most places are open between 10am and 6pm
You could take younger kiddies (maximum
(some shut for lunch from around 2pm to
age 11) along to Happy Parc (Map pp108 9; 93 317
%
4pm). Most museums and galleries close all
86 60; www.happyparc.com in Catalan/Spanish; Carrer de Pau
day Monday and at 2pm Sunday. For shop
Claris 97; per hr Ź 4; 5-9pm Mon-Fri, 11am-9pm Sat & Sun)
h
opening hours, see p152.
for a play on the slides and other diversions.
For general advice on travelling with chil-
dren, grab a copy of Lonely Planet s Travel
CHILDREN
with Children.
One of the great things about Barcelona is the
inclusion of children in many seemingly adult
activities. Going out to eat or sipping a beer at Baby-sitting
a terrazza (terrace) on a late summer evening Most of the mid- and upper-range hotels in
needn t mean leaving children with minders. Barcelona can organise a baby-sitting service.
Locals take their kids out all the time and don t A company that many hotels use and that you
worry too much about keeping them up late.
can also contact directly is 5 Serveis ( 93 412
%
The daytime spectacle of La Rambla (p61)
56 76; Carrer de Pelai 50). They have multilingual
fascinates kids as much as adults. And while the
canguros (baby-sitters). Rates vary, but in the
latter might like to sneak a look at the Museu
evening expect to pay around Ź 10 an hour plus
de l Ertica, kids will happily lose themselves in
the cost of a taxi home for the baby-sitter.
the Museu de Cera (wax museum; p72) further
Tender Loving Canguros ( 647 605989; www.tlcanguros
%
down the boulevard. Nearby, head to the top of
.com) offers English-speaking baby-sitters for a
the Monument a Colom (p71) for the views or
minimum of three hours (per hour Ź 7).
to the Golondrinas harbour tour by boat (p277).
The shark tunnel and children s activities at
L Aquąrium (p92) are guaranteed success. You CLIMATE
might also score points with the nearby 3-D Barcelona enjoys a Mediterranean climate,
Imax cinema. with cool winters and hot summers. July and
The Transbordador Aeri (p94), across the August are the most torrid months, when
harbour between La Barceloneta and Montjuc, highs can reach 37C. The seaside location
is another irresistible attraction; and to the promotes humidity, but sea breezes can bring
north of town the Tramvia Blau, the blue tram relief. A hotel room with a fan or air condi-
that runs to the Tibidabo funicular station (see tioning can make all the difference to a good
p134) may also raise a smile. While on Tibid- night s sleep.
abo, scare the willies out of your youngsters In the depths of winter, especially in Febru-
in the Hotel Kruger horror house at the Parc ary, it gets cold enough (average lows of 6.7C)
d Atraccions amusement park (p134). for you to wish you had heating in your room,
271
DIRECTORY BUSINESS HOURS
Average
another, the allowances are 90L of wine, 10L The ticket (Ź 17) gets you entry to the Museu
International House (Map pp84 5; 93 268 45 11;
BARCELONA 6m (20ft) %
Max/Min
of spirits, unlimited quantities of perfume and Martim (p78), Museu d Histria de la Ciutat
www.ihes.com/bcn; Carrer de Trafalgar 14; Arc de
C F Temp/Humidity % in Rainfall mm m
800 cigarettes. (p67), Museu d Arqueologia de Catalunya
40 104 100 8 100
Triomf ) Intensive courses from Ź 390 for two weeks. It can
(p146), Museu Egipci (p112) and Museu Barbier-
also organise accommodation.
30 86 75 6 75
Mueller d Art Pre-Colomb (p87). You can get it
Universitat de Barcelona (Map pp108 9; 93 403 54
%
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
at participating museums and tourist offices.
20 68 50 4 50
78 for Catalan, 93 403 55 19 for Spanish; www.ub.edu/slc
It cannot be stressed enough that newcom-
If you want to get around Barcelona fast
for Catalan, www.eh.ub.es for Spanish; Gran Via de les ers to Barcelona must be on their guard.
10 50 25
25 2 and visit multiple museums in the blink of an
Corts Catalanes 585; Universitat) Intensive courses (40 Petty theft is a problem in the city centre,
m
eye, the Barcelona Card (www.barcelonacard.com) might
0 32 0 0 0
hours tuition over periods ranging from two weeks to a on public transport and around main sights.
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
come in handy. It costs Ź 24/29/33/36 (a little
month Ź 413) in Spanish year-round. Longer Spanish and Report thefts to the national police. You are
less for children aged four to 12) for two/three/
Catalan courses are also available. unlikely to recover your goods but you will
but by March things begin to thaw out. Janu-
four/five days. You get free transport (and 20%
need to make this formal denuncia for insur-
ary tends to be sunny, though not warm. off the Aerobśs), and discounted admission
ance purposes. To avoid endless queues at the
Rainfall is highest in autumn and winter. prices (up to 30% off) or free entry to many
Other Courses
comisara (police station), you can make the
During September and into October the city museums and other sights, as well as minor
Alicianet (Map pp102 3; 93 310 38 78; www.alicianet
% report by phone ( 902 102112) in various
%
often gets a wash down in cracking thun- discounts on purchases at a small number of
.net; Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 432; Rocafort)
m languages or on the web at www.policia.es (in
derstorms. shops, restaurants and bars. The card is avail-
Offers various levels of flamenco class. Single classes cost
Spanish; click on Denuncias ). The following
able at the tourist offices and online.
As Barcelona is downwind from the Pyr-
Ź 15, or you can enrol in courses (up to 20 hours a week).
day you go to the station of your choice to
The Ruta del Modernisme pack (p113) is well
enees, cold snaps are always on the cards and
One-on-one classes cost Ź 50.
pick up and sign the report, without queu-
worth looking into for visiting Modernista
the April May period is particularly change-
ing. You can also report losses to the Catalan
Antilla BCN Escuela de Baile (Map pp108 9; 93 451
% sights at discounted rates.
able. At its best May can be the most pleasant
police, the Mossos d Esquadra (www.gencat
45 64 or 610 900558; www.antillasalsa.com; Carrer d Aragó
Night owls and shopaholics should check
month of the year clear and fresh.
.net/mossos, in Catalan). They have a handy
141; 10 1-hr classes once a week Ź 110; Urgell) The
m
out the Go and Connect card (www.goandconnect.com).
(and busy) police station (Map pp76 7; Carrer Nou de la
place to learn salsa and other Caribbean dance.
Valid for six months/one year (Ź 12/15), the
Rambla 80; Paral.lel) near La Rambla. You could
COURSES m
card offers a wide range of discounts (any-
Cook & Taste (Map pp64 5; 93 302 13 20; www
%
also try the Guąrdia Urbana (local police; Map pp64 5; La
thing from a cut price haircut to free entry
.cookandtaste.net; La Rambla 58; half-day workshop Ź 60;
Language Courses
Rambla 43).
to some clubs).
Liceu) Learn to whip up a paella or stir a gazpacho in
m
With its bilingual mix Barcelona may not be
this Spanish cookery school.
the ideal location for embarking on Spanish
Dom s Gastronom Cookery School ( 93 674 51
%
(Castilian) courses, but there is no shortage of
DISCOUNT CARDS & TICKETS
ELECTRICITY
60; Passeig del Roser 43, Valldoreix; 8 hours of classes
places to do so. The cost of language courses
The ISIC (International Student Identity Card; www.isic.org) The electric current in Barcelona is 220V,
over 4 days Ź 100) Cordon bleu trained chef Dominique
depends on the school, the length of the course
and the Euro<26 card (www.euro26.org) are available 50Hz, as in the rest of continental Europe.
Heathcoate holds cookery classes in anything from
and its intensity. Across Catalonia, more than
from most national student organisations and Several countries outside Europe (such as the
Catalan, Spanish and French cuisine to tapas and autumn
220 schools teach Catalan. Pick up a list at
allow discounted access to some sights. Stu- USA and Canada) use 110V, 60Hz, which
mushroom cooking. Valldoreix is about a 30-minute train
the Llibreria & Informació Cultural de la Generalitat de
dents generally pay a little more than half of means that some appliances from those coun-
ride from Plaa de Catalunya on the line to Sabadell and
Catalunya (Map pp64 5; 93 302 64 62; Rambla dels Estudis tries may perform poorly in Barcelona. It is
% adult admission prices, as do children aged
Terrassa, and Dominique can arrange pick-up from the train
118; Liceu). always safest to use a transformer. Plugs have
m under 12 and senior citizens (aged 65 and over)
station. Groups are catered for.
Non-EU citizens who want to study at a with appropriate ID. two round pins, as in the rest of continental
Escuela de Baile Jos de la Vega (Map pp108 9; 93
%
university or language school in Spain should Possession of a Bus Turstic ticket (see p276) Europe.
454 31 14; Carrer d Aribau 19; Oct-Jun; per month
h
have a study visa. This type of visa is renew- entitles you to discounts to some museums.
Ź 55; Universitat) People come from all over town to
m
able within Spain but only with confirmation Articket (www.articketbcn.org) gives you admission
learn to dance flamenco at this school, which offers classes EMBASSIES
of ongoing enrolment and proof that you are to seven important art galleries for Ź 20 and
twice a week. Most countries have an embassy in Madrid.
able to support yourself. is valid for six months. The galleries are the
Look them up under Embajada in that city s Pa-
Venta Flamenco (Map pp76 7; 670 437577; www
Some schools worth investigating follow: % Museu Picasso (p83), Museu Nacional d Art
ginas Amarillas (Yellow Pages). Various coun-
.flamencobarcelona.com; Carrer del MarquŁs de Barberą 6;
de Catalunya (MNAC; p139), the Museu d Art
Babylon Idiomas (Map pp102 3; 93 488 15 85; www
%
tries also maintain consulates in Barcelona:
Liceu) This modest flamenco store organises classes in
m Contemporani de Barcelona (Macba; p79),
.babylon-idiomas.com; Carrer del Bruc 65; Girona) This
m
Australia (Map p118; 93 490 90 13; Plaa de Gal.la
flamenco dancing, singing and music. %
the Fundació Antoni Tąpies (p109), the Cen-
small school offers a high degree of flexibility you can study
Placdia 1-3; FGC Grącia)
tre de Cultura Contemporąnia de Barcelona
for a week or enlist for a half-year intensive course in Spanish.
(CCCB; p80), the Fundació Joan Miró (p143) and
Canada (Map pp122 3; 93 204 27 00; www.canada-es
%
The big selling point is class size, with a maximum of eight
CUSTOMS
La Pedrera (Fundació Caixa Catalunya; p106).
.org; Carrer d Elisenda de Pinós 10; FGC Reina Elisenda)
students per class. A week of tuition (30 hours) costs Ź 267.50.
People entering Spain from outside the EU
You can pick up the ticket through Tel-Entrada
France (Map pp108 9; 93 270 30 00; www.consulfrance
%
Escola Oficial d Idiomes de Barcelona (Map pp76 7;
are allowed to bring one bottle of spirits, one
( 902 101212; www.telentrada.com) and at the tour-
%
-barcelone.org; Ronda de la Universitat 22B; Universitat)
m
93 324 93 30; www.eoibd.es; Avinguda de les
% bottle of wine, 50mL of perfume and 200
ist offices at Plaa de Catalunya, Plaa de Sant
Drassanes s/n; Drassanes) Part-time courses (around cigarettes into Spain duty free. There are no Germany (Map p118; 93 292 10 00; www.barcelona
m %
Jaume and Sants train station.
10 hours a week) in Spanish and Catalan (per semester duty-free allowances for travel between EU .diplo.de; Passeig de Grącia 111; Diagonal)
m
Something a little different is the Arqueo-
Ź 175) are offered. Because of the demand for Spanish, countries. For duty-paid items bought at nor-
Ireland (Map pp102 3; 93 491 50 21; Gran Via de
Ticket, designed for those with a special %
there is no guarantee of a place. mal shops in one EU country and taken into
Carles III 94; Maria Cristina)
interest in archaeology and ancient history. m
272 273
lonelyplanet.com
lonelyplanet.com
DIRECTORY COURSES
DIRECTORY DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
Easter Monday (Dilluns de Pasqua Florida) March/April Barcelona, scaled at 1:12,000, or Lonely
New Zealand (Map pp122 3; 93 209 03 99;
%
Planet s Barcelona City Map.
Travessera de Grącia 64; FGC Grącia)
KEEPING YOUR NOSE CLEAN Labour Day (Dia del Treball/Fiesta del Trabajo) 1 May
UK (Map pp102 3; 93 366 62 00; Avinguda Diagonal
%
Since 2006 tougher city bylaws make drinking in the Day after Pentecost Sunday (Dilluns de Pasqua Granda)
477; Hospital Clnic)
m
streets, urinating in the streets and various other May/June
MEDICAL SERVICES
vexatious pastimes illegal. You can be fined on the
US (Map pp122 3; 93 280 22 27; http://barcelona.us
% All foreigners have the same right as Spaniards
Feast of St John the Baptist (Dia de Sant Joan/
spot and, theoretically, serious misbehaviour can
consulate.gov; Passeig de la Reina Elisenda de Montcada
to emergency medical treatment in public hos-
Da de San Juan Bautista) 24 June
attract penalties of up to Ź 3000. You should take
23-25; FGC Reina Elisenda)
pitals. EU citizens are entitled to the full range
Feast of the Assumption (L Assumpció/La Asunción) 15
this seriously as local police have no qualms about
of health-care services in public hospitals, but
August
enforcing these laws.
must present a European Health Insurance
Catalonia s National Day (Diada Nacional de Catalunya)
EMERGENCY
Card (enquire at your national health service)
11 September
The following are the main emergency
and may have to pay up front.
GayBarcelona.com (www.gaybarcelona.com) News and
numbers:
Festes de la MercŁ 24 September Non-EU citizens have to pay for any-
views and an extensive listings section covering bars,
Ambulance ( 061) thing other than emergency treatment. Most
%
Spanish National Day (Festa de la Hispanitat/
saunas, shops and more in Barcelona and Sitges.
travel-insurance policies include medical
Catalan state police (Mossos d Esquadra; 088) Da de la Hispanidad) 12 October
%
LesboNet.Org (www.lesbonet.org, in Spanish) A lesbian
cover.
EU standard emergency number ( 112) All Saints Day (Dia de Tots Sants/Da de Todos los Santos)
%
site with contacts, forums and listings.
For minor health problems you can try any
1 November
Fire brigade (Bombers; 080, 085)
% farmącia (pharmacy), where pharmaceuticals
Nación Gay (www.naciongay.com, in Spanish) News on
Constitution Day (Da de la Constitución) 6 December
tend to be sold more freely without prescrip-
the gay community across Spain.
Guardia Civil (civil police; 062)
%
tion than in places such as the USA, Australia
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (La Immaculada
Guąrdia Urbana (local police; 092) Shangay.com (www.shangay.com, Spanish only) For
%
or the UK.
Concepció/La Inmaculada Concepción) 8 December
news, art reviews, contacts and Shanguide listings. You
Polica Nacional (national police; 091)
%
If your country has a consulate in Barcelona,
have to register to get full access. Christmas (Nadal/Navidad) 25 December
its staff should be able to refer you to doctors
Boxing Day/St Stephen s Day (El Dia de Sant Esteve)
who speak your language.
Organisations include the following:
26 December
GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELLERS Hospitals include the following:
Casal Lambda (Map pp84 5; 93 319 55 50; www
Homosexuality is legal in Spain and the age %
Hospital Clnic i Provincial (Map pp102 3; 93 227 54
%
.lambdaweb.org; Carrer de Verdaguer i Callis 10;
of consent (with certain conditions) is 13
00; Carrer de Villarroel 170; Hospital Clnic)
m
INTERNET ACCESS
years old, as for heterosexuals. Spain made Uquinaona) A gay and lesbian social, cultural and
m
Barcelona is full of internet centres. Some
Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau (Map pp102 3;
history when the national parliament passed information centre in La Ribera.
offer student rates and also sell cards for sev-
93 291 90 00; Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret 167;
%
laws allowing same-sex marriages in 2005.
Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana (Map pp140 1; 93 298
%
eral hours use at reduced rates. Here are a
Hospital de Sant Pau)
m
Barcelona hosted the 12th Eurogames, the
00 29; www.cogailes.org; Carrer de Violant d Hongria 156;
handful of options:
European games for gays and lesbians, in
Hospital Dos de Maig (Map pp102 3; 93 507 27 00;
%
Plaa del Centre) The city s main coordinating body
m
Bornet (Map pp84 5; 93 268 15 07; Carrer de Barra
%
July 2008.
Carrer del Dos de Maig 301; Hospital de Sant Pau)
m
for gay and lesbian groups. Some lesbian groups are to be
Ferro 3; per hr/10hr Ź 2.80/20; 10am-11pm Mon-Fri,
h
Barcelona has a busy gay scene, but the
found at Ca la Dona (see p280). It also runs an information
noon-11pm Sat & Sun & holidays; Jaume I)
m
region s gay capital is no doubt the saucily
Some 24-hour pharmacies follow:
line, the Lnia Rosa ( 900 601601).
%
hedonistic Sitges (p255), a major destination on easyInternetcaf (Map pp108 9; www.easyeverything
Farmącia lvarez (Map pp108 9; 93 302 11 24;
%
the international gay party circuit. Gays take a .com; Ronda de la Universitat 35; per hr Ź 2.50; 8am-
h
Passeig de Grącia 26)
leading role in the wild Carnaval celebrations 2am; Universitat) There is another branch at La
m
HOLIDAYS
(p17) there in February/March. Rambla 31 (Map pp64 5; 8am-2.30am; Liceu)
h m Farmącia Claps (Map pp64 5; 93 301 28 43;
%
For Barcelonins the main holiday periods are
upstairs from the Sports Bar.
The city s tourist board publishes Barcelona
La Rambla 98)
summer (July and August), Christmas New
The Official Gay and Lesbian Tourist Guide
Internet MSN (Map p118; Carrer del PenedŁs 1; per min
Year and Easter. August is a peculiar time as Farmącia Torres (Map pp108 9; 93 453 92 20; www
%
biannually. The free biweekly Shanguide,
Ź 0.02; 9.30am-2.30am; Fontana)
h m
Spain largely grinds to a halt. Tourists flock in .farmaciaabierta24h.com, in Spanish; Carrer d Aribau 62)
jammed with listings and contact ads, is
regardless of the heat, but many locals escape
sometimes available in gay bookshops. Al-
to cooler climes. Finding accommodation
though Madrid-centric, you ll find useful tips
MAPS
can be more difficult around Christmas and
MONEY
on Barcelona too. Magazines with at least
Tourist offices offer free city and transport
Easter. For information on the city s colourful
As in 14 other EU nations (Austria, Belgium,
some listings and also available in gay book-
maps. Also handy is Michelin s ring-bound
festivals and other events, see p16.
Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
shops include Nois ( boys in Catalan) and
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Neth-
Gay Barcelona (www.gaybarcelona.com). The
erlands, Portugal and Slovenia), the euro is
annual, worldwide Spartacus guide is often
WI-FI ACCESS
Public Holidays
Spain s currency.
on sale at newsstands along La Rambla.
The following is a list of national public
A growing number of hotels offer their guests wi-fi
Check out the following websites:
holidays:
access. A paying wi-fi service operates at the airport
Coordinadora Gai-Lesbiana (www.cogailes.org) A
Changing Money
New Year s Day (Any Nou/Ańo Nuevo) 1 January and at train stations. City bars and restaurants are
good site presented by Barcelona s main gay and lesbian
You can change cash or travellers cheques in
latching on to the service. The Fresh & Ready fast
Epiphany/Three Kings Day (Epifana or El Dia dels Reis/
organisation, with nationwide links. Here you can zero in
most major currencies without problems at
food chain is one, and seven branches of Starbucks
Da de los Reyes Magos) 6 January
on information ranging from bar, sauna and hotel listings
virtually any bank or bureau de change (usually
offer pay-as-you-go wi-fi.
Good Friday (Divendres Sant/Viernes Santo) March/April
through to contacts pages.
indicated by the word canvi/cambio).
274 275
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lonelyplanet.com
DIRECTORY EMERGENCY
DIRECTORY INTERNET ACCESS
Barcelona abounds with banks, many with a lively home-grown press. La Vanguardia 10 participants based on numerous themes:
ATMs, including several around Plaa de Cat- and El Periódico are the main local Spanish- anything from design to food, from in-line-
BICYCLE TOURS
alunya and more on La Rambla and Plaa de language dailies. The latter also publishes a skating tours to sailing trips. Some of the
Barcelona is awash with companies offering bicycle
Sant Jaume in the Barri Gtic. Catalan version. The more conservative and more unusual activities cost more.
tours. Tours typically take two to four hours and gen-
The foreign-exchange offices that you see Catalan-nationalist-oriented daily is Avui. El
Barcelona Vibes (Map pp64 5; 93 310 37 47; www
%
erally stick to the old city, the Sagrada Famlia and the
along La Rambla and elsewhere are open for Punt concentrates on news in and around
.barcelonavibes.com; Carrer de Milans 7) offers every-
beaches. Operators include:
longer hours than banks, but they generally Barcelona.
thing from luxury private tours of the city in
Bike Tours Barcelona (Map pp84 5; 93 268
%
offer poorer rates. Also, keep a sharp eye open The most useful publication for expats is
a chauffeur-driven Mercedes to trips around
21 05; www.biketoursbarcelona.com; Carrer de
for commissions at bureaux de change. Barcelona Metropolitan, with news, views,
Catalonia. You can hire a Harley or sign for
l Esparteria 3)
ads and listings information. Pilote Urbain is
Interchange (Map pp64 5; 93 342 73 11; Rambla dels
% a city tour by Segway. If it can be booked or
a French equivalent. Catalonia Today is a slim Barcelona By Bike ( 93 268 81 07; www
%
Caputxins 74; 9am-10.30pm; Liceu) represents organised, they can probably do it.
h m
American Express and will cash Amex travel- newssheet put out by the owners of El Punt. .barcelonabybike.com)
See BCN Skytour (Map p93; 93 224 07 10; www
%
Conservative Spaniards tend to read the
lers cheques, replace lost cheques and provide
Fat Tire Bike Tours (Map pp64 5; 93 301 36 .cathelicopters.com; Heliport, Passeig de l Escullera; tour per
%
old-fashioned ABC, while most of the left-of-
cash advances on Amex cards.
12; www.fattirebiketoursbarcelona.com; Carrer dels
person Ź 80; 10am-7pm) for a 10-minute thrill at
h
centre crowd study El Pas, which identifies
Escudellers 48)
800m above the city by helicopter that truly
with the Partido Socialista Obrero Espańol
gives a bird s-eye view of the city. A 35-minute
BarcelonaBiking.com (Map pp64 5; 656 356300;
%
Credit Cards
(PSOE). El Mundo is a robustly right-wing
trip for Ź 240 per person takes in Montserrat
www.barcelonabiking.com; Baixada de Sant Miquel 6)
Major cards such as Visa, MasterCard,
publication in competition with the more re-
(p252). You can take the Golondrina tour boat
Maestro and Cirrus are accepted through-
spectable ABC. One of the best-selling dailies
(left) or a taxi to the heliport.
out Spain. They can be used in many hotels,
is Marca, devoted to sport.
For a trip around the harbour, board a Barcelona Scooter ( 93 285 38 32; Ź 45; 10.30am
% h
restaurants and shops. Credit cards can also
Golondrina Excursion Boats (Map p93; 93 442 31 06; Sat), run by Cooltra (see p267), offers a four-hour
%
be used in ATMs displaying the appropriate
www.lasgolondrinas.com; Moll de les Drassanes; adult/ tour around the city by scooter in conjunction
sign. Check charges with your bank. If your ORGANISED TOURS
under 4yr/4-10yr/student & senior Ź 10.50/free/4.80/7.70; with the city tourism office. Departure is from
card is lost, stolen or swallowed by an ATM, Organised tours range from walking tours
Drassanes) golondrina (swallow) from Moll
m in front of La Sagrada Famlia on Carrer de
you can telephone toll free to immediately of the Barri Gtic or Picasso s Barcelona to
de les Drassanes in front of Monument a
Sardenya.
stop its use: organised spins by bicycle.
Colom. The one-hour round trip takes you
Gocar (Map pp84 5; 902 301333; www.gocartours.es;
%
The Oficina d Informació de Turisme de
Amex ( 900 994426)
%
to Port Olmpic, the Frum and back again.
Carrer de Freixures 23bis; per hour/day Ź 35/Ź 99) has GPS-
Barcelona organises a series of guided walk-
Diners Club ( 901 101011) The number of departures depends largely on
%
guided cars (actually two-seat, three-wheel
ing tours under the name of Barcelona Walking
the season and demand. If you just want to
mopeds) that allow you to tour around town,
MasterCard ( 900 971231) Tours (Map pp108 9; 93 285 38 34; Plaa de Catalunya
% %
discover the area around the port, you can opt
park where motorbikes are allowed and listen
17-S; Catalunya). One explores the Barri Gtic
m
Visa ( 900 991124)
%
for a 35-minute excursion to the breakwater
to commentaries on major sites as you go.
(adult/child Ź 11/4.50; 10am daily in English,
and back (adult/child under four years/child
The GPS system makes it virtually impossible
noon Saturday in Spanish and Catalan), an-
aged four to 10 years Ź 5/free/2.50).
to get lost.
other follows in Picasso s footsteps and winds
Travellers Cheques
Orsom (Map p93; 93 441 05 37; www.barcelona
%
Itour (Map pp108 9; 93 467 15 84; www.itourgps.com;
%
up at the Museu Picasso, to which entry is
Travellers cheques are being left behind by
-orsom.com; Moll de les Drassanes; Apr-Oct; adult/4-
h
Carrer de Provena 292; per day Ź 10.30) is a GPS gadget
included in the price (adult/child Ź 15/6.50;
plastic. Amex, MasterCard and Visa are widely
10yr/11-18yr & senior Ź 12.50/6.50/9.50; Drassanes)
m
with maps of Barcelona that will lead you to
10.30am Tuesday to Sunday in English,
accepted brands (the latter two are also sold
has similar trips to those of Golondrina
(and provide some info on) sights, restaurants
11.30am Saturday in Spanish and Catalan)
by Travelex). If you lose your cheques, call a
Excursion Boats on a giant catamaran. There
and more.
and a third takes in the main jewels of Mod-
24-hour freephone number ( for Amex 900 994426, for
%
are up to three departures per day. The third,
ernisme (adult/child Ź 11/4.50; 4pm Friday and
Visa 900 948973, for MasterCard 900 948971).
leaving at 6pm, includes a jazz band and costs
Saturday in English, 4pm Saturday in Spanish,
Travelex (www.travelex.com) issues prepaid Cash
a little more (Ź 14.90/6.50/12.90). Check de- POST
all tours in both English and Spanish at 6pm
Passports. Load funds onto the card before
parture times and availability in advance.
Correos ( 902 197197; www.correos.es, in Spanish) is
%
June to September). It also offers a gourmet
you travel and use it like any cash card in Visa
Cultural organisation La Casa Elizalde (Map p108 9l eixamplecentre;
Spain s national postal service. Barcelona s
tour of traditional purveyors of fine foodstuffs
ATMs worldwide.
93 488 05 90; www.casaelizalde.com; Carrer de ValŁncia
% main post office (Map pp64 5; 8.30am-10pm Mon-Sat,
h
across the old city (adult/child Ź 15/6.50; 11am
302; Passeig de Grącia) runs several Barcelona noon-10pm Sun; Jaume I) is just opposite the
m m
Friday and Saturday in English, 11am Saturday
walks (which generally occupy a Saturday northeast end of Port Vell at Plaa d Antoni
in Spanish and Catalan). It includes a couple of
NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES
morning and cost up to Ź 9 per person) and
López. Another handy branch for travel-
chances to taste some of the products. All tours
A wide selection of national daily newspa-
one-day or weekend excursions outside the
lers lies just off Passeig de Grącia at Carrer
last two hours and start at the tourist office.
pers from around Europe (including the
city tours are in Catalan.
d Aragó 282 (Map pp108 9; 8.30am-8.30pm Mon-Fri,
h
%
UK) is available at newsstands all over cen- Barcelona Guide Bureau ( 93 268 24 22; www.bgb.es;
Segway BCN (Map pp122 3; 93 494 84 62; www.segwaybcn
% 9.30am-1pm Sat; Passeig de Grącia). Many other
m
tral Barcelona and at strategic locations such Via Laietana 54) places professional guides at the
.com, in Spanish; Carrer de Bigai 11-13) offers urban and branches tend to open between 8.30am and
as train and bus stations. The International disposal of groups for tailor-made tours of the
even country tours on two-wheel people- 2.30pm Monday to Friday and from 9.30am
Herald Tribune, Time, Economist, Der Spiegel city. Several languages are catered for.
movers! Tours start from Ź 30 for 30 minutes
to 1pm on Saturday.
and other international magazines are also Bus Turstic (Map pp64 5; 010; www.tmb.net) is
%
with a minimum of four people.
Segells/sellos (stamps) are sold at most
available. a hop-on hop-off service that links virtually
My Favourite Things ( 637 265405; www.myft.net; estancos (tobacconists shops) and at post
%
El Pas includes a daily supplement de- all the major tourist sights. See p266 for more
tours from Ź 26-32) offers tours for no more than offices throughout the city.
voted to Catalonia, but the region also has information.
276 277
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DIRECTORY NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES
DIRECTORY POST
A postcard or letter weighing up to 20g To call Barcelona from outside Spain, dial clock for official business (timetables etc) but
TAXES & REFUNDS
costs Ź 0.60 from Spain to other European the international access code, followed by the often switch to the 12-hour version in daily
Value-added tax, or VAT, is otherwise known
countries and Ź 0.78 to the rest of the world. code for Spain ( 34) and the full number conversation.
%
as IVA (impuesto sobre el valor ańadido, pro-
The same would cost Ź 2.84 and Ź 3.02, respec- (including Barcelona s area code, 93, which
%
nounced EE-ba ). IVA is 7% on accommoda-
tively, for certificado (registered) mail. Send- is an integral part of the number).
tion and restaurant prices and is usually but
TOURIST INFORMATION
ing such letters urgente, which means your The access code for international calls from
not always included in quoted prices. On
Several tourist offices operate in Barcelona. A
mail may arrive two or three days sooner than Spain is 00. To make an international call,
%
retail goods the IVA is 16%. IVA-free shop-
couple of general information numbers worth
usual, costs Ź 3.10 and Ź 3, respectively. You dial the access code, wait for a new dial tone,
ping is available in duty-free shops at all
bearing in mind are 010 and 012. The
% %
can send mail both certificado and urgente then dial the country code, area code and
airports for people travelling between EU first is for Barcelona and the other is for all
if you wish. number.
countries. Catalonia (run by the Generalitat). You some-
Ordinary mail to other western European You can dial an operator to make reverse
Non-EU residents are entitled to a refund times strike English-speakers, although for
countries usually takes around three to four charge calls to your own country for free
of the 16% IVA on purchases costing more the most part operators are Catalan/Spanish
days; to North America and Australasia any- pick up the number before you leave home.
than Ź 90.15 from any shop, if the goods are bilingual. In addition to the following listed
thing from one to two weeks. Delivery times You can usually get an English-speaking
tourist offices, information booths operate at
taken out of the EU within three months.
to Spain are similar to those for outbound Spanish international operator on 1008
%
Estació del Nord bus station and at Portal de
Ask the shop for a Cashback (or similar) re-
mail. All Spanish addresses have five-digit (for calls within Europe) or 1005 (rest of
%
la Pau, at the foot of the Monument a Colom
fund form showing the price and IVA paid
postcodes; using postcodes will help your the world). For international directory in-
at the port end of La Rambla. At least three
for each item and identifying the vendor and
mail arrive a bit quicker. quiries, dial 11825. A call to this number
%
others set up at various points in the city cen-
purchaser. Then present the form at the cus-
Lista de correos (poste restante) mail can costs Ź 2.
tre in summer. In addition to what follows,
be addressed to you anywhere in Catalonia toms booth for IVA refunds when you depart Dial 1009 to speak to a domestic opera-
%
check out www.turismetotal.org for info on
that has a post office. It will be delivered to from Spain (or elsewhere in the EU). You will tor, including for a domestic reverse-charge
Barcelona province.
the place s main post office unless another is need your passport and a boarding card that call (llamada por cobro revertido). For national
specified in the address. Take your passport shows you are leaving the EU, and your lug- directory inquiries, dial 11818. Oficina d Informació de Turisme de Barcelona Plaa de
%
when you pick up mail. gage (so do this before checking in bags). The Mobile-phone numbers start with 6. Num- Catalunya (Map pp108 9; 93 285 38 32; www.barcelona
%
A typical lista de correos address looks like bers starting with 900 are national toll-free
officer will stamp the invoice and you hand it
turisme.com; Plaa de Catalunya 17-S, underground;
this: numbers, while those starting with numbers
in at a bank at the departure point to receive
9am-9pm; Catalunya); Ajuntament (Map pp64 5;
h m
Jenny JONES between 901 and 905 come with varying con-
a reimbursement.
Carrer de la Ciutat 2; 9am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat,
h
Lista de Correos ditions. A common one is 902, which is a
At Barcelona airport look for the customs
10am-2pm Sun & holidays; Jaume I); Estació Sants (Map
m
08080 Barcelona national standard-rate number. In a similar
booth directly opposite the bar on the ground
pp140 1; Estació Sants train station; 8am-8pm Jun-Sep,
h
Spain category are numbers starting with 803, 806
floor of Terminal A (by the arrivals doors).
8am-8pm Mon-Fri plus 8am-2pm Sat, Sun & holidays Oct-
and 807.
Branches of the Caixa and BBVA banks (both
May; Sants Estació); El Prat airport (Terminal B arrivals
m
about 50m to the right of the customs win-
hall, Terminal A arrivals hall; 9am-9pm) The Plaa de
h
RADIO
dow) will deal with Cashback refunds (7am
Mobile Phones Catalunya tourist information office concentrates on city
The Spanish national network, Radio Nacional
to 11pm daily). Otherwise you can use the
Spain uses GSM 900/1800, which is compat- information and can help book accommodation. Expect
de Espańa (RNE; www.rtve.es/radio), has several sta-
envelope provided to have the tax paid back
ible with the rest of Europe and Australia to queue.
tions: RNE 1 (738AM; 88.3 FM) has general
to your credit card or by cheque. For more
but not with the North American GSM 1900
interest and current affairs programmes;
Palau de la Virreina Arts Information Office (Map
information, check out the Euro Refund website
or the system used in Japan. If your phone
RNE 3 (98.6 FM) presents a decent range
pp64 5; 93 301 77 75; Rambla de Sant Josep 99;
%
(www.eurorefund.com).
is tri- or quadriband, you will probably be
of pop and rock music; RNE 5 (576AM;
10am-8pm; Liceu) A useful office for events
h m
fine. You can buy SIM cards and prepaid call
99FM) concentrates on sport and entertain-
information and tickets.
time in Spain for your own national mobile
ment. Among the most listened-to rock and
TELEPHONE
Palau Robert regional tourist office (Map pp108 9;
phone (provided what you own is a GSM,
pop stations are 40 Principales (www.los40.com, in
The ubiquitous blue payphones are easy
93 238 80 91; www.gencat.net/probert; Passeig de
dual- or tri-band cellular phone and not code- %
Spanish; 93.9 FM), Onda Cero (www.ondacero.es, in Spanish;
to use for international and domestic calls.
blocked). You will need your passport to open Grącia 107; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2.30pm Sun;
h
94.1 FM) and Cadena 100 (www.cadena100.es, in Span-
They accept coins, tarjetas telefónicas (phone-
any kind of mobile-phone account, prepaid
Diagonal) A host of material on Catalonia, audiovisual
m
ish; 100 FM).
cards) issued by the national phone company
or otherwise.
resources, a bookshop and a branch of Turisme Juvenil de
Those wanting to get into some Catalan
Telefónica and, in some cases, credit cards.
Catalunya (for youth travel).
can tune into Catalunya Rądio (www.catradio.cat;
Tarjetas telefónicas come in Ź 6 and Ź 12 de-
102.8 FM), Catalunya Informació (92 FM) and nominations and are sold at post offices and TIME
a host of small local radio stations.
tobacconists. Spain is one hour ahead of GMT/UTC dur-
TRAVELLERS WITH
You can also pick up the BBC World Service
Public telephones inside bars and cafs, and ing winter, and two hours ahead during day-
(www.bbc.co.uk) on, among others, 6195kHz, phones in hotel rooms, are nearly always more light saving (the last Sunday in March to the DISABILITIES
9410kHz and 12,095kHz (short wave). Voice last Sunday in October). Most other western Some hotels and public institutions have
expensive than street payphones.
European countries are on the same time
of America (VOA; www.voiceamerica.com) can be found Locutorios (call centres) are another option. wheelchair access. Most buses in Barcelona are
as Spain year-round, the major exceptions wheelchair accessible and a growing number
on a number of short-wave frequencies, You ll mostly find these scattered about the old
including 1593kHz, 9865kHz, 11,765kHz being the UK, Ireland and Portugal, which are of Metro stations are theoretically wheelchair
town, especially in and around El Raval. Check
and 15,205kHz. one hour behind. Spaniards use the 24-hour accessible (generally by lift, although there
rates before making calls.
278 279
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lonelyplanet.com
DIRECTORY RADIO
DIRECTORY TIME
have been complaints that they are only any Schengen country do not require a visa to visit you are offered a contract, your employer People wishing to make the first moves
good for parents with prams). Lines 2 and 11 another Schengen country. will usually steer you through the labyrinth towards expanding their business into Spain
are completely adapted, as are two-thirds of All non-EU nationals entering Spain for of paperwork. should contact their own country s trade de-
stops on Line 1. About half the stops on the any reason other than tourism (such as study The easiest source of work for foreigners partment (such as the BERR in the UK). The
remaining lines have been adapted. The prob- or work) should contact a Spanish consulate, is teaching English (or another foreign lan- commercial department of the Spanish em-
lem then is access from platforms to trains as they may need a specific visa. Citizens of guage). Schools are listed under AcadŁmies bassy in your own country should also have
more often than not the gap between the two countries not mentioned above should check de Idiomes in the Yellow Pages. information at least about red tape.
makes getting aboard a trial. The Catalan whether they need a visa with their Spanish Sources of information on possible teach- In Barcelona your next port of call should
government maintains that all stations will consulate. ing work school or private include foreign
be the Cambra de Comer de Barcelona (Map p118;
be fully adapted by 2012. cultural centres (the British Council, Insti- 902 448448; www.cambrabcn.es; Avinguda Diagonal
%
You can order special taxis; see p269. Most tut Franais etc), language schools, foreign-
452; Diagonal). It has a documentation centre
m
WOMEN TRAVELLERS
street crossings in l Eixample are wheelchair- language bookshops and university notice
and business-oriented bookshop, the Llibreria
Think twice about going by yourself to iso-
friendly. boards. Cultural institutes you may want to
de la Cambra.
lated stretches of beach or down empty city
For more information on what the city try include:
With more than 80 trade fairs a year
streets at night. It s inadvisable for women to
is doing to improve accessibility, check
British Council (Map pp122 3; 93 241 99 77; www and a growing number of congresses of all
%
hitchhike alone and not a great idea even
out the city council website (www.bcn.es).
.britishcouncil.org/es/spain.htm; Carrer d Amigó 83; types, Barcelona is an important centre of
for two women together.
Barcelona Turisme (www.vienaeditorial.com/barcelona
international business in Europe. The Fira de
FGC Muntaner)
d
Topless bathing is OK on beaches in Cata-
accesible) also publishes the Accessible Barcelona
Barcelona (Map pp140 1; 902 233200; www.firabcn.es;
%
lonia and also at swimming pools. While Institut Franais de Barcelona (Map pp122 3; 93
%
Guide in several languages. Other services
Plaa d Espanya; Espanya) organises fairs for eve-
m
skimpy clothing tends not to attract much 567 77 77; www.institutfrances.org; Carrer de Moią 8;
include the following:
rything from fashion to technology, furniture,
attention in Barcelona and the coastal resorts,
Diagonal)
m
Accessible Barcelona ( 93 428 52 27; www.accessible recycling, jewellery and classic cars. The infor-
%
tastes in inland Catalonia tend to be some-
Institute for North American Studies (Map pp122 3;
barcelona.com) Craig Grimes, a T6 paraplegic and inveter- mation office offers business services (such as
what conservative.
93 240 51 10; www.ien.es; Via Augusta 123;
ate traveller, created this Barcelona-specific accessible % communications), meeting rooms and other
Ca la Dona (Map pp108 9; 93 412 71 61;
%
FGC Plaa Molina)
travel site, easily the most useful doorway into the city for d facilities for people working at trade fairs.
http://caladona.pangea.org; Carrer de Casp 38;
the disabled.
The main trade fair (Fira M1; Map pp140 1) is
Catalunya) The nerve centre of the region s feminist
m
Translating and interpreting could be an op- located between the base of Montjuc and
Institut Municipal de Persones amb Disminució
movement which includes many diverse women s groups.
tion if you are fluent in Spanish (and/or Cata- Plaa d Espanya, with 115,000 sq metres of
(Map pp102 3; 93 413 27 75; Avinguda Diagonal
%
Centre Francesca Bonnemaison (Map pp84 5; lan) and a language in demand. Bar work in exhibition space and a conference centre. Fira
233) This organisation has information for people with
93 268 42 18; www.bonnemaison-ccd.org; Carrer de Irish pubs and boat scrubbing in the marinas M2 (Fair No 2), southwest of Montjuc, con-
%
disabilities in Barcelona, although it is aimed mostly at
and the like are other possibilities. tinues to expand along Gran Via de les Corts
Sant Pere ms Baix 7; Urquinaona) A women s cultural
m
permanent residents.
Catalanes and totals 180,000 sq metres.
centre with more than 80 women s groups and feminist
ONCE (Map pp140 1; 93 325 92 00; Carrer de
%
On the waterfront, the World Trade Center (Map
associations, putting on expositions, staging theatre
Doing Business
Sepślveda 1; Plaa d Espanya) The national organisa-
m
productions and promoting social groups. p93; 93 508 80 00; www.wtcbarcelona.com; Drassanes)
% m
The main business district in Barcelona is
tion for the vision-impaired can help with information,
at Port Vell offers a variety of meeting rooms
Institut Catalą de la Dona (Map pp76 7; 93 317 along the western end of Avinguda Diagonal.
%
including lists of places such as restaurants where Braille
and conference centres. The Centre de Convencions
The big banks cluster here with several major
82 81; www.gencat.net/icdona; Plaa de Pere Coromines
menus are provided. It has a guide to Barcelona in Braille.
Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB; Map pp98 9; 93 230 10
%
business-oriented hotels. Another centre of
1; Liceu) It can point you in the right direction for
m
00; www.ccib.es; Rambla de Prim 1-17) in the northeast
activity is the World Trade Center in Port
information on marriage, divorce, rape/assault counsel-
of the city near the waterfront can host 15,000
Vell. A hi-tech district, known as 22@bcn,
VISAS ling and related issues for long-termers, social activities,
people (see p97).
is emerging in the former industrial area of
Spain is one of 24 member countries of the women s clubs etc. The hotline for victims of assault is
The Barcelona Convention Bureau (Map pp108 9;
Poblenou. The giant congress centre in Frum
Schengen Convention, under which 22 EU 900 900120.
%
93 368 97 00; Rambla de Catalunya 123; Diagonal)
attracts international get-togethers on the % m
countries (all but Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland,
also organises conventions and other events.
northeast coast of the city.
Romania and the UK) plus Iceland and
Norway have abolished checks at common WORK
borders. Switzerland is in the process of be- Nationals of Switzerland, Norway and Iceland
coming a member and Cyprus was set to join and all EU countries (apart from Bulgaria,
by the end of 2008. Cyprus and Romania) may work in Spain
EU nationals require only their ID cards without a visa, but for stays of more than
to live and work in Spain, except nationals three months they are supposed to apply for
of Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania, who do a tarjeta de residencia (residence card) within
not need visas for tourist visits but don t yet the first month.
have the full freedom to live and work legally. Virtually everyone else is supposed to ob-
Nationals of many other countries, including tain a work permit from a Spanish consulate
Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zea- in their country of residence and, if they plan
land and the USA, do not require visas for to stay more than 90 days, a residence visa.
tourist visits to Spain of up to 90 days. Non- Quite a few people work, discreetly, without
EU nationals who are legal residents of one bothering to tangle with the bureaucracy. If
280 281
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DIRECTORY VISAS
DIRECTORY WORK
Thursday jueves
PRACTICAL
Friday viernes
LANGUAGE
Saturday sbado
Question Words
Sunday domingo
Who? żQuin? (sg)
żQuines? (pl)
Catalan (catalą) and Spanish (more appropriately known as castellano, or Castilian), have
What? żQu?
equal official status in Catalunya. The recognition of Catalan is the end result of a vigorous
Banking
Which? żCul? (sg)
regional government campaign that began when the province gained autonomy at the end of
I d like to change some money.
żCules? (pl)
the 1970s. Until the disaster of the Battle of Muret in 1213, Catalan territory extended well
Me gustara cambiar dinero.
When? żCundo?
across southern France, taking in Roussillon and reaching into Provence. Catalan was spoken,
I d like to change a traveller s cheque.
Where? żDónde?
or at least understood, throughout these territories and in what is now Catalunya and Andorra. Me gustara cobrar un cheque de viaje.
How? żCómo?
In the couple of hundred years that followed, while the losses of French territory were being
How much? żCunto?
compensated by their Mediterranean empire building, the Catalans spread their language south Where s the nearest ...?
How many? żCuntos?
into Valencia, west into Aragón and east to the Balearic Islands (Illes Balears/Islas Baleares). żDónde est ... ms cercano?
How much is it? żCunto cuesta?
The language also reached Sicily and Naples, and the Sardinian town of Alghero is still a partly ATM el cajero automtico
Why? żPor qu?
Catalan-speaking outpost today. foreign exchange la oficina de cambio
office
In Barcelona you ll hear as much Spanish as Catalan, and we ve provided
some Spanish to get you started (see p285 for some basic Catalan). Your
Numbers & Amounts
Do you accept ...?
chances of striking English speakers are also not so bad. Elsewhere in the
0 cero
żAceptan ...?
province, don t be surprised if you get replies in Catalan to your questions
1 uno/una (m/f)
credit cards tarjetas de crdito
in Spanish. However, you ll find that most Catalans will happily speak to you
2 dos
debit cards tarjetas de dbito
in Spanish, especially once they realise you re a foreigner.
3 tres
traveller s cheques cheques de viaje
If you want to learn more Spanish than we ve included here, pick up a
4 cuatro
copy of Lonely Planet s comprehensive but user-friendly Spanish Phrasebook
5 cinco
or Fast Talk Spanish.
6 seis
Post
7 siete
Where s the post office?
8 ocho
żDónde est Correos?
Pardon? What? 9 nueve
SOCIAL
10 diez
żCómo?
I want to send a ...
11 once
Quera enviar ...
Meeting People
12 doce
Could you please ...?
fax un fax
Hello.
13 trece
żPuede ... por favor?
parcel un paquete
ĄHola!
14 catorce
speak more slowly hablar ms despacio postcard una postal
Goodbye.
15 quince
repeat that repetir
ĄAdiós!
16 diecisis
write it down escribirlo I want to buy a/an ...
Please.
17 diecisiete
Quera comprar ...
Por favor.
18 dieciocho
aerogramme un aerograma
Thank you.
Going Out
19 diecinueve
envelope un sobre
(Muchas) Gracias.
What s there to do in the evenings?
20 veinte
stamp/stamps un sello/sellos
Yes.
żQu se puede hacer por las noches?
21 veintiuno
S.
22 veintidós
No.
Phones & Mobiles
What s on ...? 30 treinta
No. I want to buy a phone card.
żQu hay& ? 31 treinta y uno
Excuse me. Quera comprar una tarjeta.
locally en la zona 40 cuarenta
Perdón.
this weekend este fin de semana 50 cincuenta
I want to make a ...
Sorry!
today hoy 60 sesenta
Quera hacer ...
Perdón/Perdóneme.
tonight esta noche 70 setenta
call (to ...) una llamada (a ...)
Do you speak English?
80 ochenta
reverse-charge/ una llamada a cobro
żHabla ingls? 90 noventa
Where are the ...?
collect call revertido
Does anyone speak English? 100 cien
żDónde hay ... ?
żHay alguien que hable ingls? 1000 mil
places to eat lugares para comer
Where can I find a/an ...?
2000 dos mil
Do you understand?
nightclubs discotecas
żDónde se puede encontrar un ...?
żMe entiende?
pubs pubs
I d like a/an ...
Yes, I understand. gay venues lugares gay
Days Quera un ...
S, entiendo.
Monday lunes adaptor plug adaptador
No, I don t understand. Is there a local entertainment guide?
Tuesday martes charger for my cargador para mi
No, no entiendo. żHay una gua del ocio de la zona?
Wednesday mircoles phone telfono
282 283
282 283
LANGUAGE SOCIAL
LANGUAGE PRACTICAL
mobile/cell phone móvil para alquilar A table for ..., please.
for hire Una mesa para ..., por favor.
A LITTLE BIT OF CATALĄ
prepaid mobile/ móvil de prepago Is service/cover charge included in the bill?
These Catalan words and phrases might win you a few smiles and perhaps help you make some new friends!
cell phone
żEst incluido el servicio en la cuenta?
SIM card for tarjeta SIM para
Do you have a menu in English? Hello. Hola. Wednesday dimecres
your network su red
żTienen un menu en ingls? Goodbye. Adu. Thursday dijous
Yes. S. Friday divendres
I m a vegetarian.
No. No. Saturday dissabte
Soy vegetariano/a. (m/f)
Internet
Please. Sisplau/Si us plau. Sunday diumenge
Do you have any vegetarian dishes?
Where s the local internet cafe?
Thank you (very much). (Moltes) grącies.
żTienen algśn plato vegetariano?
żDónde hay un ciber (caf) cercano?
You re welcome. De res. 0 zero
I m allergic to peanuts.
Excuse me. Perdoni. 1 un, una (m/f )
Soy alrgico/a a los cacahuetes. (m/f)
I d like to ...
May I?/Do you mind? Puc?/Em permet? 2 dos, dues (m/f )
What is today s special?
Quera ...
I m sorry. Ho sento/Perdoni. 3 tres
żCul es el plato del da?
get internet conectarme (a
What s your name? Com et dius? (inf ) 4 quatre
What would you recommend?
access internet)
Com es diu? (pol) 5 cinc
żQu recomienda?
check my email revisar mi correo
My name s ... Em dic ... 6 sis
What s the speciality here?
electrónico
Where are you from? D on ets? 7 set
żCul es la especialidad de este restaurante?
Do you speak English? Parla anglŁs? 8 vuit
I d like the set lunch, please.
I (don t) understand. (No) ho entenc. 9 nou
Transport
Quera el menś del da, por favor.
Could you speak in Pot parlar castellą 10 deu
What time does the ... leave?
The bill, please.
Castilian please? sisplau? 11 onze
żA qu hora sale el ...?
La cuenta, por favor.
How do you say ... in Com es diu ... en 12 dotze
boat barco
I ll have what they re having.
Catalan? catalą? 13 tretze
bus autobśs
Tomar lo mismo que ellos.
I m looking for ... Estic buscant ... 14 catorze
bus (intercity) autocar
Good health/Cheers!
How do I get to ...? Com puc arribar a ...? 15 quinze
plane avión
ĄSalud!
Turn left. Giri a mą esquerra. 16 setze
train tren
Thank you, that was delicious.
Turn right. Giri a mą dreta. 17 disset
Muchas gracias, estaba buensimo.
near/far a prop/lluny de 18 divuit
What time s the ... bus?
19 dinou
żA qu hora hay el ... autocar/autobśs?
For more detailed information on food and
Monday dilluns 20 vint
first primer
dining out, see p166.
Tuesday dimarts 100 cent
last śltimo
next próximo
Food Glossary
botifarra Catalan pork sausage menjador (C) dining room, sit-down
Is this taxi free?
Here is a brief glossary of some food terms
cafŁ amb llet/ coffee with milk restaurant
żEst libre este taxi?
that could come in handy. Items listed below
menś del da (S) fixed-price meal, mostly
caf con leche
Please put the meter on.
are in Catalan/Spanish where they start with
available at lunchtime
caldereta a seafood stew
Por favor, ponga el taxmetro
the same letter. Where the two terms start
montaditos (S) canaps
carxofa (C) artichoke
How much is it to ...?
with different letters, or where only the Cata-
nueva cocina new cuisine
cava Catalan version of champagne
żCunto cuesta ir a ...?
lan or the Spanish term is provided, they are
espańola
ceba/cebolla onion
Please take me (to this address).
listed separately and marked (C) for Catalan
oli (C) oil
cervesa/cerveza beer
Por favor, llveme (a esta dirección).
or (S) for Spanish. If an entry is not marked
ous (C) eggs
chupito a shot (small glass of spirits)
at all, it is because it takes the same form in
paella (S) rice, seafood and meat dish
cordero (S) lamb
both languages.
patates braves/ potato chunks bathed in a
FOOD
costella/chuleta cutlet
patatas bravas slightly spicy tomato sauce
breakfast desayuno
cranc/cangrejo or crab
aceite (S) oil
pebre/pimienta pepper
lunch comida
centollo
aigua/agua water
peix/pescados fish
dinner cena
formatge (C) cheese
alcachofa (S) artichoke
queso (S) cheese
snack tentempi
gambes/gambas prawns
ametlla/almendra almond
rap/rape monkfish
to eat/to drink comer/beber
gelat (C) ice cream
anyell or xai (C) lamb ratafia (C) a local, high-octane liquor
helado (S) ice cream
arrs/arroz rice ternera (S) beef
Can you recommend a ...?
huevos (S) eggs
bacallą/bacalao salted cod torrada/tostada open toasted sandwich
żPuede recomendar un ...?
llagosta/langosta lobster
bogavante (S) a type of lobster common
bar bar trucha (S) trout
llamąntol (C) a type of lobster common on
caf caf on local menus truita (C) omelette/tortilla, trout
coffee bar cafetera boquerons/ white anchovies in vinegar local menus vedella (C) beef
restaurant restaurante boquerones llenties/lentejas lentils vi/vino wine
284 285
284 285
LANGUAGE FOOD
LANGUAGE FOOD
Lonely Planet Publications
EMERGENCIES HEALTH
Help! Where s the nearest ...?
ĄSocorro! żDónde est & ms cercano?
It s an emergency! (night) chemist la farmacia (de
ĄEs una emergencia! guardia)
Could you help me, please? doctor el mdico
żMe puede ayudar, por favor? hospital el hospital
Where s the police station?
żDónde est la comisara? I need a doctor (who speaks English).
Where are the toilets? Necesito un doctor (que hable ingls).
żDónde estn los servicios?
I have (a/an) ...
Call ...! Tengo &
ĄLlame a ...! diarrhoea diarrea
the police la polica fever fiebre
a doctor un mdico headache dolor de cabeza
an ambulance una ambulancia pain dolor
Generalitat (C) Catalan regional government
GLOSSARY
guiri foreigner (somewhat pejorative)
Items listed below are in Catalan/Spanish (Castilian) where
hostal commercial establishment providing one- to
they start with the same letter. Where the two terms start
three-star accommodation
with different letters, or where only the Catalan or the
iglesia (S) church
Spanish term is provided, they are listed separately and
Lonely Planet Publications. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally
IVA impost sobre el valor afegit/impuesto sobre el valor
marked (C) for Catalan or (S) for Spanish. If an entry is
restricted. In return, we think it s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes
ańadido, or value-added tax
not marked at all, it is because it takes the same form in
only. In other words, please don t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to
both languages.
masia Catalan country farmhouse
everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying
mercat/mercado market
ajuntament/ayuntamiento town hall
the above - Do the right thing with our content.
Modernisme (C) the turn-of-the-19th-century artistic
artesonado (S) Mudjar wooden ceiling with inter-
style, influenced by Art Nouveau, whose leading practi-
laced beams leaving a pattern of spaces for decoration
tioner was Antoni Gaud
avinguda (C) avenue
Modernista an exponent of Modernisme
Barcelonin (C) inhabitant/native of Barcelona
Mudjar (S) a Muslim living under Christian rule in
Barcino Roman name for Barcelona
medieval Spain; also refers to their decorative style of
barri/barrio neighbourhood, quarter of Barcelona
architecture
caganer (C) crapper, a character that appears in
palau (C) palace
Catalan nativity scenes
passatge (C) laneway
Call (C) Jewish quarter in medieval Barcelona
pensió/pensión commercial establishment providing
capella/capilla chapel
one- to three-star accommodation
carrer/calle street
plaa/plaza plaza
casa house
platja/playa beach
castellers (C) human-castle builders
cercanas (S) local trains serving Barcelona s airport,
Renaixena Rebirth of interest in Catalan literature,
suburbs and some outlying towns
culture and language in the second half of the 19th
comte/conde count
century
rodalies (C) see cercanas
esglsia (C) church
saló (C) hall
farmącia/farmacia pharmacy
sardana traditional Catalan folk dance
festa/fiesta festival, public holiday or party
s/n (S) sin nśmero (without number)
FGC (C) Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya;
local trains operating alongside the Metro in Barcelona
tablao restaurant where flamenco is performed
fundació/fundació foundation
teatre theatre
garum a spicy sauce made from fish entrails, found terrassa/terazza terrace; often means a caf or bar s
throughout the Roman Empire outdoor tables
gegants huge figures paraded at festes turista second class; economy class
286 287
286 287
LANGUAGE EMERGENCIES
LANGUAGE
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