Barcelona Guide and Information

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Barcelona Guide and Information

General information

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, located on the Costa Brava in North East Spain. It's Spain's second largest City with 4.5 million inhabitants. Madrid the capital of Spain is the largest city - 6 million inhabitants.

The city of Barcelona has the benefit of a large metropolitan City, a busy sea port and a beach resort combined together.

 

The city is blessed with an efficient bus services and Metro (Underground) system with stations scattered throughout the city. 

 

Barcelona has 4 km of sandy beaches, making it a beach resort, a busy harbour and is also a popular City break.  It's mix of history, cosmopolitan atmosphere , large beaches and culture draws tourists from all over the world. Because of Barcelona's size the location of your hotel will be important, and will vary depending on the reason for your visit.

 

Language

The favoured language of the area of Barcelona, Valencia and the Balearic Islands is Catalan rather than the national language of Spanish.

Attractions

Barri Gotti  (Gothic Quarter)

The Barri Gotti, the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is where the medieval walled town of Barcelona is situated. Unfortunately most of the old town walls have disappeared as the city expanded. The Barri Gotti is a maze of narrow twisting streets. The entire area is a tourist attraction with it's shops, cafes, bars and hotels. Being the old part of the city it contains the following major attractions: Placa del Reial , Palau Major

More information Barri Gotic   

Casa Batilo (Gaudi)

Casa Calvet (Gaudi)

El Palau Guell (Gaudi)

Temple La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi)

The most eye catching building on the Barcelona skyline,  this unfinished cathedral masterpiece designed by Gaudi is a must on your sightseeing list. 

More information and photographs La Sagrada Familia   

Monument a Colom

On the bridge over the sea that links 'Maremagnum' with 'La Rambla', at your left, you can see the Columbus monument. The discoverer of America is pointing in the wrong direction, the Mediterranean Sea, and America is on the other side to the west.

IMAX Barcelona

A 3-dimensional visual and sound experience not to be missed. Various films shown.

Museu Picasso

The Picasso Museum is across Via Laietana, down Carrer de la Princesa, and right on Carrer Montcada - a street known for Barcelona's most elegant medieval palaces. Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the beautiful Rose and Blue periods..

Fundacio Miro

The Miro Foundation was a gift from the artist Joan Miro to his native city and is one of Barcelona's most exciting showcases of contemporary art. The airy, white building was designed by Josep Lluís Sert and opened in 1975.

Barcelona Transport

Barcelona has excellent public transport systems. Car hire and driving are not recommended because of heavy traffic and poor parking facilities.

The easiest way of getting around the city of Barcelona, and unfortunatly the least scenic is the

Metro underground or subway system

The underground lines 1, 2, 3 etc are colour coded and depicted

Metro tickets are the same price as bus tickets and the multi journey tickets can be used on either

Barcelona Multi Journey tickets available

• 10 journey T ticket approx €6 for 1 zone
• 2 day approx €8-€9
• 3 day approx €12
• 4 and 5 day tickets are also available

Barcelona Buses

This method of travel allows you to see where you are going, but is subject to traffic holdups. Luckily there are exclusive bus / taxi lanes to help speed your journey. Route maps are displayed at bus stops and buses run from around 5:30 am to 11:30 pm. Multi journey tickets are much cheaper than buying single fares. 

Barcelona Bus Touristic

Routes

There are 2 Bus Touristic routes.  Your ticket allows you to use buses on either route changing routes if required at the 3 central common stops

 

This bus runs roughly every 25 minutes around the tourist sightseeing attractions, the complete journey takes approximately 2 hours per route. A one day ticket that can be purchased on the bus costs around €15.00, a two days' ticket is only a few euros more.

You can get off the bus to walk around the attraction and catch a later one to continue your journey.

Ruta Norte-Roja. The Red route North

Ruta Sur-Azur. The Blue route South

Taxis

Taxis are plentiful, can use the exclusive bus / taxi lanes, thus helping them through traffic congestion

Costs

Costs are reasonable, and are metered. Make sure the meter is on. Current fares are posted inside the cabs.

Extra charges and minimum fares:

• Day minimum fare around €1.20, night €1.35 (2004 prices)
• Airport supplement €2.10, with a minimum fare of €11.15
• Port supplement €1.85
• Oversized luggage supplement €0.85

Current Weather in Barcelona

Language

The main and official language for Spain is Castilian known around the World as Spanish, but Catalan is more widely spoken and is an official language for the area and also the Balearic Islands

The use of more than 1 language can result in place names and street names having different spellings on maps and street signs.

English is widely spoken in the main tourist resorts in tourist hotels, bars and shops.

Tip

Spanish pronunciations are different from English pronunciations. When using public transport write down your destinatiation and show when purchasing tickets.

Barcelona Nightlife

Barcelona Nightlife Card A fun and inexpensive way to experience the hot Spanish nightlife! The card is valid in 45 bars and clubs in Barcelona and serves as a discount card for those venues. Discounts range from free or reduced entrance fees to discounts on drinks and food. Also included is a t-shirt and information package about nightlife in Barcelona.

Barcelona guides and Barcelona Maps

	"Time Out" Guide to Barcelona Providing the visitor with in-depth, authoritative coverage of the Catalan capital, this guide contains information on where to stay and eat and includes details on restaurants, bars, museums, art galleries and nightlife. It is researched and written by Barcelona residents themselves.
	The Rough Guide to Barcelona
	The Rough Guide to Barcelona Map Packed with information, this double-sided map is printed on waterproof paper. The colours used for mapping have been chosen after research into what works best in different light conditions, so the map should be as easy to read under street lamps as it is in daylight. The main area of the city is covered, with an enlarged downtown city centre street map on the reverse. A comprehensive street index and clearly marked one-way streets and pedestrianized areas should make this map ideal for use on foot, driving, or using public transport.