Apart from the medieval
Barri Gòtic where you'll
want to (and have to) walk,
you'll need to use
Barcelona's excellent
transport system to make the
most of what the city has to
offer. The system comprises
the metro, buses, trains and
a network of funiculars and
cable cars: to sort it all
out, pick up a free public
transport map (
Guía del
Transport Públic de
Barcelona ), available
at the Transports
Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB)
office in Universitat metro
station (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm),
at any of the tourist
offices, or at the city
information office in Plaça
de Sant Miquel; the map is
also posted at bus stops and
metro stations. Detailed
information is also
available by telephone (tel
010)).
On all the city's public
transport you can buy a
single ticket every
time you ride (?1), but even
over only a couple of days
it's cheaper to buy a targeta
- a discount ticket strip
which you either pass
through the box on top of
the barrier or punch in the
machine at the metro
entrance or on the bus and
are available at metro
station ticket offices and
at FGC stations. The T-10
("tay day-oo") targeta
(?5.40) is valid for ten
separate journeys on the
metro, buses, FGC and RENFE
Rodalies trains, but not on
night buses. These tickets
can be used by more than one
person at a time - just make
sure you punch it the same
number of times as there are
people travelling. Each
ticket or fare is now valid
for one trip, which can
combine various bus, train
and metro connections (up to
four in one trip). A transit
plan divides the province
into six zones, which reach
as far out as Vic. The
entire metropolitan area of
Barcelona falls within Zone
1, El Masnou is in 2E,
Sitges in 3A and Montserrat
in 3C.
Other travel passes
are available at station
ticket offices and valid on
the buses, metro, FGC and
RENFE Rodalies: the T-Dia
(for 1 zone: 1 day ?4.10),
the T-50/30 (for 1 zone: 50
trips within a 30-day
period, ?22.30) or the T-Mes
(for 1 zone: 1 month,
?35.10) - for the latter
you'll need a transport ID
card, available from the TMB
office at the Universitat
metro. Anyone caught without
a valid ticket is liable to
an on-the-spot fine
of ?30.10. In addition, you
can buy a T-3 Dies (valid
for 3 days; ?10.30) or a T-5
Dies (valid for 5 days;
?15.70), but these are valid
only on buses and metro and
cannot be used to combine
the two mediums on one fare.
Travellers with
disabilities: getting around
the city
Travellers with
disabilities will find it
easier to get around
Barcelona than most other
Spanish cities, but that's
not saying a great deal.
For specific
information
, contact the Institut
Municipal de Disminuits,
c/Llacuna 171, 3º (tel
932 918 400), or call the
City Information Line on
010. The
Ajuntament
produces a map with some
suggested itineraries for
sightseeing, a list of
accessible bus routes and
restaurants as well as
useful contact numbers,
which is available from
the municipal information
office in Plaça de Sant
Miquel, or the transport
office in Universitat
metro station.
Available facilities
include ramp space for two
wheelchairs on most city
buses; ring the bell on
the bus door. Most bus
lines are wheelchair
accessible, at least at
certain times, but check
with TMB. Some of the more
useful wheelchair
accessible lines are #24
(Carmel-Manso), #33 (Pedralbes-Verneda),
#44 (Sants-Estacío-Badalona),
#47 (Canyelles-Plaça de
Catalunya), #59 (Maria
Cristina-Barceloneta), #72
(Maria Cristina-Zona
Franca) and #171 (Port
Vell-Sant Gervasi).
Nightbuses #N1 (Via Julia-Zona
Franca), #N2 (Collblanc-Verneda)
and #N3 (Montcada-Collblanc)
are also
wheelchair-accessible as
is the Aerobús. The metro
is inaccessible to
wheelchair users apart
from line 2, which has
lifts from the platform to
the street at some
stations. If you need a taxi
that's
wheelchair-accessible,
call Barna Taxi tel 933
577 755 or Taxi Móvil tel
933 581 111.Out on the
streets, the only acoustic
traffic-light signals are
on Rambla de Catalunya and
Plaça d'Espanya; and only
some of the pavements in
the newly renovated parts
of town have graduated
slopes at crossing points.
The metro
The quickest way of
getting around Barcelona
is by the modern and
efficient metro ,
which runs on five lines;
entrances are marked with
a red diamond sign. Its hours
of operation are
Mon-Thurs 5am-11pm; Fri,
Sat and the day before a
public holiday 5am-2am;
Sun 6am-midnight; and
public holidays 6am-11pm.
Buses
Bus routes in the
city are easy to master if
you get hold of a copy of
the transport map and
remember that the routes
are colour-coded:
city
centre buses are red
and always stop at one of
three central squares (Catalunya,
Universitat or Urquinaona);
cross-city buses
are yellow; green buses
run on all the
peripheral
routes outside the
city centre; and
Nightbuses
are blue (and always stop
near or in Plaça de
Catalunya). In addition,
the route is marked at
each bus stop, along with
a timetable - where
relevant, bus routes are
detailed in the text.
Most buses operate
daily , roughly from 4
or 5am until 10.30pm,
though some lines stop
earlier and some run on
until after midnight. The Nightbuses
fill in the gaps on all
the main routes, with
services every thirty
minutes from around 10pm
to 4am - for these, you
can buy single tickets
(?1), or a nitbus
targeta for ?6.40
which is valid for ten
rides and available on the
bus itself.
Between April and
November, there's also a tourist
bus , the Bus Turístic
(#100; daily 9am-7pm;
every 20min), starting at
Plaça de Catalunya and
linking all the main
sights and tourist
destinations, including
the Sagrada Família, Parc
Güell and the Poble
Espanyol. The buses are
colour-coded according to
their direction: red
destination boards
indicate northbound
services and blue are for
southbound. Tickets cost
?13.30 and are valid for
one day, allowing you to
get on and off as you
please; a two-day fare
costs ?16.10 and a child's
ticket is ?7.90. The
ticket also gives
discounts at various
sights and on other
transport systems, such as
the tram to Tibidabo.
Out of Barcelona, and
away from the main routes,
buses will probably
meet most of your
transport needs and on the
whole they're reliable and
comfortable enough, with
prices pretty standard at
about ?4.20 per 100km.
Timetables are posted at
bus stations and, usually,
in local tourist offices.
It's worth noting that the
bus service is drastically
reduced on Sundays and
holidays - it's best
not even to consider
travelling to
out-of-the-way places on
these days. The (Catalan)
words to look out for on
timetables are diari
(daily), feiners
(workdays, including Sat),
and diumenge or festius
(Sun and holidays).
Trains
The city has a cheap and
efficient commuter train
line, the
Ferrocarrils
de la Generalitat de
Catalunya (FGC ), with
its main stations at Plaça
de Catalunya and Plaça
d'Espanya. You'll use this
going to Montserrat and
Tibidabo; it's also useful
for reaching towns outside
the city limits and
details are given in the
text where appropriate.
RENFE ( ) , the
Spanish rail company,
operates an horrendously
complicated variety of train
services. An ordinary
train, much the same speed
and cost as the bus, will
normally be described as
an Expreso or Rapido.
Semi-directos and Tranvías
(mostly short-haul trains)
are somewhat slower.
Intercity expresses, in
ascending order of speed
and luxury, are known as Electrotren,
Talgo or Pendular
. The latter two
categories are the most
expensive, costing as much
as 60-70 percent more than
you'd pay for a standard
second-class ticket;
Electrotren tickets cost
40-50 percent more.
There's a whole range of discount
fares available for
those over 65, travelling
with children under
twelve, in a group of
eleven or more, or
planning a day return, so
make it clear to the clerk
exactly what you're
planning.
Tickets can be
bought at the stations
between sixty days and
fifteen minutes before the
train leaves from the venta
anticipada window, or
in the final two hours
from the venta
inmediata window.
Don't leave it to the last
minute as there are
usually long lines. There
may also be separate
windows for Largo
recorrido
(long-distance) trains and
Regionales or Cercanías
(locals). You can also buy
tickets and make seat
reservations at travel
agents which display the
RENFE sign; the cost is
the same as at the
station.
Funiculars and cable cars
There's a funicular
(?1.50 one way, ?2.30
return) and cable car
(?2.90 one way, ?3.80
return) of use when going
to Montjuïc, and there's
also a tram (?1.70
one way, ?2.40 return) and
funicular service (?1.80
one way, ?3 return) to
Tibidabo - full details
are given in those
sections of the text. On
these services, your targeta
(the T1) is only valid for
the Tibidabo tram.
Finally, the cross-harbour
cable car (?6 one way,
?7.20 return; ?3.70 if get
on or off at the halfway
station) is well worth
taking at least once for
the views.
Taxis
Black-and-yellow taxis
(with a green roof-light
on when available for
hire) are inexpensive,
plentiful and well worth
using, especially late at
night. There's a minimum
charge of ?1.80 (?2
evenings, weekends and
holidays) and after that
it's around ?0.70 per
kilometre. But taxis won't
take more than four people
and charge extra for
baggage and on public
holidays, for picking up
from Sants and for a
multitude of other things.
Asking for a receipt ( rebut
in Catalan, recibo
in Castilian) should
ensure that the price is
fair. Cabs can be
called on the following
numbers: tel 934 902 222;
tel 934 331 020; tel 933
003 811; tel 933 577 755;
tel 933 199 268; and tel
933 215 700.
Driving and vehicle
rental
You're not going to need a
car to get around
Barcelona, but you may
want to rent one if you
plan to see anything else
of the region - though
note that the coastal
roads in summer are a
nightmare; stick to buses
and trains if that's as
far as you're going. Major
roads are generally good,
and traffic, while a
little hectic in the
towns, is generally well
behaved - though Spain
does have one of the
highest incidences of
traffic accidents in
Europe. Driving, even with
a full car, will work out
expensive: fuel prices are
only marginally lower than
in Britain and almost
double US prices, and in
Barcelona at least you'll
probably want to pay extra
for a hotel with
parking
(which is notoriously
difficult in the city
centre), or be forced to
stay on the outskirts.
Vehicle
crime is rampant -
never leave any thing
visible in the car.
Most foreign driving
licences are honoured
in Spain - including all
EU, US and Canadian ones -
but an International
Driver's Licence
(available from recognized
driving organizations) is
an easy way to set your
mind at rest. If you're
bringing your own car, you
must have a green card
from your insurers, and a
bail bond or extra
coverage for legal costs
is also worth having,
since if you do have an
accident it'll be seen as
your fault as a foreigner,
regardless of the
circumstances. Without a
bail bond both you and the
car could be locked up
pending investigation.
Away from main roads
you yield to vehicles
approaching from the
right, but rules are not
too strictly observed
anywhere. Remember that
you drive on the right
in Spain. Speed limits
are posted - maximum on
urban roads is 60kph,
other roads 90kph,
motorways 120kph. If
you're stopped for any
violation, the Spanish
police can and usually
will levy a stiff
on-the-spot fine before
letting you go on your
way, especially since as a
foreigner you're unlikely
to want, or be able, to
appear in court.
In the event of car
trouble, the Reial
Automòbil Club de
Catalunya has links
with its European
equivalents, and there's a
24-hour telephone line for
emergency help and
information : tel 900
307 307. Its office
address in Barcelona is
Avda Diagonal 687 (tel 934
955 000).
Cycling
Taking your own bike can
be an inexpensive and
flexible way to get around
Catalunya, and is one of
the best ways to take in
Barcelona's far-flung
sights. Despite the fact
that the Spanish are keen
cycling fans, they tend to
see it more as sport than
transport, and many
pedestrians regard the
city's new network of bike
paths as additional
pavements. There are bike
shops in Barcelona and the
larger towns, and parts
can often be found at auto
repair shops or garages -
look for
"Michelin"
signs. Cars tend to hoot
in warning before they
pass, which can be
alarming at first but is
useful once you're used to
it.
Getting your bike there
should present few
problems. Most airlines
are happy to take them as
ordinary baggage provided
they come within your
allowance (though crowded
charter flights may be
less obliging). Deflate
the tyres to avoid
explosions in the
unpressurized hold.
Spanish trains are
also reasonably
accessible, though bikes
can only go on a train
with a guard's van and
must be registered - go to
the Equipajes or Paquexpres
desk at the station.
For information on renting
a bike in the city, see
"Directory".
