Bus
The
bus from the airport departs every 15 minutes to the city
centre. It takes between 20 minutes and an hour depending
on the traffic. The main bus station is Estacio d'Autobusos
Barcelona Nord, tel 265 65 08. The city has a first rate
bus service, maps of which are free from stations and
tourist offices. There is also a very good value tourist
bus (Bus Turistic) that calls at all the popular tourist
attractions. The service is divided into two routes, along
which are 26 special bus stops. For the price of the ticket
you can get on and off as many times as you like. There
are special discount rates for several days and each ticket
gives you a book of discount vouchers to be used at various
attractions and outlets. This open-top bus really is the
best way to get around the city. All the buses converge
at the Placa de Catalunya, although you can get on one
at any of the special stops. Tickets can be bought onboard
or at one of the many tourist information offices. |
Car
Barcelona
is a major city and has all the associated traffic problems.
Car parking is a nightmare and you are advised to search
out a proper car park. The main arteries are wide and well
organised but anything off these can be a big problem. Barcelona
is connected by the A7 toll road with the French frontier
and the motorway network. Motorway access to the rest of
Spain is via the A2 and A7. |
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Metro
The Metro in Barcelona is an efficient way to tour
the city and is simple to use. The stations are marked
by a red diamond with the letter M in the centre. The
stations are generally clean and safe to use but exercise
caution at night. Direction is indicated by the station
at the end of the line and it covers most but not all
of the city. Those visitors who have been to London will
find it very similar to the London Underground system.
The Metro consists of 5 lines covering 111 stations over
79km of track. A single, one way ticket on the Metro costs
about 0.96€.
Train
There is a train every 30 minutes from the airport
to Estacio des Sants station, taking 20 minutes and costing
around 2€. Barcelona is connected by direct train
with major cities in Spain and other European destinations.
Many main-line trains run beneath the city centre stopping
at underground stations. Rail information can be obtained
on 490 11 22.
Air
The airport
is located 12km sw of the city at El Prat. |
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Taxi
At
the airport there is a taxi rank in front of terminal A.
A journey to the city centre takes 20 minutes to an hour
depending on traffic and costs about 15€. Although
be prepared to pay up to 35€ if you have maximum persons
and luggage. There are ample taxi ranks in the city as well
as roaming taxis. All taxis are of high standard, monitored
by the government and have set tariffs and meters. They
show a green light when free (libre). Their black/yellow
livery makes them easy to spot. There are more than 11,000
of them ! The meter will initially show around 2€,
you are then charged per kilometre after that. |
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By
foot
By far the best way to see the city but make sure you have
good footwear. Most of the tourist attractions can be walked
to but there are a few on the outskirts of the city that
need other means of transport. When walking the city, be
aware of the huge problem Barcelona has with pick-pockets. |
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| Montjuic,
the 570 foot high mountain of Barcelona is reached by a
cable car that runs from Port Vell. A one-way ticket will
cost around 25€ and the views are well worth it. (see
photo left). |
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