Big
Fun in Barcelona
Spain's City of Modernism, Architecture and Food
Visitor
Info: Getting
Around
Visitors
arriving at Barcelona's El Prat de Llobregat Airport have many options to choose from to get into town. Taxi may seem like the simplest option, and with many cars
waiting outside the medium-sized airport, catching a ride
shouldn't be a problem. For
quick local cash, quirky ATMs are located near
the baggage claim area, but official bank ATMs are located
a short walk away at the end of the arrival area, on your
left if you are facing the street. A taxi into Barcelona
should cost about €20 and take about 15 minutes to
most locations inside the city. The Barcelona Aerobus,
located in front of the arrival area, offers a twenty-minute
ride to the center of Barcelona for just under €4.
Buy a ticket from the driver. The Aerobus departs every
15 minutes and takes riders to the centrally located Plaça
de Catalunya. Yet another option would be the RENFE
train, which departs the airport at a quarter
to and a quarter past the hour. These trains cost about
€2, take 20 minutes to get into town, and will drop
you at the Sants Station and the Plaça de Catalunya.
A subway is located under the Sants Station and
beneath the Plaça de Catalunya. Barcelona's subway
system is quick, cheap, and easy to use. Individual rides
cost €1. A T-10 card is sold for €5.60, which
offers ten rides on the subway, the local buses, the FGC,
and the RENFE trains. Three-day passes for the subway
are available for €11.
Barcelona's
Tourist Information centers, known as TI's are
located throughout the city and are marked by a big red
sign. The best of them is at the Plaça de Catalunya,
on the far-left side if you are facing the Ramblas, and
down some stairs. These offices offer city maps, subway
maps, and a free quarterly called See Barcelona,
with useful tourist information like museum hours, restaurant
recommendations and timely cultural events. Tiquet
3 offers same-day, half-price tickets in the evening
(about three hours before show time) for plays and concerts.
The Plaça de Catalunya office is open 9 a.m.-9
p.m. daily and can be visited at www.barcelonaturisme.com.
Where
to Stay
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Standard
Room at Hotel Claris |
If
your main draw in Barcelona is the historical Ramblas
and the Bari Gòtic, the Hotel Sant Augustí is a nice choice. Located just a block of the Ramblas,
the hotel is on a tree-lined square. In the warren of
tiny streets that make up most of the old part of town,
the Hotel Sant Augustí offers French doors that
open onto the square with views of rooftops, tree-tops,
and blue sky. Though not ground-breakingly stylish,
the Hotel Sant Augustí is clean, roomy, air-conditioned,
and stocked with a polite and helpful staff.
If
the newly stylish El Born neighborhood is more your
taste, try the Hotel Banys Orientals. The rooms
are not as spacious as the priciest hotels, but they
are they offer perfect feng sui, spa-style Asian touches,
and a soothing-but-still-trendy place to plop down after
an afternoon meandering through the El Born boutiques.
A high-class option takes you uptown into the posh Eixample
district.
The
Belle Epoque façade of the Hotel Claris belies the modern rooms with original artwork, a swanky
rooftop pool, and an intriguing museum that includes
on of Spain's largest collection of Egyptian artifacts
on the hotel's second floor. Drop into Hotel Claris'
caviar restaurant for an afternoon snack and a glass
of Cava before heading upstairs for an early evening
nap.
Hotel
Sant Augustí—The
oldest
hotel in Barcelona (1840)
|
Hotel
Sant Augustí
Plaça Sant Augustí, 3
T: 34/93 381-1658
F: 34/93 317-2928
www.hotelsa.com
Hotel
Banys Orientals
Calle Argenteria, 37
T: 34/93 268-8460
www.hotelbanysorientals.com
Hotel
Claris
Carrer Pau Claris, 150
T: 800-337-4685
www.slh.com |
A
Spanish Institution: The Siesta
While
Barcelona is not Spain's center for bull fighting or
Flamenco dancing, it still participates in the other
Spanish institution—the siesta. This means business
is conducted 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Lunch occurs
during siesta and dinner doesn't start until 9 p.m.
The action really begins at 10 p.m. or 11p.m. The most
popular tourist locations, though, tend to stay open
through the siesta. It is easier than you may think
to adapt to the unique dinner hour. Simply eat a late
lunch, get an afternoon snack, and be sure to nap either
during siesta (when it is possibly too hot to be walking
around the city) or before dressing to go out to dinner.
The
Language: Catalan
vs. Castillian
Barcelona
is the capital of the Catalunya region, and one of Spain's
most vibrant, modern, and cultured cities. Proud of
its heritage, most Barcelona residents speak Catalan instead of Castillian. This means that locals
use si us plau (see oos plow) instead
of por favor and adeu (ah day oo) instead
of adios. In fact, the children of Catalunya
learn Catalan Spanish in school before learning Castillian
Spanish. Still, most residents will, after a brief pause,
understand Castillian Spanish, and, for that matter,
English. Most menus are printed in both Catalan and
Castillian Spanish, as are placards in museums, and
informational handouts at cultural sites.
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