BARCELONA CITY MINI GUIDE

The City

 Barcelona is the passionate capital of Catalonia, an unforgettable city of art, culture and beauty.Gaudi's works, museums, concerts and FC Barcelona’s football team homeland.Walk along the Ramblas to enjoy street musicians, living statues, hustlers and just plain loonies. Hop onto the Tramvia Blau for a tram trip up to the top of Tibidabo and take in the magnificent sights of the city below you. Shop along the Passeig de Gracia, at the most well known boutiques in Barcelona.Have a sunset drink at a chiringuito bar on the Barceloneta beach, then after dark, join the locals for pub crawling at the Barri Gotic for a huge selection of tapas bars, wine bars, cocktail lounges and even Irish pubs! Now that you've worked up an appetite, head for El Born where you'll find the finest in new catalonian cuisine.  

City Info

Population: 1.6 millionCurrency: Euro €Language: Catalan and SpanishOpening hours: Usually 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Friday with some variations. Many establishments have the same opening hours on Saturdays and some open until lunchtime on Sundays. Shopping centres and many large stores do not close for lunch/siesta.Emergency numbers: 112 all emergencies / 092 local police / 061 medical emergencies     

Getting There

 The easiest way to get to Barcelona is by airplane. But watch out with the different companies. Easyjet, Vueling, Condor, Air Berlin, Niki and others flies to Barcelona El Prat airport, which is the principal airport in Barcelona, and can reach the city by bus, train and taxi or if you have a higher budget, use our private transport directly to your hotel in less than 30 minutes. Ryanair, probably the cheapest one, flies to the Girona or Reus airports. From there you need to take a bus (one way aprox. 12€) that takes about 1:10 hours and leaves you at the Estacio del Nord.Check our flight search engine for the best value flight to come to Barcelona, including all low cost companies. Moving around – Transportation Walking: ok and obvious, but also the best way to visit the Old Town, Gothic quarter streets, the old fisherman’s village of Barceloneta and the beach, the fantastic Palau de la Musica Catalana in the Borne district, leading you all the way over to the garden of Barcelona – La Cuitadella . This is a huge part of Barcelona and is a really great way to spend a day, believe me. Buses and Metro: Metro stations are the best way to move around and the fastest way. You can buy a 2 day (11.20€) or 3 day (15.90€) tickets. You can combine the metro with the bus system, and the new "tranvía".With the public transportation system, you will save time, money and will be more ecological.For a global visit, we recommend to use the Bus Turistic, that has 2 different

routes and visits the major tourist places in Barcelona. Also called the Hop-on Hop-off Bus. Car Rental : If you will be visiting for a few days and have limited time, do not bother renting a car. Otherwise you can rent a car to go outside the city and visit the Costa Brava, Montserrat or other places worth if you have the time and already visited Barcelona.Also, the Barcelona Card gives nice discounts on transportation and museums.  

  

What to Visit (do no miss!)

 Museums & Monuments Sagrada Familia : Gaudi's unachieved cathedral Address : Sicilia, 286 / Phone : 00 34 932073031 La Pedrera – An impressive Gaudi building at the Passeig de Gracia Address : C. Provença, 261-265. / Phone : 00 34 93 484 59 00 Santa Maria del Mar : XIV century Gothic Church with famous stained glass windows.Address : Plaça de Santa Maria MACBA : Museum of Contemporary Art of BarcelonaAddress : Pl. dels Angels, 1. ( el Raval) / Phone :00 34 93 412 08 10 Picasso Museum (La Ribera, El Born) Address : C. Montcada, 15-23 / Phone : 93 319 63 10  Areas to walk & visit Las Ramblas & Gothic Quarter 

Port Vell, Barceloneta & Port Olimpic Interesting Camp Nou : The F.C. Barcelona football team StadiumAddress: Avinguda Aristides Maillol, s/n   

  

Restaurants by budget

 

Very low-cost restaurants from 10 to 15€Typically Catalan… Often tapas or worker menu (fixed price menu). El QuimIn the Boqueria market, on the Rambla. Delicious tapas for your lunchtime stop.. Phone:+34 93 301 98 10 La Vietnamita  In Gràcia, a kind of fast food, but healthy Vietnamese restaurant 9,95 Euro menu! Address : Torrent de l'Olla, 78 Phone : +34 93 518 18 03  

Restaurants at low-cost 15-30€Quality menus that includes wine, or very good bargain restaurants.

 Cuines Santa CaterinaThis restaurant offers 4 different types of kitchens: Asian, Mediterranean, Italian and vegetarian in the beautiful market Santa Caterina. Not to miss. Address : Avinguda de Francesc Cambó, 20Phone : +33 - 93.268.99.18 Los CaracolesTypical Catalan restaurant specialized in paella and rice.. Address : C/ Escudellers 14 Phone : +34 933 023 185  

Average cost restaurants from 30€ to 50€Very good restaurants… But at the Spanish price!! Vinya Roel is a restaurant enoteca in Barcelona where you can enjoy traditional catalan recipes in combination with a full wide-ranging list of wines.Address : C/ Villaroel, 190-192 Phone : +34 93 430 72 79 Cinc SentitsThe Cinc Sentits (Five Senses) is one of the nicest tables in Barcelona. Creative dishes far from traditional flavors but with incredible tastes...Address : aribau, 58 Phone : +34 93 323 9490 

High prices restaurant, over 50€It is expensive obviously… but it is really an experiment… AlkimiaJordi Vilà the Chef of Alkimia (alchemy in English) is part of the young guard of the New Catalan cuisine. The best for this experience…Address : C/ Indústria 79 Phone : +(34) 93 207 6115 Casa CalvetFor the ones in love with Gaudi, the unique experience of having lunch or dinner in a building of the Master: La Casa Calvet.Adventurous Mediterranean kitchen. Address : Casp, 48 Phone : (+34) 93 412 40 12  More restaurants by budget...  

  

Shopping in Barcelona

 Barcelona is an extremely practical city to shop, almost all is concentrated in the centre and in the historical city.Opening times: most of the shops and shopping centers are open from 10.00 (10am) to 20.30 (8:30pm) or 21.30 hours (9:30pm). Traditional shops open from 10.00 (10am) to 14.00 hours (2pm) and from 16.30(4:30pm) to 20.30 hours (8:30pm)Sales: the winter sales generally begin in the second week of January and last until the end of February and the summer sales begin on 1st July and last until the end of August.How to pay: most people pay in cash or with a credit card, when you must show your passport or identity card. Women and men fashion, shoes, leather and gourmet shops are unavoidable! We recommend the Corte Ingles department store in Plaza Catalunya, as a major and centrally located store, and the Illa Diagonal or the more central Bulevard Rosa for a bunch of nice fashion boutiques. Also do not miss a walk on Paseo de Gracia for the best brand shops in Barcelona.  

Going out

 A Drink Shhh... No se lo digas a nadie for special quiches and cocktails Address: C/ Torrijos, 53 / Phone: 93 566 28 93 

Macarena Mar Beach Club luxury party in the beach Address: Port Forum / Phone: 34 933 560 328 Mantra exotic place Address: Salvà, 21 / Phone: 93 441 59 90 Torre Rosa for the finest mojitos and amazing views.. Address: Francesc Tàrrega, 22 / Phone: 93.340.88.54 More bars... Night Out Night clubs for never ending nights:Sala Becool best electronic music Address: Pl. Joan Llongueras, 5 / Phone: 93 362 04 13Sala Apolo a top of the city, indie and electronic music Address: Nou de la Ramblal, 113 / Phone: 93 441 40 01Luz de Gas in the “zona alta “ Address: Muntaner 246 / Phone: 00 34 93 209 77 11Razzmatazz for the big sound Address: C/ Almogavers 122Sala Apolo for Nitsa club and Dj’s Address: Nou de la Rambla 113 / Phone: 00 93 441 40 01The Sutton Club for glamorous people Address: Tuset, 13 / Phone: 93 414 42 17 More night clubs...  

 

Weekends to avoid

 

Check before coming for weekends with big events or congresses in Barcelona. You might want to avoid such weekends in order to find better prices on hotels, fllights, etc.   

   

Beware of

 Violent crime is almost unknown in Barcelona, but bag-snatching and pickpocketing are rife – the former especially occurs in the Old City and on the beach, the latter on public transport and along La Rambla. Leave whatever you can in your hotel, and be ware of anyone trying to clean something off your shoulder or sell you a newspaper. Those wanting to swap a coin for one from your country may also try to empty your wallet.