Useful information for your visit to Barcelona - Part II

If you are about to take a visit to Barcelona, it is important that you get informed about the region’s characteristics and habits so that your trip can go smoothly.

Here is some useful information for your visit to Barcelona:

Airport

Barcelona’s main airport is El Prat, the most important airport in Catalonia and one of the most important airports in the world. It is located about 12km from the center of the city, offering train, bus and taxi connections to the center of Barcelona.

Information

There are several points in the city where you can ask for information. If you have any doubts when you arrive, take the time to stop at the Tourism Office in the airport. There are several Tourist Information spots in the center, where you can ask for indications, purchase tickets to local attractions and ask for free maps.

Transportation

Barcelona is a very accessible city that offers good forms of public transportation. With TMB you can use trains, subways and buses using the same card, which comes in single, multiple, daily, weekly and monthly trips.

There is also a bicycle renting system called Bicing which, for a yearly fee, allows users to collect bicycles in different locations around the city and use them freely for 30 consecutive minutes.

Taxis are also a safe alternative, but not necessarily cheap.

You can always your own car, but it is not the easiest of ways of getting around Barcelona. Traffic can be very bad inside the city and finding a parking spot can take you a long time.

Spanish business and shopping hours

People in Barcelona usually start working between 8 and 9am, stopping for a one or two-hour lunch break, and finishing work at 7 or 8pm.

Shopping hours are slightly different. Stores open between 9:30 and 10am, closing only between 8 and 9pm. Stores in the center are usually open through lunch time, while stores in smaller areas close for the siesta period between 2 and 4:30/5pm. Offices and stores are closed on Sundays.

Eating times

Breakfast in Barcelona usually takes place between 9 and 11 am. Lunch happens between 2 and 6pm and dinner takes place between 9 and 11pm.

Medical Care

Barcelona’s emergency number is 112.

If you are an European citizen, it’s important that you carry your European Health Insurance Card, which will guarantee you free medical assistance. If you are not European, ask your insurance if it covers any medical expenses abroad. If not, study the possibility of having travel insurance for you visit.