{"id":27248,"date":"2015-01-20T15:04:31","date_gmt":"2015-01-20T14:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=27248"},"modified":"2019-06-18T09:58:13","modified_gmt":"2019-06-18T07:58:13","slug":"tips-americans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/tips-americans\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel to Barcelona &#8211; Travel tips for Americans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Travelling<\/strong> to another country can be overwhelming. Different time zones, long <strong>flights,<\/strong> strange\u00a0<a title=\"Barcelona Languages and Friends, the language community in Barcelona\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/barcelona-languages-and-friends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">languages<\/a>, <a title=\"Dishes You Must Try Before You Die | Catalonia\u2019s Cuisine\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/dishes-you-must-try-before-you-die-catalonias-cuisine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cuisine<\/a> and customs can all be quite unnerving.\u00a0\u00a0But fear not, here are our top tips to get by in Barcelona, as an <strong>American:<\/strong><\/p>\n<link rel='stylesheet' id='jquery-style-css' href='https:\/\/scd01.bcnshop.com\/en\/widgets\/generate-css\/2631\/14329.css' type='text\/css' \/>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/scd01.bcnshop.com\/en\/widgets\/generate-js\/2631\/14329.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/tips-americans\/#Invest_in_a_map\" title=\"Invest in a map\">Invest in a map<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/tips-americans\/#Find_yourself\" title=\"Find yourself\">Find yourself<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/tips-americans\/#Learn_some_basic_Spanish\" title=\"Learn some basic Spanish\">Learn some basic Spanish<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/tips-americans\/#Transport\" title=\"Transport\">Transport<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/tips-americans\/#Roll_with_the_punches\" title=\"Roll with the punches\">Roll with the punches<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Invest_in_a_map\"><\/span>Invest in a map<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_83269\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-83269\" class=\"wp-image-83269 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/ipad-632394_1280-300x199.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-83269\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo via Pixabay<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Unless you&#8217;re made out of money and can afford the astronomical data charges your service provider will charge you for having access to online <strong>maps<\/strong> throughout Europe, it is worthwhile investing in a good <strong>map<\/strong> of the city.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Once you&#8217;ve got your <strong>map<\/strong> in hand, study it and work out some landmarks and interesting places that you want to visit.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you want to use <strong>GoogleMaps,<\/strong> the trick is to find a place where there is free Wi-Fi (most cafes, restaurants or your hotel) and get the directions you need. Leave the app open and you should be able to still utilise the directions without an internet connection.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related\u00a0article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/app\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Best transport apps in Barcelona<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Find_yourself\"><\/span>Find yourself<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I don&#8217;t mean through meditation, although it&#8217;s not such a bad idea either. Mark your <strong>accommodation<\/strong> on your <strong>map<\/strong> and pay attention to what is around you \u2013 where is the beach, where are the mountains etc. These <a title=\"10 monuments you have to see in Barcelona\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/10-monuments-you-have-to-see-in-barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">landmarks<\/a> will help you find your way around Barcelona.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Learn_some_basic_Spanish\"><\/span>Learn some basic Spanish<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Most guidebooks will contain some basic words and phrases that you can use and, of course, there are apps for your <a title=\"Traveling with a smartphone\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/traveling-with-a-smartphone-barcelona\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">smartphone<\/a> or iPad that will help you with the local lingo. A little bit of language goes a long way. Even if Spain is only one stop on a long European itinerary, it&#8217;s worth learning the basics. Although often encountered in the hospitality and tourism industries, English is not as widely spoken in Spain as it is in other European countries, so being able to say &#8216;please&#8217;, thank you&#8217;, &#8216;how much?&#8217;, &#8216;where is?&#8217; and &#8216;help!&#8217;, are useful words and phrases that you could easily commit to memory during the flight from the US.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Transport\"><\/span>Transport<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_83262\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-83262\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-83262\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/renfe-barcelona-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-83262\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by: UT440 131M via Visual Hunt \/ CC BY-NC-ND<\/p><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Public <strong>transportation<\/strong> in Barcelona, is often times\u00a0superior to the United States. In Barcelona, especially, the metros are regular, reliable, clean and air-conditioned (you&#8217;d die in the summer if they weren&#8217;t). In fact, during the summer, the metros are one of the coolest (temperature wise) places to be in the city.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Travel<\/strong> throughout Barcelona is cheap with one single <strong>journey<\/strong> costing a quarter of the price you&#8217;d pay in other European cities, such as London.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Cabs are expensive in comparison and are really unnecessary in a city where the <strong>transport<\/strong> system works so well.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Related\u00a0article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/barcelona-public-transport\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Barcelona Public Transport<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Roll_with_the_punches\"><\/span>Roll with the punches<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Travelling<\/strong> can be stressful. All kinds of things can go wrong, from missed flights to <a title=\"Pickpockets in Barcelona: Watch Your Pockets!\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/pickpockets-in-barcelona-watch-your-pockets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pickpockets<\/a> to unexpected costs.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Prepare well for things going wrong (keep photocopies of passports, hide your valuables, exercise caution in public places, back-up photos from cameras and phones daily etc) but try to keep a level head and don&#8217;t let annoying things ruin your vacation. A missed flight might cost a few hundred bucks more; cancelling credit cards is irritating but these are minor blips and should stay that way if they&#8217;re not to ruin the entire vay cay.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">So take a few precautions, keep a sense of humour and your trip to Barcelona should be one of the happiest times of your life.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Looking for a flat to rent during your stay in Barcelona?\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?hl=en&amp;q=https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1484057742029000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGel0R_bR20K8VBr0GA3tO9Wl1Pgg\">ShBarcelona<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0is the answer.<\/em><\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"27248\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate us!<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Travelling to another country can be overwhelming. Different time zones, long flights, strange\u00a0languages, cuisine and customs can all be quite unnerving.\u00a0\u00a0But fear not, here are our top tips to get by in Barcelona, as an American: Table of Contents Invest in a mapFind yourselfLearn some basic SpanishTransportRoll with the punches Invest in a map Unless [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":27254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[615],"tags":[1778,1715,865,1714,1779,1360,1716,1713],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27248"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27248"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98870,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27248\/revisions\/98870"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}