Trip costs

• Entering Spain
• Which currency can I use?
• Travelling to Barcelona
• Airport-Hotel Transfer
• Hotel Rates per Night per Double/Twin Room in EUR (for 2006)
• Transportation in Barcelona
• Eating out
• Admission to museums, theatres etc.

Entering Spain

Spain became a full member of the European Union (EU) in 1986. EU citizens may enter the country with an identity card. Children who have no identity card yet, must present a passport. Non-EU-citizens can get informed at the following website about entering/visa requirements: www.spainemb.org/ingles/consulate/TN.htm

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Which currency can I use?

The euro. In Spain, as in most other countries of the European Union, the official currency is the euro since January, 2002.
One euro has 100 cents.
There are eight different coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents, € 1 and € 2.
There are seven different notes: € 5, € 10, € 20, € 50, € 100, € 200, and € 500.
Foreign currency exchange is available at all bank offices, open to the public Monday through Saturday, from 8.30 to 14.00 h (except in the months of June through September, when they are closed on Saturday).
It is also available at currency exchange shops at all major cities, as well as selected hotels and travel agencies.

Other forms of payment:
Credit card:
Paying with a major credit card is possible at most Spanish shops and businesses, usually clearly posted at the door of the establishment.

Traveller's cheques:
Traveller's cheques, presented with a valid passport, are also accepted at most hotels, restaurants, and shops.

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Travelling to Barcelona

Airline tickets

Low fare airlines flying to Barcelona:

EasyJet
SkyEurope
Wizzair
Jet2
Air Berlin
Germanwings
FlyGlobeSpan
Nwa

Regular airlines flying to Barcelona:

British Airways
AirFrance
KLM

Arriving by Car
Fuel prices are the same as in Western Europe (about 1.00 EUR or 1.25 USD per litre)

Railways
Homepage of the Spanish Railways: www.renfe.es
Online Timetable: http://horarios.renfe.es/hir/ingles.html

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Airport-Hotel Transfer

Aerobus (Airport Bus)
The blue "Aerobus" operates a route between the Airport and Plaça Catalunya, right in the centre of Barcelona. There is a stop in front of each of the 3 terminal buildings. The buses have luggage racks and special ramps for disabled passengers.

Operating times:
First departure from pl. Catalunya to the airport: Mon-Fri: 5.30 / Sat-Sun/holidays: 6.00
Last departure from pl. Catalunya to the airport: Mon-Sun/holidays: 23.15

Stops: Pl. Catalunya - Pg. Gracia - Av. de Roma - Estacio de Sants - Pl. Espanya - Airport 

First departure from the airport: Mon-Fri:6 / Sat-Sun/holidays:6.30
Last departure from the airport:: Mon-Sun/holidays:24.00

Stops: Airport - Pl. Espanya - Av. Gran Via Cortes - Catalanes - Pl. Universitat - Pl. Catalunya

Frequency: every 12 minutes

Fare:
One way: 3,60 EUR
Round trip: 6,15 EUR
purchase the ticket on the bus

Length of journey: 35 minutes approximately

Remarques: VISA and "Targeta 6000" credit cards accepted.

Suburban buses
Suburban buses EA and EN leave every 90 minutes for Plaça d'Espanya; they take about 50 minutes and cost 1 EUR. 

Local Trains
Rodalies (Cercanías) train line 1 runs between the airport (zone 4) and centre of town (zone 1). The trip costs about 2.15 EUR. Trains run daily every 30 minutes from 6:13 a.m to 11.15 p.m. It takes about 17 minutes to reach Estació Sants and 23 minutes to Catalunya station. 

Taxis
There is generally no shortage of taxis available to/from the centre. It's a half-hour ride and should cost about 20 EUR. Make sure the meter is on at the start of the journey.

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Hotel Rates per Night per Double/Twin Room in EUR (for 2006)

Accommodations by category (informative prices for a double room):
 
• 5 stars: 200-300 EUR
• 4 stars: 100-200 EUR
• 3 stars: 60-100 EUR
• 2 stars or fewer: less than 60 EUR

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Transportation in Barcelona

Public Transportation

Barcelona has a good public transportation system and navigating the city is easy. The best way to get around is the metro. If you want to enjoy the sites of the city then the taxi or bus systems are your best options.
Single Ticket: 0.90 EUR

You can buy tickets for individual journeys, but if you are in Barcelona for more than one day or intend taking more than 5 journeys on the metro or buses it's best to buy the T10 ticket. Please note that the T10 (Zone 1) is valid for journeys in Barcelona City Centre Zone 1 on the metro, FGC (FGC run train lines similar to the metro around the city centre) and TMB buses, Tram and RENFE. If you need to travel outside of Zone 1 you can buy a different T10 zone ticket that will cover you for other zones.

More info at: www.tmb.net/en_US/barcelona/moute/targetes/targetes.jsp

Taxi

Taxis are an affordable alternative to public transport. A 15-minute journey will only cost about 5 EUR. Official Barcelona Taxi's are yellow and black and a green illuminated light on the top of the Taxi indicates that it's available for hire. Licensed Taxis have to charge you the amount displayed on the meter. Tipping for taxis is customary and is about 10% of the full fare.
For travel in the very heart of the city, a taxi may not be your best option: most of the centre is pedestrianised and the roads that do go through the centre can be quite narrow and congested. It may be quicker and easier to use the metro system or to walk. For Barcelona radio taxi reservations, call Radio-Taxi 033 on +34 93 303 3033 or ask your hotel Concierge to order a taxi for you.

Driving a car

The best advice about driving a car in Barcelona is: don't do it.
Parking is a major problem in the city and the Public Transport System is excellent.

Parking:
1. Barcelona bus terminal has a large car parking facility.
Parking costs 2.25 EUR for 1 hour or 15.50 EUR for 24 hours.
2. Placa de les Glories offers a “Park and Ride” service called Metropark. The parking fee gives you car parking and unlimited metro travel for 5 EUR per day.

Do not leave anything of value in view when the car is left unattended.

Car rental:
Car rental rates from 30 EUR / day

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Eating out

Lunch starts around 2 p.m and goes on until roughly 3.30 or 4 p.m; dinner is served from 9 p.m until 11.30 p.m or midnight. Reserving a table is usually a good idea: not only on Friday and Saturday nights, but also on Sunday evenings and Monday lunchtimes, when few restaurants are open.
Eating out in Barcelona is not as cheap as it used to be, but low mark-ups on wines keep the cost relatively reasonable for northern Europeans and Americans. The most upmarket restaurants are required by law to serve an economical fixed-price menúdel día (menú is not to be confused with the menu, which is lacarta) at lunchtime; this usually consists of a starter, main course, dessert, bread and something to drink.

Set menu in restaurants: 5-12 EUR
Spanish Restaurants: 20-30 EUR
City Center Restaurants: 30-50 EUR
Hamburger sandwich: 2 EUR (McDonald's Big Mac)
Vegetarian Pizza: 5,5 EUR
Glass of beer from bar: 2,5 EUR

For restaurants, a 10 percent tip is customary.

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Admission to museums, theatres etc.

Admission to Spanish galleries and museums is from 3 to 5 EUR. Reductions are available (students, pensioners, unemployed, large families, groups etc.)

The Barcelona Card provides even free admission to many museums in Barcelona.
More info: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/

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