Barcelona Transport

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Travel facts

Currency: € Euro.

Visas:
Generally tourists from Europe, USA and the Commonwealth do not require Visas for Spanish holidays. Check out: The Schengen Office
Getting there:
Most visitors to the city arrive by plane into El Prat airport. This is the main airport for Barcelona and is served by most of the worlds airlines plus many `lo-cost` airlines from all over Europe. Hotel Direct recommend you fly to this airport especially if you are on a short visit.
Getting around:
Metro Barcelona,The stations are marked by a red diamond with the letter M in the centre. The stations are generally clean and safe to use but exercise caution at night. Direction is indicated by the station at the end of the line and it covers most but not all of the city. The City also has an excellent tourist bus service (Bus Turistic) that calls at all the major tourist attractions
Tipping:
10-15% is normal in cabs and restaurants (where a service charge is usually included in your bill).

Travelling to Barcelona

Flights
El Prat
Most airlines fly into Barcelona El Prat airport. This is the main airport for Barcelona and is served by most of the national carriers plus many 'low-cost' airlines.

Rail service to city centre, RENFE Train. Tel: 0034 902 240 202.
This train service runs every 30 minutes between the airport and city centre. You can catch the train from Barcelona Sants (also known as Sants Estacion), or from Catalunya Station. The airport stop is Aeropuerto. From either of the city centre stations you are able to connect onto the Barcelona underground network, the Metro.

Aerobus service to city centre Tel: 0034 906 427 017.
This service normally runs every 15 minutes within its fixed hours of operation. The Aerobus stops at all three airport terminals and you can alight at either Placa Espana or Placa de Catalunya in Barcelona centre.

Taxi to city centre. Tel: 0034 93 30 33 033.
Travelling by Taxi is a low cost and convenient way to get from the airport to the city centre, especially if you have a family or a lot of luggage. You'll find the airport Barcelona taxi rank on the left hand side when you leave the airport main exit. The taxi's operate all night and there are several hundred of them so you don't have to worry about not being able to catch a cab. The journey to the city centre will take you between 20 and 30 minutes depending on road conditions. If you have special needs or need a cab specially adapted for disabled passengers call this number: Tel: 0034 93 358 1111. All official Barcelona taxi's are black and yellow and are required to charge you only the value on the meter (plus any surcharge for your baggage). The taxi service in Barcelona is generally very good, clean and reliable.

Gerona (Girona-Costa Brava) and Reus (Costa Dorada)
These airports are used by several 'low-cost' airlines with flights from the UK. The Barcelona Bus is the most convenient method of getting to Barcelona city centre. The bus stops right outside each airport and will take you to Estacio d' Autobusos Barcelona Nord (Barcelona's main bus terminal).

Barcelona Bus. Tel: 0034 902 361 550.
The Barcelona Bus is probably the most convenient method of transfer between Gerona Airport Barcelona and Barcelona city centre. The bus service is run by an independent company and has no direct business association with Ryan Air. However Barcelona Bus arranges its times of departure and arrival to coincide with the arrival and departure of Ryanair flights.The bus stops right outside the airport and will take you to Estacio d' Autobusos Barcelona Nord (Barcelona's main bus terminal) in Barcelona city centre. From there you can catch the metro underground system to take you to your final destination. The nearest Metro stop to the bus station is Arc De Triomf (Red Line, L1). Make sure to leave at the exit called Sortida Nąpols. The metro stop is only 5-10 minutes walk from the bus station. Important :Also be aware that there are 2 different Barcelona Buses which are both operated by the same company. Make sure to catch the right bus!. One bus leaves Gerona Airport and goes directly to Barcelona (and vice versa) the other bus only leaves from Gerona centre and goes to Barcelona (and vice versa).

Rail service to Gerona. Tel: 0034 902 240 202

The journey time to Gerona is approximately 1 hr and 10 minutes and you will be dropped off in Gerona city centre. From there your need to make your way to Gerona airport. Remember to account for an extra half an hour for this.