1. 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
2. Population: 1.6 million
Currency: Euro €
Language: Catalan and Spanish
Opening 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
3. 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 Barcelona
Address : 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
4. Port Vell, Barceloneta & Port Olimpic
Interesting
Camp Nou : The F.C. Barcelona football team Stadium
Address: 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 Quim
In 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.
5. Cuines Santa Caterina
This 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, 20
Phone : +33 - 93.268.99.18
Los Caracoles
Typical 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 Sentits
The 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…
Alkimia
Jordi 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 Calvet
For 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...
6. 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
7. 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 13
Sala Apolo a top of the city, indie and electronic music
Address: Nou de la Ramblal, 113 / Phone: 93 441 40 01
Luz de Gas in the “zona alta “
Address: Muntaner 246 / Phone: 00 34 93 209 77 11
Razzmatazz for the big sound
Address: C/ Almogavers 122
Sala Apolo for Nitsa club and Dj’s
Address: Nou de la Rambla 113 / Phone: 00 93 441 40 01
The Sutton Club for glamorous people
Address: Tuset, 13 / Phone: 93 414 42 17
More night clubs...
Weekends to avoid
8. 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.