Luxury and cheap short-stay apartments to rent in Barcelona, Spain

BARCELONA GENERAL INFORMATION GUIDE

We have a full page with interesting information about the climate in Barcelona and with several graphics showing temperature averages, rainfall averages, hours of sunlight, and also temperature records.

Please also check this page for our Barcelona Weather Forecast!

Go to our Barcelona Weather and Climate Information page HERE!l are obliged to have a working meter, and an official sticker showing the regulations and pricing system. In certain cases supplements are being charged, for example when putting luggage in the trunk, and when going to or from the port or airport.There are many pre-assigned taxi-stands in Barcelona and free taxis are easily recognizable by the lit green light on top of the taxi. Many cab drivers work hard and make long hours, so a tip of between 5-10% of the cost is usually highly appreciated.

Barcelona, as well as the rest of the province Catalunya in which it is situated, has two official languages. They are Catalan and Spanish, as well referred to as Castellano.

Even though most Catalans speak Spanish, the common language is Catalan. Therefore please take notice that nearly all official information like directions, signs, street names, and governmental related information is written in Catalan.

Don’t worry; in general Catalans are very willing to help you a hand in finding the way, or to translate some Catalan words into Spanish. More Catalans, especially the younger generation, speak English, and there are always a vast number of foreigners living in Barcelona who can be addressed when finding your way around town.

Barcelona Native name: Barcelona (Catalan)

Barcelona Location: Capital of Barcelona province and chief city of Catalonia, NE Spain, on Mediterranean Sea.

Barcelona Coordinates: 41°23'N 2°11'E

Barcelona Time Zone: CET (GMT +1)

Barcelona Dialing codes: Spain: 34 / Barcelona: 93

Barcelona Land Area: 100.4 km²

Barcelona Population: 1,593,075 (2005) - rank in Spain: 2

Barcelona Density: 15,869 inhab./km² (2005)

Barcelona Altitude: 12 m AMSL

Barcelona Population: 1.593.075, of which 754.463 are man and 838.612 women

Barcelona Metropolitan Area Population: 4.103.470

Barcelona Religion: Roman Catholic: 90% / Other: 10%

Most common names for newborn babies in Barcelona:

Boy: Marc, Pol, Alex, David, Pau / Girl: Laia, Maria, Paula, Laura, Marta, Alba

Barcelona Immigration: 70.360

The official Barcelona Tourist Office is located in the very heart of the city, next to Plaza Catalunya. Please see the map and address below for orientation;

Serveis d’ Atenció Al Turista Pl. Catalunya, 17-S Tel.: 933 689 730

For all other locations of official Barcelona Tourist Offices, and further information about the city please consult their website, http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/. Another great resource about the city can be found at http://www.bcn.es, the official website of the Barcelona city council.

For more Barcelona Tourist Information check our Barcelona City Guide.

Barcelona has a modern airport situated only 12 kilometer southwest of the city center. In 2002 the airport served over 21 million passengers, and by the end of 2004, with a third runway and more passenger terminals, the airport is prepared to serve up to 40 million passengers a year. The airport, El Prat de Llobregat (BCN), can be reached by going to their website, www.aena.es, or directly by phone 932 983 838 or fax 934 793 902. There are three Barcelona Airport terminals;

Terminal A is for international arrivals and foreign airline departures.

Terminal B is for European Union arrivals and Spanish airline departures.

Terminal C is for Air Shuttle flights and General Aviation.

More than 30 international airliners operative in El Prat, and there are over 80 direct flights to world-wide destinations.

There are several convenient ways to get from and to go to the airport:

Firstly, there is the Aerobús bringing you directly to the heart of Barcelona, Plaça de Catalunya, in about half an hour. The bus runs every 12-13 minutes from 06:00 till 24:00 on weekdays, and from 06:30 till 24:00 on weekends and holidays, and a ticket will cost you € 3,75.

Secondly, a Train leaving from the airport every 30 minutes takes you in 17 minutes to Sants Estació, 23 minutes to Plaça Catalunya, and in 26 minutes to Arc de Triomf. The train runs from 06:13 till 23:40 every day of the week and a ticket will cost you € 2,40.

Thirdly, fastest but also most expensive are the numerous taxis waiting directly at the exit of the airport to take you to the destination of your choice. All taxis are equipped with a meter and all trips from and to the airport are charged with a supplement, as well as there is a charge of 0,85 for each suitcase you bring along. Expect to pay around € 20,00 for a trip to Plaça Catalunya.

For more information about transport in Barcelona check our How to Get to the Apartment Guide.

The Spanish railway network is run by RENFE, and you can reach them by either going to their website, www.renfe.es, or by calling 902 240 202 for national enquiries, and 934 901 112 for international enquiries.

All intercity and international traveling requires reservation of a seat beforehand, and can be booked by either calling the numbers shown above or directly on their website. In Barcelona, Sants Estació is the place to be when traveling by train. Any train passing by, and leaving from Barcelona stops here.

Since it’s location is a bit too far from the city center to walk there, either take a cab, or take the green line (3) or line blue (5) of the Metro to get there.

For more information about transport in Barcelona check our How to Get to the Apartment Guide.

Barcelona has received international recognition for its excellent public transport system. It’s extensive Metro network is amongst Europe’s fastest and most reliable. The official public transport site, www.tmb.net, can be viewed in English and offers you a complete view on what is being offered, how to get from point A to point B in the city, and for what price.

The ticket that gives you the best value for money is the so called T-10 ticket, which offers you 10 rides in zone 1, which basically covers the whole city center.

The Metro lines are easily distinguished from one another, they all carry their own number and color, and the direction is shown by the name of the line terminus.

The Metro runs from Monday to Thursday, Sundays and Public Holidays from 05:00 till 24:00, and on Friday, Saturday, and days before holidays from 05:00 till 02:00. There is a separate (purple) line run by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), but since this line is fully integrated into the rest of the system it is merely for information purposes that we mention it.

For more information about transport in Barcelona check our How to Get to the Apartment Guide.

The Barcelona public transport organization TMB runs, besides the Metro network described above, an extensive and smooth operating Bus network. The buses run from 05:30 until about 22:30, and there is also a night bus service taking you from and to several key points in town from 22:30 till 05:00. Again, you can use the handy T-10 ticket to travel.

As finding out where to go from where by bus is a bit tricky at first hand pick up a map of all bus routes in the Metro station at Plaça de Catalunya. For long distance travel you should go to Estació del Nord, which is located near to the Arc de Triomf metro station.

Bus Turístic, Barcelona’s official tourist bus, offers you one of the most convenient ways to see the city. There are two lines, a blue (South route) and a red line (North route), each covering a large part of the city, showing not less than 26 of the city’s major attractions. The starting point for both lines is on Plaça Catalunya, and you can get off and on as many times as you like along the route. Information is available in six languages, and a ticket costs you € 15 for an adult and € 9 for a child per day. Two-day tickets come at a discount.

For more information about transport in Barcelona check our How to Get to the Apartment Guide.

Taking a Taxi in Barcelona is, unlike in many other major European cities, still affordable.

There are exactly 11.000 registered taxis in Barcelona, and all are obliged to have a working meter, and an official sticker showing the regulations and pricing system. In certain cases supplements are being charged, for example when putting luggage in the trunk, and when going to or from the port or airport.

There are many pre-assigned taxi-stands and free taxis are easily recognizable by the lit green light on top of the taxi. When there is little general traffic (at night after 21:00) you will pay something in between € 4 to € 10 to for each trip, of course depending on your destination. Many taxi drivers work hard and make long hours, so a tip of between 5-10% of the cost is usually highly appreciated.

For more information about transport in Barcelona check our How to Get to the Apartment Guide.

The A7 (or E15) motorway is the main route coming from France, and going down along the coast line to Alicante in the South. Inland, towards Zaragoza and Madrid, the A2 is the fastest motorway.

Please be advised that all major motorways (blue signs) make use of a toll system which can prove to be pretty costly. In most cases there are alternative, but slower national routes (green signs).

For maps and route planners please consult www.mappy.com.

For more information about transport in Barcelona check our How to Get to the Apartment Guide.

There are numerous car hire services available in Barcelona. Most well known are Avis, Hertz, and Pepe Cars. Generally, drivers have to be 21 years or older and have to present a valid passport and drivers license.

A valid international insurance policy is also necessary, but this can be purchased at a low extra cost at the time of hire.

For more information about transport in Barcelona check our How to Get to the Apartment Guide.

There are several professional limousine services with multi-lingual drivers available. Two options are Barcelona Limousine Service (tel. 932 651 484) and Limousine Rental (tel. 933 720 000).

Enjoy Barcelona can also arrange limousine rental for our clients. Please find out more at our Barcelona Services page.

For more information about transport in Barcelona check our How to Get to the Apartment Guide.

If you do not might waiting in line a busy hours, Bus Turístic is by far the best way to get the most out of sight seeing the city. Nevertheless, for fun shopping and getting a better look on some fascinating sights and impressive architecture the best way to explore down-town is going by foot.

Going up from Barcelona’s central point Plaça de Catalunya, you enter into the area which is called Eixample. This uniquely shaped neighborhood is a haven for high-class shopping and eating.

We advice going up the beautiful and wide avenue Paseo de Gracia, taking a left turn onto Diagonal up till Plaça Frances Marcia, taking the other side of Diagonal back down and then turn into Rambla the Catalunya, to finally end up at Plaça Catalunya. This might take up to half a day, depending on your speed, willingness to walk, how much you like to spend your time at different sites, and the size of your wallet.

Going down from Plaça Catalunya you enter into the old city, with on the right side of Europe’s most famous strolling avenue Las Ramblas, Raval and Barri Xino, and on the right Barrio Gotico or Casc Antic. This authentic part of Barcelona is a must see for any visitor to the city. Its numerous small streets, hidden places, shops of all kind, and international ethnic mix of inhabitants and visitors alike, will give you a complete picture of the vibrant past and present of this marvelous city.

Then, once you explored the old neighborhood around Las Ramblas, cross-over to Maremagnum, a huge entertainment and shopping complex built in the leisure port of Barcelona. Focusing on large groups of ‘main stream’ tourists, there are numerous restaurants, food chains, shops, bars and discotheques present. Moreover, there is a cinema complex, an aquarium, and an IMAX theatre.

Moving back into the city you can either go directly into Barceloneta via Port Vell, a complex resembling old warehouses that used to dominate the boulevard before the Olympic Games, or go to the SOHO of Barcelona, Barrio Borne. Barrio Borne is one of the great examples showing the positive drive of the new Barcelona. Not more than 10 years ago this was a neglected area, and not a very welcome place for tourists.

Due to its unique situation in between the city center, the beach, and one of Barcelona’s few and most beautiful parks (Parc de la Cuitadella), firstly extravagant people, artists and students started small shops and activities, and later smart investors saw the potential and began to renovate many of the fantastic building in this area. Please be advised that up until today it is not advisable to go to the part above , since this area is still underdeveloped. The bottom part of Barrio Borne however is definitely worth spending your time, with several great museums, specialty shops, workshops and galleries of local and international artists. When looking for the latest in fashion and all that artistic Barcelona has to offer, then this is the place to be. Nowadays the area is packed with very nice restaurants at which you can eat good food for good prices, and there are plenty of new and trendy bars.

Having explored this neighborhood you can move to Barceloneta, an old neighborhood of Catalan fisherman, situated along the seaside. Naturally, some of the best fish restaurants in town are to be found here.Walking along the boulevard or over the beach even further to the right of the city you will head to Port Olympic, another part of Barcelona which has been totally rebuilt for the Olympic Games of 1992.

Besides a large going-out area with small bars, discotheques and food-chain restaurants for the ‘main-stream’ tourist, there are some of the best clubs in town. The recently opened lounge club/ restaurant CDLC, the Baja Beach nightclub, and the restaurant Bestial with a large chill-out summer terrace, are a must see for the more demanding visitor when going out at night. There is also a casino and the famous 5-star Arts hotel is together with the Torre Mapfre next to it a skyline marker of the city.

On the other side of town you can easily spot a hilly area of Barcelona, called Montjuïc (Mountain of the Jews). Montjuïc was the main location of the 1992 Olympic Games, and has so many attractions that you can easily spend a couple of days there. Recommended are Poble Español, a replica village of different village architecture styles from all provinces of Spain, the impressive Palau Nacional, and the immense cemetery on top of Montjuïc.

For more information about Sightseeing in Barcelona check our Barcelona City Guide.