43rd International Association for Time Use Research Conference: Practical information about Barcelona
Welcome to Barcelona!
Tasty tapas, a ramble through Las Ramblas, or a selfie at Sagrada Familia. Welcome to the city of Gaudi - Spain's most fantastical modernist architect. From enjoying the beach at la Barceloneta to wandering around the hills of Collserola, Barcelona has something for everyone.
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and has a history that dates to the Roman empire. Our city is home to roman archaeological sites, modern art from key artists such as Picasso or Miro, amazing dinning, and cocktail bars, as well as one of the most admired football stadiums of the world, the Camp Nou.
Weather is quite welcoming in October, not too cold, not too hot, and you are generally able to walk around with a light sweater. Nevertheless, it can also become quite variable, with unforeseen rains, so it is advised to check the meteorological forecast before travelling.
You can find all the information you need to plan your tour around Barcelona here.
For cultural activities and other events, you can check them out here and here.
Currency / Banking
Currency: Euro (€)
Money exchange: Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 2pm) and at the bureaux de change, which also opens every day in Barcelona city centre, and at the main railways’ stations and the Estació del Nord bus station. There is also one at the Airport, where they have longer opening hours.
ATM: There are plenty of ATMs on the city from where you can withdraw cash.
Credit and debit cards: Almost all shops, hotels and restaurants will accept most widely used credit cards. They may ask for ID when paying.
Tipping: It is not usual to tip at bars, but they would welcome some additional small change. You may tip around 5% when eating at a fine restaurant and round up the fare of a taxi, although it is not mandatory.
Health and safety
Barcelona is a safe city and violent crimes are rare. Nevertheless, it is good to be alert for the following situations:
· Pickpocketing is not uncommon on Las Ramblas and the city centre area. Be aware of your belongings and ensure you do not leave them unattended.
· It is best to avoid walking on empty streets by night. If uncertain, you can take a taxi easily.
· Do not bring valuables to the beach and do not leave your belongings unattended.
The Barcelona city police has a specialised service to attend tourists. If you are a victim of any crime, you can report it there:
· Address: La Rambla, 43
· Phone number: (+34) 932 562 477 / (+34) 932 562 478
Insurance
The organisers do not take responsibility for individual medical, travel or personal insurance, and all delegates are strongly advised to make their own personal insurance arrangements before travelling to the conference. The organisers will not accept any liability for damages and/or losses of any kind, which may be incurred by conference participants or by any persons accompanying them during official activities.
Emergency numbers:
· General emergencies: 112
· Ambulance/Health-related emergency: 061
Passport and visa requirements
· For EU and Schengen area participants: There is no need for visa.
· For other countries participants. Check the specific requirements of your country here.
Transportation
Getting to Barcelona
Prat Airport
The Barcelona Airport (902 404704;www.aena.es) is located 17 km southwest of Plaça Catalunya. It has two terminals, T1 (the new one) and T2 (the old one), which is divided in zones A, B and C. To go from the airport to the city centre you have the following options:
· Aerobús (A1 and A2). Daily service between Plaça de Catalunya and Barcelona Airport. Frequency: every 10 minutes. Approximate journey time: 35 minutes. For further information about the Barcelona Aerobús : (902 100104; www.aerobusbcn.com).
· Train (RENFE). Daily connections with Barcelona Airport from the Renfe (Spanish Rail) stations at Sants. Frequency: every 30 minutes. Journey time: 19 minutes (from Sants). For further information about the train to Barcelona airport: www.renfe.com and rodalies.gencat.cat
· Metro (TMB). L9 sud metro line connects the city and Barcelona airport (T1 and T2) daily. Frequency: every 7 minutes. Approximate journey time: 32 minutes (from Zona Universitària). For further information: www.tmb.cat
· Bus (TMB). The 46 bus runs from Pl. d'Espanya to Barcelona Airport (T1 and T2) daily. Frequency: every 25 minutes. For further information: www.tmb.cat
· Night bus (NITBUS). The N17 night bus operates from Ronda Universitat / Plaça Catalunya to Barcelona Airport T1, stopping at Pl. d'Espanya. The N16 night bus operates from Ronda Universitat / Plaça Catalunya to Barcelona Airport T2, stopping at Pl. d'Espanya. Frequency: every 20 minutes. Further information about the night bus service to Barcelona Airport is available on the website: www.ambmobilitat.cat
· Taxi. A taxi from any of the terminals to the city centre – journey time approximately 30 minutes depending on traffic – costs around 25 €.
Sants train station
The Barcelona main train station is Estació de Sants (www.adif.es; Plaça dels Països Catalans; Sants Estació), located 2,5 km west of La Rambla. There are night trains from the main Spanish and European cities that arrive there.
Estació del Nord (Bus station)
The long-distance bus station (93 706 53 66; www.barcelonanord.cat; Carrer d’Ali Bei 80; Arc de Triomf) of Barcelona is in the district of Eixample, approximately 1,5 km at northwest of Plaça de Catalunya, and a short walking distance from metro station Arc de Triomf.
Getting around Barcelona
Tickets are shared by the three main types of transportation (metro, bus, and FGC).You can buy tickets on vending machines in all Metro and FGC stations or online on the TMB website www.tmb.net. Some of them also have a vendor. It is no longer possible to purchase tickets directly from the bus driver due to COVID-19 restrictions.
There are the following ticket options:
- One-way tickets
- A 10-travel ticket, called “T-Casual”
- Tourist tickets for 2/3/4/5 days called “Hola Barcelona Travel Card”
Metro (Underground train system)
The Metro, easy to use, has 11 lines numbered and codified with colours. It Works from 5.00 to 24.00 from Sunday to Thursday and holidays, from 5.00 to 2.00 Friday and before a holiday, and 24 hours on Saturdays.
Bus
The buses of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB; 93 298 70 00; www.tmb.net) circulate on almost every city route every few minutes between 5.00 and 6.30 until approximately 22.00 and 23.00. Many routes go by Plaça Catalunya and/or Plaça de la Universitat. After 23.00 there is a small network of night buses. All of them stop by Plaça de Catalunya.
FGC trains
The sub-urban trains Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC; 012; www.fgc.net) include a couple of practical routes in the city that will bring you to the north, and up to the hills of Collserola. All the lines that go to the north stop at Plaça de Catalunya, Carrer de Provença and Gràcia. One of these lines (L7) goes to the foot of Tibidabo, and the other (L6 a Reina Elisenda) has a stop near the Monestir de Pedralbes. Most lines go beyond Barcelona to neighbouring cities.
Taxi
Barcelona has a service of 11,000 taxis which can be easily identified by their yellow and black livery. A green light on top of the taxi indicates its availability. There is also a service of taxis adapted for people with reduced mobility.
You can take them directly on the street by raising your hand. In this case, there will be an initial fare to start the journey to which additional costs will be added based on km made. Be aware that there is an extra charge for night journeys (from 20.00 to 8.00) and weekends.
You can also book a taxi via app, which provides you a fixed price and you can book it in advance. The app is called FreeNow and it is available both on Google Play Store and Apple play Store.