11 nov 2012

BEST WAY TO MOVE AROUND BARCELONA


As in any other town, first thing to consider is what king of traveler you are.

If you are short of time and like to have things ready for you, BUS TURISTIC may be your best choice. They have different routes and cover the key touristic points in Barcelona, including the “remote” ones. If this is your choice, check routes, timetables and prices in:

If you, like me, prefer to do as locals do, I would suggest you to buy a T-10 CARD for public transport + WALK. Barcelona is not spreaded and, except some places like Park Güell, Montjuic, Tibidabo and the Barça stadium, most of your visits can easily be done by foot. For T -10 card information, see specific entry in this blog.  Remember to ask for a map of the public transport network at the metro booths or at the tourist information points.

Supposing you like sport, there is always the possibility to rent a bicycle. You will probably see many BICING stations in Barcelona. Unfortunately, these are not addressed to the temporary visitors and they require a card (costs 100€ per year) which must be issued in advance, etc. Nevertheless, there are other companies to rent a bicycle, particularly in the Born area. Let me just remind you that Barcelona is not so well prepared for bicycles. Bike lanes are scarce and not always respected. Having said that, a visit to Barceloneta in a bike can be very pleasant in a sunny morning.
A link to the Bike rentals association with different phones, addresses and a map of the companies location: http://www.bicitoursbarcelona.org/lloguer/
Barcelona Rent a Bike (in Barceloneta): http://www.barcelonarentabike.com

Bicing Station in carrer Provença


Finally, have you considered renting a mopped or scooter? I think that is the best way to visit Barcelona (in fact, Barcelona is a “scooter city”, as you will surely notice). Just bear in mind, rent a scooter only if you are familiar with driving such vehicle in a busy town and remember to wear a helmet … always (helmets are rented together with the scooter).
For scooters rentals see:

P.S. Ups! I almost forgot. There are also taxis, of course. Painted in yellow and black they are quickly recognizable. Fares are fixed by the city council but try not to get cheated with longer routes than needed or similar tricks. Even if taxis in Barcelona are more affordable than in Paris or London, they are still quite expensive by Spanish standards. We would only recommend a company, which we know from personal experience to be quite reliable, it is Taxi Class: http://www.taxiclassrent.com/

In yellow and black, taxis are easy to see