Travel Tip # 9: TRIP TO BARCELONA, SPAIN
(as of March 2011)
Program/Itinerary (three days, two nights)
Day 1: Onward(on Swiss Air)
Geneva dep. 07:05
Barcelona arr 08:20
Day 3: Return
Barcelona dep 09:10
Geneva arr 10:20
Travel Arrangements
1. Direct travel by plane to Barcelona from Geneva only takes over an hour. Try to look for the best airfare deals offered by Easy Jet, Swiss Air or other airlines. Depending on the season, roundtrip travel to Barcelona can cost as low as CHF 150 (approximately US$150).
2. There may be cheaper airfares to Barcelona on non-direct routes.
3. Hotel/s
a. Booking can be done through the internet. Easyjet offers a airfare plus hotel package which might turn out to be cheaper.
b. If you want to be at the Center of activities, try getting a hotel in the Rambla area.
c. Our hotel:
HOTEL REGINA (four star)
C/ Bergara 4
08002 Barcelona, Spain
+34 933 01 32 32
i. Hotel Regina is nicely located in a quiet street adjacent to nerve-center of the city, Catalunya Square. Hotel is 5 minutes walk from the main plaza of Catalunya.
ii. Hotel is very nice with friendly English-speaking staff.
iii. Facilities include --- restaurant, breakfast room, bar, internet station, reading lounge with lots of magazines and books to read.
iv. Room and amenities --- well-stocked refrigerator, safe box, bath robes and sleepers, travel cosmetics including razor and shaving cream, tooth brush and free wireless internet. There are no coffee/ tea facilities, complementary mineral water, ironing board and tissue paper.
v. Room rate is Euro 198 per night without breakfast. During promo season, this rate can give you two nights of stay.
vi. Just beside the hotel is a Starbucks outlet and across is a Chinese restaurant (serving dimsun) and a small supermarket.
vii. Note: Hotel Regina is beside an underground metro station. You can hear the coming and going of trains from your room all day. Thus, make sure you request for a room at the high floor.
d. There are other hotels in the same area (walking distance to Rambla)
i. Hotel Catalunya (4 star)
ii. Hotel Ramblas (4 star) - recommended
Pelai 28, 08001 Barcelona
Tel 93 316 84 00
Fax 93 316 84 01
email: ramblas@hoteles-catalonia.es
reservation: 900 30 10 78
iii. Hotel Lleo (3 star)
iv. Hotel Atlantis (3 star)
v. Hotel Inglaterra
vi. Hotel Jazz
vii. Hotel Pelayo (2 star)
Travel Tips
A) Travel from Barcelona Airport (Terminal 1) to Plaza Catalunya and back
· Take the Aerobus (A1) from the airport. Aerobus connects the airport to the center of Barcelona every day of the year. You can travel comfortably and economically to and from either airport (T1 or T2) to the city without having to change buses.
· Travel to Barcelona (Plaza Catalunya last station) is around 35 minutes with stops at strategic points in Barcelona along the way.
· Tickets can be purchased from the personnel at the bus, in the vending machines or from the bus driver. Each ticket is for the transportation of one person and his/her luggage. Single one-way ticket is Euro 5.30.
· Travel schedule from Terminal T1 (line A1) to Pl. Catalunya (Barcelona)
From 06.10h to 07.30 h every 10 min.
From 07.30h to 22.25 h every 5 min
From 22.25 to 01.05h every 10 min
· Pl. Catalunya (Barcelona) to Terminal 1 (Airport) on Line A1
From 05.30h to 06.50h every 10 min
From 06.50 to 21.45 h every 5 min
From 21.45 h to 00.30 h every 10 min
Tel for info: 010 (Euro 0.55/ 3 minutes)
B) Moving Around Barcelona
· Consider taking the Barcelona Bus Turistic (www.barcelonabusturistic.cat) which is one of the two city’s official sightseeing bus. This bus company is said to have more buses and more frequent trips compared to the other bus company (red bus).
· This is a “hop-in, hop-out” bus (you can get on and off as many times as you like) that moves to the major tourist destinations all around Barcelona. Audio in 10 languages, individual headphones are given free at the bus.
· Daily service (except new year and Christmas day). The bus offer three tour routes (red, blue and green) Except for the green route which takes 40 minutes, the two other routes take approximately two hours. Red route is basic and is the most popular of the three routes. Green route operates from April 15 to September 25 only.
· Bus tickets are available on the bus, most hotels, newsstand, bookstore and Turisme de Barcelona Tourist Information Points. Ticket prices are Euro 23 for one day and Euro 30 for two days. Children 4-12 pay Euro 14 for one day and Euro 18 for two days.
C) Must sights
· Spanish Village or El Poble (www.poble-espanyo.com) (Placa d’Espanya on Red Route). Entrance Euro 8 per adult person.
· Walk through the Rambla Area from Catalunya Plaza (just be extra watchful with your handbag, wallet and jewelries)
i. Rows of shops and restaurants
ii. Flower market
iii. Boqueria Market (St. Joseph Market) where you can buy and eat your fresh fruits, Spanish ham and sausages. Nice wet market too.
iv. Stalls where you can buy your theatre tickets
· Barcelona Cathedral (adjacent to Rambla) – entrance Euro 6.00
· Catalunya Square (Main Plaza where the main arteries of the city meet. Around the Plaza --- Hard Rock Café, Mc Donalds, Corte Engles Department Store, etc).
· Port Vell and Port Nou (Old Port and New Port on Red Route)
· Maremagnum (Red Route) where you find the Barcelona Aquarium, the largest and most important aquarium in the world, IMAX Cinema
· Palau de Mar (Red Route) where you find rows of seafood restaurants
· The Sagrada Famila Basilica (Blue Route) – entrance Euro 14 per person.
· Montjuic National Palace (Red Route)
D) Must Eat
· Tapas – ranges from Euro 4 to Euro 10 per plate. Try: Spanish chorizo, gambas, calamari, Spanish hams/ iberico and Serrano ham, Spanish olives and artichokes, baby octopus, fried bacalao fish, potato salad, Spanish sardines, winglets, selection of Spanish cheese, etc.
· Paella – comes in different ways (seafood, meat, black squid ink, valenciana, etc.) Prices vary from Euro 9 to Euro 14 for single plate (may be shared by two persons).
· Sangria (during summer months)
· Spanish wines and beer (the original San Miguel)
· Churroz con chocolate
E) Other sites to visit outside Barcelona
· Monserrat (Day bus tour from Barcelona)
· Palafrugell, Spain (suggested by the hotel)
· Tamariu, Spain (suggested by the hotel)
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