1.- What to say. Travel arrangements.

Welcome to Barcelona.

Getting here.

By plane.

Domestic and international flights land at El Prat de Llobregat Airport, 12 km southwest of Barcelona. The Aerobus links the airport to Pl. Catalunya, the center of Barcelona (40 min.; every 15 min.). RENFE trains provide cheaper airport transportation (20-25 min.; every 30 min.). The most useful stops are Estació Barcelona - Sants and Plaça Catalunya, which link up with the metro. Tickets are sold at the red machines. The city bus offers inexpensive night service. A taxi ride between Barcelona and the airport costs around 30€. Taxi ranks are found directly outside the terminals, with services 24 hours. The journey to Barcelona takes 25 minutes.

Three main national airlines operate at El Prat Airport: Iberia has extensive coverage and student discounts. Air Europa and Spanair offer cheaper fares. All major international airlines serve Barcelona, including British Airways and Delta and many low-cost airlines.

An alternative is flying to Gerona Airport, which is to the North and served extensively by Ryanair, and catching a shuttle to Barcelona in under an hour.

By train.

A North-South coastal route is traversed by Spain's domestic rail services which are renowned for their reliability, efficiency and good value. The views on this route are often very attractive and it’s possible to travel directly, at least once a day, to Barcelona from as far away as Seville. Regular services also run directly from many major Spanish cities, with several trains running daily to Madrid. Then there are the services to France, including services to Paris, Marseille and Nice, but they usually involve a change of trains at the border. Trains run under the city centre and stop at Barcelona's principal train station Estació Sants, just west of Las Ramblas. Some local services also stop at Plaça de Catalunya, due north, while Estació França, east of Las Ramblas is less frequented. In Spain you have the option of the local Talgo, the faster Intercity and the long-distance high-speed AVE. For general information about trains call RENFE or visit its web page.

By car.

Arriving from France and the North, you have a choice of driving on the express highway (E-15) or the more scenic coastal road along the Costa Brava. There is also a route over the Pyrenees, through Andorra which enters Spain at Puigcerdà and follows the N-152 to Barcelona. From Madrid, the N-2 is an easy highway to follow, through Zaragoza and onto the A-2 to El Vendrell and A-7 motorway to Barcelona. The E-15 also arrives in Barcelona from the south making it easy to get to from the Costa Blanca and Valencia. Vehicles drive on the right in Spain.

By bus.

The main intercity bus station is located northeast of Las Ramblas: Estació d'Autobuses del Nord. The station has food, money exchange and luggage storage. Other buses, particularly international buses, arrive at the Estació d'Autobuses de Sants, next to the train station.