Barcelona Practical Information

Barcelona’s layout is easy to visualize if you imagine yourself perched on Columbus’s head at the Monument a Colom (on Pg. de Colom, along the shore), viewing the city with the sea at your back. From the harbor, the city slopes upward to the mountains. From the Columbus monument, La Rambla, the main thoroughfare, runs up to Plaça de Catalunya (Catalunya), the city center. The heavily touristed historic neighborhood, Ciutat Vella, is anchored by La Rambla and encompasses the Barri Gòtic, La Ribera, and El Raval. The Barri Gòtic is east of La Rambla (to the right, with your back to the sea), enclosed on the other side by Via Laietana. East of Via Laietana lies the maze-like neighborhood of La Ribera, bordered by Parc de la Ciutadella and Estació de França. To the west of La Rambla is El Raval, Barcelona’s most multicultural neighborhood, with a growing number of museums and hip bars.

Beyond La Ribera—farther east, outside Ciutat Vella and curving out into the water—are Poble Nou and Port Olímpic, which boast the two tallest buildings in Barcelona, not to mention an assortment of discotecas and restaurants on the beach. To the west, beyond El Raval, rises Montjuïc, a hill crammed with sprawling gardens, museums, the 1992 Olympic grounds, and a fortress. Directly behind your perch on the Monument a Colom is the Port Vell (Old Port) development, where a wavy bridge leads to the ultra-modern (and tourist-packed) shopping and entertainment complexes Moll d’Espanya and Maremagnum. North of Ciutat Vella is upscale l’Eixample, a gridded neighborhood created during the expansion of the 1860s that sprawls from Pl. de Catalunya toward the mountains. Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes defines its lower edge, and the Passeig de Gràcia, l’Eixample’s main tree- and boutique-lined avenue, bisects this chic neighborhood. Avinguda Diagonal, the expansion’s largest non-gridded street, marks the border between l’Eixample and the Zona Alta (“Uptown”), which includes Pedralbes, Gràcia, and other older neighborhoods in the foothills. The peak of Tibidabo, the northwest border of the city, offers the most comprehensive view of Barcelona.

Currency Exchange

ATMs give the best rates. The very best are those marked Telebanco; they report the exchange rate on the receipt and on-screen instead of leaving you guessing. Banks are your next best option. Banks ...more

Tourist Offices And Tours

Aeroport del Prat de Llobregat, terminals A and B. Info and last-minute accommodation booking. Open daily 9am-9pm. Estació Barcelona-Sants, Pl. Països Catalans. (☎ 902 240 202) Sants-Estació ...more

Glbt Resources

Pick up the official LGBT tourist guide at tourist office in Pl. de Catalunya, 17S, which includes a section on LGBT bars, clubs, publications, and more. Barcelona’s gay neighborhood is called L’Eixample ...more

Laundromats

Lavamax, C. Junta de Comerç, 14, in El Raval (☎ 933 01 59 32). Wash €5 for 8kg. Dry €1 per 8min. Self-service open daily 9:30am-9pm. Drop-off service M-F 9:30am-1:30pm and 5-9pm, Sa 9:30am-1 ...more

Libraries

Visit www.bcn.es/biblioteques for info on Barcelona’s libraries. Biblioteca Barceloneta-La Fraternitat, C. Comte de Santa Clara, 8-10 (☎ 932 25 35 74), 2 blocks from the beach in Port Vell. Open ...more

Luggage Storage

El Prat Airport. €5 per day. Estació Barcelona-Sants, Sants-Estació. Lockers €4.50 per day. Open daily 5:30am-11pm. Estació Nord, Arc de Triomf. Lockers €3.50-5 per day, 90-day limit ...more

Emergency Phone Numbers

Local police: ☎ 092. Medical Emergency: ☎ 061. National police: ☎ 091. Tourist Police: La Rambla, 43 (☎ 932 56 24 30). Liceu. Multilingual officers. This is where to go if you’ve ...more

Hospitals

Hospital Clínic i Provincal, C. Villarroel,170 (☎ 932 27 54 00). Hospital Clínic. Main entrance at C. Roselló and C. Casanova. Hospital General de la Vall d’Hebron (☎ 932 74 61 00). Vall ...more

Pharmacies

Late-Night Pharmacy: Rotates. Check any pharmacy window for the nearest on duty, contact the police, or call Información de Farmacias de Guardia (☎ 93 481 00 60).

Internet Access

Bcnet (Internet Gallery Café), C. Barra de Ferro, 3 (☎ 932 68 15 07; www.bornet-bcn.com), down the street from the Museu Picasso. Jaume I. €1 for 15min; €3 per hr.; 10hr. ticket €19. Open M-F ...more

Postal Services

Pl. d’Antoni López (☎ 902 197 197). Jaume I or Barceloneta. Fax and Lista de Correos. Open M-F 8:30am-9:30pm, Su noon-10pm. Dozens of branches; consult www.correos.es. Postal Code: 08001.

Telephones

Buy phone cards at tobacco stores and newsstands; the lowest denomination is usually €6, which promises 45min. of international calling, though rates sometimes require you to use all your minutes in ...more