Mrs H demanded that I whisk her away for a few days during her half-term break - so we've settled on 4 days in Barcelona. Flights (from Southend) and hotel have been booked via the internet and the only only question remaining is that of travel when we get there.
We will need to get from/to Barcelona airport to the hotel in the city centre and then travel round the city while we are there.
There seems to be any number of ways of doing this - e.g. T10 card, BCN card, the 'Barcelona Card' and I wonder if anyone on here can suggest the optimal way of doing things? One friend remembers using the T10 (ten journey) card, but couldn't answer the vital question of whether it could be used to get from airport to city centre - anyone got any knowledge of this?
Many thanks, H
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"Yes you can use the T10 card.............."
Ah - many thanks indeed for the link; I'd been perusing that web site, but not managed to turn up that particular page. I was sort of doubting my own eyes - 10 journeys for 9.80 Euros seemed just too good to be true especially when one of those journeys is the equivalent of Heathrow to central London for less than a quid!
Have you used the T10 card personally, and would you recommend it?
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I went to Barcelona though few years back.
Their public transport (especially underground) is excellent and cheap. Can't remember if I bought T10 but it must be something similar.
However, language was a problem! Not many people understand English there.
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I met a couple using one of those T10 cards. They reckoned they only needed one card for the two of them as they'd swipe it twice for each journey.
Seemed iffy to me, is it kosher?
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"..........is it kosher?"
Yes - according to the website, though I would expect Mrs H and I to need a card each for our 4 days. Maybe we should just buy one, and get another if needed.
www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/transport/barcelona-metro.html#metroticket
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Mrs ON and myself have shared a T10 card, as did the friends we were travelling with. We had no problems.
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I usually get the T10 cards, very good value and it does cover pretty much the wider city. It is the much further away places like the tourist town of Calella which are not covered as it is about 35 miles from Barcelona but is still a part of the Barcelona province.
Just be aware of the usual pick pockets, I myself never found Barcelona to be a problem. Language could be a problem to the point I had got on the wrong train to Salou but once I realised mistake the train staff were very helpful in helping out and revalidating my ticket at the barriers.
I got lost trying to find my hotel as the map showed a massive motorway but it was actually just a road on stilts so that confused me but I did find somebody that could speak perfect English that helped me out.
Won't be an issue at this time of year, but the underground stations can get very hot and tend to be a bit basic, not of the glamour of London or Paris.
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Never in all my years of Living in London, have I ever considered the tube to have "Glamour"
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Ah, but how well do you know the dripping stalactite-infested caverns they have in Barcelona?
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sat 5 Oct 13 at 20:26
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Thanks, Ratts; as we are only going from Tuesday to Friday (i.e. 2 full days with a half day at either end), we don't anticipate straying beyond beyond the city itself.
We have actually visited Barcelona twice previously in recent years, though these have only been rapid forays while a cruise ship docked there.
On the first occasion, we saw the Segrada Familia from the 11th deck of the ship and thought it would be a good idea to walk to it via Las Ramblas. This turned out to be a longer walk than anticipated and we arrived back at the ship whacked out. We resolved that 'next time', we would take the open-topped tourist bus.
So, on the second visit, which happened on a Sunday, we took the open-topped bus from the harbour. It all started incredibly well, but what we hadn't realised that everyone piles into the city on a Sunday, what's more, this was a Bank Holiday Sunday - and the Barcelona marathon was taking place and roads were closed off and bus routes diverted. So much for 'hop-on, hop-off' buses - once you hopped off, you had a job finding a bus that wasn't already full if you wanted to hop-on again. In the end, we just found a space on a bus and headed back for the harbour - we didn't want to arrive back too late and watch the ship disappearing over the horizon.
After that, we resolved that the best way to see Barcelona would be to get a 2-day bus pass, and to go mid-week, out of the busy season. The way things are panning out, I think we'll get one T10 ticket between us (principally to get to/from the airport) and get a 2-day bus pass each. We just hope that they haven't changed the date of the Barcelona Marathon!
I see that bus passes can be ordered on-line with a 10% discount - but the price is in Euro. I can't think that I've ever bought anything on-line in a currency other than sterling. Is it a straightforward process?
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The Segrada Familia is best admired from a few hundred metres away, the interior is a disappointment. To savour Antoni Gaudís finest work, instead plan a visit to Parc Güell. Quite delightful on a sunny day.
To eat, choose some of the local catalan restaurants 50 -100 metres back or so down Las Ramblas side streets. First introduced Nicole to Catalan Tomato Bread in one them.
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>> To eat, choose some of the local catalan restaurants 50 -100 metres back or so
>> down Las Ramblas side streets. First introduced Nicole to Catalan Tomato Bread in one them.
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The café prices reduce as you get further from the Ramblas, Tourist rip off prevails along it. Be aware that the red light area is just off the harbour end of the Ramblas to the left looking inland. We found it by accident, and yes I was supervised by Mrs ON. :-)
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I never noticed that red light area but then I wasn't round that area at night. Tourist rip offs are a big problem in Barcelona. I actually found eating out was cheaper in Paris as it is far easier to avoid the tourist places but that might be because I know Paris a bit better.
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>>The Segrada Familia is best admired from a few hundred metres away, the interior is a disappointment.
Couldn't agree more. SWMBO's fond of quoting my 'how much did we pay to look round a building site?'
The carving at the rear is worth looking at from the outside (with a Mcflurry from the nearby McDonalds): goo.gl/maps/XQwCh
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>> However, language was a problem! Not many people understand English there.
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Nor here:)
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>> Nor here:)
Innit though...
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Something I have never seen promoted as an attraction is the wonderful indoor market , opening on to the top part of La Rambla. The displays are gorgeous, works of art. I think there are a couple of tapas bars as well.
I was interested in what seemed to be a demarcation agreement between beggars in the top part and gypsy girls selling "lucky lavender" in the lower. The gypsy trick is to stuff the lavender into a pocket, hoping you will take that as a purchase. The beggar contingent was interesting in its own way; several spoke good English and seemed to be well educated. Some, indeed, were British.
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Travel in Barcelona? - CGNorwich
