How to Get Around Barcelona on the Cheap

Barcelona has a large, easy-to-use public transportation network, and changes made for the 1992 Olympic games improved and updated the system. Although there are design flaws in the system, it's generally easy to get around the city without spending a lot of money.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Walking Shoes
• Maps
• Travel Guides
• Airline Tickets
• Travel Services

1. Take the metro, which is the fastest, easiest way to get around Barcelona. Just find out the name of the station at each end of the line you're using, and you will know which direction you need to take, even if you don't know a word of Catalan.
2. Buy tickets in strips rather than individually, or buy one-, three- or five-day passes for unlimited travel on the bus and metro networks. Buy tickets from station offices or from automatic machines at station entrances.
3. Get tickets that include use of the cable car and funicular lines if you plan to visit Montjuic or Tibidabo.
4. Take the bus if you prefer to travel above ground. It's slower than the metro, but there's more eye candy. Buses are color-coded: The red buses stay within the city center, while others will take you out to suburbs and surrounding areas.
5. Spend lots of time walking, especially in the city's old Barri Gotic area and along Las Ramblas. Most of Barcelona is designed for foot traffic, and walking gives you a chance to see the architecture, meet the people and experience the city at a leisurely pace.
6. Wear comfortable shoes. Some of the older parts of the city have rough or cobbled streets, and you will probably be doing a lot of walking.
7. Leave the rented car in a long-term parking lot. Parking comes at a premium in Barcelona, and traffic is heavy, so public transportation is the best way to navigate the city.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to find a phrase book or guidebook that contains English translations in both Catalan and Spanish. Most residents of Barcelona know both languages, but signs are usually in Catalan, and some residents prefer not to speak Castilian Spanish.
• Residents of Barcelona tend to dress well, even when they are dressed casually. They rarely wear shorts or sundresses in the city. Consider bringing along some of your smarter clothes if you prefer to blend into the crowd when you travel.
• Only metro line L2 is wheelchair-accessible. Stations along the other lines just have stairs or escalators rather than elevators from street level to the platforms.
• Watch out for pickpockets and thieves on the metro, as you would in the subway system of any other city. If you do encounter problems, all stations have an intercom line that connects the platform with the station office.
• One popular pickpocketing scam in the Barcelona metro is a tag-team operation. One person will spill a drink or a bottle of suntan lotion on you, and then someone else will "wipe you up" while wiping you out! Just keep your wits about you, and you will be as safe as you are in your hometown.