MOVING AROUND IN BARCELONA
This document is intended to help you to go back and forth between the airport, the hotels, the conference site and the restaurant of the conference dinner. More information can be found in
the web of the city and in the
route searching page of TMB (Barcelona's public transports company).
Although it is easier to find one's way through underground lines and stations, and its schedules are generally speaking more reliable, some bus routes are more convenient in order to reach the conference site; don't
hesitate to ask the driver or other passengers about your stop (which always has to be requested in advance). All underground stations and most bus stops have maps showing the itineraries of the corresponding lines.
We apologize for any incorrect information.
To go from the airport to the city you can choose between four types of transportation:
- By taxi: There is a (usually well-served) taxi stop in front of each of the terminals. A ride to the city will cost you around 25-30 euros, dependig on traffic conditions. Fares are higher at night or in week-ends.
You will be charged 0.9 euros for each piece of luggage and 3 euros for airport service; these amounts have to be added to the figure shown in the meter at the end of the journey (a list of fares
and charges should be posted inside the passenger side of the taxi).
It is very difficult to estimate how long will it take... usually between 30 and 45 minutes (20 to 30 at night).
- By train: You have to walk 10 minutes to the train station in the airport throuhg the halls.
Trains run every 30 minutes between 6.13am and 11.15pm. They take 17 minutes to "Sants" station and 23 to "Catalunya" station.
You can buy a ticket in the machines (2.25 euros). But if you plan to use buses and/or underground we suggest
you buy a T-10, 1 zone card (6.30 euros), which will let you make the journey to the city and 9 more, allowing transfers
during 1 hour and 15 minutes (for more information on tickets see below).
- By "Aerobus". This bus costs 3.45 euros. It runs every 15 minutes from 6am
to midnight (6.30 on weekends). It stops in front of each of the terminals.
If you go to the conference site you have to get off at "Plaza Universidad". If you
go to the city center you have to get off at "Plaza Catalunya" (last stop). You have to buy the ticket on the bus.
- By bus number 106 to "Plaza Espanya". Departure in front of Terminal A. You have to buy the ticket on the bus (1,15 euros). This bus runs only every half-hour and is quite slow.
(Go to index)
- By taxi: Ask: To "Universidad de Barcelona, Plaza Universidad", or to the corresponding hotel:
- "Hotel Gravina", Gravina Street, 12, 08001 Barcelona. Tel (+34) 93-301 -6868
- "Hotel Lleó", Pelai Street, 22-24, 08001 Barcelona.
- By train: Get off at "Catalunya" station, and walk 10 minutes (see the map below).
- By Aerobus: Get off at "Plaza Universidad" and then cross the wide street to reach the University building, or cross the square and go to the hotel (see the map below).
- By bus number 106: Get off at "Plaza Espanya" and then take underground (Line 1, to "Universitat" station).
- The following map shows the conference site and hotels "Gravina" and "Lleó" as well.
- The "Facultat de Matemàtiques" is located in the right, rear side of the big building. Enter it by the central doors or by the right, smaller door, and walk inside to reach the cloister-like patio located to the right.
(Go to index)
The last day of the conference you will probably be an expert in moving around in Barcelona, so it will
be very easy for you to reach El Cangrejo Loco (The crazy crab) which is located in "Port Olímpic",
a nice area in Barcelona, close to the sea and the beaches. The exact address is: Moll de Gregal, 29-30 Port Olímpic, 08005 Barcelona,
Tel.: (+34) 93-221-0533.
Anyway you may find the following hints helpful:
- The recommended option, accessible from many points in the city, is to take
the undeground line 4 (yellow), after any transfers if
necessary. You have to get off at "Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica" station. After exiting to "Parc de Carles I", turn right and walk towards the sea, so that you pass between the two very high towers ("very high" as to Barcelona standards), and then go to the left pier of the haven and locate the restaurant at the end of its upper section, not at sea level (see map and picture below).
- From "Plaza Universidad" and "Plaza Catalunya" you can also take bus 41, get off at the second stop of "Avinguda Icària", and walk towards the port (see map).
- From Hotels "Sagrada Família" and "Sant Pau" you may take bus number 10 in Lepant Street and get off at the last stop. Then follow the same path as in the underground case (see map and picture).
- Going back home to your hotel depends a lot on how long you stay in the area (which, besides restaurants, is full of music bars and clubs). Underground closes at 2pm and there are some night buses shown in the map below. There are fewer lines, so you should check whether one of them serves your destination. It will be easy to find a taxi in this area.
(Go to index)
Besides taxi, in most cases the best option is to go to "Plaza Catalunya" and take the train or the Aerobus from the stops shown in the first map above.
(Go to index)
- Barcelona and its influence area has an "integrated tariff system". Tickets are the same for underground and buses. The big area is divided into "zones". In order to move around the whole city and the closest surrounding ones, one should buy just 1-zone tickets and cards.
- A single-trip ticket costs 1,15 euros and is valid for just one trip.
- "Targetes" (cards) are multi-trip transport tickets that offer worthwhile savings. Targeta T-10, 1 zone (6.30 euros, looks like this one), gives you 10 rides on the underground or buses, each ride allowing unlimited transfers between them (you have to validate at each transfer, but you will not be charged again if you are within the time limit).
There are also 1/.../5-Days targetes, with the obvious meaning, and other cards specifically designed for tourists. See the TMB web page
for more information and for travercards.
- Tickets and cards for metro amb bus can be bought at the selling machines (which usually accept coins, notes and credit cards) that are found in underground stations, and also in the automatic teller machines labelled "Servicaixa" with credit cards and in newsagents and some small shops. The machines sell several kinds of tickets and cards. You can also buy single-trip tickets to the bus driver.
- In order to cross the payment line in the underground you will have to validate the ticket at the sliding or rotating gates. This
means putting the ticket completely inside the machine, and waiting while it is being stamped; then you have to take the ticket back (from a different place) in order
to see the gate opened.
- When you get on a bus you have to validate the ticket in the appropiate machine (behind the driver).
- All kinds of tickets and multi-trip cards have to be validated in this way, for each ride and transfer, even those allowing an unlimited number of trips during a certain time.
(Go to index)