Basics - The Rough Guide to Barcelona - page 31

Driving to Barcelona
It'sabout1600kmfromLondontoBarcelona,which,withstops,takesalmosttwofulldaysto
drive. To plan your route, try motoring organizations such as AA ( theaa.com ) or the RAC
( rac.co.uk ), which also provide advice on insurance requirements, documentation matters
and how to avoid toll roads. If you're bringing your own car, carry your licence, vehicle re-
gistrationandinsurancedocumentswithyou;youshouldalsohavetwowarningtrianglesand
a fluorescent vest in case of breakdown. For more details about driving conditions in the city
itself, turn to “ City transport ” .
Many people use the conventional cross-Channel ferry links, principally Dover-Calais,
though services to Brittany or Normandy might be more convenient. However, the quickest
way of crossing the Channel is to go via the Eurotunnel service ( 0844 335 3535, euro-
tunnel.com ) , which operates drive-on-drive-off shuttle trains between Folkestone and Calais/
Coquelles. The 24-hour service runs every twenty minutes throughout the day and, though
you can just turn up, booking is advised, especially at weekends and in summer holidays.
Alternatively, Brittany Ferries ( brittany-ferries.co.uk ) operates car and passenger ferry
services from Portsmouth (2 weekly, 24hr) and Plymouth to Santander (one weekly; 20hr)
or Bilbao (twice weekly; 24 or 32hr). From Santander, it's about nine hours' drive to Bar-
celona, via Bilbao and Zaragoza. Fares start at £179 one-way (includes the car, two people
and two-berth inside cabin), but it costs significantly more in summer, particularly August.
Any ferry company or travel agent can supply up-to-date schedules and ticket information,
or you can consult the encyclopedic directferries.com , which has details about, and links
to, every European ferry service.
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ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
Inmostcases,youcanbeofftheplane,trainorbusandinyourcentralBarcelonahotel
room within the hour. Note that Ryanair flights (and some others) to Barcelona are ac-
tually to Girona (90km north) or Reus (110km south), and though there are reliable
connectingbusandtrainservices,thismeansuptoa90-minutejourneyfromeitherair-
port to Barcelona city centre.
By air
Barcelona airport ( 902 404 704, www.aena.es ) is 18km southwest of the city centre
at El Prat de Llobregat. There are tourist offices in the terminals handling hotel bookings, as
well as ATMs, exchange facilities and car-rental offices.