Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The high-speed
AVE line
(Alta Velocidad Española) between Barcelona and Madrid (via
Tarragona and Zaragoza) has cut journey times in half between the two cities (2hr 30min to
3hr10min,dependingontheservice).ArrivalsanddeparturesareatBarcelona Sants,though
a second high-speed station is currently being built at
La Sagrera
, east of the centre beyond
Glòries (completion date estimated 2016).
For information about the local rail network in and around the city, see
“
City transport
”.
TRAIN INFORMATION
RENFE
902 320 320,
renfe.com
. For all national rail enquiries, sales and reservations.
At Barcelona Sants station (Pl. dels Països Catalans, Sants; Sants Estació) there are train
information desks and advance ticket booking counters, some with English speakers.
By bus
The main bus terminal, used by international, long-distance and provincial buses, is
Bar-
celona Nord
on c/d'Ali-Bei ( 902 260 606,
barcelonanord.com
; Arc de Triomf), four
blocks north of Parc de la Ciutadella. There's a bus information desk on the ground floor
(daily 7am-9pm), plus a tourist office (daily 9am-7pm), accommodation agency, ATMs,
shops and luggage lockers. Various companies operate services across Catalunya, Spain and
Europe - it's a good idea to reserve a ticket in advance on long-distance routes (a day before
at the station is usually fine, or buy online).
Some intercity and international Eurolines services also make a stop at the bus terminal be-
hindBarcelona Santsstation onc/deViriat ( SantsEstació). Either way,you'reonlyashort
metro ride from the city centre.
By car
Driving into Barcelona is reasonably straightforward, with traffic only slow in the morning
and evening rush hours. Parking, however, is a different matter altogether - rarely easy and
not cheap. If your trip is just to the city and its surroundings, our advice is not to bother with
a car at all, but you'll find some useful pointers in any case in the “City transport” section.
Coming into Barcelona along any one of the motorways (
autopistes
), head for the Ronda
Litoral(B-10),thesouthernhalfofthecity'sringroad.Followingsignsfor“PortVell”(com-
ing from the south) or “Ciutat Vella” (coming from the north) will take you towards the main
exit for the old town, though there is also an exit for Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes (C-31)
if uptown Barcelona is your destination.
