Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
I/Catalunya (Mon-Fri 9am-2pm; 010). Most items are kept for three months. You could
also try the TMB (public transport) customer service centre at Universitat metro station.
Mail
The main
postoffice
in Barcelona is near the harbour in the old town, while each city neigh-
bourhoodalso has a post office, though these have far less comprehensive opening hoursand
services. If all you need are
stamps
, however, it's usually quicker to visit a tobacconist (look
for the brown-and-yellow
tabac
sign), found on virtually every street. These can also weigh
letters and small parcels, advise about postal rates and send express mail (
urgente
). Use the
yellow on-street postboxes and put your mail in the flap marked
provínciesiestranger
or
al-
tres destins.
Letters or cards take around three to four days to European countries, five days
to a week to North America.
POSTAL SERVICES
Main post office
(Correus) Pl. d'Antoni López, at the eastern end of Pg. de Colom, Barri
Gòtic 934 868 302,
correos.es
; Barceloneta/Jaume I (Mon-Fri 8.30am-9.30pm, Sat
8.30am-2pm).There'saposterestante/generaldeliveryservicehere(
llistadecorreus
),plus
express post, fax service, mobile phone top-ups, phonecard sales and bill payments.
Maps
Thecitytouristofficesandkioskscharge€1fortheirmaps-youcanpickupagoodfreeone
instead from the information desk on the ground floor of El Corte Inglés department store,
right outside the main tourist office. With that, and the maps in this topic, you'll easily find
yourwayaround.Youcanalsocheckthelocationofanybuildingoraddressonthecitycoun-
cil's extremely useful
interactivestreetplan
at
bcn.cat
(click on “Plànol BCN”, or “BCN
map” in the English-language version).
You'llfindagoodselectionofregionalandnationalSpanishmapsinmostbookshopsandat
streetnewspaperkiosksorpetrolstations.Mapandtravelshopsinyourhomecountryshould
also be able to supply road maps of Catalunya or northern Spain (by Michelin, Firestone or
Rand McNally). Alternatively, try mail order from
amazon.com
or a map specialist like
Money
Spain's
currency
is the euro (€), with notes issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100,
200 and 500 euros, and coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and 1 and 2
euros.
Byfarthe easiest waytoget money istouseyourbankdebit card towithdraw cash froman
ATM
, found all over the city, including the airport and major train stations. You can usually
withdraw up to €300 a day and instructions are offered in English once you insert your card.
