Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Shop sale sign
Centre
Five-euro note
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Menú del Dia
Barcelona on a Budget
!
Sightseeing
$
Concerts &
eat between 10am and
noon, and 4 and 7pm.
Passes
The Barcelona Card
offers up to 50 per cent
off the city's main
attractions, plus free
travel on buses and the
metro. It's available for
two to five days at all
tourist offices and El
Corte Inglés department
stores. The Articket,
which costs €20 and is
valid for six months,
provides free entry to
seven art museums,
including MNAC
(see
pp18-19)
, MACBA
(see
pp28-9)
and the Fundació
Joan Miró
(see pp22-3)
.
The tourist office on
Plaça de Catalunya
(see
p134)
sells it, as do the
museums themselves.
Opera
Enjoy rock-bottom prices
for concerts and the
opera (Sep-Jul) by buying
seats with partial views -
or no view at all. The Gran
Teatre del Liceu
(see
p66)
sells cheap tickets
for opera and classical
recitals. The Palau de la
Música Catalana
(see
pp26-7)
has reduced price
early-evening weekend
shows twice a month. For
general information on
cultural events - and spe-
cial deals - call or visit
the Institut de Cultura in
the Palau de la Virreina
(see p13)
. d
Gran Teatre
del Liceu ticket office:
93 485 99 00
Institut de
Cultura: 93 301 77 75
&
Drinking
Start out the night in
your hotel with a bottle
of Spanish wine from the
supermarket. Then head
to the Barri Gòtic or El
Raval where there are
plenty of cheap dive bars.
Order a
canya
(tap beer)
or a Spanish bottled beer,
Estrella or San Miguel,
which are usually cheap-
er than imported beers.
*
Hotels
Visit Barcelona during
the low season, from
October to April, and you'll
find cheaper hotel deals
(and air fares). The same
can be true in August
when many Spanish
businesses close. Enquire
about any special deals
when booking a room.
@
Museums
%
Eating
Many museums offer
free entry on the first
Sunday of the month,
including the Museu
Picasso
(see pp24-5)
and MNAC
(see pp18-
19)
. The tourist office
has a list of all the free
museum days. Most
museums also offer a
30-50 per cent discount
- or free admission - for
people over 65.
£
Public Transport
The most economical
way to get a bite to eat is
to pick up picnic goodies
at one of the city's food
markets
(see pp52-3)
.
The
menú del dia
(fixed
lunch menu) offered from
Monday to Friday at
many restaurants is often
very reasonable. Dining
on the terrace can be
more pricey than eating
inside, where sitting at
the bar is usually the
cheapest option.
^
Fast Food
(
Hotel Bars
You don't have to stay
at the ritzy hotels to
enjoy their luxurious
environs. Most of the
bars and cafés at the
five-star hotels are open
to the general public. Try
the Hotel Arts
(see p143)
,
near the Port Olímpic,
where you can sip a
cocktail to the rippling
tunes of classical piano.
The T-10 ticket permits
10 rides on metro, FGC
and buses, but only lasts
for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Alternatively, you can
purchase a two-, three-,
four- or five-day pass,
which provides unlimited
travel on the same
services.
See p131
.
)
Cinemas
Bypass McDonald's
and Burger King and
sample Spain's cheaper
fast food equivalents.
Pans & Company and
Bocatta are found all over
town; both offer cheap
meals, particularly if you
Go to the cinema
(see p67)
on
el dia del
espectador
(often Mon-
day or Wednesday) or for
a matinée (usually before
2:30pm), when tickets
are cheaper.
140
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