Getting from Barcelona to the UAB

The time has come for Erasmus students to start descending upon the city of Barcelona and in particular to students going to the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona which has the highest amount of Erasmus students across Europe. Literally thousands of Erasmus students attend the UAB every year to experience new things, meeting new people and trying to learn Spanish, although some will try and learn Catalan too!
However the UAB is outside of the city, closer to the towns of Sabadell and Cerdanyola so many people who decide to live in the city of Barcelona will be wondering how to get there.
The best way to reach UAB is to take the Ferrocarril from Plaza Catalunya station either on line S2 to Sabadell or S55 to Universitat Autonoma. Reaching Plaza Catalunya is easy either by taking the Red or Green line and from there the Ferrocarril is well signposted. However if you are walking to Plaza Catalunya you simply enter the metro entrance outside Cafe Zurich at the top of Las Ramblas.
The Ferrocarril runs roughly every 15/20 minutes to the University and the journey takes about 40 minutes.
Also if you are staying in Barcelona apartments in Eixample Izquierda, there is another Ferrocarril stop called Provença located on Calle Balmes, which is the first stop after Plaza Catalunya. It may be handier, but be warned, in the morning the Ferrocarril is very busy so you you probably won't get a seat for the journey if you catch it from Provença.

Good luck to all the Erasmus students this year and I'm sure you'll have a great time!

For a more comprehensive Barcelona Guide.

Sants Estacio in Barcelona

Sants Estacio is one of the two main railway stations along with Estacio de França in the city of Barcelona and provides daily transport for thousands of people. Although originally a railway station, in 1969 a metro station was opened along line 5 and later in 1975 another was opened this time on line 3. It serves the Barcelona Sants commuter train and main-line rail station as Sants Estacio is the city's primary train station. In addition to Renfe long-distance which connect Spain with the rest of Europe and regional services within Catalonia, the train station also serves Renfe Rodiales rail lines R1, R2, R3, R4, and R7. These lines only go as far as the areas surrounding Barcelona.

In addition to rail and metro transport, Sants Estacio has a bus station for companies offering national and European bus journeys to many different destinations.
You can find a great hoteles Sants if you just look online.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide.

Getting from Barcelona to Valencia

Getting from Barcelona to Valencia is relatively easy as there are various ways of making the journey. The cheapest means of travelling is by taking the autobus Valencia via the Bus Alta company. The journey costs €26 and takes 4 hours.
Another option is to take the Valencia Renfe train from your Barcelona accommodation which takes 3 hours if you take the fast train and costs €38. Also you can take the Valencia Renfe on the cheaper ticket at €32 to arrive at Estacion Valencia in 4 hours.
The trip is highly recommended as Valencia is the birthplace of the world famous dish, Paella. It is the 3rd largest city in Spain and many tourists flock to the city for the great weather as it is the sunniest city in Spain. Also there are many famous events which take place in Valencia including La Fiesta de Las Fallas and it is the starting point for the world famous Americas Cup Boat Race.
Famous landmarks to visit include; the Serranno Towers, Malvarrossa Beach, and in the new part of the city, the Parc Natural.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide.

Flights from Scotland to Barcelona

For all Scottish people looking to fly to Barcelona for a holiday to stay in great Barcelona apartments then transport is relatively simple. As Scotland is such a small country, there aren't many flights between Barcelona and Scotland, however there really is no need for many. It is only really during the summer months, usually between Friday and Monday, when the flights are full so getting a seat is never a problem to reaching your Barcelona apartments.
For low cost airlines there are basically 2 companies which fly between Scotland and Barcelona, the first is Flyglobespan which is a Scottish company and second is the well known Ryanair.






Flyglobespan
Flyglobespan fly directly to El Prat International Airport of Barcelona which is only 20 minutes bus journey from the city.
They fly from 3 airports: from Glasgow (Daily) 9-12.40 and return 13.30-15.45 except from November during the winter season when they alternate return flights from the usual 13.30-15.45 to 20.30-22.30 every other day.

Edinburgh is the second largest airport and has daily flights which mirror the Glasgow flight times. Outward 9.00-12.40 and return, 13.30-15.15. However from November the flights are reduced between Thursday and Monday over the weekend and flight times change on the outward flight to 16.00-19.40
Aberdeen Sun 7.00am-10.55 or Thur 17.00- 21.00

Ryanair
Ryanair fly from Glasgow Prestwick which is on the Southwest coast of Scotland and go to secondary airports Reus which is in Tarragona and Girona. These are both roughly 1 hour 20 minutes from the city of Barcelona. During the winter there are no flights between Glasgow and Reus but the daily flight to Girona flies 14.00-17.35 and returns 18.00-19.45.
Flights may seem cheaper with Ryanair however you must add an extra £17 return bus ticket from the airport to the city onto your flight price as oppose to £5.50 from the main airport.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide.

Barcelona Metro Yellow Line Open Again

Finally the metro is back in operation along L4 yellow line! It has been a long couple of months but now everything is back to normal especially for tourists renting Barcelona accommodation near the beach.
From 26 de June a stretch of Line 4, between Ciutadella / Vila Olímpica and La Pau stations, were closed while work on the track took place. An investment of 7.1 million euros was put into the project which involved renovating the track between Bogatell and Selva de Mar, in order to reduce the vibrations caused by passing trains and stop water seepage. Work will also took place to improve the stations on this stretch.
A temporary shuttle bus was introduced to replace the closed metro stops which would travel the same journey as the metro normally would. This however still was not enough for those staying in Barcelona apartments and wanted to go to the beach, due to the fact that it was peak season for thousands of tourists flocking to the beach.

Typical!
Another fantastic piece of Catalan common sense to undergo such a huge upheaval in the middle of their peak tourist season.
However this lasted till 27 August and the affected eight stations are now thankfully, again in operation.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide.

Loving Sitges Beaches

Sitges is reknowned for its beautiful beach and being a quaint little town which is popular for tourists from all over. Sitges beach is quite a small beach and reflects the beautiful little town which is well known as being a gay holiday haven for people from all across Europe. Loving Sitges is what it's all about, with lot's of sunbathing going in the summer along with lot's of partying at night in some of the finest night clubs in Europe which include L'Atlantida and the original club Pacha in Sitges. Although it is known for being a popular gay holiday hotspot, it welcomes people from all walks of life who just want to enjoy the great Sitges beaches.

You can rent a nice little villa in Sitges or also there are many popular hotels such as San Sebastian hotel Sitges, Hotel Platjador Sitges, La Nina Hotel Sitges or Hotel Dolce Sitges. These are some of the most popular in the town.

Getting There
It's not hard to get to Sitges travel by train from the city of Barcelona. If you are renting a Barcelona apartment then it's best to get the train from either Sants Estacio or Passeig de Gracia. Take the train to destinations Vilanova or Sitges and the journey should take about 35 minutes. There is usually a train every 20 minutes.

Barcelona Apartment to Blanes

Barcelona is a great city destination, especially in the summer because of the great weather and it being on the coast. Although a Barcelona apartment is easily available near the beach, the beaches are not all that great in the city. There are four beaches in the city and finding a Barcelona apartment near them is quite easy if you find the right website, but generally the best beaches are either south towards the Costa Dorada or north towards the Costa Brava. One of the most popular beach destination in the Costa Brava is the town Blanes. So if you feel like travelling to a beautiful beach town one day from your Barcelona apartment then Blanes is highly recommended.

Getting There
At the moment there is a problem with the Renfe trains from the central city station Plaza Catalunya, but you can take the metro on the red line to train stop , Clot.
From Clot there is a train every 30 minutes to Blanes. A return ticket costs €7 and the journey lasts 1.15 minutes.
The train route travels along many stops, and every stop is actually a beach, so if you cannot be bothered travelling this far, then you can get off earlier at stop such as Canet, Badalona, Mas Nou etc..
However if you decide to got to Blanes, then from the train station you take the bus directly to the beach which costs €2 return.
Also there are many Blanes apartments available too if you would prefer to spend some time there.
Here you can enjoy a fantastic beach town but also are close enought to return to the hustle and bustle of the city and your Barcelona apartment.
Check for a more comprehensive Barcelona guide.

From your Barcelona apartment to Castelldefels

You can find a great Barcelona apartment if you like going to the beach as the city is located along the coast. However getting a Barcelona apartment near the beach in the city could be difficult due to it being peak season right now. Having said that, the beaches in the city can be overcrowded at Barceloneta and Vila Olimpica so it would be recommended to catch a train to somewhere like Castelledefels. It is a beautiful beach town located south of Barcelona about 30 minutes by train.
Instead of staying near the beach then maybe you could rent a Barcelona apartment near Sants or Passeig de Gracia train station.

Getting There
Depending on where you are staying, you can reach Sants Estacio by metro on the green line or blue line and Passeig de Gracia from the yellow, green or purple line.
Passeig de Gracia is a small station and is easy to find your direction however Sants is very big and a lot more complicated. From there, you head to platform (Via) 9 or 10 for all the trains heading south towards Tarragona.
You can either take the train heading for Vilanova, which stops at Castelldefels beach or take the St Vincent train which will only stop at Castelldefels town, where you will have to wait another 5/10 minutes for a train heading to the next stop which is the beach.
The price is 2.70 return and you can purchase a ticket from the many machines at the train station. Otherwise you can use your T10 ticket you would use on the metro in the city, as Castelldefels is within zone 1.
When you arrive at the stop, you are a mere 2 minutes walk from the beach, so instead of dirty, overcrowded beaches where you cannot relax, you can instead go to this beach where you have beautiful golden sand and clear blue sea. You should look for a Barcelona guide for more information.

Nou Camp Tours

One of the most popular thing for tourists is to go on the Nou Camp tour as FC Barcelona are one of the most famous teams in the world. Nou camp tours can be done all year round even when the team aren't playing, so during the summer it is still a star attraction in the city.
The Nou Camp tour ticket price is €11 per person. This includes a guided tour of the stadium where you see the players dressing rooms, medical area, press area where they have all interviews. It is covered by red tape barrier but many tourists sneak across to grab a quick picture in Frank Rijkaard's famous position. Along the walls there are famous pictures of stars past and present and as you take the stairs up to the pitch, you pass by the famous chapel which Ronaldinho prays in before every game, along with some other players.
As you enter the stadium up to the touchline, you are amazed at the sheer size of this, the biggest stadium in Europe. A great photo opportunity. From there you take the stairs up to the President's box where Laporta sits and then you can take the elevator up to the very top of the stadium to the press box to get a full view over the whole stadium. Also the ticket tour price includes a current exhibiton about the history of world football being held in the stadium's trophy room which is very impressive along with the countless trophies and memorabilia in the room.
From then on you can leave the stadium and head over to the club shop to pick up any FC Barcelona souvenirs you may want.

Opening Hours
The stadium is open Monday to Saturday 10-18.30 except match days and on Sundays and bank holidays from 10-14.00.

Quick Tip
If you are coming to Barcelona from late August onwards, then the season will have started, so if you try to do the Nou Camp tour in the morning, then there is a good chance you can see the players as they train across the street in the Mini Nou Camp and are often seen wandering about the stadium or arrivng/leaving in their cars.

Accommodation
There are quite a few hotels near the stadium and one of the most popular for tourists and football fans alike is the Bonanova Park Hotel near metro station Maria Cristina along the top end of Avenida Diagonal. It's cheap yet good quality too. A favourite with many toursists.

Getting There
Getting from your Barcelona accommodation to the Nou Camp is easy.
You can take the metro to Collblanc (blue line) or Maria Cristina (green line) and from there the stadium is well signposted.

For a more in depth Barcelona guide then look online.

Barcelona Airport Bus to the City

Unless you have booked your flight with Ryanair then you will probably be flying into El Prat Barcelona airport. It's the main airport and closest to the city, but it is important to to know how to reach your Barcelona accommodation from the airport.
"El Prat" is located in Llobregat which is an town just outside the city of Barcelona and there are many airline companies which fly in to this airport.

The best way to get to the city centre from the airport is by the Aerobus which is located right outside the terminal and runs every 6 minutes. The journey takes roughly 25 minutes from the airport to it's final destination which is Plaza Catalunya, the main square of the city centre. From there, it should be relatively easy to get to your Barcelona accommodation either via metro or taxi. Just make sure you know where your Barcelona accommodation is beforehand.

A ticket costs €3.90 each journey and make sure you have change because the drivers are not very pleased when you hand over anything more than a €20 note.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide then look online.

Barcelona to Montserrat

Barcelona is a world reknowned destination with many attractions and tourist sights within the city. For example, the most famous being the Sagrada Familia church built by Catalonia's own Antoni Gaudi. Among is other famous work include Parc Guell, Casa Milà and Casa Batlló. In relation to events going on in the city, you have many festivals happening all year round along with sporting events and ofcourse FC Barcelona games. If you rent a Barcelona apartment near the beach then you can enjoy great, sunny weather during the summer due to the wonderful climate.

But aside from all that, one of the most spectacular attractions lies outside the city: Montserrat.
A mountain who's name literally translates as "Jagged Mountain" can be seen from miles away on the horizon due to it's peculiar shape and rock form. It is the home to a Benedictine Abbey, Santa Maria de Montserrat which hosts the Virgin of Montserrat sacntuary. Popular with tourists, many travel each year by ferrocarrils to climb the mountain and experience the wonderful panoramic view of the Catalonian landscape. At the the top there are also shops and restaurants, but the real attraction is just reaching the top to marvel at the wonderful scenery.

Getting There
To get there you must take the Ferrocarril from Plaza Espanya on the R5 line to Manresa. Your ticket should cost about 14 euros and that will include your connection onto the cable car up the mountain. The cable car gives you a chance to relax and take in the great views of the mountain and the Monastry however when reaching the top sometimes, the area can be a bit crowded.
The trains run roughly every hour, so if you just miss one then you can kick back and have a coffee or something while waiting, and in Barcelona thats no real hardship.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide then look online.

From Barcelona To Benicassim

One of the biggest music festivals of the year in Spain is about to begin this week, but finding it could be the problem.The 13th Festival Internacional de Benicassim begins Thursday 19th July so it's important to know what it's all about.

Benicassim is a small, tourist, town located between the cities of Barcelona (275 km north) and Valencia (80 km south) next to Castellon de la Plana. However over the past few years it has become more famous for the huge 4 day music festival held there every July . The real hardcore fans usually set up their tent on Thursday morning, for the festival's first performance that day, and then the party doesn't stop until early Monday morning, when all the zombies awake with whatever remains of their belongings to head home.

This year there are many huge artists have performing like The Hives, Kings of Leon, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Arctic Monkeys, The Go! Team, Vitalic and DJ Yoda.

It is popular with Spaniards and foreigners alike

, with people traveling there from all over Europe and some parts of the world to enjoy this wonderful event.

The only thing is, like many festivals, it is situated in the middle of nowhere so it is important to know exactly how to get there. The majority of people heading to the festival will travel from Barcelona, Madrid or Valencia and if you don’t have a car then it can be quite tricky to get there via public transport.

If you are staying in Barcelona, you must take the ARCO or TALGO service from Sants Estacio heading for Alicante where you can get of directly at Benicassim Renfe station and from there you can easily find your way to the festival. You can book train tickets online which would be advisable to make sure you get good seating. The journey takes about 2 hours 30 mins and the average price is about 27 euros but if you book in advance, you can get much cheaper tickets.

The FIB festival in Benicassim is the one that ev eryone wants to go to at the moment, so why no t get planning for next year?

If you want to find a more comprehensive Barcelona guide, just look online.

From the Party City to the Party Island

All year round and especially during the summer, Barcelona is a haven for clubbers and party goers who want to stay out, dance and have fun until the early hours of the morning. With hundreds of bars all over the city, cheap Barcelona accommodation and more and more clubs popping up every few months, it's no wonder more and more people are going each year.
With the recent rise in popularity of techno and electronic music, the majority of clubs are playing it nowadays, with Barcelona being at the forefront. However many people who live there still need to get there fix of partying from the Mecca of all dance music destinations: The White Isle!
Ibiza is still without a doubt the place to go to party and experience all the best DJs and superclubs such as Pacha, Amnesia and Space. It is notoriously expensive, but for those travelling from Barcelona, the prices for transport are relatively cheap.
But how do you get there?
You can fly Lowcost, with companies, Vueling or Spanair (from 40 to 120 euros) with about 5 flights a day from EACH company.
The flight times state roughly 45 mins however from personal experience it was over in about half an hour. You barely are off the ground!
However, if you fancy something a bit different, then why not take the over night "party boat" from Barcelona to Ibiza at a cost of roughly 40 euros for the 2nd class ferry which takes 9 hours overnight. Although, now there is a highspeed boat which only takes 4 hours at a cost of 75 euros 2nd class.
Overall the plane seems more logical, but each to their own in how they want to travel.
Bottom line: you want to save as much money as possible for your arrival in Ibiza!!

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide then just look online.

Transport between Barcelona and Madrid

The most visited destinations in Spain are of course Madrid and Barcelona... but which is the best way to get from one place to the other??

The holiday season is here and why not, after a weekend in the exciting city of Barcelona, go to Madrid, the capital, where you can also enjoy the nightlife...

The following is a table with some useful info:

Type of transport	Company	Cost (2 ways) On average	Duration	Schedule
airplane	Vueling	50€ - 80€	50 min.	Day/evening
airplane	Spanair	40€ - 70€	50 min.	Day/evening
train	Altaria	65,80€ (2ºclass)	5 hours	Day/evening
train	Alvia	65,80€ (2ºclass)	5 hours	day
train	Costa Brava	38,40€ (2ºclass)	9 hours	night
bus	Alsa	47,41€	8 h. 20 min.	Day/night

The train (www.renfe.es) costs more or less the same as low cost airlines, but it takes a lot longer. In any case it’s a good option for those who wishe to travel during the night (and can sleep!), as well as with the bus.... When the high speed train (AVE) from Barcelona - Madrid is ready, it will be possible to go from one city to the other in less than 3 hours, at a maximum cost of 250€.

For a more comprehensive Barcelona guide, just look online.

Girona to Barcelona Bus

The Low Cost flights(Ryanair, Spanair, Transavia...) land about 100 km north of Barcelona in Girona, approximately 1H15 by Bus from Barcelona. For each flight arriving at the Girona’s airport, there is a bus transfer from Girona to Barcelona. The price of single ticket costs 12€, the return ticket costs 21€. You must buy your tickets at the office "Barcelona Bus" inside the Girona’s airport or inside Barcelona’s road station and not in the bus. The bus departs just outside the airport and then arrives at the Barcelona bus station "Estacion del Norte", Timetable Girona Barcelona. When you arrive at the Barcelona’s Bus station, you have different options to reach the city centre. The Red Line (Number 1) of the Barcelona subway at station "Arc of Triomf". You can also take a taxi, you can find one at the top of the station, which will cost you between 7 and 10€ to go to the city centre (Placa Catalunya) Tel: +34 93 225 00 00. By bus n° 54 of the TMB (Metropolitan Transport of Barcelona). Finally if you are travelling light, you should know that it is possible to walk to the city centre (Plaça Catalunya), which takes approximately 15 minutes to get there and it is very easy, it is a straight road, "Carrer d’Ali Bei" and then "Carrer de Fontanella" and here you are in centre of Barcelona on Plaça Catalunya. If you wish additional information here is a Barcelona Guide. Enjoy Barcelona Amigos ...

Conquering Mount Tibidabo

When you fly into Barcelona, one of the first things you will notice when looking over the city is the mountain that overlooks the city which is called Mount Tibidabo. At the top there is a theme park for children but more importantly a beautiful church called Temple de Sagrat Cor. From here you can enjoy the best panoramic views of the entire city, and on a clear day, the views are breathtaking. Many tourists each year who come to Barcelona during the summer for the beaches, sun and great accommodation, head up the mountain for the views.
It is relatively easy to get there. First you take the FGC train from Plaza Catalunya up to the stop called Tibidabo. This would be one journey taken from a T10 card which is a recommended purchase for all tourists, as it gives you 10 journeys on any public transport for only €6.90 available at any metro station.
From Tibidabo metro you walk 2 mins up the hill to a tram stop and the tram costs you €1.25 return. Finally you take the funicular train up the mountain for about €3.00 return to reach the top. The themepark is the only thing that spoils it, as it is completely pointless being there, however the trip is still worth it.
Ofcourse Parc Guell is an architectural marvel and gives a great view of the city, but Tibidabo is THEE view of the city, and is highly recommended, especially during the summer.

You Have Arrived In Barcelona!

Ok, so you have finally made the decision to come to Barcelona for a holiday or for whatever reason. It's a big step, you're in a new city and you don't know your way around. Don't worry, searching for your Barcelona accommodation is easy. However, right now all the flights are too expensive and Ryanair are the cheapest. But oh no!, their airports are so far!
Don't worry it's easy.
Basically you can arrive from 2 airports.
You will either fly in to Reus which is in Tarragona, or Girona. Both are roughly an hour and a half from the city so you've still got a bit to go to reach your Barcelona accommodation. Any other big commercial airline and low costs such as Easyjet fly in to El Prat Barcelona international airport which is located about 20 mins outside of the city centre, with a direct bus route to the city centre.

From Reus, their will be a direct bus for each incoming flight and although there is a direct bus from the airport to Barcelona, i would recommend getting of after 5 mins journey, in order to take the train journey along the beautiful coastline to arrive at Sants Estacio, (the same station as the bus). All in, the journey will take roughly 1 hour 30 mins and the cost for the bus to the train station is €2.00 and the train is €9.00. For holiday makers, it would be advised to buy a T-10, (ten journeys) for all public transport. These can be purchased at any metro station. From there, take the gree line to Plaza Catalunya, the central meeting point and tourist area of the city. Also for the journey back to Reus, i would recommend the direct bus from Sants Estacio to Reus airport as it is more efficient and comfortable.
From Girona the journey is slightly less at about 1 hour 15 mins and there is a direct bus from the airport which arrives at Estacio del Norte. The journey is 12 euro single and 22 return. From there you but your T-10 and take the metro called Arc de Triumph across from the station on the red line which is 2 stops from Plaza Catalunya. However be very careful at this metro station as it is the mst notorious for pickpockets due to its high flow of unsuspecting tourists arriving from airport buses.
Once you are at Plaza Catalunya, along with your map it should be easy to find your Barcelona hotel or apartment. Good luck!
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