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TRAVEL TIPS
Information is gold, and I want to share my wealth with you.! In this section
I answer questions that I’m frequently asked as well as important things that
will make your trip easier and safer! |
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SAFETY TIPS
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CLICK
TO SEE THIS AREA TO AVOID
IN THE RAVAL DISTRICT:
Barcelona is getting a quite bad
reputation because of pickpockets. However, it is a relatively safe city, but
just as in any other big city you must follow some safety rules to avoid bad
experiences. Here is what you need to take into account:
Be alert... Pickpockets are likely to
be around in most tourist sites: La Rambla, the squares and streets around the
Cathedral and the Picasso Museum, the surroundings of the Sagrada Família
church (and even in the spiral stairs of its towers!), the beach, the most
popular parks..
But be relaxed. Sometimes I can feel
pickpockets can sense fear… And they seem to believe that if you are scared,
that means you have something they might want to get! So relax: take
precautions, but don’t freak out. After all, you are on holydays!
Be smart. Pickpockets chose easy
victims: if you put things too difficult for them, they’ll go for someone else.
Here are easy things you can do:
·
Do not
consider the back pocket of your jeans a safe place for your wallet.
It’s not!
·
Wear
your backpack in front of you (or don’t keep ANYTHING important inside:
they are experts opening backpacks without no one noticing!
·
If you
are a lady, carry your bag with the zipper opening facing forward:
pickpockets usually operate from behind, so make it difficult for them to reach
the opening! A bag with a long strap that you can cross over your chest is
always a good idea.
·
If you
drop your bags (while taking a picture or when having a drink in a bar), keep
them between your feet, so nobody can grab them and run away.
·
In an outdoors
café, NEVER hang your bag from the back of the chair. Keep it always on
your lap or between your feet.
In the subway. Things have improved in
the subway since the police has started patrolling the underground. However,
it’s always good to know a few tricks:
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Escalators: Sometimes one pickpocket gets in front
of the victim on the escalator, and the other pickpocket stands behind. Right
at the end of the stairs, the first one makes as if he dropped something and
bents down to collect it but he does it unexpectedly and you bump on him. That
creates a moment of distraction when you tries to apology… not noticing that
the second pickpocket has already got hold of his wallet!
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Platforms. Unless the train is already
entering the station, seat down or at least lean against the wall. Standing in
the middle of the platform you are more vulnerable and it’s easier to get
suspiciously surrounded by a group of people when the train arrives. You’ll
think that they’re wanting to get into the wagon, but they want something else
instead… It’s better to be the last to enter the train: remember pickpockets
act from behind.
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Inside
the train. Again, if you can: seat down! That’s the easiest way
to make things difficult for pickpockets! If you can’t, try to stand by the
door opposite to the one that opened to let you in, so you keep your back
protected.
At the beach. Read my beach tips here.
Watch for them. Some typologies of
people you shouldn’t trust:
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Ladies begging: They are gypsies from Romania that
often pickpocket. They usually carry babies with them, wear long skirts and
their hair bunched.
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Ladies
selling carnations:
They are local gypsies and go usually in couples or small groups. They are
pickpockets.
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Street
gamblers. Often located along La Rambla. Don’t trust them!
They know how to cheat, they work in groups to make you believe you have a
chance to win, and then… you’ll get scammed and will loose your money! Stay
away from them, plus there are often pickpockets around the people watching the
game.
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Kids
asking you to sign in favor of their NGO. You are not likely to be approached by a REAL
NGO staff looking for supporters: they are locals and they can tell you aren’t!
Romanian gypsies use this trick to ask for a donation for a (fake)
organization, and once they know where you keep your wallet they’ll try to go
for it.
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Couples
of tourists with HUGE city maps asking you for directions. Another Romanian trick: while one of them is distracting you with the
map, the other will get your wallet. In any case, if it was a real lost
tourist, they better get a local to help them out.
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Beggars
at the entrance of churches. They aren’t really pickpockets,
however… they aren’t poor either! Read my
blog post to learn more.
Victim typologies. For some reason,
pickpockets aim more at some kind of people than other. So if you belong to one
of the groups below, you should be more careful than the average:
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Asian
(Chinese, Japanese…).
Since crime is not common in their countries, they are often more naïf than
other nationalities, what makes them easier victims. Pickpockets know that. Be
alert, even if you only have an Asian look but are, let’s say, a US citizen.
Pickpockets can’t tell that, so they are still likely to feel attracted to you.
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American
man. Surprising, uh? Well, I’m talking about the typical
US man: tall, strong, dressed often as a tourist and… likely to have good money
in their pockets! Pickpockets know that in the US most people don’t walk nor
exercise much, so even if their victim immediately realizes he’s been stolen,
if they start running in most cases their victim won’t catch them…
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Backpackers,
people pulling luggage or laptops. Arriving to a new town is a
delicate moment, because you are disoriented. And again, pickpockets know about
that! And so many belongings conveniently packed so they are easy to carry
around… that’s tempting! So if you are carrying your luggage, make sure to
always keep physical contact with you, or if you have many, at least in front
of you. IT’S NOT ENOUGH to just let it stand beside you… there are so many ways
create a distraction, and they only need one second to grab your stuff and
disappear with it.
You
might also want to read my posts
about safety in my blog.
TRANSPORTATION
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Taxis. Not as expensive as in some other
European cities, yet the locals would prefer them to be cheaper... Stop them anywhere
in the street if they have a green light on, which means it’s available, or
find a taxi stop. A 10 minute ride shouldn’t be more than 5-10 euro, a longer
ride across the city is around 15 euro, and a ride to the Prat airport is
around 25 euro plus the fee per suitcase.
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Bus
and Subway. Safe
and economic, most free city maps given away in hotels have subway maps printed
in a corner, and you can get bus maps in Information Points of the main Subway
Stations. Unless you are planning to do more than 10 rides a day, the 1-Day or
3-Day passes aren’t such a good deal. Most of them time you’ll prefer a 10-trip
card (Zone 1) that you can share with your travel mates, and even allows you to
transfer from bus to subway or subway to bus within 1h15min. And it also works
for the RODALIES train going to the Prat airport!
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Renting
cars. Unless you
are planning to go out of town don’t do it! Or you’ll be paying to park
everywhere and get stuck in rush hour traffic jams…
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Renting
a scooter. If you
are brave enough to drive like a crazy local go ahead! www.barcelonamoto.com.
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Renting
a powered wheelchair.
Good idea for enthusiastic people with less energetic bodies. At www.cosmoscooter.com.
Renting a boat. Yatches at www.azul-sailing.com and Catamarans at http://www.barcelona-orsom.com/.
Airport
transportation
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Rodalies trains. One every thirty minutes, from the station in
Terminal 2 (free shuttles available from Terminal 1). It takes 30min to enter
the city, stopping in Sants Estació and Passeig de Gràcia.
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Aerobus. Every 5min., connecting both
airport terminals with Plaça Catalunya in 45min.
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Taxi. A ride to or from the Prat airport
is around 25 euro plus the fee per suitcase.
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Private transfers. Ask me!
WHEN TO COME
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The weather is Barcelona is
relatively mild, so you’ll enjoy your experience in the city any month of the
year. However, it is good to know that August is the warmer month and January and
February are the cooler (but rarely get below 0ºC). If you want it to be warm
enough to go to the beach, but prefer to see more local than tourists, then
June and September are your favorite times to come.
Apart from
that, there are some special moments in our Calendar.
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SPRING
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Spring (Photo Album) |
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Summer (Photo Album) |
SUMMER
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decorated with
crème caramel, pine nuts or fruits. There is parties and dancing all over that
will last until the sun goes up. And then, bathing in the sea will give you
good luck for the rest of the year! However, I strongly recommend you to check
out the parties in advanced and even buy a ticket if possible, as there is not
much celebration in the streets and you could be disappointed for not finding
the entertainment you expected…
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AUTUMN
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Autumn (Photo Album) |
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WINTER
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Winter (Photo Album) |
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GOING TO THE BEACH!
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When is the best
time to swim?
Locals
find the temperature of the sea warm enough to bath from June to September. In
October and May and even in some sunny winter days it is possible to see locals
sunbathing, but only very brave ones will dare to enter the water.
Nevertheless, if you come from a northern country it is quite likely that you
will find the water warm enough in Autumn and Spring…
Is the beach clean?
Far are those pre-Olympic years when only the fools would use the city beaches. Now our beaches are cleaned every night during the summertime and avail of all kind of facilities from public toilets to showers, access for handicapped, lifeguards… whoever, remember the beach of a four million inhabitant city can never be a paradise...
The beach high season
in Barcelona is July and August, and usually the most crowded (therefore,
dirtier) beaches are those going from the Barceloneta to the Olympic Village,
because they are closer to the city center and more accessible by public
transportation (bus and subway). As you get further from the Olympic Port, the
subway stations are located also a bit further from the beach and consequently
they attract less people and stay cleaner. Many locals prefer the Bogatell, Mar
Bella and Nova Mar Bella beaches because there is free car parking. This summer
will open to the public the new beach of the Forum of Cultures.
Also,
avoid the beach on the day after a summer storm: the rain carries trash to the
sea water and it can get really dirty.
What about beaches in the surroundings?
There is plenty of tourist resorts
and pretty beaches in Catalonia, but if you are based in Barcelona and you are
planning a day out of town I have some suggestions for you:
Take the train towards
Maçanet-Massanes in Sants-Estació. This line borders the coastline and many
stations are right by the beach. Some towns near Barcelona have regular long
city beaches (Ocata, Badalona, Mataró); a bit further, there is some charming
villages with smaller nice beaches (Caldes dEstrach, Arenys de Mar, Sant Pol).
Take the train towards Sant Vicenç
de Calders in Sants-Estació. Castelldefels Platja has a popular long beach
where locals go. But if you prefer something with more charm, get off at Sitges
and enjoy its beautiful modernist villas, its historic center, its shopping and
its liberal atmosphere. For an extra cultural touch you can hire me and I’ll
show you around!
The Costa Brava beaches are smaller
and the sand is thicker (sometimes there are pebbles instead), but its
wonderful landscape of cliffs and rocks is worth a visit. Unfortunately, no
trains reach this area, that must be accessed by car or public interurban bus.
Blanes, Platja Fenals in Lloret (but stay away from the rest of this otherwise
ugly tourist resort!), Tossa
de Mar, Palamós, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Calella
de Palafrugell, Roses, Cadaqués…
I am also available for seaside
excursions in this area that hides medieval treasures and much more!
Dressing code
In Spain top-less is legal in all
beaches, while nudist are recommended to use beaches specially designed for
them. Anyway, rarely will the police warn a nudist in a “textile” beach if he
or she is not disturbing other people…
The only official nudist area in
Barcelona is found in the Mar Bella beach, although a certain area of the
Barceloneta beach has traditionally been mixed (textiles and nudists). However,
a couple of years ago the trendy W Hotel was inaugurated right next to it, and
they have been making pressure to move nudists somewhere else. We’ll see what
happens, as locals are very stubborn!
Safety
Unfortunately, the beach in Barcelona is often frequented by pickpockets. My recommendation is taking to the beach only your swimsuit, towel and sun screen. Leave all documents, credit cards and money in your hotel room.
For your physical safety, never enter the
water if there is a red flag. Orange flag means relatively powerful waves and
recommends to avoid bathing. Green flag announces safe swimming. Blue flags are
awarded to the cleanest and better equipped beaches in Europe.
If you will be carrying a bag with other
stuff, then don’t go alone or at least do not enter the water leaving your
belongings unattended. Locals never do: we take turns to swim so there is
always someone from our group staying with our things.
It is also socially accepted to ask your
neighbor to keep an eye on your things. In this case the etiquette says that
you shouldn’t stay in the water for more than five to ten minutes, and you
mustn’t blame them if something is stolen anyway.
Another good tip is covering your bags with a
towel or shawl: this way it is more difficult for pickpockets to grab it and
run away.
And finally don’t trust people walking around
normally dressed. It might sound funny, but specially at night, when it is so
pleasant to have a night swim and enjoy the breeze and the moonlight, it is
easy to identify pickpockets because they move in groups and don’t wear
swimsuits but regular street clothes. If you feel watched, just move to a place
where there is more people.
WHAT TO BUY
(alternatives to cheese souvenirs)
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After the Olympic Games Barcelona became the
“City of Design”, and the souvenir industry changed consequently and improved
the quality of its offer. However, there are alternatives to the souvenir
stores. The following are some ideas for clever shopping:
- FOOD: (Most products can be found in
supermarkets or gourmet stores):
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Wines
and liquors. Red
wine from La Rioja or Ribera del Duero, white wine from Peneds, pure virgin oil
(in elegant glass bottles), Aromes de Montserrat (nuts digestive), Melodys
(Catalan cream liquor), Ratafia (nuts liquor).
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Sweets. Turrón (Christmas nougat) de
Jijona, de Alicante or de crema, carquinyolis (Catalan dry almond cookies
served with desert or coffee), chocolates (find those that copy the design of
the Passeig de Gràcia tiles), thick hot chocolate powder.
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Meat. Jamón de jabugo (the highest
quality of Spanish cured ham,; if vacuum-packed you won’t have problems at the
airport), other pork sausages (salchichón, langoniza, fuet, butifarra…).
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Other. Saffron, seasoned olives, olivada
(olives pat), local nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts).
- KITCHEN HOUSEWARE: (In department stores or
hardware stores): iron and clay dishes for Catalan Cream cooking, tomba-truites
(special flat dish to flip omelets), olive and vinegar sets, local design
houseware from Vinçon’s.
- ACCESSORIES: hand-painted silk fans, stationary
designed by Jordi Lavanda, Gaudí inspired jewels, women accessories by
Tous, modernist Masriera jewels.
- CLOTHING: Designer Custo BCN fashion, funky and
colorful clothes by Desigual, Camper shoes, espardenyes (traditional
spadrilles).
- CHILDREN: Kukuxumusu and Paramita good quality and
fun souvenir T-shirts, giant lolypops from the Boqueria Market, cloth
reproductions of the Dragon of the Park Güell, music by the Catalan band Macedònia.
- TEENS: Zara and Mango casual wear, jeans by
Samblancat
- MUSIC: Pop music for teens, flamenco,
catalan musicians... Enter a large music store such as FNAC in Plaça
Catalunya and walk around until you find something. I’d be glad to make
recommendations, but the music scene changes so quickly that my suggestions
would get out-of-date within weeks! So… Don’t be shy, and ask the shop
assistants!
And if you are a big shopper, make sure to book
one of my shopping
tours!
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