HOLIDAY IN BARCELONA

Everyone dreams of visiting Barcelona, Spain's second largest city after Madrid, albeit the most recognisable and touristy one. The number of tourists here is massive in any season, even in January. Tens of millions of tourists visit the city every year. It is said jokingly that there are so many tourists in summer that the residents try to leave their favourite city whenever possible to avoid the crowds of foreigners asking questions. It even got to the point that a few years ago, travellers visiting the main attractions were asked not to tell their friends and acquaintances about their experiences and to avoid sharing photos and other "evidence" of their stay in Barcelona in social networks. Simply put, activists of such a movement asked tourists not to advertise Barcelona so that fewer visitors would come.

Still, the residents of Barcelona are very hospitable and always ready to help the inexperienced tourist. The city has done its best to simplify the infrastructure and diversify the endless flow of tourists.

Convenient transfer

You have finally arrived at the Barcelona Airport, wondering how to get to the city centre and your hotel? Don't worry, you won't encounter any problems or difficulties. There are several quite affordable options. The first, fastest and easiest is the specialised express shuttle service Aerobus. It will cost you €6, runs every 5-10 minutes, and stops first at Plaça España (where you can change to the metro and other buses) and then at Plaça Catalunya. The same express trains also travel back to the airport.  Tickets can be purchased online or on the bus. The Aerobus can be taken from terminals 1 and 2 of the airport.

You can also reach Plaça España by TMB bus no. 46, which departs from both airport terminals every 20-23 minutes. This public bus makes more stops than the Aerobus and generally takes 45-50 minutes to reach the city centre. The advantage of this route is that unlike the Aerobus it costs €2.20. If you have a T-Casual ticket (10 rides at €11.35), it will cost you €1.13 one way. T-Casual tickets are sold at all ticket-vending machines and are valid for travel on buses, subways and trains.

Another way to get to the centre is by RENFE train from the airport's Terminal 2. A free airport shuttle will take you to the train station where trains leave for the centre almost every half an hour. "Centre" means they will take you to stations Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gràcia (the closest to Plaza Catalunya) or Clot. There you can take the metro and get where you want to go. By train you can also use the T-Casual ticket and the journey will take an average of 25-30 minutes. The RENFE train services are especially convenient as you can transfer by train or bus to other parts of Spain.

Of course, the fastest and most convenient way to get to the city centre is by taxi. A taxi route from Terminal 2 of the Barcelona Airport will take 20-25 minutes (€30), and 25-30 minutes (€35) from Terminal 1. When choosing a taxi, keep in mind that there are surcharges for rides at weekends, at night, on public holidays, or for picking up and dropping off at the airport or cruise terminals. Information on all additional charges is on the glass at the back of passenger seats. The additional charges are added to the amount on the taximeter by the driver at the end of the journey.

Gaudi and the masterpieces of Barcelona

Experts and tourists believe that Antoni Gaudi's extraordinary architecture is a jewel in the crown of Barcelona. There are currently 14 buildings of the modernist master that can be visited in the Catalonian capital. Of course, the most famous among them are the Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, and Palau Güell. But before visiting Gaudi's works, plan your time and budget ahead. After all, the sights of Barcelona, including Gaudi's, are in fact the most expensive in Europe. On average, the minimum ticket price reaches 30-35 euros (excluding payments to enter some of the pavilions of these sightseeings). You may also be asked to pay extra for an audio guide or fast entry. As it may take at least two hours in the queue at the ticket office before you enter the Sagrada Familia. Therefore, it is advised to purchase tickets for these sights online and even with fast entry. Although this further increases the price of tickets.

But the Sagrada Familia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a must for every tourist. It's a symbol of Barcelona. It has been constructed since 1883, and the construction is still going on.  The surviving models and drawings make it possible to continue working on Gaudi's creation using the computer technology. Every year about 30 million euros is spent on its construction thanks to donations. The rumour has it that the process may finally be completed in a few years.

Among Gaudi's other creations are the Park Güell. It is a must-see, with ticket price being the lowest amongst other attractions – it ranges from €10 to €13.5. The park is literally filled with the creations of the genius. The wonders begin at the entrance, dominated by bizarrely wavy gingerbread houses. There's also the famous mosaic lizard, symbol of Barcelona, the hall with colums, the long and wave-shaped parapet bench and many more.

There are interesting places in Barcelona that you can visit for free, such as the Gothic Quarter near the central Plaza Catalunya between the Ramblas Boulevard and Lajetana Street. The Gothic Quarter of 14th-15th centuries is a labyrinth of narrow, ancient streets where the spirit of the old city is alive. The most interesting places to visit are the Saint Jaume, Reyal and Del Rey squares, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace.

There is also the Old Port with its monument to Christopher Columbus and the Boquería market where you can taste and buy many Catalan delicacies. From the port you can take the funicular up to the Montjuïc hill. Montjuïc attracts many of Barcelona's highlights including the National Museum of Fine Arts of Catalonia, Joan Miró Museum, the Spanish Village, the World's Fair buildings, numerous parks, the Botanical Gardens and the famous Magic Fountain.

Spare time to visit the Picasso Museum, the Ramblas, the Tibidabo Hill, the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Barcelona History Museum, the Aquarium and more. The hop-on-hop-off tourist bus (€28) will make it easy. There are two lines (red and blue) of this route. If you choose one of them, you can hop on another bus of the route throughout the day after each sightseeing. This will speed up your visit and save you money.

As noted above, Barcelona's attractions are by no means cheap and, in principle, some of them are enough to see from the front, take a picture and move on. If you want to find out as much up-to-date detail as possible about the city before you travel to Barcelona, go to www.visitbarcelona.com

In the lodestone of football

Football fans around the world consider Barcelona's Camp Nou as one of the largest (100,000) and most visited stadiums in Spain. It is visited both by the fans of football from Spain and the majority of Barcelona's inexhaustible stream of visitors. After all, the vast FC Barcelona museum is set up there, and every fan believes it is their duty to pay homage to this "football sanctuary".

The nearest metro station to the stadium (10-15 mins) is Maria Cristina. If you come to Barcelona during the top tourist season or on match days, it's best to buy your ticket (around €30) online. Otherwise you'll encounter long queues first at the ticket office and then to get inside. Although for an additional fee you can also buy tickets for express admission, without queues. But during the "lower" tourist season - during normal times you don't have to bother buying a ticket in advance - the queues won't be very long. Nevertheless, it will take at least 2 hours for everything - a direct visit to the museum and the stadium.

What is inside the museum? At the beginning and end of the tour, for an extra fee, you can take your photo in front of the stadium, the cup and even "friendly hugs" with all the (virtual) Barça players. You will watch a ten-minute 3D film "Virtual Stadium" to have an idea of the Camp Nou. In the history section, an interactive glass wall traces the club's history dating back to the date of inception, 1899. You will also find a collection of cups or their replicas received by FC Barcelona over the years. The most valuable item on display is the Champions League trophy. You'll be allowed to touch it for a small fee, and if you pay €13, you can take a picture with it and take it with you as a souvenir. In the Football Art collection you can see artwork focusing on sport, including works by Salvador Dali. There is a constantly updated exhibition dedicated to all the famous Barça players.

Then you can go to the Fan Arena, which, like the stadium itself, leaves a lot to be desired. The stadium looks quite worn and shabby. There are talks about renovating it.

One of the most interesting facilities in the stadium is the changing and massage rooms with a jacuzzi for the players. But these are all for the visiting team only. The locker room used by the Barça team is not allowed in, as it stores the players' belongings. The tunnel through which the legendary players enter the field and the benches for substitutes are particularly popular with visitors.

Shopping, shopping, shopping...

Strange as it may sound, Spain is a better place to buy clothes, jewellery, household goods and cosmetics than any other country in Europe. The price level of many goods is still considered to be the lowest here. The best time to shop in Barcelona is during the sale period and not in summer, when there is a flurry of tourists and prices are accordingly the highest.

You can waste plenty of time wandering between the dozens of shopping centres and hundreds of boutiques in and around central Barcelona. And to make things easier for shop-lovers, the city has produced the Guia de Compres (Barcelona Shopping Guide). The guide will ease the problem of what to buy, in which shop and where to go. Alternatively, get lost in the shopping labyrinth with the 5 km long Barcelona Shopping Line bus service. It includes the most popular and exclusive areas for shopaholics: Port Vell - Raval - Ramlas - Ribera - Barri Gotic - Placa de Catalunya - Eixample - Passeig de Gracia - Rambla de Catalunya - Avinguda Diagonal. At each point of sale you'll find large shopping malls, fashionable clothes and jewellery boutiques, as well as markets and souvenir shops. Blue vans marked with the Barcelona Shopping Line run from Monday to Saturday until around 9pm, when the shops close.

We all know such clothing brands as Zara, Mango, Oysho, Massimo Dutti Bershka, Stradivarius, Uterquue, Terranova, Pull&Bear and Tous, but not everyone knows that they are all of Spanish origin. Yes, you can buy clothes from these brands in many countries, but in Spain the choice is much wider and the prices are much lower.