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TRAVEL TIPS

Air Travel

Transatlantic flying time to Barcelona is about seven hours from New York, depending on the wind. Other U.S. cities with direct flights to Barcelona are Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, Newark, and Philadelphia. A nonstop flight from Chicago to Madrid is about eight hours. There are several transit combinations from Los Angeles; one is by way of New York (five and a half hours), and then to Madrid (seven hours). Flying from other cities in North America also usually involves a connection.

Nonstop flights from London to Barcelona are two and a quarter hours. Flights from the United Kingdom to a number of destinations in Spain are frequent and offered at competitive fares, particularly on low-cost carriers such as Ryanair or easyJet. Flights to and from the major cities in Europe and Spain also fly into and out of Bilbao’s Loiu airport. There are no direct flights to Barcelona or anywhere in Spain from Australia or New Zealand.

Flying from Sydney, the best one-stop connections are via Dubai (14 hours 30 minutes), with a layover, and then direct to Barcelona/El Prat (7 hours 20 minutes).

For air travel within the regions covered in this book there are numerous regular flights, but rates tend to be high, so consider alternative ways of getting around. Bilbao, Pamplona, and San Sebastián all have small airports, and flights do run from Barcelona to each of them. For travel between those cities, given the short distances involved, most people elect to go by train or car.

Iberia operates a shuttle, the puente aereo, between Barcelona and Madrid from 6:50 am to 9:45 pm; planes depart from Terminal 1 hourly, and more frequently in the morning and afternoon commuter hours. Flying time is about an hour and a half; given the time you need for airport transfers, many commuters now prefer the high-speed rail connection between Estació Sants in Barcelona and Atocha Station in Madrid, even if it is somewhat more expensive. You don’t need to reserve ahead for the shuttle flight; you can buy your tickets at the counter when you get to the airport.

Arriving two hours in advance is more than enough for Spanish security. Arriving fewer than 40 minutes in advance is no longer possible for either domestic or international flights.

Airline Security Issues

Transportation Security Administration. The TSA has answers for almost every security question. www.tsa.gov.

Airports

Most flights arriving in Spain from the United States and Canada pass through Madrid’s Barajas (MAD), but the major gateway to Catalonia and other regions in this book is Spain’s second-largest airport, Barcelona’s spectacular glass, steel, and marble El Prat del Llobregat (BCN). The T1 terminal, which opened in 2009, is a sleek ultramodern facility that uses solar panels for sustainable energy and offers a spa, a fitness center, restaurants and cafés, and more VIP lounges. This airport is served by numerous international carriers, but Catalonia also has two other airports that handle passenger traffic, including charter flights. One is just south of Girona, 90 km (56 miles) north of Barcelona and convenient to the resort towns of the Costa Brava. Bus and train connections from Girona to Barcelona work well and cheaply, provided you have the time. The other Catalonia airport is at Reus, 110 km (68 miles) south of Barcelona and a gateway to Tarragona and the beaches of the Costa Daurada. Flights to and from the major cities in Europe and Spain also fly into and out of Bilbao’s Loiu (BIL) airport. For information about airports in Spain, consult www.aena.es.

Airport Information

Aeroport de Girona–Costa Brava. 17185 Vilobi de Onyar, Girona, Catalonia. 972/186600; www.girona-airport.net.

Aeropuerto de Reus. Autovía Tarragona–Reus, Reus, Catalonia, 43204. 977/772204; www.aena.es/csee/aeropuerto-reus/en/home.html.

Aeropuerto Internacional de Bilbao. Loiu 48180, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48180. 902/404704 ; 93/3211000; www.aeropuertodebilbao.net/en.

Aeropuerto de Madrid (Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas). Av. de la Hispanidad s/n, Madrid, Madrid, 28042. 902/404704; 913/211000; www.aeropuertomadrid-barajas.com/eng.

Barcelona El Prat de Llobregat. Barcelona, Catalonia, 08022. 902/404704; 91/3211000; www.aeropuertobarcelona-elprat.com.

Ground Transportation

Check first to see if your hotel in Barcelona provides airport-shuttle service. Few do: visitors normally get into town by train, bus, taxi, or rental car.

The Aerobus leaves Terminal 1 at the airport for Plaça de Catalunya every 10 minutes between 5:35–7:20 am, and 10:25 pm–1:05 am, and every 5 minutes 7:30 am–10:20 pm. From Plaça de Catalunya the bus leaves for the airport every 5 or 10 minutes between 5 am and 12:10 am. The fare is €5.90 one-way and €10.20 round-trip. Aerobuses for terminals 1 and 2 pick up and drop off passengers at the same stops en route, so if you’re outward bound make sure that you board the right one. The A1 Aerobus for Terminal 1 is two-tone light and dark blue; the A2 Aerobus for Terminal 2 is dark blue and yellow.

Cab fare from the airport into town is €30–€35, depending on traffic, the part of town you’re heading to, and the amount of baggage you have (there’s a €3.10 surcharge for airport pickups/dropoffs, and a €1 surcharge for each suitcase that goes in the trunk). If you’re driving your own car, follow signs to the Centre Ciutat, from which you can enter the city along Gran Vía. For the port area, follow signs for the Ronda Litoral. The journey to the center of town can take 25–45 minutes, depending on traffic.

If you have to get to the airport by car or taxi during rush hour, allow yourself plenty of extra time, as the ring roads are likely to be jammed.

The train’s only drawback is that it’s a 10- to 15-minute walk from your gate through Terminal 2 over the bridge. From Terminal 1 a shuttle bus drops you at the train. Trains leave the airport every 30 minutes between 5:42 am and 11:38 pm, stopping at Estació de Sants, for transfer to the Arc de Triomf, then at Passeig de Gràcia and finally at El Clot-Aragó. Trains going to the airport begin at 5:21 am from El Clot, stopping at Passeig de Gràcia at 5:27 am, and Sants at 5:32 am. The trip takes about half an hour, and the fare is €4.10. But the best bargain is the T10 subway card; it gives you free connections within Barcelona plus nine more rides, all for €9.95. Add an extra hour if you take the train to or from the airport.

Transfers Between Airports

To get to Girona Airport from Barcelona Airport by train you have to first catch the RENFE train that leaves from the airport and then change at Barcelona Sants station. From Barcelona Sants you need to catch the train for Figueres and get off at Girona, two stops before. From there you will then have to take a bus or a taxi to the airport. Allow yourself 30 minutes from the RENFE Girona station to the airport.

Sagales runs the Barcelona Bus shuttle buses between Girona airport and El Prat (€17 one-way, €27 round-trip; valid 30 days), the trip takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The schedules, set up to coincide with RyanAir arrivals and departures at Girona, are a bit twisty; consult the Sagales website or call 902/130014 for bus information.

Contact

Sagales. Barcelona, Catalonia. 902/130014; www.sagales.com.

Flights

If you are traveling from North America, consider flying a British or other European carrier, especially if you are traveling to Barcelona or Bilbao. Though you may have to change planes in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Zurich, or even Rome, savings can be significant.

The least expensive airfares to Barcelona are priced for round-trip travel and must usually be purchased in advance. Airlines generally allow you to change your return date for a fee; most low-fare tickets, however, are nonrefundable.

If you buy a round-trip transatlantic ticket on the Spanish carrier Iberia, you might want to buy an Iberiabono España pass, good for major discounts on domestic flights during your trip. The pass must be purchased outside Spain at the time you purchase your international ticket. All internal Spain flights must be booked in advance. On certain days of the week, Iberia also offers minifares (minitarifas), which can save you 40% on domestic flights. Tickets must be purchased at least two days in advance, and you must stay over at your destination on a Saturday night.

American, United/Continental, Delta, and Iberia fly to Madrid and Barcelona; Norwegian Air Shuttle flies to Barcelona from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Orlando; US Airways and Air Europa fly to Madrid. Within Spain, Iberia is the main domestic airline; two independent airlines, Air Europa and Vueling, fly a number of domestic routes at somewhat lower prices.

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