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Barcelona | Time | Currency | Credit Cards | Weather | Languages | Useful Words and Sentences | Car Rental | Electricity | Openings Hours | Embassies | Tourist Attention

Barcelona

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is located on the coast and bounded by the Collserola ridge and rivers Besos and Llobregat. The city is less than 150 kilometers from the Pyrenees. Barcelona's location on the shores of the Mediterranean means that it enjoys a warm, welcoming climate and pleasant temperatures all year round. Rainfall is occasionally heavy, with levels of around 1,000mm per year. This helps to maintain the many green areas around the city. In Barcelona, as in the rest of Catalonia, there are two official languages: Catalan, the language of the region, and Spanish, the official language of Spain.

Barcelona Experience: http://www.xs4all.nl/~vvh/bcnturisme/turisme/ing/tb/produ06.htm#

Time

As in most countries, the clocks are an hour ahead of solar time (GMT) in winter, and two hours ahead in summer. The clocks change twice during the year. In Barcelona mealtimes are usually later than in the rest of Europe.

Breakfast is between 9h and 11h and is similar to other countries on the continent. Lunch is served in restaurants between 13h and 15h and dinner from 21h until midnight.

The working day usually begins between 8h and 9h and people break for lunch at 14h. In the afternoon shops are open from 16h to 20h.

Currency

The euro is the currency of the European Union. The banknotes circulate in denominations of EUR 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. Coins are minted in the following denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent or EUR 1 and EUR 2.

You can change money at the city's banks as well as at the exchange booths located in the city center and at tourist sights.

General banking times:
Mon-Fri: 8.30h -14h. Sat: 8.30h -13h. (closed Saturdays during Summer)

There are also a number of exchange booths, open daily, located in the city center at the main points of tourist interest. The city's main railway stations and coach terminals ,the Sants Railway Station and the Barcelona-Nord coach terminal, also have exchange booths with special opening times. Automatic exchange machines, mainly located in the city center, complete the range of exchange facilities.

Credit Cards

Except in small businesses, credit cards are widely accepted in almost every shop in Barcelona.

You can also use cash-points to withdraw money, since most of them are connected to national and international networks.

Weather

Barcelona's location on the shores of the Mediterranean means that it enjoys a warm, welcoming climate and pleasant temperatures all year round.

Languages

To all extents and purposes, Barcelona is a bilingual city. Castellano (Castilian Spanish) is the national language of Spain and is spoken throughout the country, but Catala (Catalan) is used side by side with Castilian as the official language in Catalunya (Catalonia).

Useful words and sentences:

Yes - Si
No - No
Hello - Hola
Goodbye - Adios
Please - Por favor
Thank you - Gracias
My name is ... - Me llamo ...
How are you? - Que tal estas?
I'm very well - Estoy muy bien
I feel ill - Me siento mal
How much does it cost? - Cuanto es?
Do you speak English? - Habla ingles?
I don't understand - No entiendo
Where is ...? - Donde esta ...?
Entrance - Entrada
Open - Abierto
Closed - Cerrado
Toilets - Servicios
Doctor - Medico
Beer - Cerveza
Wine - Vino
Menu - Carta
Today - Hoy
Tomorrow - Mañana
One - Un / uno / una

Car Rental

Cars can be hired by drivers from overseas aged 21 years and above on presentation of a passport and a valid driving license. A valid international insurance policy is also necessary although this can be purchased at the time of hire. In addition to companies at the airport, car hire in Barcelona is provided by:

• Avis, Carrer Casanovas 209, tel: (93) 209 9533; http://www.avis.com/;
• Hertz, Carrer Tuset 10 (tel: (93) 217 3248; http://www.hertz.com/

Electricity

The most common electric current is 220 volts and 50hz.

Openings Hours

In general shops in Barcelona open in the morning from 9h or 10h to 13h or 13.30h and in the afternoon from 16h or 17h to 20h or 21h. Some shops do not close for lunch and others (mainly in the centre) do not close on Saturday afternoon. Sunday is the rest day, although nearly all museums close on Mondays.

Embassies

As of August 2000, citizens of South Africa need a visa---a stamp, sticker, or insert in your passport specifying the purpose of your travel and the permitted duration of your stay---in addition to a valid passport for entrance to Spain; citizens of the Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the UK, and the US do not need visas for brief stays. All tourists need a visa for any stay of 90 days or longer in Spain. For further details please visit: http://www.letsgo.com/BARC/14-ServiceDirectory-47.

Tourist attention

The Barcelona Municipal Police (Guardia Urbana), in collboration with Turisme de Barcelona, provides help and counseling to those visitors who have been victims of crime or had an accident during their stay in the city. The center offers facilities for reporting a crime, legal advice, help with obtaining temporary identity papers and puts you in touch with members of your family.

The service has staff who speak different languages (Catalan, Spanish, English, Greek, Russian, German and Portuguese) 24h.

For further information:
Turismo Atencion
Guardia Urbana de Ciutat Vella
La Rambla, 43 (08002)
933 441 300
933 172 621