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Barcelona - Useful Information

Language

In Barcelona, as in the rest of Catalonia, there are two official languages, Spanish and Catalan, both coming from Latin but quite different from one another. Catalan is an original Romance language with strong Provençal influence. In various dialect forms it is spoken by a total of some ten million people living, in addition to Catalonia, in the nearby Valencia, Balearic Islands, and the south of France. Road signs and other informative text may be only in Catalan. In the most tourist places, you should have no trouble finding people who speak English.

Climate and Clothing

Barcelona is usually warm and humid in July. Average temperatures in July: 25º C / 78º F.  Very occasional showers might also take place at this time of the year. It is recommended to pack light, comfortable clothing. Dressing will be informal for most Congress-related occasions.

Access to Barcelona

By air: More than 80 European cities have direct flights to Barcelona, with a daily frequency in many cases. There are also flights from many cities of North and South America, Africa and Asia. The Barcelona-El Prat International Airport is at a short distance from Barcelona. It is linked to the city centre by rail (Sants and Catalunya Stations), every 30 minutes, and by bus, every 15 minutes, with several stops in the city, including Plaça d'Espanya, which is the closest stop to the Congress venue and Hotels.

By rail: International direct lines to Barcelona-Sants Station come from the main European cities. There are also many trains from Madrid, some of them overnight.

By road: Motorway A-17/7 from La Jonquera (at the French border) links up with the French motorway network. Motorway A-7 to the west and south connects Barcelona with the rest of Spain. Motorway A-2 connects motorway A-7 with the south entrance to Barcelona: Diagonal Avenue.

Taxi service: Taxi service is available 24 hours a day and it is located at the exit of the airport main building and also out of the train station. Taxis in Barcelona are easily recognizable by their colours (yellow and black). They are equipped with official taximeters and fares are charged in Euros. There is usually a supplement for luggage loaded in the back trunk of the car. A taxi from the airport costs an approximate amount of 18,00-26,00 Euros, depending on the traffic conditions. 

Transportation within the city

Barcelona is served by El Prat International Airport, which is six miles southwest of the center of Barcelona. It takes about 20 minutes to travel from the airport to the Fira Palace Hotel. Taxis are available at the airport 24 hours a day. There is a bus every 15 minutes to the city center (Plaza Catalunya) with a stop at Plaza Espanya where is the meeting venue located, and a train every 30 minutes to Sants Station (Central Train Station-Barcelona) from 6:00 to 22:30h. Barcelona is accessible from all directions by the Spanish road and rail networks. There are multiple subway (metro) systems for transportation within Barcelona, operating daily from 05:00 to 24:00h. Ten-trip cards (metro and bus), which are cheaper than buying individual tickets, are available at any metro station. Night buses operate separately from the city buses and do not accept the cards. Taxis are moderately priced. 

Business opening hours, sale taxes, and tips

In general, shops in Barcelona open in the morning from 9 or 10h to 13 or 14h and in the afternoon from 16 or 17h to 20 or 21h. Some shops do not close for lunch and others (mainly in the center) do not close on Saturday afternoon. Sunday is the rest day. Nearly all museums close on Mondays.

Value Added Tax (in Spanish IVA) for general goods (16%) and hotels and restaurants (7%) is charged on the consumption of products in the European Union, and only visitors resident in other countries are therefore exempt, when the purchase exceeds €90.15 in the same shop. A Tax-Free sticker is displayed in more than 700 establishments in the city’s main shopping areas, including the airport. Ask for details for reimbursation when you make your purchase.

Because the service charge is normally included in most bills, tipping is not compulsory, but it is customary to leave a small additional amount when you are happy with the service. Tip taxis up to five percent of the total fare. Tip hotel porters for assistance with bags, and room service attendants for their assistance. 

Safety recommendations

Catalonia is a country that enjoy one of the lowest crime rate levels in Europe. Nevertheless, like in every important and tourist city in the world, pay attention to places and streets where a lot of people meet; when in the street or marketplace, always carry bags and cameras across your chest and in front of you, and carry wallets in inside pockets, in handbags, or in zip-closed waist wallets. Do not carry more money than necessary, do not flash your money when making a payment. In case you have any problems, get in touch with the Police Service 24 h (091).

Power supply

220 V. Frequency 50 Hz.

Telephone calls

Pay phones are available at the meeting venue for local and long distance calls. Public phone boots are light blue or grey. They operate with coins or cards. For international calls dial 00, then dial the country and area codes.

Congress venue/Meeting site

The meeting will take place in the Fira Palace Hotel, an elegant contemporary hotel opened in 1992 and renovated in 2000, next to Plaza España and to the Montjuic mountain – where the Magic Fountain, the ’92 Olympic games facilities, several museums, an opera house, and wide green areas are located. The Fira Palace Hotel is well-connected with both the airport and the city center (see exact location in the city map) by subway (called metro), bus and taxi.