Out n' About In BCN
10May10 17:57 Filed in: city life
How many times has this happened to you: You’re on your way to a job interview / coffee date / Friday Happy Hour, running late because you’ve missed the train as it was pulling out of the station, when you realize you have no idea where you are? The last time you got off at Diagonal Metro, it was on Diagonal; now, when you’re in a hurry, why are you on Rambla Catalunya? Mapless, you’re left with no option but to ask someone local-looking how to get where you’re going. After hearing “has de anar a la cantonada i gira a la dret” about six times, you still have to idea where to go.
Frustrating? Yes. Preventable. Also yes. Here’re some very basic instructions:
Orient Yourself:
Forget North-South. Think of directions in terms of mountain and sea. In most places in Barcelona, if you look uphill, it’s towards the mountains (ie Sarrià, Gràcia, Parc Guell). Looking downhill, it’s toward the sea (ie Barceloneta, Vila Olímpica, Poble Nou).
Figure Out The Streets:
Street signs are usually on plaques on the sides of buildings. Be prepared for them to be hidden by construction, altogether absent or for streets to change names every other block. Also, the number system may not be as logical as you are used to. For example, if 123 is on one side of the street, it does not follow that 124 will be on the opposite side of the street.
Remember the streets here used to be in Spanish so when you ask people for directions, they may well direct you to Passeo de Gracia instead of Passeig de Gràcia, which, when you’re new, sounds like something completely different. The street signs will be in Catalan so you may have to do some translating. Most are fairly obvious, like Rosselló vs. Rossellón.
Googlemaps Is a Girl’s Best Friend:
Before you leave the house, look up online how to get where you’re going and if possible print a map that includes at least one Metro stop or at the very least draw yourself a little map. Many maps are outdated due to construction and constant changing of names so an online resource really is your best resource.
Buy / Acquire a Good Street Map:
Even though streets and plazas often change names in Barcelona, having a handy map you can fit in your bag at all times is essential. I recommend the Michelin map which is a literal page-turner. It has an index at the back with street names that makes being lost much less scary. Never leave home without this during your first six months in this city. They cost about 7€.
Learning a little Spanish or Catalan will help you out more than you realize. You can sign up for free classes while you’re looking for a job.
Here’s the Catalan class: http://www.cpnl.cat
If you’re out after the Metro closes (Sunday-Thursday: midnight; Friday: 2am), you can take various night buses. Many of them stop in Plaça Catalunya so if you’re lost in the middle of the night you can at least get to that central hub and find your bus home.
Check out bus and Metro schedules and lines here.
Now you have no excuse not to show up on Friday!
My favorite street sign in Poble Nou
Back to blog
Frustrating? Yes. Preventable. Also yes. Here’re some very basic instructions:
Orient Yourself:
Forget North-South. Think of directions in terms of mountain and sea. In most places in Barcelona, if you look uphill, it’s towards the mountains (ie Sarrià, Gràcia, Parc Guell). Looking downhill, it’s toward the sea (ie Barceloneta, Vila Olímpica, Poble Nou).
Figure Out The Streets:
Street signs are usually on plaques on the sides of buildings. Be prepared for them to be hidden by construction, altogether absent or for streets to change names every other block. Also, the number system may not be as logical as you are used to. For example, if 123 is on one side of the street, it does not follow that 124 will be on the opposite side of the street.
Remember the streets here used to be in Spanish so when you ask people for directions, they may well direct you to Passeo de Gracia instead of Passeig de Gràcia, which, when you’re new, sounds like something completely different. The street signs will be in Catalan so you may have to do some translating. Most are fairly obvious, like Rosselló vs. Rossellón.
Googlemaps Is a Girl’s Best Friend:
Before you leave the house, look up online how to get where you’re going and if possible print a map that includes at least one Metro stop or at the very least draw yourself a little map. Many maps are outdated due to construction and constant changing of names so an online resource really is your best resource.
Buy / Acquire a Good Street Map:
Even though streets and plazas often change names in Barcelona, having a handy map you can fit in your bag at all times is essential. I recommend the Michelin map which is a literal page-turner. It has an index at the back with street names that makes being lost much less scary. Never leave home without this during your first six months in this city. They cost about 7€.
Learning a little Spanish or Catalan will help you out more than you realize. You can sign up for free classes while you’re looking for a job.
Here’s the Catalan class: http://www.cpnl.cat
If you’re out after the Metro closes (Sunday-Thursday: midnight; Friday: 2am), you can take various night buses. Many of them stop in Plaça Catalunya so if you’re lost in the middle of the night you can at least get to that central hub and find your bus home.
Check out bus and Metro schedules and lines here.
Now you have no excuse not to show up on Friday!
My favorite street sign in Poble Nou
Back to blog
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