| General
Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city with around 1.5 million people. The metropolitan area adds the same amount for a total of 3 million. The city is very compact and easy to get around. You will have no difficulty getting (cheaply) from A to B.
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Money
Spain is part of the Euro region and you can find a very good conversion tool for your currency into Euros here. You'll find a bank machine almost on every corner of the street which makes it very easy to withdraw cash whenever you need to. Credit cards are widely accepted but mostly restricted to Visa and MasterCard.
Getting around
Barcelona has an excellent public transport system. Metros now run 24 hours per day from Friday night till Sunday evening so you can stay out late and still get home quickly and safely.
The most economic way of getting round is either buying a T-10 pass (valid for 10 journeys) or if you are for a longer time in the city, you can buy a monthly pass. These passes are valid on the metro, bus and trains. For more information, click here.
Climate
Barcelona is warm in Summer and mild in winter
with some fresh days in January and February. Humidity can
be high from time to time but the beach is always nearby to
cool down. Airport
The airport of Barcelona is called "El
Prat " and is located approximately 20km from the city
centre. You can take the bus or train from the airport to
the centre. A taxi will cost around € 25.00.
Electricity Spain has a 220V network and you may need
an adaptor if you come from the UK or a non European country. Daily expenses Barcelona
is not an expensive city compared to other destinations in
Western Europe but the gap between Spain and other countries
has narrowed over the years. The following overview provides
a guideline for typical expenses excluding your accommodation
cost:
Breakfast: croissant + coffee: € 3.00
Lunch: sandwich (bocadillo) + drink: € 4.50 or
Lunch: menú del día: € 10.00
Dinner: grocery shopping: € 6 or
Dinner: "cheap & cheerful" restaurant: € 20
Transportation cost per day: € 1.50 (based on purchasing
a multi trip pass)
Glass of wine / beer: € 2.00
Once you include other costs such as telephone card, entrance
tickets to museums / cinema etc. a minimum daily allowance
of € 30 is the bare minimum to survive on [excluding accommodation].
Working
Holders of an EU passport can work in Spain
without a work permit. All that is required is to apply for
a registration number (N.I.E.) and a social security number which is an administrative
formality. Non EU passport holders cannot work without a work
permit.
>> Learn more about your Spanish course in Barcelona |
