Let’s Book Holiday Travel Blog

Barcelona by land

Three main freeways connect Barcelona to the rest of Spain. From France you take the A-7, from the center of Spain you can follow National highway II or the A-2 (freeway), and from the southern area of the peninsula the A-7 or the A-16 from Tarragona will bring you into the city. The traffic entering the city flows well, thanks to a fast route that goes around the mountain side of Barcelona (Ronda de Dalt) and another that borders the sea (Ronda de Del Litoral). Other important routes entering the city are the Avinguda Diagonal, the Meridiana, and the Gran via. In Catalonia, most of the freeways require a toll.

Barcelona by plane

Barcelona’s international airport, el Prat, is located 12km from the city, in El Prat de Llobregat. The airport has international and domestic flights, as well as an air shuttle service that connects Barcelona and Madrid regularly. Each airline company is assigned to one of the three terminals. The airport was designed by Ricardo Bofill for the Olympic games of 1992.

Reaching the airport

A train takes travellers from the Barcelona-Sants train station to the airport every 30 minutes. The trip  lasts 20 minutes. A special bus, the Aerobus, takes you from Placa d’Espanya, Passeig de Gracia and Placa de Catalunya every 15 minutes.

Barcelona by Commuter Trains

These trains go to the main towns and cities in the Barcelona region. There are four lines: C1 (airport-Blanes), C2 (Sant Vicenc-Macanet), C3 (L’Hospitalet-Vic) and C4 (Sant Vicenc-Manresa). Line 1 crosses the northern coast while line 2 covers the southern. Line 3 goes inland as far as Vic, and line 4 connects the Penedes region and Manresa.

The trains leave from several underground stations (Sants, Passeig de Gracia, Placa Catalunya, Clot-Arago and Sant Andreu Comptal).

Barcelona by bus

The main station is the Estacio del Nord, near the Arc de Triomf. From here, buses travel to the rest of Spain and foreign countries.

Barcelona by sea

Port Olimpic is the largest port in Barcelona. It has 742 slips for boats and one quarter of the port is available for rental by travelers. Rates vary depending on the size of the boat and the time of year. The Port Olimpic offers 24-hour security services, water, light, telephone and a crane. It also has the convenience of being close to a whole complex of restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Marina Port Vell has 410 berths for rent an dsome for sale.  It includes 24-hour security services, water, light, and telephone. The Marina Port Vell is very close to the shipyard as well as the bars and supermarkets of the Barceloneta neighbourhood.

Metro, buses and taxis

The ring roads, known as rondas, allow you to leave and enter the city quickly and comfortably, being easily accessed from the two great thoroughfares that cross the city: the Diagonal and the Gran Via.

The Barcelona Card offers free public transportation for 24, 48 or 72 hours, as well as over 100 discounts in museums, shows, leisure places, night clubs, shops, restaurants and on the Aerobus, Tibibus, Tombbus and Tourist Bus. Information and Sales can be found in the Barcelona Tourist Information Offices.

Metro

Barcelona has 5 metro lines that cover 79,1 kilometers and pass through 111 stations. The city has an urban railroad network run by the Generalitat de Catalunya, in addition to the metro.

Buses

Operating hours are generally from 6.30 - 22.00h. A single bus ticket can be purchased on the bus. Special passes, which are more economical, are available at tobacconists, lottery ticket sales offices and metro ticket windows. Each bus stop shelter has a map of the bus route and the area in order to help visitors find their way through the city.

In order to get around town at night, there are as many as 15 lines of night buses, known as NitBus. These buses are yellow and are distinguished by the N appearing before the line number. This service runs from 11.00pm until 5.00 am. The lines numbered from 0 (N0) to 11 (N11) run through the inner city, whereas the lines N12 through to N15 and the 53N connect Barcelona with the towns and villages on the outskirts of the city. There is also the EN, which leaves from the Plaza de Espana and goes to the airport from 10.50pm-3.15am.

Taxis

Barcelona has approximately 11,000 taxis, which are easy to identify thanks to their yellow and black colour. When they are unoccupied, a green light on the top of the cab is lit. A list of rates is posted on the back windows.

The city is flanked by the rivers Besos (on the East) and the Llobregat (on the West). The Collserola Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea surround it on th eNorth and South, always limiting Barcelona’s growth. Because of its size, the city is ideal for walking. The old town, comprised of the Barri Gotic, is famous for its monuments.  The town is also home to many examples of Modernist architecture, concentrated in the Eixample, an area designed by Ildefons Cerda in 18.60. The area was a model for urban organisation and growth after the city’s medieval walls were destroyed. Since 1992, Barcelona has opened itself up to the sea, with a modern Maritime Seafront.

Located on the shores of the Mediterranean, the city enjoys a warm, humid climate. Temperatures are pleasant all year long. Barcelona is sunny during every season of the year, with most days of the year being days of sunlight.

In Barcelona, as in the rest of Catalonia, there are two official languages: Catalan, the local language, and Castilian Spanish. Catalan is a descendant of Latin and is therefore quite similar to Castilian Spanish. It has three more vowels than Spanish though.

Here’s a list of the most renowned shopping areas in London:

Oxford Street (W1) - Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Regent Street and Jermyn Street (W1 and SW1) - Nearest Tube: Piccadilly Circus
New Bond Street (W1) - Nearest Tube: Bond Street
Carnaby Street (W1) - Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus
Covent Garden (WC2) - Nearest Tube: Covent Garden or Leicester Square
King’s Road (SW3) - Nearest Tube: Sloane Square
Knightsbridge (SW7) - Nearest Tube: Knightsbridge
Notting Hill (W11) - Nearest Tube: Notting Hill Gate, Ladbroke Grove or Westbourne Park
Canary Wharf (E14) - Nearest Tube: Canary Wharf
Westfield Shopping Centre - Nearest tube: White City

If you’re London, a visit to Harrods, the world’s most famous luxury department store, situated in Knightsbridge, is a must - even if just to have a look

The store occupies a 4.5-acre (18,000 m2) site and has over one million square feet (90,000 m2) of selling space in over 330 departments over 7 floors. This makes Harrods one of the largest department stores in the world.

Opening Times (including Bank Holidays)

Main Store
Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm
Sunday 11.30am* to 6pm

Selected Food Halls
Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm
Sunday 11:30am* to 6pm

How to get there

Harrods Ltd
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7XL

Nearest Tube Stop
Knightsbridge, South Kensington and Sloane Square

Bus Stop
Knightsbridge, Harrods and Old Brompton Road

Harrods is easy to reach via tube or bus. A secure valet parking service close to the store is also available.

Tube
The nearest tube station to Harrods is Knightsbridge on the Piccadilly line. Use the Brompton Road exit for Harrods.

South Kensington station, on the Piccadilly, District and Circle lines, and Sloane Square, on the District and Circle lines, are just a short walk from the store.

Bus
Harrods is served by the following bus routes:

9, 10, 14, 19, 22, 52, 74, 137, 414, C1

Valet Parking
Harrods valet car park is located on Brompton Place, a short walk from the store. The following rates apply:

* 0-1 hours £8
* 1-2 hours £12
* 2-3 hours £16
* 3-4 hours £20
* 4-5 hours £24
* 5-6 hours £28
* 6-7 hours £32
* 7-8 hours £36
* 8-9 hours £40
* Additional overnight charge £50

Congestion Charge
Harrods now falls into the London Congestion Charge zone. An £8 charge is payable upon entering the congestion zone on weekdays between 7am and 6pm. Please note that there is a £100 penalty for failing to pay the congestion charge.

Last Wednesday night I returned back home after spending 6 days in Berlin. I must say..I simply loved the city There’s so much to see and do! And the weather was perfect - sunny, blue skies with a breeze..simply the best weather for our long walks! We walked all round the city centre (only used public transport a couple of times). It was a great way of seeing the city and enjoying the nice weather

Today I spent most of the day planning my trip to Berlin. One of the places I am planning on visiting is Potsdam.

I read that there is a beautiful park there, and it’s worth visiting whilst in Berlin, considering that it is only around 30 mins away by train! Large parts of this unique work of art have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Here are the top places to visit whilst in Potsdam:

• Sanssouci Park
• Sanssouci Palace
• Cecilienhof
• Park Babelsberg
• Babelsberg Film Studios

I hope that there will be good weather, if we go

At the moment I am planning my trip to Berlin, as I am leaving on Friday. I found this travel packing list really helpful. Worth referring to, so as to be sure not to leave anything behind!

At the moment I’m so looking forward to September!! At the end of this month I am off on a work trip/short holiday to Berlin, and then mid-September I am off on a holiday trip to North Italy

In my first trip to Berlin, I will be staying in the city centre for 6 days, so I will have plenty of time to visit the main attractions and also the large shopping malls!!

In my second trip to Northern Italy, we will be staying at Mestre, close to Venice, so we will surely be visiting Venice and then we are planning day trips to Gardaland, Verona, Padova and Lake Garda.

I still have to do some research to plan both trips, so I’d better start planning as I only have 3 weeks left for my first trip!!

London is renowned for its markets and there are around 90 major street markets in London to choose from. You can buy anything in London’s markets, from cheap eats and fresh produce to art and antiques, to retro and designer fashions. Camden Market and Portobello Market have become top sights visited by tourists. The following is a list of the most popular Markets in London:

• Local Markets:

Brick Lane Market - Sun 8am-2pm
Chapel Market - Tues to Sun 9am-6pm
Petticoat Lane -Sun 9am-2pm
Ridley Road Market - Mon to Wed 9am-3pm, Thurs 9am-12noon, Fri and Sat 9am-5pm
Southall Market - Tues 9am-3pm, Wed 9am-3pm, Fri 4am-1pm and Sat 9am-3pm
Walthamstow Market - Mon to Fri 9am-4pm, Sat 9am-5pm

• Art and Antiques Markets:

Portobello Road Market - Sat 8am-5pm
Alfie’s Antiques Market - Tues to Sat 10am-6pm
Bayswater Road - Sun 10am-6pm
Camden Passage - Wed 7am-2pm, Thurs 7am-4pm and Sat 8am-4pm
Grays Antiques Market - Mon to Fri 10am-6pm
London Silver Vaults - Mon to Fri 9am-5.30pm and Sat 9am-1pm

• Farmers’ markets:

Blackheath Farmers’ Market - Sundays, 10am - 2pm (Blackheath Rail Station Car Park, 2 Blackheath Village, London, SE3)
Ealing Farmers’ Market - Saturdays, 9am - 1pm (Leeland Road, West Ealing, London, W13)
Notting Hill Farmers’ Market - Saturdays, 9am - 1pm (Car park behind Waterstones, access via Kensington Place, junction of Kensington Church Street, London, W8)
Marylebone Farmers’ Market - Sundays, 10am - 2pm (Cramer Street car park, just off Marylebone High Street, London, W1)
Pimlico Farmers’ Market - Saturdays, 9am - 1pm (Orange Square, corner of Pimlico Road and Ebury Street, London, SW1)
Twickenham Farmers’ Market - Saturdays, 9am - 1pm (Holly Road Car Park, Holly Road, off King Street, Twickenham, London TW1)
Wimbledon Farmers’ Market - Saturdays, 9am - 1pm (Wimbledon Park First School, Havana Road, London, SW19)

Food Markets:

Berwick Street Market - Mon to Sat 9am-6pm (Berwick St, W1)
Billingsgate Fish Market - Tues to Sat 5am-8.30am, Sun 6am-8am (Trafalgar Way, E14)
Borough Market - Fri 12noon-6pm and Sat 9am-4pm
Brixton Market - Mon to Sat 8am-6pm
Leadenhall Market - Mon to Fri 7am-4pm (Whittington Avenue, EC3)
Smithfield Market - Mon to Fri 4am-10am (Charterhouse Street, EC1)

Crafts, Gifts, and Flower Markets:

Camden Market - Mon to Sun 10am-6pm
Columbia Road Flower Market - Sun 8am-2pm
Covent Garden Market - Tues to Sun 10am-6pm
Greenwich Market - Thurs to Sun 9.30am-5.30pm
Merton Abbey Mills - Sat, Sun and bank holidays from 10am-5pm
Old Spitalfields - Mon to Fri 11am-3pm and Sun 10am-5pm

Main Airports in London:

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) - The airport is situated 15 miles (24km) west of London.
London Gatwick Airport (LGW) - The airport is situated 28 miles (45km) south of London.
London Luton Airport (LTN) - The airport is situated 32 miles (52km) northwest of London.
London City Airport (LCY) - The airport is situated at the Royal Docks, 10 miles (16km) from the West End.
London Stansted Airport (STN) - The airport is situated 34 miles (55km) northeast of London.