Barcelona, SPAIN
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139 th INTA ANNUAL MEETING May 20-24, 2017 Barcelona, SPAIN Guide Travel Tips FOSTERING BUSINESS INNOVATION SINCE 1865 BARCELONA │Guide & Travel Tips INDEX ◘ INTA´s 139 th Annual Meeting ◘ Getting around ◘ Some interesting facts ◘ Sport ◘ Hotels ◘ Restaurants ◘ TOP must see sights www.elzaburu.es BARCELONA │Guide & Travel Tips INTA´s 139 th Annual Meeting Barcelona A city with character Barcelona is an open, vibrant and creative city with a busy cultural, political, business and commercial life. It is a metropolis where every imaginable language can be heard, as well as a city that invites its residents and visitors alike to discover its Catalan culture and traditions. Barcelona is located in the northeast of Spain and has great land, sea and air communication. The international airport, Barcelona-El Prat, links the city with the world's main capitals. The city has a range of sea links, while road and rail are also good ways of getting to Barcelona. Barcelona, a leader in sustainable tourism Barcelona wants its residents and visitors to enjoy the many attractions that the city oers in a balanced way that respects the environment. So it promotes a model of tourism based on respect for the city's economic, social, environmental and cultural resources. As a result, and because it is always innovating, Barcelona has established itself as a sustainable tourist destination, with responsibly managed tourism and a cross-cutting strategy which seeks to ensure it is a model that will endure well into the future. 2017 Annual Meeting will take place in Barcelona, Spain, from May 20–24. www.rabarcelona.com/gran-via The 2017 Annual Meeting will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from May 20 through May 24, 2017. Most meeting events will be held at the Fira Gran Via in Hall 8 and 8.1, located at Carrer Alumini, 08908 Barcelona, Spain. Gran Via, boosting the future It is one of the largest and most modern venues in Europe, designed by the Japanese architect Toyo Ito, winner of the Pritzker prize. Its outstanding features are its architecture, functionality and commitment to sustainability: it has one of the largest rooftop photovoltaic installations. Its eight pavilions, connected by a walkway that channels the ow of visitors, provide cutting-edge services and logistics. The gastronomic restaurant Nuclo is located inside the Foyer Europe. It is located in a new business development area, very close to Barcelona airport and connected to the public transport network. Basic gures: Surface area: 240.000 m of oor space, Restaurants: 45, Halls: 8, Heliport: 2, Parking places: 4.580 www.elzaburu.es BARCELONA │Guide & Travel Tips Getting Around Some interesting facts The city from A to B: how to get around Barcelona Barcelona has an excellent public transport system that interconnects all of the city's districts and provides links with towns in the metropolitan area. There are also alternative and period forms of transport that provide you with a dierent view of the city. Sustainable transport, such as bicycles and electric cars, are another notable feature: Barcelona has nearly 200 kilometres of clearly signposted and protected bicycle lanes. On foot Thanks to its Mediterranean climate, Barcelona is a place where people can enjoy the outdoors all year. And the city is also accessible on foot: there are sizeable pedestrian areas in every district that are ideal for a stroll, where you can let your curiosity lead you to new discoveries. And if you want to get the most out of your walk, you can always follow one of the itineraries that cover the city's emblematic places, or just soak up the charm. By public transport Barcelona has an excellent public transport system: eight metro lines interconnect all the city's districts and part of the metropolitan area, two tram lines cross the city from north to south, a large eet of buses reach every corner of the city, and local trains complement the metro network. Furthermore, the city's public transport uses an integrated-fare system, which allows you to use various means of transport with just one ticket. www.meet.barcelona.cat/en/visit-barcelona/get-around-the-city/public-transport By Metro: Barcelona's metro network has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years: its eight lines reach practically every corner of the city and they interconnect at dozens of stations, making it easy to change your means of transport, to trains or buses. And in order to facilitate mobility, the metro is open all night on Saturdays and on the eves of some public holidays during the year. Each metro line is distinguished by its colour: L1 (red), L2 (lilac), L3 (green), L4 (yellow), L5 (blue), L9 (orange), L10 (light blue) and L11 (light green). www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona/metro/lines www.tram.cat/en/ By Train Renfe's local train service connects Barcelona's various train stations using ve railway lines that cross the city and connect it with the entire metropolitan area and Catalonia's main cities. But the city's railway network also has three lines that connect the upper part of the city with the centre and also reach the capital cities of El Vallès, Sabadell and Terrassa, travelling through the Collserola mountain range. www.renfe.com By bus Barcelona has a eet of nearly a thousand perfectly adapted buses that cover the entire city and also reach the metropolitan area. If you use a travelcard instead of a single ticket, you can make use of the integrated fares system, which allows you to use various means of transport, including the metro, trains and trams, all included in the same ticket during a period of one and a quarter hours. The city also has a night bus service, called Nitbús. www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona/buses/lines Barcelona taxis Barcelona is served by a eet of eleven thousand taxis. Their yellow and black colouring make them unmistakable. You can get one at various taxi ranks situated in the city's busiest places and you can ag one down in the street, if its roof light is green (meaning it is available), just by raising your arm. They can also be booked online or by phone. The fares vary, depending on the day and time. Other options: Barcelona cycling Bicycles have become increasingly popular in recent years and have become a major feature of the city's streets. People cycle up and down, from the hills to the seashore: there are nearly 200 kilometres of bicycle lanes which are well signposted and protected from motorised trac, in order to ensure the safety of cyclists, who are using bicycles more and more for their daily journeys. Many people use the municipal bicycle-hire service, Bicing, which oers a large number of parking stations throughout the city, but there are also many people who use their own bicycles, and it is common to see tourists discovering the city by bicycle. There are various bicycle hire companies, especially in the old quarter, which also oer guided tours for groups. www.mobilitat.ajuntament.barcelona.cat/ca/modes-de-transport/bicicleta www.elzaburu.es BARCELONA │Guide & Travel Tips Some interesting facts Visa: Visitors from other European Union member countries may enter Spain using either a passport or a national identity document. On the other hand people from other countries must have a valid passport and a visa if required. Electricity: The mains voltage is in Barcelona as in the whole of Europe 230 volts AC, plug adapters are hardly necessary. The at European standard t into the Spanish sockets. In addition, the Schuko plug CEE 7/7. Most Europeans do not need to buy an adapter plug for Spain, it all t plug and at home. Swiss, UK and US need an adapter. Tipping: In Barcelona you can choose to tip or not at your own discretion. Tipping in restaurants in generally restricted to a few euros for a regular lunch or dinner. If you are in an upmarket expensive restaurant, then you are most welcome to leave a bigger tip of say 10 to 15%, but only if you are very satised with the service. It is not usual to leave a tip if you just have coee or snacks.You might leave 10 euro cents or 15 euro cents, if you can't be bother with the small coins, but a tip for a small meal is not expected. Open Hours Shops in Barcelona: Opening hours are usually from 9:00 - 13:00/14:00, 16:30 - 20:00/22:00. Most of the stores are only open in the morning on Saturdays. Tourist information centres: Tourist infos are opened daily, opening hours are usually from 8:30 - 20:30. Restaurants: Often closed on Sunday night and Mondays. Banks: Mondays- Fridays 8:30 - 13:00/14:00. However ATMs are available around the clock. Public authorities: Mondays - Friday 8:00 - 15:00 Places of interest (Museums, buildings etc.): Museums and other attractions in Barcelona are mostly closed on Monday. If the day o is a holiday it usually will be open. On December 25 and January 1 almost all museums and monuments are closed. Some of them are closed on January 6 as well. Open on Monday: Not all places of interest are closed on Mondays. The following attractions are open on Mondays (not complete list): Parc Güell, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Cathedral, La Pedrera (Casa Milà), Sagrada Familia, Monument a Colom, Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), Poble Espanyol, Aquàrium, Museu de Cera, Museu Marítim, Palau de la Musica Catalana, Palau Güell and Camp Nou stadium.