Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide
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By Train
Trains (90 224 02 02 www.refe.es) from northern Europe, France, and Barcelona (including the high-speed AVE train) arrive on the north side of the city at Chamartin. Trains to and from the south of Spain and Portugal use Atocha. Buy tickets at the station or online. There is a RENFE information office located in the main terminal. (902 24 02 02 Open daily 7am-7pm.)
By Bus
AVE trains offer high-speed service to southern Spain, including Barcelona and Sevilla. (Estacion Chamartin, C. Agustin de Foxa 913 00 69 69; 91 506 63 29.) Be sure to keep your ticket, or you won’t be able to pass the turnstiles. Call RENFE for both international destinations and domestic travel. (90 224 34 02 for international destinations; 902 24 02 02 for domestic.) Ticket windows open daily 6:30am-9pm; buy tickets at vending machines outside of these hours. Check online for prices, as plane tickets may be cheaper depending on season. If you prefer four wheels, any private bus company runs through Madrid, and most pass through Estación Sur de Autobuses (C. Mendez Alvaro 91 468 42 00 www.estacionautobusesmadrid.com. Info booth open daily 6:30am-1am.) National destinations include Algeciras, Alicante, Oviedo, and Toledo, among others. Inquire at the station, online, or by phone for specific information on routes and schedules.
Getting Around
By Metro
The Madrid metro system is by far the easiest, cheapest way to get you almost anywhere you need to go in the city. Service begins at 6am (7am on Sunday) and ends around 1:30am. Try to avoid rush hours at 8-10am, 1-2pm, and 4-6pm. The fare is €1 for a one way trip. If you’re making multiple trips, you can save by purchasing a combined 10-in-one metrobus ticket for €7. Be sure to grab a free metro map (available at any ticket booth or tourist office). Abonos mensuales, or monthly passes, grant unlimited travel within the city proper for €46, while abonos turisticos (tourist passes) come in various lengths (1, 2, 3, 4, or 7 days) and sell for €5-24 at the metro stations or online. For metro information go to www.metromadrid.es.
By Bus
Buses cover areas that are inaccessible by metro and are a great way to see the city. Try the nifty handout “Visiting the Downtown on Public Transport” to find routes and stops. ( Free at any tourist office or downloadable at www.madrid.org.) Tickets for the bus and metro are interchangeable. From midnight-6am, the Búho (owl), or night bus, travels from Pl. de Cibeles and other marked routes along the outskirts of the city (M-Th every 30min. midnight-3am, every 1hr. 3-6am; F-Sa every 20min; Su every 30 min. midnight-3am.) These buses, marked on the essential Red de Autobuses Nocturnos (available at any tourist office or from run along 26 lines covering regular daytime routes. For info, call Empresa Municipal de Transportes (902 50 78 50 www.emtmadrid.es). Estacion Sur (C. Mendez Alvaro 91 468 42 00) covers mainly southern and southeastern destinations out of Madrid such as Granada, Sevilla, Málaga, and Valencia. Go to avanzabus.com for timetables and routes.
By Moped and Bike
You can hire a bike from Karacol Sport for €18 per day (C. Tortosa 8 91 539 9733 Cash deposit of €50 and photocopy of your passport required www.karacol.com Open M-W 10:30am-3pm and 5-8pm, Th 10:30am-3pm and 5-9:30pm, F-Su 10:30am 3pm and 5-8pm.) Biking in the city is ill-advised, but Casa de Campo and Dehesa de la Villa both have easily navigable bike trails. Motocicletas Antonio Castro rents mopeds from €23-95 per day including unlimited mileage and insurance, but you’ll need your own lock and helmet—you just need to be 25 years old and have a driver’s license for motorcycles (C. Clara del Rey, 17 914 1300 47 www.blafermotos.com Open M-F 8am-6pm, Sa 10am-1:30pm.)
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ORIENTATION
Barri Gòtic and Las Ramblas
If there is one thing to know about Barri Gòtic, it’s this: you will get lost. Knowing this, the best way to properly orient yourself to the neighborhood is to spend an entire day learning your way around. Las Ramblas provides the western boundary of the neighborhood, stretching from the waterfront north to Plaça Catalonia. Vía Laietana cuts through the city nearly parallel to Las Ramblas, running directly in front of the Catedral, through Plaça de l’Àngel, and marks the eastern border of the Barri. The primary east-west artery, Carrer de Ferran, runs perpendicular to Las Ramblas and Via Laeitana, separating the Barri Gòtic into the lower (from C. de Ferran to the water) and upper portions (C. de Ferran to Carrer de Fontanella). Street names are located on plaques located on the upper stories of buildings, facing the named street, along with names of the squares. For these areas, the L3 and L4 lines of the metro will be most helpful, with Drassanes, Liceu, and Catalonia dropping along Las Ramblas (L4), and Jaume I located in the heart of the Barri Gòtic, at the intersection of C. Ferran and Via Laietana.
For details on Barcelona map, click here
La Ribera
If you’re looking for fashion-forward boutiques or cavernous botegas housed in medieval stone, Ribera is the place for you. For everyone else, the area may be incredibly frustrating for its lack of cheap options and tourist accessibility, but it does provide a more authentic alternative to the Barri Gòtic’s crowded streets. For those looking for the most bang for their buck, Passeig del Born offers some cheap eats, as well as enough bars to make any pub crawl a night to remember—or to drunkenly forget.
El Raval
Notorious as Barcelona’s rougher neighborhood, Raval shouldn’t be missed because of its bad rap. A healthy student population makes for quirky (and cheap) eateries as well as vibrant nightlife. Areas around Rambla del Raval and Carrer Joaquim Costa boast lots of smaller bars and late-night cafes frequented by Barcelona’s alternative crowd. For daytime shopping, check out Riera Baixa, a street lined entirely with secondhand shops that also hosts a fleamarket on Saturdays, and the neighborhood around Carrer Dr. Dou and Carrer Elisabets for higher-end (though still reasonably priced) shops. Be sure to take heed of the locals’ warning: watch out for deserted streets and aggressive prostitutes during the night, and be aware that sometimes streets may still be eerily empty and filled with equally aggressive men or sneaky pickpockets during daylight hours.
L’Eixample
In this vibrant neighborhood, pronounced eh-sham-plah, big blocks and dazzling architecture means lots of walking and tons of exciting storefronts. The modernista building-lined Passeig de Gràcia runs from north to south, with the Eixample Dreta encompassing the area around Sagrada Familia and Eixample Esquerra comprising the area closer to the University. Though the former contains the notorious Sagrada Familia, as well as some surprisingly cheap accommodations for those willing to make the hike, the more pedestrian-friendly area is the Esquerra. While this neighborhood is notoriously posh, there are some cheaper and more interesting options as you get closer to Plaça Universitat. The stretch of Carrer de Consell de Cent boasts vibrant nightlife, where many “hetero-friendly” bars, clubs, and hotels help give “Gay-xample” its fitting nickname.
Barceloneta
Barceloneta is a land of beaches and tourist traps that capitalizes on sunbathers flocking to beaches. A short walk from the Barri Gòtic along the water on Passeig de Colon will bring you to Barceloneta. Passieg de Joan de Borbó is the main road curving along the water toward the beach, housing museums and restaurants you want to avoid like the plague. Venture onto any of the streets off of Psg. Joan de Borbó, and you’ll find a tight grid of little shops and more authentic (though by no means cheaper) haunts, with the plaza around C. del Baluart being particularly lucrative. A 10-15min. walk along the packed beaches heading away from the Gothic Quarter will get you to the ritzy clubs and restaurants of Port Olímpic.
Gràcia
Gràcia is hard to navigate by metro. While this may at first seem like a negative, this poor municipal planning is actually a bonus. Filled with artsy locals and a few drunken travelers, Gràcia is best approached on foot. Diagonal will drop you off at the start of C. Gran de Gràcia, which creates the eastern border of Gràcia up until Fontana. Take a right onto any road along this walk, and you’ll be navigating Gràcia’s pl
aza-centric C. de Ros de Olano/C. de Terol, which runs perpendicular to C. Gran de Gràcia, intersecting the restaurant and student-laden C. Verdi. For bustling plazas both day and night, your best bets are Pl. del Sol and Pl. de la Revolución de Septiembre de 1868, both off of C. de Ros de Olano.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Barri Gòtic and Las Ramblas
HOSTAL MALDÀ
C. Pi, 5
HOSTAL
93 3317 30 02 www.hostalmalda.jimdo.com
Hostal Maldà provides a dirt-cheap home away from home, complete with your mother’s cat, kitschy clocks, ceramics, and confusing knickknacks. A comfy lounge with books and TV feels more like a living room than a dorm common space. Unlike many hostels, the price does not change with the season, nor will this hostal be booked months beforehand during the summer months—knowing their audience and popularity, the owners only accept sixty percent of capacity through reservations, so try stopping by if you’re stranded or weren’t quick enough to snag a room beforehand.
Liceu. Begin walking in front of the house with the dragon and take an immediate left onto C. Casañas. Stay on this road as it passes in front of the church and through the Plaça del Pi. Enter the Galerias Maldà (interior shopping mall) and follow the signs to the hostel. Sheets included. Luggage storage available. All rooms have shared bath. Singles €15; doubles €30; triples €45; quads €60. Reception 24hr.
YOUTH HOSTEL ALBERGUE
C. Palau, 6
HOSTEL
93 319 53 25 www.bcnalbergue.com
Clean dormitory-style rooms fitting 4-8 people with pleasant views onto the street and courtyard below. All rooms include cheerily colored ceilings and wooden floors, and some include balconies—perfect for scoping out fellow travelers, restaurants, or even the nearby trinket store. Common space provides a bright, albeit sterile seating area to veg out and watch TV, grab snacks from the vending machine, and even challenge fellow hostelers to a riveting game of chess.
Liceu. Walk down C. Ferran toward Las Ramblas. Take the first left once reaching the Plaça Sant Jaume, onto C. de la Ciudad. Right onto C. d’Arai. Second left, onto C. del Palau. Free breakfast 8-9:30am. Lockers included. Sheets €2. Kitchen open 7-10pm. 4- to 8-bed dorms €13-24.50. Reception 24hr.
HOSTAL-RESIDÈNCIA REMBRANDT
C. de la Portaferissa, 23
HOSTAL
www.hostalrembrandt.com
Unlike most hostels, which only offer a practically infinite number of small, dark rooms that look exactly the same, the Hostal-Residència has a variety of large, spacious rooms with pleasant quirks and details. Many rooms include multiple large windows or balconies looking out over the corner of the street or into the courtyard, and one triple even has a loft. For once, it’s worth the price to have a bathroom ensuite—even the ones that aren’t equipped with jacuzzis are still big enough to spend an entire week in relaxing. The rooms are a real steal in the low season, and the location and charm are still worth it in the high season.
Liceu. Walk down Las Ramblas toward Plaça Catalonia and take a right onto C. Portaferissa; the hostal is by Galerias Maldà. Linens and towels included. Singles €20-30, with bath €20-35. Reception 9am-11pm.
HOSTAL-RESIDENCA LAUSANNE
Avinguda del Portal de l’Àngel, 14
HOSTAL
933 02 11 39 www.hostallausanne.es
An incredibly classy stairwell (marble stairs, blue- and gold-glazed tile) leads to an equally classy hostel. Each room sports excellent views, but try getting one that faces the patio—the view is better and it will be quieter at night, so long as your hostelmates aren’t total hooligans. Enjoy the view from your own room, chat up some fellow travelers in the bohemian common space with free internet, microwave, and TV, or chill out on the back patio and look out over the neighboring rooftops.
Catalonia. Exit the metro and walk along the street toward the Corte Ingles, the rounded building with horizontal bands. Upon reaching the far corner of the square, turn right onto Avinguda del Portal de l’Àngel. Towels, sheets, and toiletries included. Fridge and luggage storage available. Singles €28-35; doubles €47-54; triples €68-75. Call for most up-to-date prices. Reception 24hr.
QUARTIER GOTHIC
C. Avinyó, 42
HOSTEL
93 318 79 45 www.hotelquartiergothic.com
Flags from many countries and the hostel’s own propaganda and regalia deck the walls and halls of Quartier Gothic. Rooms overlooking the courtyard have the best views and the least noise from the nightlong babbling of the Gothic Quarter. Though the attached baths are more spacious than in comparable hostels in the area, the shared bath is practically a room of its own (though only intended for one person at a time). With some rooms including TV and DVD players and a relatively impressive breakfast (selection of juices, coffee, tea, bread, and pastries), this hostel shows up many in its price range in terms of ammenities while still being in a central location. Short-term apartment by Casa Milà also available through informal arrangement with one of the employees.
Drassanes. Head toward Plaça de Catalonia on Las Ramblas. Turn right onto C. dels Escudellers, then right onto C. Avinyó. . Breakfast €3. Safety box in room, lockers available for day after checkout for €2. Linens included. Rooms with private bath also have TV and DVD player. Singles €19-27; doubles €32-57; triples €42-75. Discount for booking online. Reception 24hr.
PENSIÓN LA CALMA
C. Lieona, 8-10
PENSIÓN
93 318 15 21 www.pensionlacalma.com
Ask to see the rooms yourself to find the one sporting the most beautiful balcony view in all of the cheap hostels in the Gothic Quarter—hanging laundry, latticed gardens, terraced roofs, and all. A refreshing break from the nondescript, chain-like interiors being adopted by many hostels with private rooms, the Pensión La alma instead promises sheets that look like they came out of the ’70s, tile from the ’80s, and paintings that would look at home in any secondhand store. If you’re looking for a clean and convenient place with character, then this is definitely a place to consider.
Liceu. Head toward the sea on Las Ramblas. Turn left onto C. Ferran, then right onto C. Raurich. Take the second left, C. Lleona. Towels and linens included. Microwave and fridge available. Doubles €42, with bath €50, triples €63/€75. Reception 24hr.
HOSTAL LEVANTE
Baixada de San Miquel, 2
HOSTAL
933 17 95 65 www.hostallevante.com
Considering the rumors that the place used to be a haunt of Picasso when it was previously a whorehouse, Hostal Levante is now almost eerily clean and upstanding, with only a few stained chairs hinting dirtier days. Spacious yet simple private rooms cater to an older (or at least older acting) crowd than most similarly priced places in the area, and the hostel is much calmer as a result. If you don’t mind shared facilities, save the €10 for the closet-sized bathroom.
Liceu. Walk down Las Ramblas toward the sea. Take a left onto C. Ferran and a right onto C. Avinyó. Baixada de San Miquel is on the left, and Hostal Levante is right at the corner. Lock box in room. Towels and linens included. Singles €35, bath €45, doubles€55, with bath €65; triples €90.
KABUL YOUTH HOSTEL
P. Reial, 17
HOSTEL
93 318 51 90 www.kabul.es
One of the biggest and most popular hostels in Barcelona, the Kabul Youth Hostel has hosted nearly one million backpackers since its establishment in 1985. The hostel offers bare-bones, dormitory-style accommodations and a rooftop terrace. Lower-capacity rooms are often cramped and more expensive, but if you can get one with a balcony (just ask), then it’s worth the added expense. The common space boasts backpacker photo galleries, a pool table, other table games, music, and a never-ending swarm of chatty younger travelers that are genuinely excited about meeting other travelers. Free breakfast and dinner make the price of a room here a steal.
Liceu. Walk toward the sea along Las Ramblas and turn left onto C. Ferran. Take
the first right and enter the Plaça Reial. Kabul Youth Hostel will be on the far left, with well-marked glass doors. Complimentary breakfast (8-10am and dinner (8:30pm) first come, first served. Lockers included with €15 key deposit. Luggage storage available. Blanket included; sheets €2. Laundry facilities available. 20min. free internet per day. Guestlist access to local clubs. Dorms €15-29. Reception 24hr.
HOSTAL NITZES BCN
C. Calella, 1
HOSTAL
93 302 11 05 www.hostalnitzbcn.com
Up the stairs from Pensión Coral is a much hipper, much more stylish alternative with a younger clientele—12 newly renovated rooms sporting sleek and funky decor are complemented by chic common areas. Although the comfy common room, basic kitchen, and shared bathrooms may appeal to the backpacking set on paper, expect rooms a step up from your normal youth accommodations—we’re talking towels, shelves, ritzy ceiling fans, and even colored accent walls.
Liceu. With C. de la Boqueria to your left, walk down Rambla and take the first left onto C. de Ferran. Take a right onto C. Avinyó and take your third left, onto C. Calella. Towels included. A/C in hallway, fans in rooms. Free Wi-Fi. Singles €40-45; doubles €40-90, with bath €55-90; triples €60-90. Reception 24hr.