General Information
Barcelona
Barcelona,
the capital of Catalonia, is located on the coast and bounded by the
Collserola ridge and the rivers Besós and Llobregat. The city is less
than 150 kilometres from the Pyrenees. Barcelona's location on the
shores of the Mediterranean means that it enjoys a warm, welcoming
climate and pleasant temperatures all year round. Rainfall tends to
concentrate in the so-called “cold drop” period, from September to
November, and is occasionally heavy, with levels around 1,000mm per
year. This helps to maintain the many green areas around the city.
Weather Forecast:
www.aemet.es
In Barcelona, as in the rest of Catalonia, there are two official
languages: Catalan, the language of the region, and Spanish, the
official language in Spain.
As
in most countries, the clocks are an hour ahead of solar time (GMT) in
winter, and two hours ahead in summer. The clocks change twice during
the year.
In Barcelona mealtimes are usually a
little later than in the rest of Europe. Breakfast is between 8am
and 11am and is similar to other countries on the continent. Lunch is
served in restaurants between 1pm and 3pm and dinner from 9pm until
midnight.
The working day usually begins between 8am and 9am and people break for
lunch at 2pm. In the afternoon businesses open from 4pm to 8pm.
The Euro (€) is the currency of the European Union. Banknotes circulate
in denominations of € 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. Coins are minted
in the following denominations: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent or € 1 and
€ 2. You can change money at the city's banks and savings banks as well
as at the exchange booths located in the city centre and at tourist
sights.
CHANGE: More information on: www.xe.com/ucc
For information on passport/visa requirements for entry into Spain,
contact the Spanish Embassy, Consulate or High Commission in your
country. Should you need to apply for a visa, the Congress Office will
send you a letter of invitation to support your application.
There are no immunization regulations when entering Spain, however, be
sure to familiarize yourself with the requirements of all countries
through which you will travel.
Delegates are advised to take out appropriate health and travel insurance.
Electricity in Spain runs on 230 volts (AC).
If needed, the Organizers reserve the right to cancel or postpone the
Congress, change its venue or programme and withdraw any invitations to
attend. In any case, neither the organizers, nor any of the officers,
employees, agents or representatives will be responsible for any loss,
liability, damage or expense suffered or incurred by an individual.
Transportation
Barcelona's location on the shores of the Mediterranean, near to France
and the rest of Europe, makes it a well-served city by land, sea and
air. The city has a number of railway stations and a rail network
providing connections with the rest of Spain and a number of European
cities.
The city's harbour is one of the cruise industry's favourite
destinations and currently has five sea terminals (two more are under
construction) for cruise liners. 544 ships, carrying 654,806
passengers, docked here in 2001. Barcelona also has two ferry terminals
for regular services to the Balearic Islands.
The international airport was designed by Ricardo Bofill for the 1992
Olympics. In 2001, the volume of passengers on national and
international flights was over 20 million. A project to extend the
runways has been drawn up in order to provide more space for the great
number of incoming and outgoing flight.
Barcelona currently has five metro lines covering a total of 80.5
kilometers and passing through 111 stations. It also has a city railway
network, run by the autonomous government, the Generalitat de
Catalunya, which supplements the metro network. A fleet of 840 buses
connects all city districts. There are a number of travel passes which
can be used on public transport (metro, city railway and buses). These
are valid for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days. You can also buy a ten-ride ticket (7,20
€) valid for metro and bus.
Metro: There are 5 underground (metro) lines in Barcelona. Plans of the
network with connecting lines and railway stations can be found in the
halls and on platforms. www.tmb.net
Taxi: Barcelona has a fleet of 11,000 taxis which can be easily identified by
their yellow and black livery. A green light on top of the taxi
indicates its availability.
You can take a taxi from any of the city's numerous ranks and if
you want to hail one in the street, just put out your hand when you see
one approaching. There are a number of telephone taxi services. Many
taxis accept payment by credit card.
Airport: Barcelona Airport is located 12km outside the city at El Prat de Llobregat.
Train: Renfe
Connections from Barcelona to the airport and vice-versa from the
following stations to the airport: Clot-Aragó, Arc de Triomf, Pl. de
Catalunya and Estació de Sants.
Bus: TMB
From Pl. d'Espanya to the airport, through El Prat del Llobregat .
Aerobus (highly recommended):Daily service. From Pl. de Catalunya to the airport.
Frequency: every 15 min.
Stops:
Barcelona-airport: Pl. de Catalunya, Pg. de Gràcia/Consell de Cent,
Av.Roma/Comte d'Urgell, Estació Barcelona-Sants
Airport-Barcelona: airport, Pl. d'Espanya, Comte d'Urgell/Gran Via C.C., Pl. Universitat, Pl. de Catalunya.
Culture and Leisure
For major information visit:
www.barcelona.to
