Practical information

BARCELONA

Barcelona is the capital and most populous city of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain. It is today an important cultural center and a major tourist destination and has a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural modernist works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona. As the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona houses the seat of the Catalan government.

More information:
Barcelona City-Hall
Barcelona Tourism Office

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Medical emergencies 061
General emergencies 112
Hospital General de la Vall d’Hebrón (+34) 932 746 100
Hospital Clínic (+34) 932 275 400

TEMPERATURE AND CLIMATE

Barcelona and its metropolitan area have a Subtropical-Mediterranean climate with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers. In May/June the average temperature is around 21-25°C (70-77°F) during the day and 13-15°C (55-59°F) at night. A pullover will be useful for late evening.
More information
The weather. Consult the AEMET weather forecast for Barcelona

INTERNATIONAL TIME ZONE

The time in Spain is GMT + 1 hour. More information

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

Electricity supply is 220 volts throughout Spain with 2 pin wall sockets. Most electrical equipment from European countries that utilize 240 volts (e.g. UK and Ireland) will function adequately with the proper plug adapter.

Most electrical equipment from countries where the electricity supply is 110 volts (e.g. US) a transformer would be required to step down the voltage to 110 volts. Damage to the electrical appliance can occur if you attempt to use a 110 volt rated appliance with a 220 volt supply. The power cord of some type of devices (p.e. most laptops) includes the transformer. Check the labelling before usage.

PERSONAL INDENTIFICATION

It is required by Spanish law that a photographic identification be carried with you at all times. This may be a passport, driving license or national identity card. With a tightening of security in the city it is highly recommended that you carry round with you at least a photocopy of your passport should you be asked for it.

TELEPHONE CALLS

To call Barcelona from a country outside Spain you need to dial (+34) for Spain.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN

The two languages spoken in Barcelona are Spanish and Catalan. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and therefore Catalan is widely spoken by the people of Barcelona. However both Spanish and Catalan are widely spoken interchangeably.
In the tourist areas you will have people who speak English as well as Spanish however more off the beaten track most people will only speak Spanish or Catalan.
Barcelona is however a very cosmopolitan European city with millions of tourist visitors each year so you should not have any real problems communicating.

WATER SUPPLY

Although you can drink tap water safely, in some areas of Barcelona drinking water is quite unpalatable and it is recommended to drink bottled water whilst you are here. Bottled mineral water can be purchased very cheaply from local supermarkets.

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