Bicycle / Motorcycle, Barcelona

No one can visit BARCELONA without walking / exploring its very old heart for some hours and... on foot!
Start e.g. at the Plaça Nova or the Plaça de la Seu (the square in front of the old Cathedral), walk into the Carrer del Bisbe Irurtia via Portal del Bisbe. The Romanesque towers you see there date back to the Roman times.
Pass the Bishop's Palau and turn to the right to the picturesque Plaça Sant Felip and see the CLOISTER at your left hand. The Carrer del Bisbe Irurtia goes along between the Casa dels Canonges and the decorated façade (Renaissance) of the Palau de la Generalitat., which is the homebase of a autonomous = self=governing CATALUNYA.
When you are once again at the Plaça Sant Jaume, you can see the Ajuntament (Casa de la Ciudad = town hall) exactly opposite the Generalitat.

The Plaça del Rei, hidden north of the Cathedral is still more INPRESSIVE.
Like for the Museu d'Historia de la Ciudad, stone by stone has been brought here to complete it in style. It contains parts of the former Royal Palau and a Gothic hall, de Saò de Tinell, where Columbus announced the success of his first journey to Ferdinand and Isabella.

The Plaça Ramon Berenguer el Gran, where the Statue of Berenguer II stands offers a wonderful panorama on the Roman Walls outside the Barri Gitic.

Of course you can walk however you want to go but knowing where you go is always nice!

I hope you enjoy my little bits if history!

For a sightseeing tour to and through other destinations the METRO is easiest and quickest!

There are many different bicycle rental companies in Barcelona. Your hotel may be able to help you make the reservation. In the interim, here are some options:
- Barcelona Bici - T 93-285-38-32 (at Placa de Catalunya, Mirador de Colom or Pg Joan de Borbo)
- Bike Tours Barcelona - T 93-268-21-05 (at Espaseria, 3), www.bicicletabarcelona.com
- Classic Bikes Barcelona - T 93-317-19-70 (at Tallers, 45), www.barcelonarentbikes.com

Most bike rentals will run you 5 Euro per hour or 15 - 18 Euro per day.

You can also get bike lane maps at the Tourist Information Office (one at Placa de Catalunya, 17) or at your rental shop.

Like all big touristy cities, Barcelona too offers you the option to hire bicycles for exploring the city. I think that's a very good idea. Although I did not take it as I am not allowed to ride or drive because of my bad eyesight.

The Germanization, how I call it, or the Globalization/Modernization whatever brought BICING to Barcelona. I never believed it would ever happen, but it did! There are people who want to ride a bicycle in Barcelona!!! I guess it is not the locals, but hey, times are changing! :-) I guess in summer it must be nice to use it for going along the beachside (if you happen to get through the crowds, I suppose it must be quite stressful). During my last visit in JAN08 I saw it the first time and one day I will try it out. Barcelona traffic does not allow to really drive through the city, but there are some bicycle trails.

Have a safe trip, you'll need it! ;-)

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A nice and relaxed way to get to see the many attractions that Barcelona has to offer is to get into a group and go around with a bike tour. yes, simply rent a bike and get around with the group in a guided tour. They start from Plaza Sant Jaume, just in front of the townhall of the city. You just have to show up and reservations are not a requisite for this tour. Equip yourself with some sun tan lotion, some water in a small carry bag, sun galsses and some good atractions are to be seen apart from some very good excercise. You will have to check out the tour timings as they vary from month to month. They normally start around 11 in the morning. The company is called the Fat tire Bike tours. The telephone numbers of the company are given below, hence please call before you get there to avoid any dissapointment. They offer some discounts of around 2 euros per person so dont forget to ask for them. The tour cost is 22 Euros and they only accept cash. The tour lasts for around 4 hours so have a good breakfast and carry some cereal bars with you.

With services improving by the day, there is another of going around the city of Barcelona and this time without having any problems to have to look for parking or riding down narrow streets - HIRE A SCOOTER. Easy and reasonably cheap. A company called COOLTRA is offering this service. Dont forget to get your drivers licences ( in case you need it ). It is obligatory to wear a helmet to comply with the Spanish driving rules. You will need to give your credit card with a 500 Euro guarantee unless you prefer to do it in cash. The cost they charge includes the helmet and insurance. They also offer guided tours which includes a Paella - enjoy.,

Before I get a dozen emails (again) informing me I can't spell, let me first say this tip is intentionally about "Bicing" in Barcelona. Bicing is a new public transportation system in Barcelona, and you'll also see it in other Spanish and European cities. It is a wonderful alternative (rent-a-bike) to the automobile. I knew nothing about it until we reached Barcelona. It is not geared towards tourists, but towards residents.

Here's how it works. For 24 Euros, you buy an annual subscription to Bicing. You will receive a map of all the Bicing locations throughout the city. Go to any one one of the Bicing stands throughout the city (look for the red and white bikes), and swipe your card. The rack unlocks and allows you to take a bike. You can rent a Bicing bike for up to 2 hours (for a nominal charge) and drop it off at any Bicing location.

Even though this is geared toward residents, had I known about this before I left the US, I would have paid the 24 Euros for an annual subscription and ridden the bike all over Barcelona. That is a lot cheaper than your standard multiday bike rental anywhere else. Plus, it would be so much more fun than walking everywhere. Here's the link to the Bicing website. It's in Spanish or Catalan, but this is how you buy the subscription.

I should also mention that Barcelona has bike lanes throughout the city. Very bicycle friendly.

Rent a bike and cycle around. There are more than one bike rental company but I found the most useful the self service rental near Cap de Barcelona (on Passeig/Street Colom - coming from Port Vell/Columb Column). I don't know exactly what restrictions are for bikers but I'm sure its not ok to enter pedestrian streets. But I'm sure you can find another ways to go around and see Barcelona my bike.