Flats in Barcelona

For such a large city, Barcelona is surprisingly easy to get around. With the availability of buses, taxis, and the metro, getting to your destination on time is not a problem. Although the bus system appears a bit complicated, the metro is simple, well-marked, and easy to follow. Unlike the streets, where signs seem to be optional, the metro clearly indicates which direction you need to travel to get to your final destination. Taxis are far cheaper than in other cities throughout Spain, Europe, and the world. To get to the city center from the airport with 6 pieces of luggage costs only 30£ and takes around 15 minutes. Also, taxis charge around 5£ to get across most of the city, and only 2£ as a starting fee. Unlike New York City, Paris, and many other big cities, using taxis as a form of travel is actually quite affordable.

While all of these options are efficient, cost effective, and fairly easy to figure out, there is another more recent option for those wanting to get around the city: Bicing. Walking around the city, the number of cyclists is shocking to most big city residents, especially those accustomed to traffic jams and overcrowded metros. However, the popular form of travel has been supported by the city of Barcelona with the new system Bicing. With stations located throughout the city, biking is now easy, offering a more affordable and environment-friendly form of transportation. Open 19 hours a day Sunday-Thursday (you cannot bike between midnight and 5 AM on these days) and 24 hours a day on Friday and Saturday, renting a bike has never been easier.

The fees of the Bicing system include:
Annual rental: 30 euros to start, and 0.50 euros per half hour (the first 30 minutes is free)
Weekly rental: 1 euro to start, and 0.50 euros per half hour

For more information about the Bicing system, go to www.bicing.com