delta30

Hello, hoping for some advice as we are in Barcelona for the weekend sightseeing and relaxing. Departing for the airport on the national day of Catalonia.

Our flight leaves 2200, but we are being advised by travel companies to take a transfer to airport at 1500. That's 5 hours in airport!

I understand the city will be locked down, with vehicles restricted.

I wonder if anyone can advise on a place we could visit outside of the city perhaps, where we could reach by public transport, and travel to airport a little later?

Thank you in advance!

Christina

I can't think of any place that exciting on the metro line to the airport (L9). Mainly industrial neighborhoods that I know of on that line near it. The airport isn't that far outside the city, really. There are buses to some other cities, however, from the airport. I'm not clear if you just want a place to spend a few hours or what. Because the other cities would be farther away to the SW, for example.

I'm surprised someone told you the entire city would be locked down, I know last year they had a massive demonstrative on ave Meridiana to the Parliament but that was to the north, and there is always an event at Sant Boi due to Casanova's grave or something, which isn't that far from the airport, actually.

There is a bus service run by Monbus which has a bus line that goes between Sitges and BCN, only takes about 40 min. But you'd have to take the train from Barcelona to Sitges first, then you could take the bus from Sitges to the airport. Becuase that bus doesn't seem to go from Barcelona to Sitges early in the day for some reason. This is the schedule http://www.monbus.cat/linies/#nou_vendrell-bcn. To you could leave from Sitges around 6:50 pm and get to the airport around 7:30 pm. You'd have to check that schedule for that holiday, of course, I did not.

bahn.de says there is a train on 9/11 for Sitges at 7:06 am-7:36 am direct, and one with a transfer about a hour later, then none until the evening. it only takes 30 minutes.

Of course you could take the metro to the airport anyway, but I'm not sure how complicated that will be for connections, this is the line
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.c...a-airport.html
You can take L3 from the center to Zona Universitaria, the endpoint of L9. I imagine the mtro will be busy that day, also, but might be a better idea than a car or taxi or whatever you were planning.

kimhe

I think you could leave Barcelona much later. The major nationalist demonstration road blocks, which affect the traffic to and from the airport, are normally lifted at 17:14 (1714 is the year Barcelona and Cataluna lost their independence to Spain, and that is also why 90 000 spectators cry "independencia" at 17:14 mins in every home game (on Camp Nou) between the two best teams on the planet Barcelona and Real Madrid). http://www.lavanguardia.com/20150910...meridiana.html

Stay in town and enjoy the celebrations! The National museum is free, the Barcelona history museum is free (visit the excavted ruins of more than 2000 year old Barcino), the Catalan Cultural Center (excavations of Barcelona anno 1714, the history of the War of succcesson etc) is free etc. etc. The issue of independence from Spain is more and more on the agenda in recent years, and you can expect electrifying atmosphere, many open air concerts and great party. http://www.barcelonayellow.com/bcn-e...-day-catalunya

Could be a fun last day in Barcelona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU0nKIMtCOc