linda2003

Thanks again - Alec: you have really provided me with great details on transportation - thank you sooo much. Considering you last visited in 2001 - you have an amazing memory for detail. Busses - do we always need to get to the main station in Lloret before we head out anywhere ? I believe the apt is 5-7 min walk to the beach (Yikes!!- too close for comfort)Ferry's - are they a better means of transportation to travel around the coast ? One of the kids want to visit Ibiza - is that something we should consider? As all of you know so much - can I ask you what I should budget for daily transportation - something like 15 or 20 dollars (?) and generally what does an average meal cost - in any typical cafe ? And here is another basic question - English, can most people understand and speak it ? One of my kids is learning Spanish at Univ. but I doubt if she will be able to save us entirely and besides the dialect they learn here in N America is quite different from the Spanish spoken in Spain.<BR>Maribel : Thanks for yet another interesting spot to visit. Just out of curiosty have you lived in BCN or do you just travel to Spain fequently ? As you mentioned we can taxi from Palafrugell to the seacoast village of Llafranc, Aiguablava etc. and experience the views and have a wonderful meal. Any idea how much we would be looking at in terms of taxi - we would probably need a van - and something tells me it may be cheaper to hire one rather than takeing the bus x 6 ? A good meal at any of the above spots should be... ?? Now that I such wonderful detailed info I might as well set aside a realistic budget to accomodate all these adventures. Museums and art galleries entry charges ? I don't think I know my own city as well, as you guys know Spain - thanks for all the feedback...

Maribel

Hi Linda,<BR>I'm in transit right now, but I'll be back to you soon re the budget questions. In the long run, the rental of a mini van might turn out to be less expensive than the bus/train tickets x 6 plus 2 taxis everywhere. I would call Avis, National/Atesa, Alamo (who also subcontracts with the Spanish car rental giant Atesa)for quotes and then call AutoEurope, the broker, who will often match and even slightly beat the car rental co.'s' rates. We've done 3 car rentals in Spain/France since June with AutoEurope and have 3 more upcoming. We've been very well satisfied with our cars and their friendly service.<BR>I'll get back to you later regarding entrance fees, budget for meals,etc.<BR>But I wouldn't advise making the long ferry trip from Bcn to Ibiza. I did it long ago from Denia on the Costa Blanca on a long day trip, but it would take much longer, I think, from Bcn. Don't know about plane fares.<BR>Be back later...

Alec

I was in Lloret twice in 2001 and used buses regularly, so it somehow stuck to my mind, but also I've re-checked on websites and guidebooks. www.lloretguide.com and www.lloret.org are the main ones I use.<BR>As for your questions, only local buses to Blanes and Tossa will pick up outside of bus station, but they'll probably let you get off on your return when asked. Which street will your apartment be? I have a detailed street map of Lloret so I can see how far to the bus terminal. Boats provide alternative means of travel up and down the coast. There are several companies, and they have ticket huts on the main beach, but you can catch them on any beach. Transport cost s vary depending on where you go. A bus to Tossa and back will sets you back a couple of euro/head. Daytrip to Girona about 6 euro/head. Short boat trip (2 km) about 4 euro. You don't need to speak Spanish or Catalan in Lloret, as locals are well used to foreign tourists (mainly British, German, Dutch, French and Scandinavian), and many British ex-pats work there (there are several British pubs - Queen Vic is the largest, with huge outdoor TV screen). I don't know if a trip to Ibiza is worthwhile. Most crossings from Barcelona are on overnight ferries, and cost from around 40 euro/one-way. Best meals are fish-based. We had a good meal at Taverna del Mar, Pescador 5. Tossa has many rather expensive but good Catalan restaurants in the old town, Can Simon (near the old fort) and Bahia (on main street) in particular. Plenty of fast food, pizzerias, ice cream parlours etc for the unadventurous.

linda2003

A quick note..Alec: I will get back to you with the Street name, need to get it from my friend. Great to know that there is great seafood - I think we can skip the pizza and fast food quite happily.<BR>Maribel- I will try to see if I can get info on the web re the auto rental companies. I did not want to rent as I wanted to switch my brain off and not be harrased to look for parking etc and not getting too lost. Although all 6 of us drive - so there will not be a shortage of drivers for sure. BCN - where do I park - what are the rates. I think we may switch with bus and van. Thanks again for the feedback..

Maribel

linda,<BR>I would call Hertz, Autoeurope, Avis, Europcar, National and Alamo instead of getting a quote on the web. I always find the very lowest rates by talking directly to an agent. Just did this today for our April rental. I would stay put in Bcn first, then bus/train to Lloret and pick up a rental van there (or in Matar&oacute;/Tossa, whereever the agency branch is located) for countryside touring, then return it to Lloret or environs and use public transp. back to the Bcn airport. Far less hassle. The traffic in Bcn is truly nightmarish and parking expensive!! It took forever to return our Avis car to the downtown location-actually would have been far easier and even quicker to have returned it at the airport then taxied to our hotel.<BR><BR>About Ibiza:<BR>I did some research and here are the results-<BR>There's a daily (slow) overnight ferry from Bcn in July, departing at 9:30 p.m. arriving 7 a.m. and one way cost for a seat (sitting up all night) is 35,70 euros, or a bunk in a 4 person shared cabin runs 58,70. You can return from Ibiza on a ferry departing at 10 a.m., arriving Bcn at 6 p.m.<BR>See the English page of<BR>www.trasmediterranea.es and download the pdf file for all ferry schedules/prices.<BR><BR>Spanair has July r.t. fares Bcn-Ibiza for $195.<BR>Although the party island of Ibiza is a hedonist's paradise, my advice for your kids is just to stay over in Bcn for a night or two and enjoy the incredible nightlife there (and they'll save money). My friend and his 8 Venezuelan/Brazilians friends loved &quot;Salsitas&quot; , a restaurant on Nou de la Rambla 22 in the Raval quarter, which after midnight turns into a party hearty nightclub, Club 22, hopping until dawn. The Time Out Barcelona guide and the Rough Guide Barcelona (new edition) have great suggestions. Or they can go to<BR>www.timeout.com <BR>www.roughguides.com<BR><BR>More later re admission prices...

Maribel

linda,<BR>Barcelona's Bus Turistic ticket for unlimited travel costs 15 euros p.p. for 1 day, 19 euros for 2 consecutive days. Along with the ticket come discounts for admission to the sites. Here are some admission fees in euros, including the Bus Turistic discount:<BR><BR>Gaud&iacute;'s Sagrada Familia cathedral-5<BR>Gaud&iacute;'s La Pedrera building-4,80<BR>r.t. tram to Montjuic-1<BR>r.t. cable car to Montjuic-3,20<BR>Poble Espanyol (the recreation of a series of Spanish villages from all regions)-4,50<BR>Walking tours of Gothic Quarter-6,30<BR>Las Golondrinas harbour boat ride-3<BR>Mir&oacute; museum-5,76<BR>guided tour of Palau de la M&uacute;sica-4<BR>r.t. tram to Tibidabo-2<BR>visit&ccedil;museum Camp Nou soccer stadium-3<BR><BR>There's a Barcelona Card (1-2-3 day) for unlimited metro/bus rides + discounts to museums, entertainment, shops, restaurants and cable cars/trams plus the airport Aerobus that the tourist office sells, but I don't find it a particularly good value, but you can be the judge. 1 day: 16, 25<BR>2 days: 19,25<BR>3 days: 22,25<BR><BR>There's also an Art Ticket for entrance to 6 museums for 15 euros, but these museums may not be of great interest to you. Of the 6, I only visited the Mir&oacute; and the National Museum of the Art of Catalunya (Romanesque)<BR><BR>In Figueres, the Dal&iacute; museum costs 6 euros, <BR>and you can reserve your tickets by email (advised) at <BR>www.salvador-dali.org<BR>and to visit his house in Port Lligat, 7,80 (guided tours only)<BR><BR>

Maribel

linda,<BR>About dining:<BR>As a terrific money saver, we always order the fixed price, 3 course set &quot;men&uacute; del d&iacute;a&quot;, available usually only at lunch. <BR>You should be able to dine well that way for btwn 10-18 euros on the coast.<BR><BR>For example, at the fantastic, gourmet Hotel Dur&aacute;n in Figueres, the lunch &quot;men&uacute; del d&iacute;a&quot; costs 10,50 euros ('02 prices).<BR><BR>In Llafranc, the Hotel Llafranc seaside has a set menu for 20 and the pretty Hotel El Far (above the town at the lighthouse) there's a Mon-Fri set menu for 18 ('02). <BR><BR>In the tiny cove of Sa Tuna you can dine very well on the patio of the Hostal Sa Rascassa, choosing their &quot;men&uacute; del d&iacute;a&quot; for 13 euros, but if you want to dine beachside<BR>at the Hostal Sa Tuna, expect to pay around 30 euros p.p.<BR>www.hostalsatuna.com<BR><BR>In my &quot;Restaurants of the Empord&aacute; guide, I see plenty of nice spots in Palam&oacute;s and Sant Feliu de Gu&iacute;xols where one can dine for under 18, and I believe you can reach these two fishing ports via ferry from Lloret.<BR><BR>Hope this helps in your planning.

Maribel

Just a couple more thoughts before I leave on another trip-<BR><BR>Taxis from Palafruguell to Llafranc, Aiguablava or Sa Tuna should run around 5 euros.<BR><BR>I highly recommend that you pick up the &quot;Rough Guide to the Costa Brava&quot; (1st edition, just came out last yr) from your local bookstore or thru amazon. It's pocket sized, weighs nothing and is chock full of helpful, extremely practical info on the Costa Brava and inland Empord&aacute;. Has lots of dining/drinking/clubbing suggestions for Lloret (the only guide that actually has a lengthy Lloret section!) and Tossa. It's the most useful guide I've found for touring that area. In Lloret it lists the L'Arrosseria de Fenals&quot; out on Fenals beach and the &quot;Can Torrades&quot; on the Placa Espanya intown as nice, inexp. places to dine.<BR><BR>If you do decide to rent a van, I'd also purchase the extremely detailed Michelin driving map #443 for northeast Spain (can buy it once you're there at a bookstore or at most 24/7 superhighway convenience stores), plus pick up at any tourist office the brochure Costa Brava/Pirineu de Girona that will give you 12! nice short touring routes for you to choose from in your area. The local tourist offices have great free stuff, and as Alec has told you, everyone speaks English. <BR>

Alec

Just to let you know that we had a great dinner at L'Arrosseria de Fenals on the Fenals beach. Unpretentious, but a big menu and big portions with outdoor dining (as most places are). We only paid the equivalent of around 15 euro a head for main course + dessert 18 months ago. They had a menu in English so ordering was no problem.<BR>We only had snacks and drinks at Can Torrades on the main square opposite the beach, but from outdoor dining area under a canopy, there's a fabulous sea view. Lloret isn't all noisy, downmarket discos and clubs.

linda2003

Great information - with all this information I think I can compile a very comprehensive guide - thanks to the 2 of you. <BR>Alec: it sure is nice to know that there are some quiet spots in Lloret. I had written off Lloret entirely and was planning to spend as much time possible away from Lloret. It seems you and Maribel have recommended the same restaurants - I will definately attempt to find them. I have not been able to get the street name as my friend does not have it &amp; she will have to get it from her friend in Europe - whenever they speak next. She is not an internet savvy person. Whenever I do get it I will pass it along - and hopefully you can then let me know more details.<BR>Maribel: What do I say - you have done it again - really valuable and pertinent information. THANK YOU ! Okay - I had a brief look at some of the figures for renting a van seems quite high (although I know you said I should not rely on the numbers on the web - but I just a rough guide) and moreoverI spoke to the gang and no one wants to drive so we will be using public transportation and taxis. I will also get the Rough Guides as you suggested. Thanks for letting me know that as I was wondering which guide to buy - although frankly with all the information I have from all of you I am sure I am well armed. I have also asked the Spanish Tourist info office here in Canada to mail me their guides etc. I doubt we will make that trip to Ibiza - as you suggested spending a couple of nights in BCN and enjoy the nightlife at the spots you recommended would probably be better idea. Thanks for all the price info - it will really will help be budget. Bye for now. PS I am totally envious that you are off on a trip - have fun..

linda2003

PS: does anyone know if the taxi's are metered - as I had read on the web somewhere that they tend to gouge the tourists ?

Maribel

Hi linda,<BR>Yes the taxis (at least in Bcn) are metered, and make sure they turn the meter on when your trip starts. In Bcn there's a supplement for each piece of luggage carried in the trunk, and supplement for the airport/train station runs, but these supplements will be clearly marked on a list on the window. In Bcn taxis are caught at taxi stands, not hailed in the middle of the street, as they are in Madrid.<BR>Good info on www.spainalive.com and<BR>www.barcelona-on-line.es<BR><BR>Correction: the Hostal Sa Rascassa for dining and diving is on the Aiguafreda cove, the next cove down from Sa Tuna. I was writing away from my office and without my travel files and got them confused.<BR><BR>Think of the towns of Begur and Palafruguell on the northern C.Brava as the thumb and pinky of a hand, and the little coves of Calella de Palafruguell, Llafranc, Tamariu, Aiguablava, Sa Tuna, Aiguafreda and Sa Riera are like fingers that extend between them and are just a few minutes from each other. You'll see on a detailed map...<BR>Be back in a few days, if you have more questions...

Alec

In the resorts, taxis aren't usually metered. But there is an official price list, and in my experience that's what the drivers charge, and I've found little evidence of overcharging tourists. You can see the list on diaply in the bus station at Lloret. And you can and should ask the driver how much the fare will be when you get in. And tips are purely optional, though will be gratefully received (I gave around 10% if they were helpful with bags etc).<BR>About your apartment location. The most you are likely to be from the bus station is around a mile or 20 min walk. There is a circular bus service that connects most outlying areas with the centre and are well used by locals. Just beware that traffic is very heavy on main routes and you should take care when crossing roads.

linda2003

Thanks Alec - interesting that they display the taxi fares at the bus station. I do feel we may be better of quite often just taking a cab to many places as we are x 6. I take it the circular bus will connect to some of the places you have already mentioned. Thanks for the warning re crossing the road - I was nearly run over in London 2 years ago as here in Vancouver the pedistrian has the right of way. I am really glad to have stumbled on to the Fodors website as I have gained such valuable information. Unfortunately due to time constraints I still have not read enough from this site - Really appreciate your details and tips. Thanks.