lilaki

hi fodorites,

i'm hoping to use the barcelona aerobus and have a few questions ... my hotel is onix rambla in eixample.

1. do we keep our luggage with us or does it get stowed in the 'belly' of the bus?

2. how much time should i budget to get in line, get on the bus, and get to placa catalunya? is an hour reasonable? our flight arrives at 4:30 pm on a sunday afternoon.

3. we are flying out of BCN on an easyjet flight to CDG at 10 am on a thursday morning. i'd like to be at the airport no later than 8 am. what time should i catch the aerobus for our return trip? (i'm unsure of the rush-hour situation in barcelona)

4. can we purchase tickets with our credit cards? or do we just pay cash directly to the driver?

thanks so much!

yk

Hi lilaki

<i>1. do we keep our luggage with us or does it get stowed in the 'belly' of the bus? </i>

Don't remember 100%, but I think it is the belly? I had a 21" rollaboard and didn't recall any issues with stowing my luggage.

<i>2. how much time should i budget to get in line, get on the bus, and get to placa catalunya? is an hour reasonable? our flight arrives at 4:30 pm on a sunday afternoon.</i>

The one time I took it from the airport, the line was long. (My friend who went to BCN on a separate trip reported the same.) This is what I wrote in my TR:

<< Once I got out to the arrivals hall, it was a bit confusing to me as to where to catch the Aerobus A1. There are no signs! I thought about stopping at the info desk to ask, but ended up just walking out to the curb. And there it is - the bus stop, with a long line snaking on the curb.

The Aerobus A1 is supposed to run every 6 minutes, but it takes 15 minutes to load each bus because one buys the ticket (€4,05) from the driver. I had to wait for the 3rd bus before it was my turn to get on.

The trip took 30 minutes to get to Plaça Catalunya. >>

<u>The fare is now €4,25</u>. Schedule and map here:
http://www.emt-amb.com/links/eng/iaeropuerto.htm#

<i>3. we are flying out of BCN on an easyjet flight to CDG at 10 am on a thursday morning. i'd like to be at the airport no later than 8 am. what time should i catch the aerobus for our return trip? (i'm unsure of the rush-hour situation in barcelona)</i>

I'd aim for a bus around 7am. Looks like it runs every 12 mins between 7-7:30am; and it's a 35-min ride to the airport.

<i>4. can we purchase tickets with our credit cards? or do we just pay cash directly to the driver?</i>

According to the link I gave you above, you can do both.

<< Sales Outlets
-In the bus.
-Automatic Ticket machines at each Airport Terminals.

Advice:
You can pay with VISA or 6000 cards. >>

But I think you can either pay with VISA at the machines; OR pay with CASH to the driver; but NOT VISA on the bus.

lilaki

hi yk - thanks for all the details!!

i'm not keen on being separated from my luggage given that there appear to be multiple stops ...

hoping that someone can confirm the luggage situation...

tks!!

lilaki

ttt

yk

Hi lilaki, I've been wrecking my brain to try to think what the bus was like, and I now *think* that it has got luggage racks on the bus... though I can't be 100% sure.

Perhaps this will bump the thread up and someone with better memory than I can answer your question definitively.

lilaki

hi all,

sorry to bring up an older thread but i'm getting down to the nitty gritty of my trip planning (we'll be in BCN in less than two weeks).

where exactly does the aerobus drop you off? i.e. which corner of plaça catalunya?

thanks!!

yk

If my memory serves me right, it's the SE corner.

Nikki

I also remember the southeast corner.

lilaki

perfect - thank you both!

mcm3f

An update on the Aerobus -- you'll store your luggage in luggage racks inside the bus, not under the bus.

As for the location, if you put the address below into Google Maps, switch to street view, then spin around until you're facing Plaça Catalunya, you'll be able to see the Aerobus in the google map photo.
15 Plaça de Catalunya, Barcelona, CT, España

Hope that helps. Enjoy your trip!

beebs

Just want to add that I highly recommend buying your ticket on the bus rather than using the ticket machines. We tried that and the machine ate my credit card.

lilaki

mcm3f - WOW - tks for the google maps tip! that's great!

beebs - tks for the tip!

lilaki

MLINSF_415

can anyone please tell me if this address is in walking distance when I get off the aerobus in Placa Catalunya.
It's 122 Ramblas the Citadines Apartments. If so, can some give me directions.

Thanks,

kappa1

It's 5 to maximum 10 minutes walk not considering your luggage. The bus iwill let you off in front of the department store El Corte Ingles.

And as mcm3f wrote, the bus is a city bus kind (never have been the coach type with lugagge compartment underneath). You get on with your luggage (no step so easy)

like this :
http://euxus.eu/barcelona/a800/73300015-bcn-aerobus.jpg

and there are racks for big pieces.

Lifeman

Just a aline to be careful with your valuables on this bus. It's a favourite target for the pickpockets of Barcelona. Typiclally they'll steal something just as the doors open and then they're away.

MLINSF_415

thanks for the information.

scrb11

How is the transfer to a metro from Placa Catalunya?

Is it a good idea to use the metro to get from the Aerobus to the Urquinaona metro to Girona metro?

Or is that line too packed to take luggage on? This will be on a Sunday morning, around 8-9 AM I would guess.

If too much of a hassle, I would probably go for a hotel closer to Pl. Catalunya, more within walking distance. Actually, that seems in general to be a more convenient location, closer to Bario Gotic as well as Passeig de Gracia. Europark hotel, near Girona metro, seems to have nicer amenities, as well as a nice discount for a 3-night or more stay.

Cowboy1968

The Aerobus costs 5.05 (8.75 rt within 9days).
Plus you need a regular ticket (1.40) to connect from Pl Catalunya. (Or buy a 10-ride ticket for 7.95).

With luggage, I'd refrain from using the Urquinaona metro station, even when the walk from the Aerobus stop at Catalunya is a short one (200m appr).
Urquinaona L4 has no escalators/elevators going down, if I remember correctly.

Instead you could use the #47 Bus. Bus stop for the 47 is on Passeig de Gracia, 100m away from where the Aerobus will drop you (in front of Corte Inglés department store). You simply stay on the side of the Corte Inglés and cross Ronda St Pere.
On sundays the services are not that frequent, but at least more convenient than the metro/stairs.
Another easy option would be to catch a cab at Catalunya.

Actually, unless you arrive at the old terminal 2, a cab would be the most convenient and not really expensive solution (around €25-28).

If you arrive at old terminal 2, you could take the train to Passeig de Gracia station. You can use the cheap T10 tickets on the train (not on the Aerobus though).
At Pg de Gracia station, take Pau Claris or Roger de Lluria exit, and walk on Arago to your hotel (3 or 2 blocks, respectively).

Re. location of the Europark hotel:
Arago is a major one-way 5 lane traffic artery, the counterpart for Gran Via which runs in the opposite direction.
You should check the photo on Google streetview since it gives you a pretty good impression of what to expect (less on sundays, obviously). You might like other locations better, though it's not really too far away from everything. You walk to Pg de Gracia in appr. 10 minutes.

scrb11

I've stayed on Passeig de Gracia, right across from Casa Batllo. I walked a lot past Pl. Catalunya to visit sites in the Gotic quarter and points south of Eixample.

I didn't use the metro or the buses that much previously, so I was thinking I could stay in a less convenient location if I make more use of the metro. Is the T10 individual tickets like a carnet on the Paris metro? Can you use it on the buses as well?

I also remember walking between Sagrada Familia and Passeig de Gracia and that area looked almost residential, very quiet at night.

jubilada

You can use the T10 on the busses and the y can be shared by any number of people .