Tongue in Cheeky Travel Tip: How to Catch a Bus in Barcelona

I wrote this post for the fabulous Fairen Del fashion and travel blog and thought I would share it here as another in the series of my “tongue in cheeky travel tips”  You should check them out, too, for the most tantalizing travel ware and baubles…swoon. I hope you enjoy – and even learn from my travel escapades!

I know. You’re thinking, “What a silly topic. “ Well, I’m writing this with the hopes of helping you to avoid the silly feeling that comes from a lack of local know-how.

I pride myself on being a seasoned traveler; and I don’t mean doused in paprika!  I’d even been to Barcelona before taking my nephew Leon on this recent trip with the sole intent to infuse him with a profound love for Spain (it worked, I’m pleased to report).

We arrived at our hotel late in the afternoon, but in Spain, even in spring, you can count on daylight into late evening, so we made a plan to freshen up and get down to the beach walk.  I perused the metro and bus maps and schedules and felt confident in my plan to take the bus on the way down and the metro for the return.  This way, we could take advantage of orienting ourselves to the city and our hotel location with a daytime view as the bus traveled through Barcelona.  Nice planning, yes?  Well, a few things were missing.

Frank Gehry fish sculpture and the beach walk, Barcelona

Don’t Ever Change

Our bus stop was only one block from the hotel and our bus number ran every 15 minutes so within the span of about 7 minutes our coach had arrived.  We had come from Seville, so a supply of euros was in hand, and I presented a 20 euro bill.  The driver was happy to accept it, but – he shrugged – he did not have change.

No problem, we hopped off at the next stop, easily procured change from a corner store and waited patiently for the next #3 to come and gather us.  Like clockwork, there was our bus heading quickly toward us and the stop we knew was the correct one because we were deposited there so unceremoniously only 15 minutes prior.

See how they speed? 😉

A Diesel-Tinged Whoosh

We stood dutifully at the edge of the curb as he approached, and then, to my astonishment and dismay– whoosh – a blast of warm diesel-tinged air swirled my clothes and hair as this second bus #3 unapologetically sped past. My nephew and I looked at each other half stunned. He lives in New York and I think even he was impressed at the gall of these drivers!

We studied the locals’ tactics and watched as they literally had to hail down the buses – even though it was a designated stop! – to indicate a desire to board the barreling behemoths of public transportation.  We were successful with #3 bus #3.  I think Leon’s New York taxi training helped.

Nighttime in Barcelona does offer some nice visions

Some tips you might want to take away with you:

• Talk to the concierge at your hotel or stop by an information booth about public transportation.  Tell them your general plan and they may make suggestions to help you avoid high traffic, dangerous subway times or rogue bus drivers.

• Carry smaller bills and change whenever possible and especially when relying on public transport.

• Don’t rule out creative ways of getting around town.  I absolutely love the on-off boats in Paris that transport you elegantly to various points of interest whilst offering a beautiful overview perspective of the city.

Normally, I take such travel setbacks in stride, but our evening striding along the beach front walk was a bit diminished by a cool nip in the rapidly fading light.  Perhaps the 30 extra warmer and brighter minutes would have been worth the 15 extra euros!

If you’ve enjoyed these tongue-in-cheeky tips, you might also enjoy a French twist in: Tongue-In-Cheeky Travel Tip: Pleasing Parisians

If you’ve experienced any misadventures that may offer helpful caveats or suggestions, Id love for you to share.  And as always, happy travels!

All photos by G. Stark except the bus picture, procured by  Fairen Del blog.