by Craig Grimes	català español

Welcome

Hotels

Transport

Barcelona

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Contact

Transport

Airport transfers

Taxis

Accessible Barcelona are happy to arrange transfers to and from hotels using wheelchair accessible taxis. This service includes being met at the airport terminal arrival gate by your driver. At least 4 days notice should be given if you wish to use this service. Please contact us for further information. There is also an accessible bus route to and from the airport called Aerobus which has a ramp for entering the vehicle. The main hassle with this is that it only stops at specific places and then you have to find your own way to the hotel with all your luggage, and it is often rather crowded and uncomfortable.

In general most taxis in Barcelona are not wheelchair accessible although some may be found. If you wish to hire an accessible taxi Accessible Barcelona are able to provide this service. Please contact us for further information.

Bus	Touristic Bus

Transports Metropolitans Barcelona (TMB) operate most of the bus and metro routes in the city. Out of just over 90 bus routes, over half of them are wheelchair accessible with buses that are adapted with the use of an electric ramp and tilting system. Barcelona also has a Nightbus network (Nitbus) that consists of 16 routes, all of which are accessible. The ramps are sometimes steep and assistance to enter the bus may be required.To get off the bus their is a blue stop button with the wheelchair symbol on it, when pressed it alerts the driver and the ramp should be deployed at the following stop.There is a sign, that says ‘rampa solicitada’, which illuminates at the front of the bus when the button is pressed. When the bus stops there should be a bleeping sound which indicates that the ramp is in motion. If this does not happen and the doors open immediately the best thing to do is shout: “la rampa por favor!” (The ramp please!) In most cases one or more of the locals will kick up a fuss and inform the driver. Another problem is that not all of the buses on an accessible route will be adapted, therefore a bus which isn’t accessible may arrive first. Also during peak periods buses become very full and it can be difficult to negotiate through the people. Accessible routes are marked at bus stops using the blue wheelchair symbol. Maps detailing the routes and timetables of all buses and which ones are accessible are available from Tourist.

TMB also have a tourist bus route, Barcelona Bus Touristic which has accessible vehicles. Although these are much more expensive than normal buses they are an easy way to get around the major sights. Barcelona Bus Turistic has two routes, one in the north and one in the south of the city. Both routes overlap at Placa Catalunya and therefore routes may be changed here.Tickets may be bought on the bus, at Tourist Information and TMB offices. Maps and leaflets are available at Tourist Information offices, many hotels and the TMB website. Shopping and entrance fee discounts for museums and sights such as Sagrada Familia are included with the ticket.

Underground

Metro

Tickets

The metro is the quickest and cheapest way to get around Barcelona. However, just a few of the metro stations have lifts and only the Purple Line (L3) is totally accessible for wheelchair users. There is also a step onto the train (varying in size depending on the station) which may require some assistance when boarding. As with the buses, the metro likewise becomes overcrowded and harder to manage during peak periods and these times are probably best avoided. The main consideration when using the metro is to plan the journey in advance to avoid ending up at a station without a lift. Also make sure that the lift is on the correct line as several lines may intersect at the same station and not all of them may be accessible. This situation can be quite hard to get out of as some stations don’t even have escalators and being man-handled up three or four flights of stairs is nobody’s idea of fun! A map detailing stations which are accessible and opening hours is available from all metro stations or the TMB website.

Tickets for both the buses and metro are available from all metro stations and tobacconists. If you’re planning to use public transport a lot then probably the best ticket to buy is a T10 (Pronunciation: te dieth) for 10 journeys. Otherwise a single trip costs €1.10. The only issue with this is that on buses the ticket stamping machine is at the front and the ramp is in the middle. It can be very hard to get past all of the other passengers to stamp the ticket. Furthermore, the bus drivers are quite impatient and will set off before you manage to return to the allocated wheelchair space. This can be quite dangerous and it’s best to get someone else to do it when possible. (Just flash the ticket at a local and point at the machine and say “por favor” if all else fails!)

Train

The funicular

Access on trains isn’t good in Spain and it’s not really necessary to use one in Barcelona. The only time trains need to be considered is when travelling outside the city. Consult the information desk at one of the main stations for further information. ·RENFE ·Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya ·RENFE rodalies

There is only one stop on the Fenicular and the disabled area is at the front of the train. (Follow the disabled symbols on the floor) It is important to board the Fenicular at the allocated doors because at the top there are stairs and the disabled area on the train enables easy access to the upper station. Once at the station there is a platform stair lift in order to exit the building. Only TMB staff are permitted to operate the lift, a call system at the bottom of the stairs is available to attract their attention.

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