Barcelona

How to call Barcelona (country code and city code) and useful emergency numbers

The country code in Spain is 34.

Use Skype
Skype is, but a long shot, the cheapest way to place any call, international or otherwise. It cost 2.3¢ to make any call. The only catch is that you need a computer with an Internet connection. That's easy enough at home. While traveling you can use either cybercafes or the Skype app for smartphones (not by roaming—that's pricey—but by using WiFi). » moreWhat used to be Barcelona’s separate city code of 93 is now incorporated as part of the full number, which means you must always dial it, no matter where you are calling from. (If the number starts with a "6" or "7" instead of a "9," that means it is a Spanish mobile/cell phone number.)

If you're calling Barcelona from outside Spain, dial your international dialing prefix (011 in the U.S. and Canada; 00 in most other countries), then the country code (34), then the number. In other words, to call Barcelona from the United States, dial 011-34 and then the number.

(Actually, just use Skype. It's easier and cheaper—just 2.3¢ per minute—though if you're calling a Spanish mobile number, it jumps to 27.1¢.)
If you're calling Barcelona from another part of Spain, just dial the number in full.
If you're calling another number from within Barcelona, just dial the number in full.
To make an international call from Barcelona, dial tel. 00, wait for the tone, and dial the country code, the area code, and the number. So to call a number in the U.S. or Canada (which share the country code: 1) from Barcelona, just dial 00 [pause] 1 then the area code and number.

How to make phone calls in Barcelona

The best (cheapest) way to make phone calls—local or international—while you are in Barcelona is simply to use the Skype app on your smartphone and a WiFi connection. This way you pay only 2.3¢ per minute to call most of Europe, North America, and parts of Asia (well, 5¢–7¢ to some places). » more

Other options:

Pay for an international roaming plan on your own cellphone (pricey; not recommended)
Rent a world cellphone for the trip (the easiest, though not always the cheapest)
Buy a pay-as-you-go plan from any local mobile provider in Spain (cheapest of the three—so long as you are staying for a week or more; you can either unlock your own phone and swap SIM chips, or buy a cheap phone from them)

Using public phones in Barcelona

And, yes, there's always that old standby: the public pay phone. As everywhere, these are slowly disappearing from the Barcelona landscape in the age of the cell phone, but you can still find payphone cabinas on major streets and squares and in train stations and airports.

These days, you can use credit cards in most phones, or buy a pre-paid phone card from tobacco shops (estancos) or post offices.

The only good way to get a halfway decent rate on an international call is to stop into a locutorio, a small office of phone booths designed to allow immigrants to call home.

Whatever you do, avoid using the phone in your hotel, which will charge you triple or quadruple the price even for local calls, and a hefty surcharge if you use it to call internationally. » more

Emergency numbers in Barcelona

In any emergency dial
112

Police: tel. 092

Emergency medical: tel. 061

Fire: tel. 080

Tips & Links

How long should I spend in Barcelona?

If you're just passing through, I'd give Barcelona at least two full days.

It is a lovely place to relax, however, so you might be happier spending 3-4 days.

» Barcelona itineraries

Useful links & resources

SIGHTS

Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info

Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)

Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com

LODGING

Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com

B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com

Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.com

Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com

TRANSPORT

Airfares:

Airports: Aena.es

Trains: Raileurope.com (throughout Europe), Renfe.com (within Spain), Bahn.de (throughout Europe), Seat61.com

Public transport: Barcelona Card (free transport; sightseeing); Search all public transit: mou-te.gencat.cat; Metro/Bus: Tmb.cat; Tram: Trambcn.com; Light rail: Fgc.cat; Taxi: Taxibarcelona.cat

Car rentals: Autoeurope.com, RentalCars.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com

Get a sightseeing / transport pass

Barcelona has two types of sightseeing/transport passes:

Barcelona Card:
- Free entry to 20 sights
- Free, unlimited rides on all public transport
- Discounts (usually 20%) at numerous other sights, activites, shops, and shows
- A guidebook
- Comes in 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-day versions
- » $45–$80
Barcelona Museum Pass:
- Free entry to seven museums (one entry each)
- » $40

There's a full description of both passes here, but in brief: The only museum covered fully by the Museum Pass that is not also covered by the Barcelona Card is the Museu Picasso (where you get only a 20% discount with the Barcelona Card).

You can also get discounts (usually 10% to 20%) on a wide range of sights, activites, and shows if you have a hop-on/hop-off bus ticket.

Barcelona tours