Survival Guide AC18

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AC18 Barcelona Survival Guide

From Data to Knowledge

Survival Guide AC18

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Contents

Contents ................................................................................................................ 1

Hola! ..................................................................................................................... 2

The Schedule .......................................................................................................... 3

The Core Team ....................................................................................................... 4

The City ................................................................................................................. 5

Like A Local ........................................................................................................... 6

Food .................................................................................................................. 6

Nightlife ............................................................................................................. 6

Transport ........................................................................................................... 7

Money ................................................................................................................ 8

Some approximate prices .................................................................................... 8

Electricity ........................................................................................................... 8

Weather ............................................................................................................. 8

Acomodation ...................................................................................................... 9

Participation Fee ................................................................................................. 9

Survival Tips .......................................................................................................... 9

What to bring .................................................................................................... 11

Getting Here ......................................................................................................... 12

From T1 to T2 .................................................................................................... 13

Taking the train at T2 ......................................................................................... 13

Meeting point ................................................................................................... 14

Catalan-Spanish-English Phrasebook ...................................................................... 15

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Hola!

LBG Barcelona wants to welcome you to one of the most interesting cities in the planet,

which we happen to call our home. All our awesome members are eagerly awaiting your

arrival, the awesome participants who will be the chosen ones to share with us one of the

BEST events of 2018.

Are you ready? We sure are! During ten days, you will experience Barcelona in a way you

probably never have. So, get ready because we will need you to give 110% of your

maximum energy to make this the best Autumn Course we have ever seen!

In this Survival Guide, we will provide you with a basic overview of the city (including some

practical tips and useful information), the schedule of the event, and some extra info on

what to bring. This won’t make you a Barna expert, though… For that, you will have to

learn from one of the locals; but fear not! There’s nothing quite like the Catalan spirit of

hospitality, solidarity and affection.

Human castle performers, known as “Castellers”

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The Schedule

The course will be from Thursday September 6th 2018 until Saturday September 15th 2018

(with these two dates being the arrival day and the departure day, respectively). In the

image above you can check the general layout of the schedule. As we get closer to the

course, additional information will be given regarding each activity.

It is worth noting that after the first day we will spend the next two nights outside of

Barcelona in an amazing Weekend Trip [WT] in the Catalan countryside; in a Masia

(Catalan name for a typical house in the countryside) all to ourselves!

Since we don’t go to the weekend trip until the second day, on the arrival day we will go

from the meeting point to the hostel. Further details will be given once we nail down a

hostel.

In case you arrive later on the arrival day, we would really appreciate if you could tell us

ASAP, so that we can find an organizer who can bring you to the hostel or the place of the

ongoing event.

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The Core Team

Bernat Felip (+34634574382)

Main

Barbara Pons (+34608601666)

Academics

Nil Lobato (+34662435588)

Food

Jordi Foix (+34663804453)

Logistics

Sergi Gonzàlez (+34608432044)

Social

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The City

Barcelona is the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia (which might in

the future become independent), and the second largest city of Spain inhabited by more

than 1.6 million people

Today, it stands as one of the most visited cities in the world, drawing visitors with its rich

cultural heritage and its status as an important design, transportation, financial,

communications and economic global hub. And then, there’s football too… Who hasn’t

heard about the Barça?

(Which, by the way, reminds us of reminding you that ‘Barça’ is only the abbreviation of

the football team, NOT the city. We call it ‘BCN’ or ‘Barna’).

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Like A Local

Food

In a land like Catalonia, food is a big deal. It is no wonder that we can boast that we have

some of the world top class chefs and restaurants… Every meal is something special: not

only because of the food, but because it is an occasion to share with your friends and loved

ones (there’s even a Spanish term for the time you spend chatting and sharing after you

have finished your meal: “sobremesa”).

You will be amazed, though, at the way meals are scheduled here. Lunch is usually around

14:00-15:00, and dinner at around 21:00-22:00 (but do not worry if you feel too hungry,

most places in the city center have wide serving times).

Nightlife

Probably someone told you: one thing that you can’t miss in Barcelona is its nightlife! From

the old taverns in the Gothic Quarter to the fashionable discos in the Seaside, there’s

always something going on (and for all tastes ˆ-ˆ). Anyway, you should bear in mind two

things: (1) that drinks are relatively expensive (around 4€ for a single shot, 8€ for a long

drink), and (2), that the opening hours are slightly different from the rest of the continent:

Opens at… Closes at…

Taverns/Pubs 21:00 2:00

Discos 00:00 6:00

After Hours 6:00 12:00

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Transport

Barcelona has a very efficient public transport system that incorporates a metro system, a

tram system, and a bus network. The metropolitan area is divided in six zones (the further

away you go from Downtown, the more expensive your ticket will be). During the event

(excluding the Weekend Trip, of course) we will stay inside the city, and thus, you will be in

Transport Zone 1 (the airport metro station is inside Zone 4).

Single Ticket – Zone 1 2.20€ Single Airport Ticket (only valid for Metro) 4.50€ T-10 (10 trips) – Zone 1 10,20€ T - Dia (unlimited journeys in one day) – Zone 1 8.60€ Hola BCN! 2 days (unlimited journeys in two days) – Zone 1 15.00€ Hola BCN! 5 days (unlimited journeys in five days) – Zone 1 35.00€

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Money

The local currency is the euro (€). Coins come in several denominations (from 1 cent up to

2€), and banknotes go from 5€ to 500€. Check the internet for the most current exchange

rates with your local currency. Barcelona is the most expensive city in Spain (so, if you have

ever visited any other Spanish city, expect slightly higher prices here.

Your bank might charge you some extra fees (within the EU it’s usually no more than 5€)

for using ATMs in Barcelona or your credit/debit cards. Please check with your bank the

details about it.

Some approximate prices

Beer (25 cl) 1.50€ in a pub Newspaper 1€ Pack of cigarettes 4€ to 5€ 1kg of bread 2€ Sandwich 3.50€ Pizza 9€ Movie Ticket 7€ to 9€ McDonald’s BigMac Combo 7.50€

Electricity

Catalonia uses the two-pin round (type C) socket used everywhere around Europe. The

local current supply is between 220 and 240 volts (with a frequency of 50 Hz). If you need

to, adapters may be bought at most electrical and hardware stores.

Weather

Lying next to the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona enjoys long warm summers, which means

that you will get to enjoy the awesome last days of summer.

Expect temperatures between 25 and 30°C during the day, and between 19 and 25°C

during the night. Therefore we recommend summer clothes (t-shirts, shorts, etc.), but we

still advise to bring a jacket and/or a sweater, just in case (it doesn’t hurt anyone to bring

some warm clothes, does it?).

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Acomodation

Details about where we will stay during the Weekend Trip [WT] and the hostel where you

will stay during the course will be revealed in the near future (We will send participants an

update of the Survival Guide once we know both accommodations).

Participation Fee

The nominal fee for this event is 50€. According to the GDP of your country (the one of the university

you apply through, not the country of your nationality), you will pay either the full fee, a fraction of it, or

no fee at all:

This is the current division for winter17 season, we expect not having any change on autumn18 but

please double check on the application website!

• Category 1 (full fee, 50€): Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden,

Switzerland.

• Category 2 (80% of the fee, 40€): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark,

Finland, France, Italy, Spain.

• Category 3 (60% of the fee, 30€): Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal,

Slovak Republic, Slovenia.

• Category 4 (40% of the fee, 20€): Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Romania, Russia,

Turkey.

• Category 5 (20% of the fee, 10€): Bosnia And Herzegovina, Macedonia, The Former

Yugoslav Republic Of Moldova, Republic Of Montenegro, Serbia, Ukraine.

Do not forget to bring it, since it will be requested at the

beginning of the course in cash and local currency (Euros).

Survival Tips

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• Just like any major city of the planet, you should beware of pickpockets. They are

everywhere (especially inside public transportation). It is all a matter of keeping your

valuables in a safe place, and be careful (not paranoid) when you are outdoors. You

shouldn’t bring your whole fortune and delicate jewelry here (why would you,

anyway?)

• Barcelona has some local laws that you should be aware of so you don’t get into

trouble (some of them are stupid, we know, but we don’t want to mess with the

police, do we?):

✓ Drinking alcohol in the street is forbidden (unless you are in a concert, local

festivities, or no one is watching you, hehe).

✓ Littering (throwing trash or cigarettes) public space is forbidden too. And unless

you are a dog, you cannot pee in public.

✓ Outside the beaches, being nude or topless (i.e., with nothing covering your torso)

is forbidden. Yes, guys, the law also applies to you (no chance to show off those

pectoral muscles, sorry!).

✓ Being loud (shouting, singing) at night is extremely frowned upon. Depending on

the neighborhood, people might even throw water at you from above.

✓ Smoking/using and carrying drugs is forbidden in public places (nonetheless, you

can do it in private places!).

✓ Swimming in the fountains is completely forbidden (yes, we know Shakira did it,

but she actually got fined).

✓ If you are caught not having a valid ticket in the metro/bus/tram, you will get fined

(around 100€). Transportation staff is allowed to retain you inside their facilities

until the local police comes if you refuse to pay the fine.

✓ Offering sex services in the street is also prohibited!

• BEST Barcelona advises you to drink responsibly. It is YOUR OWN responsibility to

stop drinking when you believe it can compromise your health. Nobody will force you

to drink, you can always say no.

• BEST Barcelona is NOT going to pay for your health bills if you need medical

assistance during the course. It is essential that you bring a European Health Card or

a recognized travel insurance that covers your medical bills in case of need or

accident (if your travel insurance is refund-based, you should bring a credit or debit

card that allows you to gather enough money to pay for these bills).

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Leave all your cares and inhibitions behind. We want your outgoing craziness and full

party animal spirit in Barcelona!

What to bring

• In compliance with BEST regulations, LBG Barcelona will cover your basic living

expenses (food, accommodation and transport); but you should also bring some

additional money for extra expenses (souvenirs, drinks at clubs, etc.).

• Passport (and visa if required). You could bring your ID card or Driving License for

extra safety (to have a back-up in case that you lose any of your documents). (If you

do need a visa, please let us know what kind of documentation is necessary to obtain

it, we will send it as soon as possible and provide any additional help needed).

• Travel and health insurance (European Health Card, if you have one).

• Your own medicines in case that you have an ongoing treatment, or need any special

medicine.

• We are going to the beach, so you should bring sun cream (very important

considering the amount of sunlight Catalonia receives), swimwear, and maybe even

that rubber duck you’ve neglected so much lately.

• Most of the social activities involve moving around (and quite a lot), so bring

comfortable shoes, and lots of energy.

• Some clubs/discos have a slightly formal dressing code (shirts, no t-shirts, no

trainers, no shorts), so bring at least one semi-formal attire.

• The temperature of Barcelona in September is usually warm (sometimes very warm

for Central European Standards) so bring a reasonable amount of short clothes, but it

is advisable to bring also long trousers and at least one sweater for the nights.

• Sleeping bag and mosquito repellent for the Weekend Trip.

• We will have an International Evening like most BEST events, in which we will share

typical food and drinks from each country (flag(s), instruments, hats, dresses

and other cool stuff are always welcome!). So bring whatever you feels can be worthy

of representing your country!

• This Survival Guide either printed out or in your mobile phone (#BeGreen)!

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Getting Here

Being a transport hub, Barcelona can be reached by several means. Nonetheless, the most

common option is by airplane. Several airports can be used to reach the city (like Girona,

Reus and Lleida, which are a bit more than 100 kilometers away from the city), but the

most popular option is the international airport of the city itself:

Barcelona-El Prat International Airport. There are two terminals in the airport, the older

one (T2) and the newer one (T1).

A new metro line (L9 Sud) was opened recently in order to connect the airport with the

city, so you actually have four options to reach the city. The first option is to get a special

Airport metro ticket (4.50€) and catch the metro in the nearest station (either Aeroport T1

or Aeroport T2) to Zona Universitària. You should get down at Collblanc in order to

transfer to the blue line (L5) to Vall d’Hebron, in order to get down at Sants Estació.

The second option is to take the ‘Aerobus’, but we strongly discourage this option because

it is far more expensive than using the local public transportation (and it leaves you away

from our meeting point).

There’s also the option to take any of the urban buses, direction

Barcelona.

Up next, we will explain in detail how to get to our meeting point using the train, the

cheapest and easiest choice. To catch the train you have to go from T1 (if you arrive to this

terminal) to T2, and then from T2 to the city.

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From T1 to T2

Straight out from the arrivals zone, you can see signs guiding you to a T1-T2 Shuttle Bus in

ground level. Take this bus (it is free), and it shall take you to the Terminal 2 (you will get

nice views of the airport along the way). It will leave you in this entrance (check the image

of the previous page closely, that green bus is the bus you’ll use, actually).

Taking the train at T2

The closed bridge that appears in the picture of the previous page is the connection

between the T2 and the train station (Aeroport). If you’ve somehow lost your way inside T2

follow the signs that read “RENFE” or “Train”, they should take you to this closed bridge.

Cross the bridge, and in the end you will reach the train station. All the trains go in the

Barcelona direction. They pass every thirty minutes (at :08 and :38). You can buy a single

ticket, but think that it might be a better choice to buy a T-10 (it has a cheaper price per

trip than the single ticket).

Get down at Barcelona-Sants station.

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Meeting point

The meeting point is the place where the participants will gather to meet with the

organizers in order to go to the hostel. Depending on your arrival, our Arrivals &

Departures responsibles, will assign you a different time to be at the meeting point. It is

VERY important to be there on time. If you know in advance that you won’t be able to

make it to the meeting point, please tell us (stay in touch!)

The meeting point will be:

Barcelona-Sants Station

In front of the McDonald’s that you’ll find inside the station

(Further details to be confirmed)

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Catalan-Spanish-English Phrasebook

Catalonia is fortunate enough to have two working languages in its daily life: Catalan and

Spanish. Spanish is the official language for all of Spain, whilst Catalan is the local

language, in use since medieval times. Both of them are Romance languages, which means

they are similar to languages like Italian, French or Portuguese.

Due to the tourism industry of the city, it is easy to find signs and information in English,

but do not expect elder locals to speak English. It is usually the younger generations who

have better English skills.

We think you should try and speak like a local, though; because that will earn you points

with us ;). Don’t be shy, we love teaching our language to foreigners! (And that’s a perfect

excuse to hit on local girls/guys, isn’t it?)

Catalan Spanish English

Hola... Sóc jo Hola… Soy yo Hello… It’s me Bon Dia Buenos Días Good Morning

Bona Tarda Buenas Tardes Good Afternoon Bona Nit Buenas Noches Good Night

Què Tal?/Com Va? ¿Cómo estás? How are you? (Molt) Bé (Muy) Bien (Very) Good

Si Si Yes D’acord Vale OK

No No No Potser Puede Ser, Tal Vez Maybe

Si Us Plau Por Favor Please Merci, Gràcies Gracias Thank You

De Res De Nada You’re Welcome Ajuda! ¡Ayuda! Help!

Ho Sento/Perdona Perdón/Lo Siento Sorry Què vols dir? ¿Qué quieres decir? What do you mean?

Parles anglès? ¿Hablas inglés? Do you speak English? Com et dius? ¿Cómo te llamas? What’s your name?

Em dic … Me llamo … My name is …

Quant val? ¿Cuánto cuesta? How much does it

cost? Això és massa car! ¡Esto es muy caro! This costs too much!

M’agradaria … Me gustaría … I would like …

Un somriure Una sonrisa A smile

Un petó Un beso A kiss Anem Vamos Let’s go Adéu Adiós Bye

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We will try to make you feel like at home

We will do our BEST to make this event unforgettable for everyone!

BEST BARCELONA

IN CASE YOU ARE IN TROUBLE

If you run into any kind of trouble, contact the main organizer:

BERNAT FELIP: (+34) 634 57 43 82

If you really need to get emergency assistance you can dial the

European Emergency Number:

112