Barcelona and Uber (Sauna Thermas)

[mvan1]

Many of us who travel to Barcelona visit Thermas sauna.  It is a fun place.  Look at all the positive reviews

Unfortunately,  Uber is now suspended in Barcelona over some disagreements -   Unless we stay near the sauna, we will have to get an alternate way to get around the city and to the sauna.  

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/31/uber-suspends-cab-service-in-spanish-city-of-barcelona.html

 

 

[Cany10011]

I used cabify in Barcelona, but now, i learn it has been suspended too.

[Gapguy]

Use mytaxi in Barcelona.  Also works in Rome and all of Germany 

[msclelovr]

The metro in Barcelona is very efficient, clean and air-conditioned. And there’s a stop very close to Thermas. 

[Lucky]

I've always walked to Thermas.

[SolaceSoul]

The area near Sauna Thermas is a great lively gay-friendly neighborhood. I stayed within a 5 minute walk from the sauna, and there were gay bars and gay-friendly hotels in the area. The Rocafort subway station is also only a mere block away.

[azdr0710]

the metro and my own two feet work pretty well

[BenjaminNicholas]

As others have mentioned, the metro is clean, safe and efficient.  I've used it and recommend it.

I will say that getting too used to Uber makes me feel totally lazy at times as a traveler.  When cities go through their spats with Uber, it's a nice reminder that other forms of transportation are widely available and often times a lot more fun

Edited February 12, 2019 by BenjaminNicholas

[tassojunior]

Two, the 4* gay hotel is 2 blocks from Thermas and City Hotel a 4 or 5* is directly behind it. Both are very reasonable. The train station is 4 blocks away for that mandatory day at Sitges in season.

Taxis are expensive. I prefer cities that have Uber.

Edited February 14, 2019 by tassojunior

[nycman]

A late response, but I just back from BCN. 

I used the Metro mostly. Even with some kind of “strike” going on, it was efficient, clean and safe. All the locals were bitching about it, but it was one of the nicest subway systems I’ve used. Also, like most European subways, it closes early at night, except Saturday. Be aware. 

Also used the Mytaxi app whenever I got lazy. It worked great, but watch out for cabbies entering amounts larger than the correct fare. They do it manually, and about 1/2 the time the amount they entered was more than the fare. They pretty much just give you a shit eatting grin and correct it when you call them out on it. Just be aware. 

[Walker]

Based on my limited experience, Mytaxi app gives you a price quote when you request the ride.  When you enter the taxi, the driver turn on his real meter.  At the end of the ride,  if the actually amount is higher, of course the driver would put in this higher amount.  But if the actual amount is less than the quote, they put in the original (higher) quote price.

Edited April 13, 2019 by Walker

[Alaskabear]

Cabify was up and running a few weeks ago.  Though, for your first trip, for whatever reason you have to wait 15 minutes for the car to accept the ride.  After that, it’s back to normal.   However there didn’t seem to be that many drivers and sometimes wait times would be ten minutes or so.   But this could be different now.  Cabify relaunched the week I was there with the new workaround rules.  

[asdsrfr]

Do you guys have any recommendations for hotels near Sauna Thermas? I have stayed at Rommmate Hotels in Mexico City and I know they have a few locations in Barcelona that I will check out. Any other suggestions?

[hurstwickham]

https://www.crowneplazabarcelona.com/

[Uqtyang]

Stayed here las year:  https://www.hotelvillaemilia.com/en

only one block away. Pretty trendy small hotel. Not bad. Not too expensive either. 

 

Also so one block from the metro 

Edited April 27, 2019 by Uqtyang

[Riobard]

There is major noisy roadwork going on at a few intersections where I notice some hotels front Calle de la Diputació. For example, the Leonardo at #100, just a bit east of Thermas. Where there is obstruction there is impatient beeping as well.

My thought was that it might be prudent, for visitors whose focus is L'Eixample area, to book a few initial nights, getting the lay of the land, before a longer commitment is made. 

[Riobard]

On 2/12/2019 at 5:03 AM, msclelovr said:

The metro in Barcelona is very efficient, clean and air-conditioned. And there’s a stop very close to Thermas. 

I am now sold on what I believe to be an alternative efficient and stress-free airport transfer. The Aerobus always worked fine but requires Metro if not you're not walkable to Espanya or Catalunya. The bus can also be crowded and not enough luggage rack space. As you know it is €5.90 and I believe you still pay an attendant cash collector before getting on. 

Now that the new Metro Line9 (Orange) goes to both terminals, that is an option. Line9 cars are beautiful, spacious and you can sit with your luggage right by you. Car entrances line up with track markings. Every 7 mnutes. Sweet fast ride.

It is a special ticket either way, €4.60, a minimum saving of: 1.30 plus one T10 fare use or one single Metro fare if you were to be getting to Aerobus via Metro.

Note you cannot purchase T10 at the airport; logical reasons I will not go into unless asked. The 4.60 ticket purchased at airport will get you anywhere on the Metro line, where you can purchase T10 for subsequent use. 

The question is, particularly if you embark, or vice versa, on Line1 (Red) to commence, what transfer points to use? It is so funny that locals think Torrassa is a huge and inconvenient detour north because they assess it according to the Metro scale, rather than true distance. 

Line1 to Line 8 to Line 9, or Line 1 to Line 9? I have tried both and prefer the one transfer, staying on Line 1 and transfer at Torrassa to Line9. It is an additional 3 stops, about 4 kms of additional track, and about 5 minutes more time. However, the transfer point Line9 to Line8 is a very long walk and then the time lost at a second transfer, L8 to L9.

At Torrassa, large passenger elevators to Line 9 or vice versa (to Line 1) are immediately in front of you, as is the longer escalator ride. Virtually no baggage haul.

You will have purchased the special airport ticket and you must scan it to disembark at either terminal. 

Edited July 13, 2019 by Riobard

[Riobard]

Apologies ... On the city map I drew in the distance comparisons simply for illustration. In actuality, the stretch of the red line I drew from Torrassa to Europa Fina is L9 (Orange), not an extension of Line1. 

[forrestreid]

So I take it (regarding the fare) that in such a scenario you would get the Metro to Torrassa, and then exit the turnstyles at Torrassa to get the T10 ticket and then go back in to get on line 1?

[Riobard]

39 minutes ago, ForrestReid1614502761 said:

So I take it (regarding the fare) that in such a scenario you would get the Metro to Torrassa, and then exit the turnstyles at Torrassa to get the T10 ticket and then go back in to get on line 1?

No, the ticket is integrated and you can go anywhere on the Metro system. Just transfer, not exit. If you exit by mistake maybe you can re-enter. I have not yet made that gaffe. I think it is a two-hour window, activated at initial insertion, and you can even transfer to bus or tram within the allowable zones ... that would involve an exit and then card re-insertion. 

There are some aspects I do not yet understand or recall because I have neither the need nor time to research. For example, is it a special fare just to enter Line9 proximal to centre? Surely frequent travellers needing two stops only on Line9 not remotely close to El Prat use a regular fare, I assume. Wild guess: special fare only for embark or disembark T1 or T2.

You only need to purchase T10 the next time you travel as per usual. For convenience, perhaps get it as you exit to your accommodations on your inbound date. 

Let's say you are outbound from Urgell. Just buy the special ticket there or at an earlier date (or 2 fares at airport arrival?) in case there were to be a glitch, but careful to not activate cuz I think it looks identical to T10. Hop on Line1 and as described, auto transfer at Torrassa. Keep ticket to insert for exiting to either terminal. I do believe tickets are not purchaseable until you exit there, so don't get stuck. You don't want to have to backtrack a stop or two to exit and re-purchase, again I am 99% sure the airport is the only station requiring ticket for station exit, or have to necessarily hand a fiver to a stranger for a favour. 

It is not foolproof and I have witnessed other Metro users make errors. If you are fatigued on arrival you might stick yourself with an expensive 10-ride special fare you'll never use. Come to think of it, a Lyonais was sitting beside me, having evidently got on L9 bound for airport without special fare, and course-corrected with friendly input. 

Aerobus for travel hours outside of Metro timetable. 

[forrestreid]

Thanks for the clarification Riobard