39 / 344
37
p
Drassanes
T
933 249 330,
W
www.eoibd
.es – expect queues when you sign on.
Language courses for beginners are also
offered at Barcelona University, Gran Via de
les Corts Catalanes 585, Eixample,
o
Universitat
T
934 035 519,
W
www.ub.es.
There’s a basic Spanish and Catalan primer
in our “Language” section, p.289.
Laundry services
There are inexpensive laundry services in
most of the youth hostels and some
pensions; hotels will charge considerably
more.
Self-service laundries
include
Lavomatic, at Pl. Joaquim Xirau 1, Barri
Gòtic,
o
Drassanes
T
933 425 119, and
c/Consolat del Mar 43–45, Pl. del Palau, La
Ribera,
o
Barceloneta
T
932 684 768 (both
open Mon–Sat 9am–9pm); and LavaExpress,
at six city locations, including c/Ferlandina
34, El Raval,
o
Universitat,
T
933 183 018,
W
www.lavaxpres,com (daily 8am–11pm). At
La Lavanderia de Ana, c/Carme 63, El Raval,
o
Liceu,
T
934 437 280 (Mon–Sat 9am–
8pm) you can leave your laundry for a
standard wash-and-dry (from around €7–8).
Left luggage
At Barcelona Sants the left-luggage office
(
consigna
) is open daily 7am–11pm and
costs €3–4.50 a day. There are lockers at
Estació de França, Passeig de Gràcia
station and Barcelona Nord bus station (all
6am–11.30pm; €3–4.50).
Libraries
The
British Council
, c/Amigó 83, Sant
Gervasi, FGC Muntaner
T
932 419 977,
W
www.britishcouncil.es,has the only English-
language lending library in Barcelona. There’s
also a full arts and events programme here.
The Catalan national library, the
Biblioteca
de Catalunya
, is at c/de l’Hospital 56, El
Raval,
o
Liceu
T
932 702 300,
W
www.bnc
.cat (Mon–Fri 9am–8pm, Sat 9am–2pm) – a
letter of academic reference is required,
though there is the
Biblioteca Sant Pau-
Santa Creu
(public library) in the same
building (Tues, Thurs & Sat 10am–2pm,
Mon, Wed & Fri 3.30–8pm).
The
Mediateca
library at the Caixa Fórum
arts centre, Avgda. Marquès de Comillas
6–8, Montjuïc
o
Espanya (
T
934 768 651,
W
www.mediatecaonline.net), is an open-
access library for arts and culture books,
music, magazines and reference material.
Lost property
Anything recovered by the police, or left on
public transport, is sent to the
Oficina de
Troballes
(municipal lost property office), at Pl.
Carles Pi i Sunyer 8–10, Barri Gòtic,
o
Jaume
I/Catalunya (Mon–Fri 9am–2pm; phone
enquiries Mon–Sat 8am–2pm,
T
010). Most
items are kept for three months. You could
also try the TMB (public transport) customer
service centre at Universitat metro station.
The main post office in Barcelona, is near the
harbour in the old town, while each city
neighbourhood also has a post office,
though these have far less comprehensive
opening hours and services. However, if all
you need are stamps it’s usually quicker to
visit a tobacconist (look for the brown-and-
yellow
tabac
sign), found on virtually every
street. These can also weigh letters and
small parcels, advise about postal rates, and
send express mail (
urgente
)
.
Use the yellow
on-street postboxes and put your mail in the
flap marked
províncies i estranger
or
altres
destins.
Letters or cards take around three
to four days to European countries, five days
to a week to North America.
Postal services
Main post office
(
Correus
) Pl. d’Antoni López, at
the eastern end of Pg. de Colom, Barri Gòtic,
o
Barceloneta/Jaume I
T
934 868 050,
W
www
.correos.es(Mon–Fri 8.30am–9.30pm, Sat
8.30am–2pm).
There’s a poste restante/general
delivery service here (
llista de correus
), plus express
post, fax service, mobile phone top-ups, phonecard
sales and bill payments.
Postal Transfer
Pl. Urquinaona at c/Roger
de Lluria, Eixample,
o
Urquinaonoa (Mon–Fri
10am–11pm, Sat 11am–midnight, Sun noon–
11pm).
Offers after-hours postal services plus money
exchange, fax, photocopying and phonecard sales.
Maps
The city tourist offices charge a euro for their
maps – you can pick up a good free one
BASICS
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Travel essentials