Bicycles Beat Cars in Barcelona

If you happen to live in Barcelona, or you are just passing through for a visit, you should really take advantage of the flat streets and ride a bicycle. Okay, once you get away from the downtown area, and head up into the northern part of the city, you’ll encounter some hills, but they’re nothing to worry about. With the exception of Park Güell, most of the notable spots you’ll want to hit are down in the flats. And the great thing about Barcelona, we’ve found out, is that there are tons of bikes on offer.

Aside from the normal rental shops that cater to tourists, the city also offers the ‘bicing’ city bicycle borrow/rental program. Once you get a bicing card, you can check bikes out from automated rental stations located all over the city, ride them around, and then check them back in at the station closest to where you finished your ride. A lot of locals use this service for short and medium commutes, and tourists who frequent the city take advantage of it too.

It’s really a great idea, because it will let you see the city in a way you won’t get by taking the metro, taxis or even the buses. There are tons of cool alleys and side streets spread out all over Barcelona. A bicycle will let you explore them all. Besides the ease with which you can get about, if you opt for two-wheeled transport, you’ll also be doing the environment a favor, and reducing pollution in the Catalan capital. Barcelona is a big city, with a lot going on, but traffic can became very congested. The more people who choose to see the marvels here by bike, the cleaner the streets and the air will become.

If you’re interested in ‘bicing,’ you can read more about it here (in Spanish):
www.bicing.cat

For those of you who aren’t up on your Spanish, tourist offices, hostels and hotels can help you set up a bicing card, or point you in the direction of a traditional bicycle rental shop. Happy trails!