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SHOPPING
Barcelona's range of shops makes it a Shopping City of international standing. In Barcelona, traditional establishments, which date back hundreds of years and are housed in beautiful buildings in the Gothic Quarter of modernist Eixample, coexist with recently built shopping arcades, where you can buy the latest fashions; long-established department stores, which sell the most characteristic design products made in Barcelona; specialised shops; franchise chains; leading international names; and shopping centres. Wandering around Barcelona's streets and browsing in its shops is, without a doubt, an unforgettable experience. The wide pavements and pedestrianised areas are perfect for a quiet stroll. As you turn a corner you might come across a modernist chemis't shop or an innovative window display. There is always a surprise in store.
The city has plotted out a route for this wealth of shops: the remarkable, five-kilometre-long Shopping Line. The route makes it possible to visit Barcelona's main shops, which are a integral part of its urban fabric, and, at the same time, walk around places of reat interest ot tourists. The Shopping Line links up the city's different shopping areas which have evolved naturally during its history, and enables people to get from one to another on foot: the Port Vell, La Rambla, the historical centre, The Gothic Quarter, the Pl. de Catalunya, the Eixample (Rbla. de Catalunya and Pg. de Gràcia), the main thoroughfare of the Diagonal and the new business and shopping district of the Diagonal.
Turisme de Barcelona offers those people visiting the city for professional reasons -congresses, conventions, incentive trips- on cruises, for leisure and other special groups, a folder containing specific information about the participating outlets on the barcelona shopping line, together with a city map, information on vat refunds and a personalised special-customer card.
Visitors to Barcelona can also use the buses on the special Tombbus service, which can be identified by the sticker Barcelona Shopping Line. They operate along the Shopping Line from Pl. de Catalunya to El Corte Inglés -Diagonal and back again.
Hours
Most stores are open Monday-Saturday 9am-1:30pm and 5-8pm. Some are closed Saturday afternoon. Sunday virtually all stores are closed in Barcelona. Large department stores tend to be open 9am-9pm Monday-Saturday. But be aware that stores that aren't directly in the center often have limited hours or close in August - often a week or more for vacation. Tancat is Catalan for closed.
Credits Cards
Note that if you're paying by credit card, you usually have to show photographic ID, such as a passport or driving licence. Most large department stores accept American Express, DiscoverCard, MasterCard, Visa. Smaller shops may vary. Markets do not accept credit cards in Barcelona.Sales Tax
The rate of sales tax (IVA) depends on the type of product: it's currently seven percent on food, 16 percent on most other items. In shops that display a 'Tax-Free Shopping' sticker on their door, non-EU residents can request a Tax-Free Cheque on purchases, which can then be reclaimed either as cash, a certified cheque or charge card credit at the airport in Terminal A (a handling fee will be deducted).GETTING YOUR V.A.T. BACK. Travelers to Spain are entitled to a reimbursement of the 16 % V.A.T. (Value Added Tax, IVA in Spain) they pay on all purchases as long as the purchases add up to no less than 90.15 Euros (approximately $86.00) in the same store. The vendor must provide the purchaser with a duly filled out invoice which includes the price of each good, the V.A.T. paid for each item, as well as the identification (name and address) for both vendor and purchaser. The goods must be brought out of the European Union within three months from the date of purchase.
At the time of departure from Spain and final departure from the European Union territory, and before checking in your baggage, you must bring your invoice(s) and the merchandise purchased to the Spanish Customs in order for them to process your V.A.T. refund claim (there is a specific booth for this purpose just prior to the entrance to the international area at the international port, gate or airport). The Customs Officer will proces the original invoice, and the passenger should return this invoice(s) to the corresponding vendor(s). The vendor(s) is responsible for issuing the V.A.T. refund (although, usually, the processed or stamped invoice can be turned in at a bank in the airport for reimbursement). This V.A.T. claim will only be processed when Spain is the final point of departure from the European Union, otherwise, this claim must be processed in the country of your final departure from the European Union (and always before leaving Spain or the EU).
You might also find it convenient to reclaim your tax through Global Refund Tax Free Shopping, a service offered by major retailers worldwide.
Barcelona offers its visitors a 5-km shopping line. This vast open-air shopping centre runs from the Port Vell, along La Rambla, through the historic centre and the Eixample -the district known for its art nouveau architecture- to the uptown neighbourhood of the Diagonal.
Along this five kilometre route, and in other parts of Barcelona, you will find shops displaying the Barcelona Shopping Line sticker. These shops, which are part of the history of the city, are characterised by a wide range of products which set Barcelona apart and make it different from other cities. They are also synonymous with quality, due to their service and the way they attend to customers, their excellent products and attractive and stunning window displays which turn a stroll into an unforgettable experience.
These are the areas which make up the Shopping Line:
Diagonal, the Barcelona of business and commerce. This zone is set out in two sections. One running from Pl. Maria Cristina to Pl. Francesc Macià, where tradition and modernity exist side by side, and which is konwn for its English-style shopping centres. And another running from Pl. Francesc Macià to Pg. de Gràcia, where all the stores of national and international prestige are located. We will find the city's most select shops in Pl. Francesc Macià and around Turó Park.
Eixample, Modernist Barcelona. There can be no doubt that this is one of the city's best known areas, and today comprises its most unique business and shopping areas. Located around Pg. de Gràcia and Rbla. de Catalunya, it brings together all kinds of shops which make walking an ever more pleasurable experience, and is a blend of architecture, culture and services geared to the end consumer.
Pl. de Catalunya / Gothic Quarter, the Barcelona district with the most history. Here we find traditional shops and culture brought together in a harmonious blend. By the Cathedral there is a cluster of antique and art shops, where visitors can lose all notion of time for a moment. But it is in the Pl. del Pi and carrer Petritxol, two of the busiest parts of the Gothic Quarter, where the most historic shops reveal all their charm, not forgetting the neighbourhood's main shopping streets, such as Ferran, Portaferrissa and, most importantly, the Av. Portal de l'Àngel, the city's liveliest shopping thoroughfare, which links the old town with Pl. de Catalunya.
Pl. de Catalunya, acts as a link between the old town and the Eixample district. Its many shops, together with a department store and a shopping mall, have given the whole area a boost, turning it into a magnet for shoppers.
La Rambla / Port Vell, maritim Barcelona. By the water's edge we find a major shopping and leisure complex - Maremàgnum - and, nearby, at the foot of the Columbus Monument, begins La Rambla: Barcelona's busiest and most colourful thoroughfare. Its newspapers kiosks, bird stalls and flower sellers, together with the traditional shops, ensure that the entire route is a lively, entertainig and enjoyable experience. Don't miss the Boqueria Market, the city's main market which sells a dazzling array of fresh produce
TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT:
BCM
C/ Balmes, 74 1er 1ª, 08007 Barcelona
TEL 34 93 318 57 34 FAX 34 93 342 41 47
ottawa@bcmedic.com
www.bcmedic.com
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