With more than 35.000 stores, Barcelona offers a shopping opportunity for everyone’s taste. The 5 km long shopping street, starting at the top of the Ramblas, via the Plaça Catalunya and Passeig de Grácia and ending at the Avinguida Diagonal, is world-famous and the dream of every shopping fan. The shopping mile consists in large part of a pedestrian zone and thereby ensures a relaxing and stress-free shopping expedition.
If you don´t want to walk all the way, you could use the special service of the TOMBUS. The bus will take you up and down the shopping street.
Within the shopping area you will find a large selection of craftwork and Haute Couture, jewellery, designer furniture and leather goods. You can find a high quantity and choice of quality products at relatively low prices compared to other metropolis. Barcelona offers a broad selection of all kinds of goods by international chains or in large department stores like El Corte Ingles or FNAC.
The general opening hours of the Spanish metropolis are between 9 am to 1.30 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm. But this usually only applies for little stores. Larger stores usually open between 9 – 10 am and close between 9 – 10 pm. Outside of the city centre and residential quarters, stores often close on Saturday afternoons. In the centre most of the stores are open to 8 pm on Saturdays. Bakeries, pastry shops, newsagents and florists are allowed to open Sundays.
Helpful advices
• In most of the stores the sales staff is rather unintrusive. Solely in expensive and exclusive boutiques the personnel will step up and will offer their help.
• Fruits and vegetables should not be touched before they are purchased.
• Please pay attention to the opening hours. Many stores close about noon and open again in the late afternoon.
• Sales usually take place in January and from July till August. Please take notice of signs labelled with “Rebajas” or “Rebaixas”. They refer to reduced prices in the store.
• Visitors who do not have their permanent home within the European Union may shop tax free.
• In most of the stores you have to show a valid ID when paying with credit card.
The most important language tips for your shopping
English
Spanish
Catalan
Yes / No
Sí / no
Sí / no
Please / Thank you
Por favor /gracias
Si us plau / gràcies
Could you please help me?
¿Puede ayudarme, por favor?
Pot ajudar-me, si us plau
I like it
Me gusta
M’agrada
I do not like it
No me gusta
No m’agrada
I want…
Quisiera…
Voldria
Do you have…?
¿Tiene usted…?
Té…?
How much is it?
¿Cuánto cuesta?
Quant és?
Can I pay with my credit card?
¿Puedo pagar con la tarjeta de crédito?
Puc pagar amb tarjeta de crèdit?
TOMBUS
The blue Barcelona Shopping bus commutes between Plaça Catalunya and Plaça Pius XII, via Passeig de Gràcia and the Avinguida Diagonal. It starts at the Plaça Catalunya and commutes all day on the 5 km long shopping street. It commutes from Monday to Friday every 7 minutes and on Saturday every 15 minutes.
Those who do not have their permanent home in the European Union are able to do tax free shopping in Barcelona. But you are only allowed to receive this discount of 16% if your bill exceeds 90,15 € and if you are only purchasing items you will export out of the country. Thus this offer does not apply for goods which will be consumed immediately, like hotel or restaurant bills or groceries.
About 90 % of the stores in Barcelona offer tax free shopping. This service facilitates the reclaim of the value added tax of the acquired goods. In those declared stores you will receive a “tax repay cheque”, which you have to show customs.
After customs has checked the goods you would like to export, the exchange offices will pay cash for the cheques.
Shopping Barcelona - Haute Couture 
