Before you arrive...
A few tips for new and experienced travellers.
Getting to L'Estartit
Flying into Barcelona Airport (BCN). We recommend renting a car, which is easily accessible just outside the baggage claim area. We recommend a compact car, as getting out of the rental lot alone is tight, and many streets in the small towns are very narrow. Renting a car allows you to venture out of L’Estartit and explore a lot more in the surrounding area.
If you choose not to rent a car, you can take a train to Girona (from the airport to the transfer station in Barcelona, then to the transfer station in Girona) to L’Estartit. Off-season, you may need to stop in Torroella de Montgri, which is only a few kilometers from L’Estartit, and you can find a bus or taxi for the last few kilometers.
Departure times for both train and bus options vary by season. One good site is Rome2Rio.com. Be aware of holiday and weekend changes, as well as your scheduled arrival time.
Renting a Car
and Driving in Spain
Do Not Speed in Spain. There are radar cameras everywhere, and they will capture you. Trust me, I know.
If you rent a a car, change the menu language into English before you leave so you can ask for help if needed.
For our American friends, consider the options for a manual (stick) or automatic transmission, and reserve accordingly if you prefer an automatic. Manuals are often the default rental in Europe.
Consider reviewing Spanish street signs in advance. Road and Traffic Signs in Spain - What You Need to Know
Plugs
Plugs - Barcelona uses Type C and F, two round parallel plugs (the difference between C and F would be like a two-prong and three-prong (grounded) plug in the US). Keep in mind that some plugs are simply adapters or converters, which adapt an American plug to a “Spanish” plug. Most low-powered plugs can be converted this way. However, some devices require a transformer, also known as a voltage converter. Barcelona’s primary voltage is 230V at a frequency of 50Hz.
Most modern devices, such as phones and laptops, are designed to be compatible with multiple systems. However, it’s always a good idea to check the plug for specific voltage information. An appliance that is dual voltage rated will typically display something like ‘INPUT: 110-240V’. A single-voltage rated appliance will usually display just the voltage, such as 110V, for example. If you have dual-voltage appliances, you won’t need a transformer/voltage converter. If it’s not rated as such, we suggest purchasing at least one transformer. Consider items such as CPAP machines, phones, laptops, and curling irons. The house already has a hair dryer and an iron, so there's no need to bring them.
Those Bidets
Bidets can be a really quick wash option over a full shower. If you aren't familiar with them, this is a good intro video.
Parking in L'Estartit
Parking is free on the beach in L'Estartit. Street parking will be crowded in most cities during peak season. Park and enjoy the walk to your destination. Look for pay zones and either use a translator app to follow the steps or find a kind resident to walk you through the pay machines. Like in the US, each machine or zone is a little different.
Mapping our Recommendations
To the right is a map of our favorite places book marked in a Google map. We hope that helps you navigate as you find your own adventure.
Phones/Data
Most US companies seem to offer international plans for $10/24 hours. Check whether you need to activate that option with your phone company before leaving the US. What we do to minimize costs here is one of us turns off airplane mode when we need phone access triggering the $10/24 hours charge and the other person remains in airplane mode the entire time. Usually one of us is the driver and the other has the active phone because they'll use it for navigating.
We use wifi at CRV or in public places or our paid phone's hotspot so the second person can access calls, data, and backup photos, etc. If you use it a lot data will slow, so we flip to wifi whenever we can. But if we're careful this works well. You will want data if you're going to use your phone to map you to destinations.
Paying in Spain
Paying... When paying on a credit card, always choose to pay in the local currency, euros. This is especially good if your credit card doesn't have transaction fees. But in general your card will give you the better conversion rate than the merchant's bank. For cash, we preorder euros about a month ahead of time from our bank.
Tipping is not as common as it is in the US, and if you do so, usually around the 5-10% rate.
Additional Tips
As Costa Brava is in Catalonia most residents speak Catalan, Spanish, or both. Locals won't necessarily speak English, though in high touristy areas they will. We've reduced our language tips down to some basics. We've found the most valuable tool the Google Translate app on out phones.
One final, final tip... Always pet the cat. Ok, that's not really advice. Pet the cat only at your own risk. But do enjoy the neighborhood and Cadaques cats. They probably won't let you pet them, but they are cute!