Venues

Official Conference

Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB)

Plaça de Willy Brandt, 11-14, 08019 Barcelona

The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference will take place at the Barcelona International Convention Centre, located in Plaça de Willy Brandt, 11-14, 08019 Barcelona.

More information soon

Satellite Events

“On-site Satellite Events”

will take place in designated meeting rooms at the Barcelona International Conference Centre.

“Off-site Satellite Events”

will take place in a variety of locations around Barcelona.

Indicative list of venues for off-site Satellite Events:

  • Barcelona Capital Nàutica Foundation
  • Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC)
  • Museu Marítim de Barcelona
  • Institut Botànic de Barcelona
  • Jardí Botànic de Barcelona
  • Barcelona Biomedical Research Park

More information soon

About Barcelona

translateLanguage

The official languages of Catalonia are Spanish and Catalan. However, Barcelona is a multicultural city where you can easily speak in English or French.

euroCurrency

The official currency is the Euro (€). It is not common to accept other currencies in cash in Barcelona. However, you can pay easily with a credit card, and ATMs are easily found throughout the city centre, as well as at the Barcelona Airport.
There is also a ‘Change Money’ service close to the University of Barcelona.

storefrontShops and malls

The opening hours of shops and malls are typically 9.30 h – 21:00 h (with variations depending on the area).
Although these are the regular opening hours, you can find restaurants and stores open all day in more touristy areas.

Lunchtime in the city usually is between 13.30 pm and 15.30 pm and dinner between 20:00 h and 22.30 h. During the conference, lunchtime will be 12:45 to 14:30.

phoneUseful emergency numbers

112 All emergencies
092 Local police
061 Medical emergencies

thermostatWhat to wear and bring

In April, the weather in Barcelona varies, which can offer everything from sunny days to clouds and rainfall, although usually, you will find more sunny days than rainy.

At this time of year, the temperature ranges from 12 to 20 degrees.

You can check the weather here.

gpp_maybeSecurity

Barcelona is no more dangerous in terms of theft than any other large European city. However, please keep an eye on your bags and wallets and never put your bag on the back of a chair, on the table in a bar, etc. Take special care in the Metro and bus.

local_hospitalHealth and safety

Check information about travelling to Spain to know more about requirements depending on your country of origin. You can also consult other practical information about protocols for COVID-19 when travelling to Catalonia. For COVID-19 test appointments, you can request it online here.

It is the responsibility of each participant to have insurance to cover expenses in case of accidents or illness. The organizers will in no case cover the cost of insurance or any costs associated with these eventualities. For medical services, Hospital del Mar is a public hospital close to the Barcelona International Convention Centre. Public hospitals in Barcelona are of high quality.

electrical_servicesSocket

In Spain, the standard voltage is 230 V, and the frequency is 50 Hz. The plugs and sockets are type F. Be sure to bring a proper adaptor to plug in your electronic equipment as needed.

Getting around Barcelona - City / Public transport

For detailed information about routes, visits, tickets, etc. visit the Consortium of Tourism website.

directions_walk
Walking

Barcelona is perfect and well prepared for walking, and it is the best way to visit the centre: The Old Town, streets in the Gothic Quarter, Barceloneta and the beach, the fantastic Palau de la Musica Catalana, La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, El Born district and La Ciutadella Parc.

directions_bus subway
Buses and Metro

The Metro is the best and fastest way to move around. You can buy a 24h unlimited ticket, T-DAY (ten trips for 10,50€) or a single ticket (2,40€) that you can buy on the bus or in the metro, with your credit card or cash. All metro tickets can be combined with the bus and train network.

Remember that public transport is the most sustainable system! See Barcelona public transportation website for detailed information. For more general sightseeing, we recommend the Tour Bus, which has two different routes and visits all the highlights of Barcelona.

local_taxi
Taxi

Otherwise, taxis are easy to find throughout the city. Other companies such as Cabify or Freenow are also available in the city through their telephone apps.


Participants reaching the city centre from BCN Airport

UNESCO participants will need to arrange their own transportation from the airport to the place they are staying in Barcelona.

How to reach and leave the airport

OPTION A – AEROBÚS

AEROBÚS is the quickest option to reach Barcelona city centre, and the average trip is 30 minutes. A bus leaves the airport every 5 or 10 minutes from 5:35 h to 01:00 h, the single ticket costs 5,90 €, and the return ticket costs 10,20 €. There is an AEROBÚS stop at both terminals T1 and T2. You can buy the ticket online from the staff, bus driver, or ticket vending machines. The AEROBÚS service is not integrated into the fare system; you will need to buy another ticket once in the city centre if you require another means of transportation to reach your final destination.

Learn more

OPTION B – METRO

Metro line L9 Sud connects the airport terminals T1 and T2 with the city of Barcelona every 7 minutes. The journey takes you 32 minutes and operates every day from Monday to Thursday (5:00 h to midnight), Fridays and eves of public holidays (5:00 am to 2:00 am), non-stop on Saturdays and from 5:00 h until midnight on Sunday. An airport ticket to Barcelona city centre costs 4,60 €. The Airport Metro station is not integrated into the fare system; you will need to buy another ticket once in the city centre if you require another means of transportation to reach your final destination.

Learn more

OPTION C – City Bus 46

The Bus 46 (Plaça Espanya – Airport) routes between the airport, both terminals T1 and T2, and Barcelona city. The operating hours are from 4:50 h to 23:50 h, and the frequency varies throughout the day: they leave the airport every 15 or 30 minutes. A single ticket costs 2,20 €. You can buy the ticket from the bus driver or at ticket vending machines. City Bus 46 is integrated into the fare system; you can buy integrated tickets or the Hola Barcelona Travel Card at ticket vending machines.

Learn more

OPTION D – Taxi

There is a taxi station central at the exit of both the terminals T1 and T2 at the airport. The price is around 35 €, and it takes 20 minutes to reach Universitat de Barcelona in the city centre.

The 2024 Ocean Decade Conference is co-organised by: