I booked a roundtrip journey with Direct Bus from Barcelona to Andorra. Because I ‘missed’ the bus from Barcelona to Andorra (see I Missed My Ride: Not So ‘Direct Bus’ Andorra), I made sure to get to the bus station early and to ask what time and exactly where the bus would come.
The monitor in the bus terminal pointed to where the bus would be. I took no chances and sat right under it.
Not my busNot my bus
When the bus that said DirectBus arrived, I attempted to board it. The driver said that my electronic ticket was no good and that I needed to go into the office and obtain a paper ticket. Anxiety set in as I became worried that as soon as I turned my back, the bus would poof! Disappear.
My bus
Luckily, that didn’t happen. The journey was smooth minus the cursory inspection at the Spanish border.
TPOL’s TIP: DirectBus picks up from BCN airport but drops off at the main train station.
TPOL’s Guns & Butter Travel Guide is the best way to see as much as you can in as little time as possible. Here’s how it works: A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy. The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa. The guide includes inefficient activities i.e., tourist traps that should be avoided and aspirational activities that are worth doing but may be impossible to see given the constraints of time and resources.
Why do people come to Andorra? Most come to the home of the Pyrenesse to ski. TPOL doesn’t ski. Some come to hike. This was a day trip and TPOL had no interest in physical exertion. Others come for the Country Count novelty. This applied to me (see Where I’ve Been).
Tax-Free Shopping
One interesting fact about Andorra is that it is a tax-free zone. While that is true, I did not find the prices to be especially competitive for my interests (see TPOL Knows Cologne, Just Don’t Buy It on a Plane )
Versace is the best.Why are golf balls so expensive everywhere?
TPOL’s Tip: There is a 9-hole golf course in Andorra.
The prices were great for alcohol.
Not sure about the prices but the sign was clever.
Nobility of Time
The point of interest that fascinated me was Dali’s Noblesse du temps or nobility of time. As a sophomore at the University of Michigan, I had the Persistence of Memory poster hung on my wall.
Satisfied with my cultural experience, I stopped at Barri Antic for a beer.
From there, it was on to the old parliament. When I learned of the cover charge, I declined to enter.
The next objective was to take photos of the curious gold men sitting down. Since returning I have researched said men. They are called the 7 Poets and were created by Jaume Plensa. Regarding the moments, Plensa said, “Poets are a key part of society. They are doomed to failure because they know they won’t sell even three books, but they are a source of fertility, like a very fine rain that penetrates the earth.” He might as well be talking about TPOL.
I still needed to get to Andorra after the first bus did not show up (see I Missed My Ride: Not So ‘Direct Bus’ Andorra). To do so, I had to take another bus to Terminal 1, which confirmed that I was indeed in the right place when I was waiting for Direct Bus. What is nice about Andbus is how the website shows clearly where the bus stop is.
No confusion here.Terminal 1Look who it isWhere I waitLook who arrivedOn my way
After boarding the bus, the driver made his way through the airport. I, once again, passed Terminal 2. And I, once again, wondered how it was possible that my bus did not come.
I have been forever paranoid about missing a flight (see Boarding Announcement Paranoia). I am terrified of being caught on a train without a ticket (see “Tickets, Please, Tickets”: Train Anxiety). And I am scared that I will take the wrong bus or, worse still, miss the bus completely.
To prevent Travel Lesson posts from accumulating, I purposefully and strategically researched the bus from Barcelona to Andorra. I came across Direct Bus. For 60 euros, I could easily and without hassle reach another country on my list (see Where I’ve Been).
I took note that the bus picks up at Terminal 2 and scheduled my Bolt to make sure I arrived with plenty of time to spare. Upon arrival, I went to the information desk to double-check the location of the bus stop. She confirmed that it was out the doors to the right.
Unfortunately, there were no signs that said Direct Bus. As the minutes ticked along, I became concerned. Not wanting to be idle, I asked multiple bus drivers. Both said I was in the right spot.
Is this the right spot?Right spot, wrong bus
With the pickup time moments away, I made use of the Direct Bus WhatsApp contact. Here’s what I was told.
Assured that I was in the right place and that the bus was there, I waited past the pick-up time and assumed that maybe the bus was running late.
A few minutes later, a Direct Bus arrived. I thought this was it. When I went to board, the driver said that he was not going to Andorra and that my bus had already left. I tried to explain that I had been here the entire time but he said ‘se fue’ and that was the end.
Right bus, wrong bus.
Outraged, I called Direct Bus and the agent tried to convince me that I missed the bus and that I would have to wait two hours for another one.
I could have gone home but decided to book with another company, Andbus, hoping it would show up.
Confirmed: I was in Terminal 2Transport to Terminal 1Going to Terminal 1 to catch Andbus
Overall
There is no Travel Lesson to be learned. The bus did not show up. I am not crazy.
My first stop on this crazy trip was Barcelona. Typically, I land at a destination and the craziness starts. This time, I took a different approach. This time I decided to ease my way into the trip. The Hyatt BCN is the perfect place to implement this strategy. Why?
1. It is very close to the airport.
Had I not messed with Uber and Bolt, I could have been in my comfy Hyatt bed in minutes.
2. It is in the middle of nowhere.
I don’t appreciate that this place is called the Hyatt Regency Barcelona. While technically it is in Barcelona, there’s nothing that resembles Barcelona for kilometers. If I had hurriedly booked this hotel with the expectation that I would be somewhere in the vicinity, I would have been quite disappointed. Fortunately, I have learned the lesson that Hotel Name + City Name does not equal prime real estate (see Four Points Ljubljana: Not Near the Centre). This time the less-than-ideal location was to my advantage. The goal was not to do anything. Temptation was far from my door making this mission easy to accomplish.
Fun is not right outside your door.
3. Points Cheap
What will we do when Hyatt has a serious devaluation like Hilton? This would end my ability to pad stays at properties without worrying about points (see Bus-Ted: Gold Medal Trip Report Points & Cash Summary). For 9k a night, I received a great room and a hot shower.
Where’s TPOL?Where’s TPOL?
4. Close to Andorra
As stated above, the Hyatt is close to the airport. The airport is where I attempted to catch the bus to Andorra. This is convenient if logistics go as planned (see I Missed My Ride: Not So ‘Direct Bus’ Andorra).
5. It’s a Funky Hotel
No espresso machine is bad.But olives in the mini bar? Good.
Overall
If you’re looking to ease your way into your Euro trip, stay at the Hyatt Regency Barcelona.
Take it from me, I hate taxis at the airport. However, there is a time and place for them. And that time and place is Barcelona airport, especially if you happen to be staying at the Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower.
Here’s why: I saw there was a metro in the airport. Starting my trip frugally and with no rush, I thought it made sense to pay the 5.50 euros for the metro. After doing so, I turned to my Moovit app to chart my route. I should have done this before paying for the ticket.
Should’ve looked at this first.
Bolt & Uber Timers
Striking out on the metro, I checked the rideshare apps. I learned that new arrivals to Barcelona have to wait 15 minutes for a ride-share app to request a driver. And when it does, it is no easy mission to find the Uber driver.
I hate this guy.
Taxi
I do not have time to waste for the sake of wasting it. After trekking all over BCN airport, I concluded that I was better off taking a taxi to the hotel from the outset. I discovered that I was only a few minutes away.
It’s not here.Everyone thought it was here.It was here.1 hour later, on my way.
Overall
I have no issue paying a premium for expedient taxis. The problem is not knowing whether I will be ripped off. In Barcelona, this was not an issue, but how was I to know this in advance?
This was a strange flight. I was in ‘business’ but there were 3 seats in the business class row. I’m not sure if this was COVID-inspired but the middle seat was unavailable for passengers.
That came in handy for my tapas and Coke Zero. Inspired by my American neighbor, I ordered a bottle of the Cava. It was warm and tasted like the ‘champagne’ we had in my house growing up. No bueno.
This is the place to say if you’re going to the Full Moon Party. If you are going for rest and relaxation and it’s not a full moon, this is a great place to stay.
