Pre cruise Barcelona planWe have

[Mura]

We've been to Barcelona quite a few times in the last 10 years and have stayed at various hotels. It does depend on where you want to be in terms of location as well as $$$. On our last two visits we stayed at the sister hotel of the Colon -- it's in back of the Colon and significantly cheaper. By some dumb luck, on both visits we were in the same room.

 

It's a three star opposite the Cathedral (not the basicila!) and steps away from a HOHO stop. The beds aren't the greatest but the service is excellent and a reasonable breakfast is included in the room price.

http://www.hotelregenciacolon.com/

 

Apropos of something else, I just saw in the February issue of International Travel News a Gaudi Pass which looks like a good deal and can be purchased online. It gives you jump the line admission to Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera. La Pedrera is the first Gaudi site we ever visited and remains one of our favorites. The admission to each is EUR29 and the Pass costs EUR65 but it gives you some enticing extra perks: an audioguide at La Pedrera, a one day HOHO ticket which takes you to loads of wonderful places and a wine tasting and access to the top of the Columbus Monument. So it does pay for itself if you want to see these two places, and the HOHO pass even if only for one day is also worth quite a lot.

 

On our last visit in November 2017 we found two lovely small museums that we really enjoyed, as well as the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Montjuic. The latter has a spectacular exhibit of Romanesque wall paintings. The two gems we found are the Egyptian Museum and a walkable distance away, the Modernisme Museum. We found the Modernisme by accident, thinking it was the Modern Art Museum (!) ... but we loved it.

 

There is so much to see and do in Barcelona it's hard to rank things in order!

 

Have a great visit. This is one of our favorite European cities. It was my mother's absolute favorite European city.

 

Mura

[Kattus]

... in June (Solstice of Summer), it's bright until 10ish, in December (Solstice of Winter) by 6ish is dark already. I hope this helps you to have an idea.

WOAAAH until 10! Will definitely be something new to experience lol

 

Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

[vnb2003]

Hi @WallyNDiane

 

I am afraid that Barcelona requires a good full five days to just grasp the surface of the city as it has quite a lot of things to see/do in a wide variety of potential interests... plus over 2000 years of history. However, life is tough and one doesn't always have the luxury (or luck!), so if you say you have two "half days", well, then that's what you have :)

 

With such a short time, there are two approaches you can take: (1) do a bit of research on your own and see a few of the many things you could be doing/visiting (that is, "sites" or "attractions") and that can be of interest to you and make a rough bucket list, then I'd be pleased to try to assist making it "fit" in your schedule, or, (2) select "just" a couple of sites/attractions and spend the rest of your limited time wandering the city -which, frankly it's what I'd do. I have to say that I've found many people coming from the States that are only focused on sites/attractions -much like if this was a theme park, gosh!- and that's sad because they do miss one of the highlights of most European cities: strolling its neighbourhoods, observing life and enjoying a variety of sites and people. Distances here are smaller, and contrary to what happens in many cities elsewhere, there's no "empty void" between site A and site B but a series of quirky streets, amazing buildings, curious shops, historical references, etc. so it often is part of the adventure when visiting and one always end up discovering amazing nooks and crannies. But again... everybody has his own style of travelling, of course.

 

If you're interested in cramming your schedule with sites, these are a good starting point for your quest: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/ -- http://www.infocatalonia.eu/ -- http://www.timeout.com/barcelona -- http://lameva.barcelona.cat/en -- http://www.barcelonaesmoltmes.cat/en/inici -- http://patrimoni.gencat.cat/en/discover/search

 

If you are interested in strolling the city, you can always join a free walking tour (ie. https://runnerbeantours.com/) which will bring you the added bonus of being educated by a local knowledgeable guide, take a ride on a hop on hop off bus (ie https://www.barcelonabusturistic.cat/en/home or http://barcelona.city-tour.com/en ) or DIY -which I enjoy better. For this last option, I prepared some time ago a map with several proposed routes which will facilitate you an itinerary by which I consider to be the most emblematic parts of the city. Feel free to download it here: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z2FZxJpeWEpA.kwM2d8YxuELQ and read this (post #7) for some explanation of the routes: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187497-i44-k7926144-Where_do_the_cruise_ships_dock_in_Barcelona_Port-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

 

Enjoy!

 

PS: Barcelona is a safe city and there aren't any serious "no-go" areas -none that you'd end up going anyway!- and despite being a city, so crime does exist, it tends to be minor (no gun, no gangs). This reminder would seem pretty obvious to many, but not to everybody.

 

EnricM, thank you very much for the info. We also will be staying in Barcelona for 2 precruise nights and one cruise night. So we will have almost 4 full days. We've never been to Barcelona and look forward to our trip. I love walk the city and watch local life and participate in it as well. So... I'll be using your DIY map but please explain the color. I understand those are different routes but is there any significance in color?

Thank you!

[EnricM]

Hi @vnb2003

Don't pay any attention to it... it's just a way to differentiate four routes that have different "appeals", so to speak:

 

YELLOW is the district of GRÀCIA, it's not monumental but it's a cosy walk in a bohemian neighbourhood of the city which used to be an independent town since its establishment in 1626 until 1897 after the city expanded and the neighbourhood of l'Eixample was built. It de-facto linked several towns and villages in the plain of Barcelona with the growing city. It's full of small raised buildings (2-3 storeys), narrow semi-pedestrianised streets and tree-lined squares with terraces. Very town-like ambience.

 

BLUE is the district of l'EIXAMPLE (pronounced "ah-ee-sham-plah"), the Modernista expansion of Barcelona in the mid-1800s, full of wide avenues and boulevards, lots (lots!) of fine examples of architecture and art of the Modernisme movement. You can find there, among many others, Casa Batlló, Casa Ametller, Casa de les Punxes, Palau del Baró de Quadras, La Pedrera, etc. It also contains the most luxurious shops in town, in and around Passeig de Gràcia Avenue and a very cosy walk at Rambla Catalunya.

 

Both RED and ORANGE are routes in the CIUTAT VELLA (Old City), the first one in the cradle of the old Barcelona, where you'll find over 2000 years of history packed in a few square kilometres, with Prehistoric remains, bits and pieces of the Roman settlement and plenty of Medieval buildings, from the Jewish Call to the nobility palaces and everything in between; the second one takes you thru the El Raval, the most "rogue" neighbourhood of the city. Once outside the walls of the city during the early Middle Ages, it was known as the garden of Barcelona because its fields fed Barcelonians inside the city walls (now the El Gòtic and La Ribera neighbourhoods). Later it gathered those that couldn't afford to find a place to live inside the protection of the walled city and several 'neighbourhoods' popped up where fields once were.

Edited March 6, 2018 by EnricM

[vnb2003]

Hi @vnb2003

Don't pay any attention to it... it's just a way to differentiate four routes that have different "appeals", so to speak:

 

YELLOW is the district of GRÀCIA, it's not monumental but it's a cosy walk in a bohemian neighbourhood of the city which used to be an independent town since its establishment in 1626 until 1897 after the city expanded and the neighbourhood of l'Eixample was built. It de-facto linked several towns and villages in the plain of Barcelona with the growing city. It's full of small raised buildings (2-3 storeys), narrow semi-pedestrianised streets and tree-lined squares with terraces. Very town-like ambience.

 

BLUE is the district of l'EIXAMPLE (pronounced "ah-ee-sham-plah"), the Modernista expansion of Barcelona in the mid-1800s, full of wide avenues and boulevards, lots (lots!) of fine examples of architecture and art of the Modernisme movement. You can find there, among many others, Casa Batlló, Casa Ametller, Casa de les Punxes, Palau del Baró de Quadras, La Pedrera, etc. It also contains the most luxurious shops in town, in and around Passeig de Gràcia Avenue and a very cosy walk at Rambla Catalunya.

 

Both RED and ORANGE are routes in the CIUTAT VELLA (Old City), the first one in the cradle of the old Barcelona, where you'll find over 2000 years of history packed in a few square kilometres, with Prehistoric remains, bits and pieces of the Roman settlement and plenty of Medieval buildings, from the Jewish Call to the nobility palaces and everything in between; the second one takes you thru the El Raval, the most "rogue" neighbourhood of the city. Once outside the walls of the city during the early Middle Ages, it was known as the garden of Barcelona because its fields fed Barcelonians inside the city walls (now the El Gòtic and La Ribera neighbourhoods). Later it gathered those that couldn't afford to find a place to live inside the protection of the walled city and several 'neighbourhoods' popped up where fields once were.

 

Good morning Enric,

 

You are a wealth of information and it is very interesting to read :) I could see the places you described! Thank you.

[EnricM]

My pleasure.

[CruiseVA]

Wow - tons of great advice here. Our current plan for an October Med cruise is, none of which is set in stone:

Fly into Barcelona on 9/29 from Washington DC, we'll be seriously jet lagged (arrive around 10AM).

Stay in Barcelona until the cruise departs on 10/2

Have not booked anything except for the cruise, so we're wide open on when to arrive, where to stay & what to do. The dates were selected based on $ mostly, but, I'm flexible on those.

We'll be seeing a TA in the next week or two to get some ideas from them as well, but, I'd like to have some ideas before going to see them. In the past I've booked everything, but, having never been in Spain (let alone Europe), I'd like some expert advice.

[Mura]

Just lost the message I was drafting ... oh well!

 

First of all, as a first visit I'd aim for some Gaudi visits: the Sagrada Familia and one of the famous houses, probably La Mila (aka la Pedrera) or Casa Battlo. Walking distance between the two. If you like parks, Park Guell is well worth a visit. We spent half a day there, but it took a while to get there since we took the bus! If you go to Sagrada Familia, be sure to visit the museum section! It's well worth the time. Jump the line tickets can be purchased on line for all of these. They are no longer cheap, sigh. When we visited La Mila and Casa Battlo, prices were less than half what they are now. But there are also tickets that give you a bunch of admissions for discounted prices. For one, look intro the Gaudi Pass:

http://bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com/shopv3/en/product/25177/gaudi-pass.html

 

(If that link doesn't work, email me at mura at speakeasy dot net or the address shown at the end of this message)

 

Museums. So many wonderful ones ... We just discovered the Egyptian and Modernisme: small museums, about a 15 minute walk between them.

 

If you do the HOHO bus (highly recommended) we like the red route, but there are two others. The red route takes you up to Montjuic where you can visit the Miro and National Art Museum of Catalonia. The latter is huge. We spent all of our time in the area devoted to romanesque art. Some wonderful wall paintings there.

 

Of course walk up and down La Rambla ... from there you can visit La Boqueria (if you like vegetable and etc. markets) and then it's a short walk to the Cathedral, also worth a visit.

 

There is so much to see in Barcelona that you won't be able to see everything! But you can get a good beginning in your few days there.

 

 

One of our favorite cities ...

 

Mura

[EnricM]

Each person is a world in itself and we all have our preferences, expectations, tastes and oddities.

 

Thus, in order not to be uselessly shooting in the dark, it's best if you first have a look at the myriad of possibilities that Barcelona has to offer and prepare your own 'bucket list'.

 

Here a few sites to get you started:

 

http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/

http://www.infocatalonia.eu/

http://www.timeout.com/barcelona

http://lameva.barcelona.cat/en

http://www.barcelonaesmoltmes.cat/en/inici

http://patrimoni.gencat.cat/en/discover/search

 

Once you have a rough itinerary, it's far easier to advise and provide tips.

 

And let's not forget heritage and tradition

 

http://lameva.barcelona.cat/culturapopular/en

 

and finally, in case you still think you might get bored, take the pulse to the city:

 

http://guia.barcelona.cat/en

 

Enjoy! :)))

[CruiseVA]

Many thanks Mura & EnricM, I will look into all you've provided. One more question, any thoughts on where to stay for the 3 nights I'll be there?

[JoRoy218]

For those accustomed to paying an arm and a leg every time you "dine out" at home, you'll be pleased to know that while we also have expensive restaurants, the vast majority are within a reasonable range and many could even be considered inexpensive. Food is an important part of our social fabric so going out with family or friends, or just your partner, whether for a snack or for a proper dinner is something most of us do quite often thus the offer of eateries is abundant and varied and prices reasonable.

 

I wonder if I could impose on you for a few restaurant recommendations? We are staying at Hotel Europark in April and would love a place with typical Spanish/local food.. Thanks very much.

[EnricM]

There's no such thing as "Spanish" cuisine... Spain is not a country -in the traditional sense- but a melange of several cultures, each one with different traits, cultural heritage and language -for example, here in Catalonia, Catalan is the local language albeit Spanish is co-official. Same goes for the cuisines and while it's true some ingredients are shared -same with other Mediterranean cuisines- the recipes tend to be rather different.

 

Thus, while in Barcelona -being a cosmopolitan capital- you can find restaurants of the different cuisines in Spain (and from other cultures around the world), I suggest you try Catalan cuisine since you're in Catalonia after all :) For that, I would recommend having a look at this list to see which one catches your eye: https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/restaurants/the-50-best-restaurants-in-barcelona-catalan-cuisine There are other, of course, but this is as good starting point as any other.

 

Note that it doesn't really matter where your hotel is located, do venture out of the most immediate vicinity if a place catches your eye. Moving about in Barcelona, via public transportation (you have several metro and bus lines in front of the hotel!) or via taxi, is inexpensive, safe, clean, fast and convenient. Don't limit yourself to "what's around the hotel", trust me, you'll be missing a lot.

[Mura]

I wonder if I could impose on you for a few restaurant recommendations? We are staying at Hotel Europark in April and would love a place with typical Spanish/local food.. Thanks very much.

 

We stayed at the Europark a few years ago. On our way to the Sagrada Familia we found a nice very informal tapas place. True, this was for lunch. It was the only place that I recall eating in the neighborhood. Turn left going out of the hotel and stay on the left hand side of the street. This place was maybe a block away. I think on a corner.

 

Also, the hotel itself has a nice little restaurant in the bar upstairs. We had a couple of pleasant dinners there. Not the same as finding a good neighborhood restaurant, I agree, but we enjoyed it.

 

Mura

[telebax51]

We stayed at the Europark a few years ago. On our way to the Sagrada Familia we found a nice very informal tapas place. True, this was for lunch. It was the only place that I recall eating in the neighborhood. Turn left going out of the hotel and stay on the left hand side of the street. This place was maybe a block away. I think on a corner.

 

Also, the hotel itself has a nice little restaurant in the bar upstairs. We had a couple of pleasant dinners there. Not the same as finding a good neighborhood restaurant, I agree, but we enjoyed it.

 

Mura

 

Hi Mura we will be staying at Hotel Europark also did you walk to La Sagrada Familia how far was it on foot and did you walk to the Las Ramblas area how far was it. Thanks

[Mura]

Yes, we walked to the Sagrada Familia. Took a minor wrong turn on the way which added a bit of time. I think it took us about 15 minutes.

 

We took a cab to Las Ramblas, however. If you do a LOT of walking, it's certainly feasible. For us it was a bit far and we were supposed to meet a guide for a walking tour and weren't sure if we had enough time to walk, especially with a long walking tour on the menu.

 

Mura

[whystayhome]

We have taken 2 "free" Runnerbean tours in Barcelona - the Gaudi tour and the Gothic quarter walk. Both are fabulous and give you a terrific overview. The Gaudi tour was particularly spectacular; among other things, we learned how to use the metro. Have fun.

[suron]

We are arriving a day early in Barcelona. I hope to start our sight seeing around noon. My plan is to see the Gothic Quarter, a bit of Los Ramblas and if possible Park Guell.

 

The next day, our ship departs at 5 pm. I would like to tour Sagrada Familia. This should allow us to prebuy our tickets for an early am time. This would allow a several hour tour at the church.

 

I was thinking about getting a hotel near Sagrada Familia that would allow us to walk to the church, then return to the hotel after our tour for us to checkout and take a taxi to the port. We do like getting on the ship as early as possible.

 

Does getting a hotel around Sagrada Familia make sense under this plan? I don't want to buy any ticket that requires a set time on the day of our flight in case of flight delays.

 

We are arriving on a Tuesday and our cruise departs Wednesday. We have never been to Barcelona before so I want to see as much as I can in the short time we have. We have our flights already booked.

 

Have you considered an apartment. Hotels in Barcelona can be very expensive especially during peak times. My family and I (3 adults and twin boys). We will be staying in Barcelona pre cruise in July prior to sailing on MSCs new ship Seaview. Could not get hotel with quad room and prices were high if we had taken three rooms.

 

We have booked Suite Home Sagrada Familia - three bedrooms and the cost is £240 for us all. The apartment is literally a ten min Walk to Sagrada Familia - we have already booked our slot there direct on line.

 

The apartment complex has several apartments - small for couples and some sleep up to ten. There are good reviews - check them out on booking.com and Trip Advisor.

 

Good luck with your plans

Suron

Edited May 5, 2018 by suron
Wording wrong