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Help with our Spain trip (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter The Dude
- Start date
Grenada is the only one I haven't been to, but I would definitely not skip the other three. Seville is a beautiful town but I only got to spend a day there. I want to go back. Just to see Guadi's stuff makes Barcelona worth it. It is a bit touristsy, but still a great town. Madrid has awesome museums and the Royal Palace is incredible. When I have time I can detail specifics.
John Bender
Footballguy
Going to be in Barcelona for 5 days in May, so any help there is appreciated as well.
Also Mallorca for a day.
Also Mallorca for a day.
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The must sees are:
1. La Sagrata Familia
2. Picaso Museum
3. Park Guell
4. Night time fountain show at Mountjuic
5. La Boqueria (Market on La Rambla)
6. Soccer game if possible
Rent an apartment with a kitchen and family room. Nicer and cheaper than a hotel. Pick up fresh seafood and spices at the market and cook it yourself if you can cook. There are a couple places (bars) in the back which cook up good food. Drink lots of Sangrias.
John Bender
Footballguy
Thank you -
I should add. I like art and food (the weirder the better on the food side of things)
If you like Miro, there is a very good Miro Museum with a ton of his work in the moutjuic area. I have not been there. Almost went in, but did not have enough time to spend there.
Gopher State
Footballguy
Go to CA you have more fun
Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
You certainly have decided to drive your pretentious ######## postings way up lately. Trouble at home?
Officer Pete Malloy
Footballguy
My friend Jane says she's going away to Spain.
Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
The Dreaded Marco
Footballguy
We spent 2 weeks in Spain a couple years ago and hit all four of those cities as well. I wouldn't skip any of them. Here's a cut and paste review I put together from another board. This was 2 years ago so I'm not sure all of this is still 100% accurate but a lot of it should be:
If you hadn't already planned on it, get a Chip & PIN card from Travelex---those cards can be invaluable in Europe. It literally saved us hours of waiting in line for tickets (transportation and tourist sites) by being able to use the automated venders which do not accept US credit cards. Most restaurants and shops accept them as well.
Don't worry about the Renfe train tickets. We were able to get our tickets for both trains and buses while there without a problem, often on the day of travel.
As for the specific cities:
Barcelona was by far the most touristy feeling of the 4 major cities we visited. The warnings about pick-pockets and scam artists are not overblown as I had at least 1 failed attempt to grab my wallet and we were constantly warding off scammers. The Barri Gotic is by far the most charming part of town. The "Gaudi tour" was our highlight in Barca. I believe we saw all his major works: Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Park Guell and Palau Guell. If you're a fan of his architecture, I think seeing them all is worth it. If not, I'd hit the SF and Batllo. The Picasso Museum was another highlight. Montjuic was a bit disappointing. Your buddy's restaurant recs were good, especially Cal Pep. I would disagree with him about eating at the bar vs. the back room---definitely get the dining room reservation. We called 2 hours before and were seated. It was one of our best meals the entire trip. La Boqueria is a must as well.
Madrid was all about the art for us. We spent 6 hours at the Prado. We're not as big into modern art but Guernica is worth the price of admission alone at the Reina Sofia. We actually enjoyed the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum more than the Reina Sofia. Retiro park was nice and the Royal Palace is worth a couple hours. Unlike Barcelona, you don't need to buy a metro card in Madrid. Most the sites are fairly close together and cabs are as cheap and more convenient.
Sevilla is fantastic. Just wandering the streets here (and Granada) were some of our best moments. The Cathedral is stunning. Don't skip the smaller Iglesia del Salvador which is nearby and included with your ticket to the main cathedral. While much smaller it was equally gorgeous (sounding a little like Rick Steves now). The Alcazar is worthwhile as well. Speaking of Mr. Steves, we took a walking tour he recommends led by Concepcion Delgado---well worth the money. She was so charming, funny and knowledgeable. She recommended the Archivos del Indios museum. It's just 1 block west of the Alcazar. It has rotating exhibits and the current one is showing the original maps/documents of the early explorers. It's all in Spanish but even if you don't know the language, seeing the documents was fascinating. We saw a bullfight here (just the teen novices, the pro's are in their off-season). I don't think they'll still be going when you're there but if so, it was pretty interesting to see. El Museo de Finas Artes is Sevilla's art museum set in a beautful building with some impressive works. It was surprisingly nearly empty while we were there but we all enjoyed it. The best tapas we had the entire trip was in Sevilla. It's called Ovejas Negras, about a block north of the Cathedral. It's the only restaurant we went to more than once. Highly recommended.
Granada is well worth a few days too. In fact, we wished we had cut Barcelona and/or Madrid by a day and spent 3-4 nights in Granada. The Alhambra and Albaicin district are both unbelievably beautiful.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
If you're going in August, dude, hang close to the coast. Madrid summers are what drove Quixote mad. Iberia, like Italy, should be done in two trips anyway. If you can't change the time, i'd fly into Barcelona, enjoy it and Costa Brava, fly to Lisbon, enjoy, drive to the Algarve then across to the hill country, a hot night or two in Seville and down to Costa del Sol. Do Madrid, the college towns, Toledo and a swing to Cordoba/Grenada around Easter on a 2nd trip. Worth it. GL -
The Dreaded Marco
Footballguy
I can't argue with this point. We were there in late June/early July and it was 95+ on all 4 days--106 on one day. It didn't help that the advertised hotel "air conditioning" was a ceiling fan. I still wouldn't recommend skipping Madrid, though.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
There are so many great places in Spain. Even thought I lived in Madrid, I'd only recommend spending a lot time there if you like museums.
If you want to eat, go to San Sebastián and Sevilla.
If you want to eat, go to San Sebastián and Sevilla.
Ditka Butkus
Footballguy
Beerguzzler
Footballguy
Been too all 4 of those cities - all worth it. Would recommend the night train to Lisbon from Sevilla. Lisbon is well worth it and you can go to Cascais too on the beach (short trip on the tram - did both in one day). Then you take a train to Madrid. (I flew out from Madrid, started in Barca on one of my trips).
La Alhambra in Grenada is a must see. Barcelona has a million touristy things to watch, can't go wrong (would recommend 2-3 days in Barca).
I've been to soccer games in both Barcelona and Madrid. Fantastic experiences of you are into it and the teams are playing when you are there.
In Sevilla ask your concierge if he can recommend a restaurant that has live Flamenco. It will be a great experience.
La Alhambra in Grenada is a must see. Barcelona has a million touristy things to watch, can't go wrong (would recommend 2-3 days in Barca).
I've been to soccer games in both Barcelona and Madrid. Fantastic experiences of you are into it and the teams are playing when you are there.
In Sevilla ask your concierge if he can recommend a restaurant that has live Flamenco. It will be a great experience.
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It was 25 years ago for me, but I decided to visit Lisbon during a trip to Spain/France, thinking my next trip to Europe would be Italy/Greece or perhaps northern Europe. Sintra, which is about half an hour outside of Lisbon, has some great sites including the Quinta de Regaliera and National Palace. If you include Lisbon/Sintra on your trip, you could go by bus from Seville to Lisbon, and then by train to Madrid.
SaintsInDome2006
Footballguy
If no one has mentioned it seriously consider Santiago de Campostella and Galicia, beautiful, magical land, more like Ireland than Spain in some ways.
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Ilov80s
Footballguy
I second that, beautiful place.
Ditka Butkus
Footballguy
Wife returned from Barcelona. Three observations.....No tattoos, No fat people, everybody smokes
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Europe definitely has a higher % of people that smoke than America. I went to Spain in 99 and the Spanish plane still had a smoking section. Also, when we were smoking in the airport (no section, just smoke wherever) I didn't see an ashtray so I asked a janitor. She said just put it out on the ground and she will clean it later.
John Bender
Footballguy
Just got back from Sagrada Familia...
If you go MAKE SURE you buy your tickets ahead of time. I waited in no lines. Took the elevator up to the Nativity tower at my selected time, and spent an hour in the main area. They also limit the number of people who visit per day. It's not too crowded inside. You could wait outside in line for hours and be told you have to buy tickets for the next day.
Headed to Park Guell.
Also, don't even bother brushing up on your Spanish if you're just doing Barcelona. I am more or less fluent and other than my hotel and the major tourist areas, forget it. I thought Spanish was basically spoken by everyone here as a secondary language, but that has not been my experience. That's my own ignorance though. They do appreciate when you ask if they speak Spanish or English and let them know you can communicate in either as opposed to not even trying at all.
Also...Mallorca was the best part of my trip. Must visit, if you are coming to Spain if you can make it there, IMO.
Eta...whomever said there are no fat people, is correct. It's over 90 degrees here today and they still are wearing full suits, long pants, long sleeve shirts, etc.
If you go MAKE SURE you buy your tickets ahead of time. I waited in no lines. Took the elevator up to the Nativity tower at my selected time, and spent an hour in the main area. They also limit the number of people who visit per day. It's not too crowded inside. You could wait outside in line for hours and be told you have to buy tickets for the next day.
Headed to Park Guell.
Also, don't even bother brushing up on your Spanish if you're just doing Barcelona. I am more or less fluent and other than my hotel and the major tourist areas, forget it. I thought Spanish was basically spoken by everyone here as a secondary language, but that has not been my experience. That's my own ignorance though. They do appreciate when you ask if they speak Spanish or English and let them know you can communicate in either as opposed to not even trying at all.
Also...Mallorca was the best part of my trip. Must visit, if you are coming to Spain if you can make it there, IMO.
Eta...whomever said there are no fat people, is correct. It's over 90 degrees here today and they still are wearing full suits, long pants, long sleeve shirts, etc.
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The Z Machine
Footballguy
The one(s) with Saturn are really awesome. I spent many a Sunday morning or afternoon at the Prado. It used to be free on Sundays when I lived there. There is one particular painting of Goya's that I love of that era. The museum has some really great art.
They open it up free one afternoon a week, I think like Tuesday or Wednesday. A big long line forms and they quickly process everyone through in about 10 minutes. It is a huge museum, but I think I would pay the extra to avoid that madness.
RUSF18
Footballguy
Park Guell was beautiful. We were there on a pretty hot day but thankfully there's enough pockets of shade where we were still comfortable spending a bunch of hours there.
Also echo the Sagrada Familia tickets. We bought ours in advance, but I didn't buy the separate tower entrance early on the advice of someone and that caused us to miss out. Just a minor hiccup that we took in stride, we just grabbed some food and drinks earlier than planned.
Go ahead and book half a day for the Prado....Goya is the highlight, but there are a ton of masterpieces there.
jamny
Footballguy
It's an art lovers dream. Incredible collection.
If you're up by the Sagrada Familia, head a bit north to see the Hospital de Sant Pau. Also a very impressive building.
John Bender
Footballguy
Just tomorrow, giving me a total of 3 days here. I've been gone for 2 weeks. Going to type up a trip report for each appropriate thread when I get home.We really need a Travel (International) Thread where we can index the first page with different FBGs experience/advice based on Country or City.
I learned more searching through old FBG threads than every where else on the net and I've also been to some really funky places in recent years and can help with some weird/out of the way itineraries.
I wound up staying at the Hilton on Avenue Diagonal. That's where I get all my points through and the Hilton is always well air conditioned with some English or Spanish speaking employees.
Also...theres a hop on/hop off bus stop in front. Other than 2 cab rides, I've done nothing other than ride the hop on hop off busses. This is absolutely, IMO, the best way to get around for a few days. I'll put together a full trip report when I return. Also, free wifi, I'm typing this up as I make my way back to my hotel.
Thanks for advice from all for the trip.
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SaintsInDome2006
Footballguy
John Bender
Footballguy
Ok
Here's the full report on Barcelona only for anyone interested. This is based on my experience there as well as the research I did, as well as some input from my uncle who was a tour guide in Europe for 40 years and spent 4 years living/leading tours in Barcelona.
(I'll type up Mallorca and Cartagena as well for anyone interested when I have some time)
Getting there: Whether you're coming in by boat, train, or plane...it's quite a ride to the heart of the city compared to other places I've been. Be prepared to spend 30-40 EURO's on a cab ride from either the ports, train station or airport. If you want to spend some time learning how the rail/subways systems work, go for it, but for reasons I'll explain later, I would avoid it. Don't worry about the availability of taxiss...they city has over 10,000 of them. All clearly marked, available at nearly every tourist stop, hotel, or transport station. If you can't find a taxi in Barcelona, you shouldn't travel internationally, ever.
Staying: Lots of great opinions here, and I don't disagree with any of them. I can only speak to my experience. I like to experience the city I'm staying in during the day, but when I'm sleeping or just looking for a quick bite and wanting some comfort, I prefer an experience that's close to home (cold AC and english speaking folks to help with recommendations/directions) so I chose the Hilton on Av. Diagonal. It's located right next to the big shopping mall L'Illa on the Western side of the city. If you're going to be there more than 3 days or so, I could totally see renting an apartment, but the rentals are massively expensive (as is everything in Barcelona)
If you stay near the area I suggested above. Be sure to check out the market/food court in the basement of L'Illa. It's more local people than it is tourists, and it's like a better version of a mall food court with fresh meats/fish/cheeses and lunches/dinners. Rules for a quick lunch when you have somewhere to be or something to see.
Speaking: As I said, I am fluent in Spanish, I don't say that to say "LOOK AT ME", I say that to make the point over how little it mattered in Barcelona. When chet made the comment in this thread "...you mean Barcelona, Catalonia" he wasn't being snotty. Most people I interacted with - cab drivers, waiters, staff at tourist spots, a few locals, bar owners preferred to speak to me in broken English as opposed to having a conversation in Spanish. Either, they didn't know Spanish any better than English, or they just refused to converse in it. I suppose a 3rd option is that they think Americans are dumb and feel like they have to speak to us like we're dumb since we likely suck at Spanish. If you're going to Barcelona and plan to practice or brush up on your Spanish, don't waste your time - just pick up a Catalan phrase book and practice that. Some words look completely Spanish, some words look completely French, some words are an amalgam. It's like they took a French and Spanish dictionary and put all the words in a bingo rolling machine and just picked out which word they would go with for Catalan. No criticism intended here either but rather a heads up to anyone headed to Barcelona thinking they could get by with conversational Spanish. I speak a few languages, but Catalan is jarringly weird to experience for the first time. It's not a dialect, it's a language. If you only know some Spanish conversationally or common phrases, you might as well speak Dothraki. I can't believe how wrong I was about being able to get around here with knowing Spanish.
People: Most of the stereotypes seemed actually true in my opinion. Although, to be fair, in 3 days, how much can you really learn? The folks who live here seem a little bit self-important. It was 90 degrees while I was there, and they were still walking/riding bikes wearing full 3 piece suits. The women were beautifully dressed in longer skirts some with sweaters. A lot of people were still wearing jackets during high noon! I don't even think they are necessarily stuck up, as much as they are just a classy and prideful group of people. If you want to go, I suggest you blend in as best you can to experience the city a bit more. Don't walk around in beach clothes, leave the shorts at home. If you are worried about wearing jeans when it's 90 degrees out, buy a pair of jeans in Barcelona - they are made out of much lighter material. I wore jeans I bought there and long sleeves all 3 days and I was more than fine. If you don't mind walking around looking like a tourist, by all means, wear your camera strapped around you and fanny pack and cargo shorts and enjoy the sites. When I travel, I like to at least attempt to get a real sense of the place beyond the tourist spots (shopping in actual markets, eating in less touristy places). Plus, there's the added bonus of not being targeted by pick pockets and scammers as Barcelona is the pickpocket capital of Europe. Best way to be left alone is to blend in, have a constitution about you when moving through the city so you at least look like you know where you are going. Save the stopping and looking at maps in the middle of La Rambla for your lunch table or hotel rooms only.
On the note of pickpocketing/scams. This is important. I know you hear this warnings about every foreign city you visit, but Barcelona, from what I can gather is the worst of the worst (this is from years of experience of my uncle). Stay away from the "pea under the cup game". It seems like common sense, but you might get caught up by the "marks" pretending to win money by guessing correctly. If you get something that looks and feels like bird crap flung on you, walk faster because someone is going to approach you offering to clean you up, while cleaning you up, your wallet will be gone before you know it. Watch out for hordes of local kids speaking loudly, yelling, laughing (or hordes of guys) walking towards you. They are trying to distract you as they walk into you and nick whatever's in your pockets. I know, no one needs a lecture about avoiding pick pockets when traveling to Europe, but even the most experienced and careful traveler can fall into some of the schemes in Barcelona. And Barcelona (especially La Rambla) is the worst. Do not talk to anyone unless you started the conversation is a good rule of thumb. I don't want to sound like a scared baby, but if you aren't given this lecture before you go, it's very easy to fall into a scam in Barcelona thinking it's like any other touristy city in Europe.
Eat: You can find plenty of good places to eat in the city and don't need much advice from me. But if you want to try some paella or pan y tomato, the best place I ate at was La Arroseria Xativa on Carrer de Bordeus. Awesome, classic paella that takes 50 minutes to make and is served right out of the pan with a wooden spoon to eat it. Try the tomato bread wherever you go though. It will be served everywhere, and it's awesome. They essentially take stale bread and rub/smush a way over ripened tomato onto it, drizzle with oil and salt and it tastes better than any other "bread" I've had at a restaurant before. I loved this stuff.
Get Around: Seriously, I might get laughed at for this one, but I can't stress enough. Just get yourself a 2 day pass to the Hop on Hop off Bus. You can buy passes at any stop, but the easiest location to start is La Placa Catalunya. I know it's especially funny since I just advocated not looking like a tourist
, but this was the most efficient way to see the sites. The busses are EVERYWHERE. I was never waiting at a stop for more than 10 minutes. I simply grabbed a cab for any times after tour hours and walked to the restaurants. I didn't want to be crammed on a bus with tourists either and look like another schlep, but you only look like a schlep while ON the bus. It brings you to every single part of the city. You can get off and distance yourself quickly when you get there 
Also has free Wi Fi on board to check FBG in between stops! For reasons stated above (pick pockets and scams), I avoid the public transportation system. Barcelona is supposed to have an awesome public transportation system, and I believe it. But if you're dressed up in cargo shorts and a Yankees t shirt, you are going to be like a chicken walking through a fox den in Barcelona on the subway.
See: I couldn't get to everything obviously but these were my experiences with each of the major tourist places
There's going to be a theme here that will save you HOURS, and I'm not over exaggerating. BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR ANY SITES YOU WANT TO SEE BEFORE YOU GET TO BARCELONA
1. La Sagrada Familia:
Time needed: 60-120 minutes TOTAL (if done as laid out below)
Do you want to take a cab or bus down to the site and sit in line for over an hour just to see what time you will be allowed to visit? Or worse yet, wait in line for 2 hours and then be told you have to come back the next day? No. Buy your tickets in the US before you leave for the trip. Print them out and have them on you. Show up on the time stated (or within 30 minutes) and walk in, see, walk out in the time it takes to get a ticket to the place. If you want to ride the elevator to the top of Nativity Towers (and believe me you do), pay for your tickets before you leave for the trip and have that lined up too. Of all the things mentioned, this is a MUST. You can see the crypt between 9 and 10 AM - so get you ticket for 10 AM is an even bigger shark move because you show up, see the crypt, and by the time you are done, you are ready to go inside. There was service going on while I was at the crypt - it was really cool. Guadi is buried here.
I went up the nativity tower via elevator. Since I already arranged a time to go, the wait was <5 minutes. Very cool. You can see everything from here. Must do.
The inside is awesome and a great place for reflection or prayer if you are religious. Dress as nicely as you can while still being comfortable - lose the shorts (if you're with a woman, make sure their shoulders are covered). You may be denied access if not. If you aren't denied access, you may get quite a few ugly looks.
I would NOT go up the Nativity tower if you are claustrophobic. There is only one way down: the stairs. The stairs are barely wide enough for one person to fit through.
Very cool site. One of the coolest in Europe. Must see. Pre-plan it and win!
2. Montjuic/West side of city -
Time needed: At least a half day
There's so much going on on Montjuic and around it that I could have spent 2 days exploring it all. Firstly, the views of the city were GREAT from here. Even better than Park Guell. That was the biggest selling point for me. Great picture opportunities like nowhere else in the city.
Ride the cable cars if you have time and heights don't bother you, see the light show at the fountain at night, visit the museum of ethnology and botanical gardens and the museum of archaeology, visit the Fortress. There's just a million things to do on MontJuic. While none of them are the BEST thing about Barcelona, there's just so much to offer here and it's a little slower paced than the downtown tourist stops. I really enjoyed it. Also, if you're traveling with just a significant other, it's likely the most romantic place in the city.
3. Park Guell:
Time needed: 60-as long as you want to stay/enjoy
Buy your tickets ahead of time here as well. Also, after La Ramblas, this is the place where you'll find most of the scams/pick pockets (at least from what I could tell). It's a public park until you get inside the actual Park Guell. If you're there in the summer, dress as cooly as you can. There is no shade here, and it's at a high point in the city. Also, I know I advocated for taking the tourist buses everywhere, but they can't get up the hill to drop you off here. If you aren't in good shape, you might as well just hop a cab to this spot as they can drop you off right in front of the gates. Take your time here and see it all. It's Gaudi architecture at it's finest. Another great place to spend some time with family/significant other. Can be as peaceful and slow paced as you want it to be. Also, great picture opportunities at Park Guell as well.
The vendors/locals are only outside of the park here. Once you've gained admittance to main the part, it's one of the safest/most serene parts I visited in the city.
Another place where you need tickets ahead of time. They only allow "x" number of people in per day in order to keep it preserved.
There's so many great photo opps here. Worth the visit.
Ok...I went to a few other big places but need to take a rest from typing and finish later.
I'm sure many will find much to disagree with above, please note: this is just my personal experience as someone traveling without family. I learn so much from FBGs about various things that I like to pay it back whenever I can so I was probably a bit too thorough.
Here's the full report on Barcelona only for anyone interested. This is based on my experience there as well as the research I did, as well as some input from my uncle who was a tour guide in Europe for 40 years and spent 4 years living/leading tours in Barcelona.
(I'll type up Mallorca and Cartagena as well for anyone interested when I have some time)
Getting there: Whether you're coming in by boat, train, or plane...it's quite a ride to the heart of the city compared to other places I've been. Be prepared to spend 30-40 EURO's on a cab ride from either the ports, train station or airport. If you want to spend some time learning how the rail/subways systems work, go for it, but for reasons I'll explain later, I would avoid it. Don't worry about the availability of taxiss...they city has over 10,000 of them. All clearly marked, available at nearly every tourist stop, hotel, or transport station. If you can't find a taxi in Barcelona, you shouldn't travel internationally, ever.
Staying: Lots of great opinions here, and I don't disagree with any of them. I can only speak to my experience. I like to experience the city I'm staying in during the day, but when I'm sleeping or just looking for a quick bite and wanting some comfort, I prefer an experience that's close to home (cold AC and english speaking folks to help with recommendations/directions) so I chose the Hilton on Av. Diagonal. It's located right next to the big shopping mall L'Illa on the Western side of the city. If you're going to be there more than 3 days or so, I could totally see renting an apartment, but the rentals are massively expensive (as is everything in Barcelona)
If you stay near the area I suggested above. Be sure to check out the market/food court in the basement of L'Illa. It's more local people than it is tourists, and it's like a better version of a mall food court with fresh meats/fish/cheeses and lunches/dinners. Rules for a quick lunch when you have somewhere to be or something to see.
Speaking: As I said, I am fluent in Spanish, I don't say that to say "LOOK AT ME", I say that to make the point over how little it mattered in Barcelona. When chet made the comment in this thread "...you mean Barcelona, Catalonia" he wasn't being snotty. Most people I interacted with - cab drivers, waiters, staff at tourist spots, a few locals, bar owners preferred to speak to me in broken English as opposed to having a conversation in Spanish. Either, they didn't know Spanish any better than English, or they just refused to converse in it. I suppose a 3rd option is that they think Americans are dumb and feel like they have to speak to us like we're dumb since we likely suck at Spanish. If you're going to Barcelona and plan to practice or brush up on your Spanish, don't waste your time - just pick up a Catalan phrase book and practice that. Some words look completely Spanish, some words look completely French, some words are an amalgam. It's like they took a French and Spanish dictionary and put all the words in a bingo rolling machine and just picked out which word they would go with for Catalan. No criticism intended here either but rather a heads up to anyone headed to Barcelona thinking they could get by with conversational Spanish. I speak a few languages, but Catalan is jarringly weird to experience for the first time. It's not a dialect, it's a language. If you only know some Spanish conversationally or common phrases, you might as well speak Dothraki. I can't believe how wrong I was about being able to get around here with knowing Spanish.
People: Most of the stereotypes seemed actually true in my opinion. Although, to be fair, in 3 days, how much can you really learn? The folks who live here seem a little bit self-important. It was 90 degrees while I was there, and they were still walking/riding bikes wearing full 3 piece suits. The women were beautifully dressed in longer skirts some with sweaters. A lot of people were still wearing jackets during high noon! I don't even think they are necessarily stuck up, as much as they are just a classy and prideful group of people. If you want to go, I suggest you blend in as best you can to experience the city a bit more. Don't walk around in beach clothes, leave the shorts at home. If you are worried about wearing jeans when it's 90 degrees out, buy a pair of jeans in Barcelona - they are made out of much lighter material. I wore jeans I bought there and long sleeves all 3 days and I was more than fine. If you don't mind walking around looking like a tourist, by all means, wear your camera strapped around you and fanny pack and cargo shorts and enjoy the sites. When I travel, I like to at least attempt to get a real sense of the place beyond the tourist spots (shopping in actual markets, eating in less touristy places). Plus, there's the added bonus of not being targeted by pick pockets and scammers as Barcelona is the pickpocket capital of Europe. Best way to be left alone is to blend in, have a constitution about you when moving through the city so you at least look like you know where you are going. Save the stopping and looking at maps in the middle of La Rambla for your lunch table or hotel rooms only.
On the note of pickpocketing/scams. This is important. I know you hear this warnings about every foreign city you visit, but Barcelona, from what I can gather is the worst of the worst (this is from years of experience of my uncle). Stay away from the "pea under the cup game". It seems like common sense, but you might get caught up by the "marks" pretending to win money by guessing correctly. If you get something that looks and feels like bird crap flung on you, walk faster because someone is going to approach you offering to clean you up, while cleaning you up, your wallet will be gone before you know it. Watch out for hordes of local kids speaking loudly, yelling, laughing (or hordes of guys) walking towards you. They are trying to distract you as they walk into you and nick whatever's in your pockets. I know, no one needs a lecture about avoiding pick pockets when traveling to Europe, but even the most experienced and careful traveler can fall into some of the schemes in Barcelona. And Barcelona (especially La Rambla) is the worst. Do not talk to anyone unless you started the conversation is a good rule of thumb. I don't want to sound like a scared baby, but if you aren't given this lecture before you go, it's very easy to fall into a scam in Barcelona thinking it's like any other touristy city in Europe.
Eat: You can find plenty of good places to eat in the city and don't need much advice from me. But if you want to try some paella or pan y tomato, the best place I ate at was La Arroseria Xativa on Carrer de Bordeus. Awesome, classic paella that takes 50 minutes to make and is served right out of the pan with a wooden spoon to eat it. Try the tomato bread wherever you go though. It will be served everywhere, and it's awesome. They essentially take stale bread and rub/smush a way over ripened tomato onto it, drizzle with oil and salt and it tastes better than any other "bread" I've had at a restaurant before. I loved this stuff.
Get Around: Seriously, I might get laughed at for this one, but I can't stress enough. Just get yourself a 2 day pass to the Hop on Hop off Bus. You can buy passes at any stop, but the easiest location to start is La Placa Catalunya. I know it's especially funny since I just advocated not looking like a tourist
, but this was the most efficient way to see the sites. The busses are EVERYWHERE. I was never waiting at a stop for more than 10 minutes. I simply grabbed a cab for any times after tour hours and walked to the restaurants. I didn't want to be crammed on a bus with tourists either and look like another schlep, but you only look like a schlep while ON the bus. It brings you to every single part of the city. You can get off and distance yourself quickly when you get there Also has free Wi Fi on board to check FBG in between stops! For reasons stated above (pick pockets and scams), I avoid the public transportation system. Barcelona is supposed to have an awesome public transportation system, and I believe it. But if you're dressed up in cargo shorts and a Yankees t shirt, you are going to be like a chicken walking through a fox den in Barcelona on the subway.See: I couldn't get to everything obviously but these were my experiences with each of the major tourist places
There's going to be a theme here that will save you HOURS, and I'm not over exaggerating. BUY YOUR TICKETS FOR ANY SITES YOU WANT TO SEE BEFORE YOU GET TO BARCELONA
1. La Sagrada Familia:
Time needed: 60-120 minutes TOTAL (if done as laid out below)
Do you want to take a cab or bus down to the site and sit in line for over an hour just to see what time you will be allowed to visit? Or worse yet, wait in line for 2 hours and then be told you have to come back the next day? No. Buy your tickets in the US before you leave for the trip. Print them out and have them on you. Show up on the time stated (or within 30 minutes) and walk in, see, walk out in the time it takes to get a ticket to the place. If you want to ride the elevator to the top of Nativity Towers (and believe me you do), pay for your tickets before you leave for the trip and have that lined up too. Of all the things mentioned, this is a MUST. You can see the crypt between 9 and 10 AM - so get you ticket for 10 AM is an even bigger shark move because you show up, see the crypt, and by the time you are done, you are ready to go inside. There was service going on while I was at the crypt - it was really cool. Guadi is buried here.
I went up the nativity tower via elevator. Since I already arranged a time to go, the wait was <5 minutes. Very cool. You can see everything from here. Must do.
The inside is awesome and a great place for reflection or prayer if you are religious. Dress as nicely as you can while still being comfortable - lose the shorts (if you're with a woman, make sure their shoulders are covered). You may be denied access if not. If you aren't denied access, you may get quite a few ugly looks.
I would NOT go up the Nativity tower if you are claustrophobic. There is only one way down: the stairs. The stairs are barely wide enough for one person to fit through.
Very cool site. One of the coolest in Europe. Must see. Pre-plan it and win!
2. Montjuic/West side of city -
Time needed: At least a half day
There's so much going on on Montjuic and around it that I could have spent 2 days exploring it all. Firstly, the views of the city were GREAT from here. Even better than Park Guell. That was the biggest selling point for me. Great picture opportunities like nowhere else in the city.
Ride the cable cars if you have time and heights don't bother you, see the light show at the fountain at night, visit the museum of ethnology and botanical gardens and the museum of archaeology, visit the Fortress. There's just a million things to do on MontJuic. While none of them are the BEST thing about Barcelona, there's just so much to offer here and it's a little slower paced than the downtown tourist stops. I really enjoyed it. Also, if you're traveling with just a significant other, it's likely the most romantic place in the city.
3. Park Guell:
Time needed: 60-as long as you want to stay/enjoy
Buy your tickets ahead of time here as well. Also, after La Ramblas, this is the place where you'll find most of the scams/pick pockets (at least from what I could tell). It's a public park until you get inside the actual Park Guell. If you're there in the summer, dress as cooly as you can. There is no shade here, and it's at a high point in the city. Also, I know I advocated for taking the tourist buses everywhere, but they can't get up the hill to drop you off here. If you aren't in good shape, you might as well just hop a cab to this spot as they can drop you off right in front of the gates. Take your time here and see it all. It's Gaudi architecture at it's finest. Another great place to spend some time with family/significant other. Can be as peaceful and slow paced as you want it to be. Also, great picture opportunities at Park Guell as well.
The vendors/locals are only outside of the park here. Once you've gained admittance to main the part, it's one of the safest/most serene parts I visited in the city.
Another place where you need tickets ahead of time. They only allow "x" number of people in per day in order to keep it preserved.
There's so many great photo opps here. Worth the visit.
Ok...I went to a few other big places but need to take a rest from typing and finish later.
I'm sure many will find much to disagree with above, please note: this is just my personal experience as someone traveling without family. I learn so much from FBGs about various things that I like to pay it back whenever I can so I was probably a bit too thorough.
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whoknew
Footballguy
Bump this up.
Going to be in this area for about a week in June. Flying into Lisbon and will spend a couple of days there. After that will have 5-6 more days in Spain.
I know that's a relatively short time, so what are the recommendations on how to spend it? Seville? Madrid? Barcelona? Gibraltar?
Thanks.
Going to be in this area for about a week in June. Flying into Lisbon and will spend a couple of days there. After that will have 5-6 more days in Spain.
I know that's a relatively short time, so what are the recommendations on how to spend it? Seville? Madrid? Barcelona? Gibraltar?
Thanks.
John Bender
Footballguy
Good bump - Smails was just asking about Barcelona
rockaction
Footballguy
ThreeThousand
Footballguy
Another couple of comments on Barcelona:
1 - We loved the Sagrada Familia, Bender has it right that you will need to purchase your tickets in advance. Also, if you're into churches make sure you check out the Barcelona cathedral. It's right in the middle of the Gothic Quarter only a couple blocks off Las Ramblas. Go on a Sunday - at Sunday midday the locals gather in front of the cathedral and perform traditional Catalonyian circle dances. It's a cool way to check out the cathedral which opens right afterwards.
2 - Spend a whole day at least in the Gothic Quarter. Plenty of restaurants and we loved the Mercado right off Las Ramblas. Come hungry as you'll want to sample everything. For a couple of euros you can get Iberian ham samples, drinks, fresh fruit, etc. A great way to spend a couple of hours.
3 - Public transportation (subway) is about the easiest system I've ever seen to navigate. All the lines are color coded and you just need to determine the endpoint of the line to figure out where the train is heading. Tickets are easy also - you can just buy a 24 or 48 hour unlimited use pass. Spend 10 minutes at the ticket machine and you'll be a pro.
4 - Food was way cheaper than I had anticipated. You can buy a sandwich from a street vendor or shop for 4-5 euros. I would've expected to pay double that.
1 - We loved the Sagrada Familia, Bender has it right that you will need to purchase your tickets in advance. Also, if you're into churches make sure you check out the Barcelona cathedral. It's right in the middle of the Gothic Quarter only a couple blocks off Las Ramblas. Go on a Sunday - at Sunday midday the locals gather in front of the cathedral and perform traditional Catalonyian circle dances. It's a cool way to check out the cathedral which opens right afterwards.
2 - Spend a whole day at least in the Gothic Quarter. Plenty of restaurants and we loved the Mercado right off Las Ramblas. Come hungry as you'll want to sample everything. For a couple of euros you can get Iberian ham samples, drinks, fresh fruit, etc. A great way to spend a couple of hours.
3 - Public transportation (subway) is about the easiest system I've ever seen to navigate. All the lines are color coded and you just need to determine the endpoint of the line to figure out where the train is heading. Tickets are easy also - you can just buy a 24 or 48 hour unlimited use pass. Spend 10 minutes at the ticket machine and you'll be a pro.
4 - Food was way cheaper than I had anticipated. You can buy a sandwich from a street vendor or shop for 4-5 euros. I would've expected to pay double that.
rockaction
Footballguy
Awesome. Good to know. The thing that struck me immediately, just in looking at pictures, were the churches and Gothic Quarter's architecture. I'm planning early. I've always wanted to see Spain and am doing a Spain/Italy trip next summer. (Yeah, I gathered that is a bad move but it's necessary. Traveling with family and they get school off.)
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
rockaction
Footballguy
Hey wikkid, just qualified. I just answered above. School reasons. Summer. Hopefully early.
