Barcelona, Spain (need suggestions: favorite things to do/see)

Honeymoon Only have 4 days. (taking a bigger trip this summer)

We like to walk a lot. It looks like we'll have enough to explore around where we're staying. Any recommendations on what we *must* see and must do? Average high is 55F and low is in the 40's, so mild-cold.

Any sight seeing tours in-particular that you liked, didn't like, etc. Favorite restaurant? (I'm reading up on TripAdvisor, but figured I'd check in here too)


I know you guys(gals) travel a lot, so would love to hear your suggestions/experiences traveling in Barcelona... I've never been there, hubster has (only once). ...should be a nice fun get away.

On your first day, take the Barcelona city bus tour. Double-decker buses with recorded guide in many languages. They will take you to all the significant sites in the city and give you a good overview explanation of the city. You can get off at any stops that look interesting and then get back on a later bus to continue the tour. During the winter it will probably be the shorter route, but you will still get an extensive tour of the city. Then you can decide what to do for the next three days. It's a great city.

Where are you staying?

There are so many fantastic cathedrals to see - check them out! The statues and carvings are great to see.

We had a hotel in the old town area - Cate Dral I believe. Fantastic walking/eating area.

Also, I don't remember the mountain, but take the train to see the Black Madonna. It is high and colder, but nice to see. Train to tram which takes you to the top.

Tapas at some of the local restaurants is a must also!

Originally Posted by BeemerMikeTX

Where are you staying?

http://www.grandmarinahotel.com/en/hotel.html

Originally Posted by madurodave

There are so many fantastic cathedrals to see - check them out! The statues and carvings are great to see.

We had a hotel in the old town area - Cate Dral I believe. Fantastic walking/eating area.

Also, I don't remember the mountain, but take the train to see the Black Madonna. It is high and colder, but nice to see. Train to tram which takes you to the top.

Tapas at some of the local restaurants is a must also!

Will have to look into that!

Good hotel location. At marina and close to La Rambla.

Picasso museum

The most beautiful women in the world

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Originally Posted by BeemerMikeTX

On your first day, take the Barcelona city bus tour. Double-decker buses with recorded guide in many languages. They will take you to all the significant sites in the city and give you a good overview explanation of the city. You can get off at any stops that look interesting and then get back on a later bus to continue the tour. During the winter it will probably be the shorter route, but you will still get an extensive tour of the city. Then you can decide what to do for the next three days. It's a great city.

Where are you staying?

+1 Great way to see all the hot spots and then decide where you want to spend more time on later days. Of course you have to spend a few hours here:

http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/

Incredible architecture (sp?) all over the city. Great place, you'll love it!!

Originally Posted by pockomoth

The most beautiful people in the world

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Fixed your post. Spain really does have some great specimans of the human population. Must be the water.

Black Redstart


Red Kite


Black-headed Gull


Yellow-legged Gull


Gray Heron

Originally Posted by pockomoth

The most beautiful women in the world

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Going for honeymoon. Not to check out chicks.

Originally Posted by bmwfan1964

+1 Great way to see all the hot spots and then decide where you want to spend more time on later days. Of course you have to spend a few hours here:

http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/

Incredible architecture (sp?) all over the city. Great place, you'll love it!!

I think the architecture is what I'm looking forward to most!!!

Originally Posted by SailinSand

I think the architecture is what I'm looking forward to most!!!

Just wander through the old town then. It is pretty incredible. We were there this summer.

BTW. . . Congratulations on getting married. I used to hang out here all the time about 6-7 years ago and remember your name. I was more of a lurker than a poster, though. I only check in now every few months.

Local food and local wine. Walk to the center of the city and ask around who serves the best paella (pronounced pa-eh-ah).

Seriously, the food is great there. I'd be careful not to waste too much time on lame tourist attractions. Instead, mingle with the locals and ask them what's the best things to do. For me, going to a foreign country is about the local's way of life, not architectures.

And be prepared that their "schedule" is not in any way similar to our "schedule".

Great choice of a country and city, BTW. Say hi to my ancestors in Barcelona.

Originally Posted by MatWiz

Local food and local wine. Walk to the center of the city and ask around who serves the best paella (pronounced pa-eh-ah).

Seriously, the food is great there. I'd be careful not to waste too much time on lame tourist attractions. Instead, mingle with the locals and ask them what's the best things to do. For me, going to a foreign country is about the local's way of life, not architectures.

And be prepared that their "schedule" is not in any way similar to our "schedule".

Great choice of a country and city, BTW. Say hi to my ancestors in Barcelona.

Agree with bolded . . . . except that I'm a great lover of architecture, so to me that IS a lot of what I enjoy most and I'm really not all that interested in the food when I travel. I'll come home with hundreds of pictures of buildings with amazing architecture and not one with me or anyone else in them. If you're a foodie, the food is great there though - and paella is their claim to fame. If you like sea food, then you need to try it there.

I fell in love with Barcelona the first time I went and started going back every year for my birthday for several years when I always seemed to vouchers or enough miles for a free trip. Once I stopped traveling so much for business and would have had to actually pay for the fare, I stopped going so much. But but it really is a great city just to hang out in and "do as the locals do."

There aren't a zillion tourist attractions in Barcelona proper that take days to knock out like there are in cities like Paris, London and Rome though, and I'm not normally one for tours, but the bus tour mentioned above is your best bet for Barcelona, as you can probably knock out the main one's in a day that way and still not feel rushed. I'm pretty sure Park Güell is on it. If not (and weather permitting), it's really interesting and well worth checking out. After that, just take your camera and wander. You'll find amazing architecture just walking around in neighborhoods that aren't on any tour. Passeig de Gràcia which is Bacelona's version of the Champs-Élysées in Paris. A very wide, beautiful boulevard with more great architecture, upscale shopping and tons of restaurants.

Have fun!

Originally Posted by MatWiz

And be prepared that their "schedule" is not in any way similar to our "schedule".

Great choice of a country and city, BTW. Say hi to my ancestors in Barcelona.

I didn't realize you were spanish. Cool!
Schedule...as in they're always late, running behind?

Originally Posted by KillnTime

BTW. . . Congratulations on getting married. I used to hang out here all the time about 6-7 years ago and remember your name. I was more of a lurker than a poster, though. I only check in now every few months.

Thank you!

Originally Posted by 1Dreamer

Agree with bolded . . . . except that I'm a great lover of architecture, so to me that IS a lot of what I enjoy most and I'm really not all that interested in the food when I travel. I'll come home with hundreds of pictures of buildings with amazing architecture and not one with me or anyone else in them. If you're a foodie, the food is great there though - and paella is their claim to fame. If you like sea food, then you need to try it there.

I fell in love with Barcelona the first time I went and started going back every year for my birthday for several years when I always seemed to vouchers or enough miles for a free trip. Once I stopped traveling so much for business and would have had to actually pay for the fare, I stopped going so much. But but it really is a great city just to hang out in and "do as the locals do."

There aren't a zillion tourist attractions in Barcelona proper that take days to knock out like there are in cities like Paris, London and Rome though, and I'm not normally one for tours, but the bus tour mentioned above is your best bet for Barcelona, as you can probably knock out the main one's in a day that way and still not feel rushed. I'm pretty sure Park Güell is on it. If not (and weather permitting), it's really interesting and well worth checking out. After that, just take your camera and wander. You'll find amazing architecture just walking around in neighborhoods that aren't on any tour. Passeig de Gràcia which is Bacelona's version of the Champs-Élysées in Paris. A very wide, beautiful boulevard with more great architecture, upscale shopping and tons of restaurants.

Have fun!

Oh great tips! Thank you!!! I'm so excited. I can't believe I've never been to Spain. I wanted to go back to Italy, but he insisted on Spain since I'd never been. ...and said Barcelona is one of his favorites! We're getting a new camera for Christmas, so we are definitely looking forward to wondering around and taking pictures! (nothing fancy, but better than my iPhone LMAO)

I may need to learn a little bit of the language before we go... just the basics at least.

Thanks for all the info. If you guys can think of anything else, LMK! I'm getting a list together!!

Originally Posted by SailinSand

I may need to learn a little bit of the language before we go... just the basics at least.

Thanks for all the info. If you guys can think of anything else, LMK! I'm getting a list together!!

If you want to make points, come up with a few words in Catalan.

Although they speak Spanish, the preferred language in Barcelona is Catalan. I happened to be there at the same time as a native Spaniard friend who was in Barcelona for his sister's wedding. They wouldn't even speak Spanish to him in one restaurant, but were happy to speak English with me. Ticked him off, as I guess they are not similar and he couldn't understand them, so he was forced to speak English to them in his own country. They were also using loudspeakers to make announcements on the beach in Catalan only, and some locals restaurants will only print their menus in Catalan.

As my native friend explained it to me, there's still quite a bit of resentment from the Franco days when he outlawed speaking or teaching Catalan, so locals would teach it to their children in private/secret to preserve the language. After Franco died, they began speaking it again, especially to those from other regions who only speak Spanish to make a point that it is not their language, but the language that was forced upon them by a dictator.

So unlike places like France where they might think you're rude if you don't at least try a few words in French, you might be more popular speaking English vs. Spanish in Barcelona.

Oh, you mentioned an iPhone. There are some translator apps out there you can download that will translate words for you and even speak them so you can hear how they sound!

Originally Posted by 1Dreamer

Oh, you mentioned an iPhone. There are some translator apps out there you can download that will translate words for you and even speak them so you can hear how they sound!

Omg. Awesome. I will have to play around w it later today. I went to sprint yesterday to see if there was anything special I needed todo to make sure my phone worked there. (More concerned about not having a phone when we spent almost a moth in Australia, but asked about Spain too)
(I'm new to iPhone and was used to the card in androids...didn't know how it worked for this)

Do you use any of the aforementioned apps? Do you have one in particular to recommend?

What a great idea...duh...should have thought about that.

Originally Posted by SailinSand

Omg. Awesome. I will have to play around w it later today. I went to sprint yesterday to see if there was anything special I needed todo to make sure my phone worked there. (More concerned about not having a phone when we spent almost a moth in Australia, but asked about Spain too)
(I'm new to iPhone and was used to the card in androids...didn't know how it worked for this)

Do you use any of the aforementioned apps? Do you have one in particular to recommend?

What a great idea...duh...should have thought about that.

I have one on my phone called Trippo, but I haven't traveled abroad since I've had an iPhone. I know there are several apps like this out there now, but don't know which is best. I'd get whatever's free and go with that.

EDIT: Hey, didn't realize you already tied the knot. Congrats!

Sandy, congrats on your wedding and upcoming honeymoon. Your thread has my attention as Barcelona is one of our stops on next year's ED. Enjoy your trip and tell us all about it when you return!

Originally Posted by 1Dreamer

EDIT: Hey, didn't realize you already tied the knot. Congrats!

thanks

Originally Posted by mdsbuc

Sandy, congrats on your wedding and upcoming honeymoon. Your thread has my attention as Barcelona is one of our stops on next year's ED. Enjoy your trip and tell us all about it when you return!

Will definitely take notes for you guys

Originally Posted by SailinSand

I didn't realize you were spanish. Cool!
Schedule...as in they're always late, running behind?

Ah, not like that. Ancestors. In 1492 all the Jews were expelled from Spain by the king and the Queen http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/jewis...ews-spain1.asp my father's family tracks back to Barcelona. They all still speak Ladino, a Spanish dialect that was spoken by all the Jews in Spain (even the Catalans). There is a blog post somewhere of an American Jew from San Diego who spoke Ladino at home with his parents. He was in... Wait, here's the quote:

"You're speaking just like Cervantes," he said. I was in a cantina in Madrid in 1957. I met a man there, he was a reporter. We were conversing over a few drinks. I understood his puzzlement and had to explain. I was speaking the Spanish dialect I had learned at home.

Cervantes - that's Miguel de Cervantesthe, the Don Quixote dude. It's like you'd go to a fast food place and some tourist will start speaking Shakespearian to you. LOL.

Virtual tour. Go to Google Earth and take a close look at the places you might want to visit. Cool stuff.

Originally Posted by MatWiz

Virtual tour. Go to Google Earth and take a close look at the places you might want to visit. Cool stuff.

Oh cool idea, will have to check that out!

Barcelona is wonderful. I think you'll have a great time. I was just there for my birthday in October. I loved the architecture. Be sure to hit some of the Gaudí sights. While I enjoyed La Sagrada Familia, my favorite was La Pedrera (Casa Milà). The rooftop is just incredible. Walk along Las Ramblas, explore La Boqueria and watch the locals and tourists doing their thing. Here are photos from my trip: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...76376142440481

Originally Posted by Pete Teoh

Barcelona is wonderful. I think you'll have a great time. I was just there for my birthday in October. I loved the architecture. Be sure to hit some of the Gaudí sights. While I enjoyed La Sagrada Familia, my favorite was La Pedrera (Casa Milà). The rooftop is just incredible. Walk along Las Ramblas, explore La Boqueria and watch the locals and tourists doing their thing. Here are photos from my trip: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...76376142440481

Great pics! We hit most of the same places during our stay in Barcelona. GREAT city!