Barcelona Advice

king_of_inismac

Hi,

I'm going to barcelona tomorrow. Im flying into Reus airport and planning on getting the RyanAir bus from there to barcelona. Has anyone done this before and has any advice they could offer about getting around barcelona from there,

Thanks,
Martin

Judean Reg

I spent a long weekend in Barcelona a couple of months ago and it was fantastic. We flew into the main airport in Barcelona and got taxis from there to the city so I cant help you with Reus airport. Once in the city, the public transport system is fantastic and really easy to use. They have a very extensive metro system which will bring you everywhere you want to go.

We got 2 day tourist bus tickets, cause there is just so much to see it will take 2 days. We spent 1 day on one bus line and another day on another. 2 very filled days. The tickets were pricey enough but well worth it imo. Between the two busses they cover almost all of the city and even go to the Neu Camp, (which didn't exactly thrill my other half).

Probably the nicest city I have ever visited with so much to do and see, just watch your wallet and you'll be fine! Enjoy.

whippet

barca is fantastic and easy to get around. the bus tours are pricy but well worth it. Metro is great.

But beware, pick pocketing is rife and I have heard some horror stories. In essence don't trust anyone offering help or who seemingly initiates a conversation on the street.

Aspiration

As whippet said, the metro in Barcelona is great. Buy a T-10 ticket, which allows you to use it for the bus, metro, tram ( and FGC and Renfe, but don't know what they are!) 10 times- they're so useful. I never went on the tour buses but I bought one of these tickets and just went sightseeing myself. If you're a student, bring your student card, whether it's a USIT one or a college one- I showed my CIT card quite a few times and got lots of discounts into museums and art galleries.

If you're heading over on your own, and want to meet a lot of like-minded travellers, head to the Travel Bar. It's off La Rambla- as you're looking at Catalunya, it's the street between McDonald's and KFC on the right, and after the Sun&Moon Hostel a sidestreet to the left, the Travel Bar is just at the end of it. I went to Barcelona on my own at the end of August and hold many a memory there!

I'm actually after falling in love with the city- it's so beautiful. I hope you have as much fun as I did!

I was living there for just under a year a while back - the metro/trains is very handy, goes everywhere. I never did use buses.
Oh and visit sitges if you get a chance, its beautiful

Fridge

Do NOT put you phone, bag or anything down for a minute! Seriously, the pick-pockets are way too fast.

Dodge

Great city. Everything starts at Plaza de Catalunyu. Off this are Las Ramblas which is great to walk down during the day but probably best avoided at night. I can't remember the name of the street that runs parallel to Ramblas but its Barcelona's main shopping street. If you continue walking down it, you'll come into the Barri Gothis which is a maze of tiny cool little dstreet. The barcelona Cathedral is located in here.

The opther side of these streets is Passeig de Gracia which contains the more expensive, designer shops, the trendier bars and tapas restaurent. Its also the location for loads and loads of stunning "modernista" architecture from the likes of Gaudi. These places are living, working buildings but some of the more spectacular ones do tours.

The one thing I'd recommend doing is visiting Parc Guell. Its on the bus tour routes but getting a taxi from Plaza catalunya will save you walking up a very steep hill (roughly 1 km) and only cost a fiver. Weirdest place in the world, again its a living park so you'll find people just walking the dog or jogging but the place has to be seen to be belived (Again its a Gaudi creation)

As stated above the metro is excellent and petty crime is rife. if you're sensoble about it, you shouldn't have a problem. If you're travelling on the metro just make sure you carry your bag in front of you and keep your hand on the zip. Dont keep anything in bacl pockets

Manny7

Barcelona is a fantastic place, just (as everyone has said) be sensible. We've been 5 times and never had a bad thing happen, however I know people who've been robbed on their first time there.

And if you fancy a bit of clubbing, go down to Carpe Diem on the boardwalk, it's a lot of fun.

Aspiration

Another good spot for clubbng is Port Veil- the top of the shopping centre. Just be careful after a night out, if you're buckled walking down those steps

There's also this beautiful spot at the end of a line of the metro, where u change trains to go up a hill. Once you're out of the building, cross the road and you're literally looking down at Barcelona. Damn, can't remember which line it was, but if i remember i'll let you know.

Don't be afraid to use the Tourist Information Offices- they're so helpful and give you loadsa freebies!!

boardy

You can walk (if you don't have too many heavy bags) from the RyanAir bustop in Barcelona to Plaza de Catalunyu and the hotels/hostels on Las Ramblas.

And go for the 2-day Bus Turistic ticket - well worth the price. Go early in the morning and spend plenty of time walking around the various stops.

Barcelona is a great city and if you use a common sense approach with your possessions, you'll get on grand.

melekalikimaka

Aspiration wrote:

Another good spot for clubbng is Port Veil- the top of the shopping centre. Just be careful after a night out, if you're buckled walking down those steps

There's also this beautiful spot at the end of a line of the metro, where u change trains to go up a hill. Once you're out of the building, cross the road and you're literally looking down at Barcelona. Damn, can't remember which line it was, but if i remember i'll let you know.

Don't be afraid to use the Tourist Information Offices- they're so helpful and give you loadsa freebies!!

oh man thats brought back messy memories, some night club called star something, falling into our hostel at 5am covered in puke...ugh

Aspiration

melekalikimaka wrote:

oh man thats brought back messy memories, some night club called star something, falling into our hostel at 5am covered in puke...ugh

There was a pub crawl that started from the Travel Bar and ended up in that nightclub! All I remember of that place was that they played the Cranberries! Oh and us stealing shots that were for people from other pub crawls! We got loadsa free shots cuz in that shopping centre there's 2 clubs and staff from both were always haggling with us to go into their club. The Irish pub there can't be missed either. Their trad sessions were absolutely mental!

LegacyUser

i'm heading off with the gf next month, looking forward to it.

sound's like it's full of thieves, guess i'll just have to be alert......

Dodge

Well I've been 3 times. First time there was 10 of us and two got pickpocketed. Second time there was 8 and nobody got robbed, last time just the two of us and again nobody had anything stolen. As long as you're aware of it, you should be OK. Great city though

masterK

Can anybody recommend a decent hotel in Barcelona, ideally fairly central and reasonably priced?

chump

Well I'm off tomorrow. Can anyone suggest just ONE thing that must be seen/done when there?
Plan to take it fairly easy tbh.

Masterk... I broke it down to the following when deciding (for my price range), looked at reviews etc. etc...

Eurostars Mitre Hotel Barcelona
Hotel Apsis Gran Ronda
City Park Hotel Pelayo:

Opting for the second one, http://www.hotel-granronda.com/
I'll let ya know how it is... cheap as chips really
Good place to book if the hotel you go for doesn't have its own website, is www.hotelclub.net, and go for late deals... seem to offer all round best prices online. I'd always try to book directly tho, so you dont have to cough up til you get there, and also usually have better cancellation policies!

masterK

Cheer chump, enjoy it. Let us know how you get on. Are you taking in a game?

LegacyUser

masterK wrote:

Can anybody recommend a decent hotel in Barcelona, ideally fairly central and reasonably priced?

use trip advisor, http://www.tripadvisor.com/

i'm off here, in 3 weeks http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187497-d289670-Reviews-Gran_Hotel_Torre_Catalunya-Barcelona_Catalonia.html
, looks like a nice hotel, booked package with www.thomascook.co.uk , i'm departing from london.

Rockee

If you like soccer then you must check out Barcelonas Nou Camp stadium. As everyone else has said the main action is around La Rambla. Reus is about a half hour from the resort Salou. You could get a bus into Salou and then a train to Barcelona from there. Takes roughly an hour.

chump

chump wrote:

Masterk... I broke it down to the following when deciding (for my price range), looked at reviews etc. etc...

Eurostars Mitre Hotel Barcelona
Hotel Apsis Gran Ronda
City Park Hotel Pelayo:

well I;m back from my trip, stayed at Hotel Apsis Gran Ronda... mightily impressive for the price (170 for 3 nights, double room). Brand spankin new. Wooden floors in room, excellent bed, perfect bathroom (bit of a whiff from the sewerage perhaps, but tis same in every barca bathroom was in). Good size. Right beside Universitat ... i wouldn't walk in the opposite direction too much tho, as was a few street workers!
Also has flat screen tv in room - sky news! Whoop. Free wireless broadband. And of course could connect laptop up to the tv and watch movies.

City wise, lovely city. Very big though, so be prepared for long walks.
That Travellers Bar place people mentioned, there's loads of bars around there that are worth investigating, so check it.
Food wise, we tried few different things, nothing groundbreaking, but solid.
Price wise, everything is cheaper than dublin, but not hugely. Maybe knock 25% off dublin prices.

For the ladies and shopping the city has lots to offer, plus shopping mall place out by the aquarium if interested in that. (dont be tempted for the 8euro all you can eat in the shopping mall, tis sh!t).

Bring an umbrella too, we had 2 good days out of 3, but it looked like they might be in for a few days worth of rain...

overall, v good trip... think maybe budapest or praque next

Dave

My one piece of advice would be... Razzmatazz. Probably the best club I've ever been in. It's open Fridays and Saturdays and is the non tourist place to go apparently. 5 clubs in 1 huge warehouse, open till 6:30am I think. Bit pricy €15 in with 1 free drink. Well worth it though.

keevita

Aspiration wrote:

There was a pub crawl that started from the Travel Bar and ended up in that nightclub! All I remember of that place was that they played the Cranberries! Oh and us stealing shots that were for people from other pub crawls! We got loadsa free shots cuz in that shopping centre there's 2 clubs and staff from both were always haggling with us to go into their club. The Irish pub there can't be missed either. Their trad sessions were absolutely mental!

i did one of those pub crawls with some girls from my course that came over to visit me.just tagged along and got the free shots, great craic. until my then boyf got cranky cos hes from barcelona and he didnt want to be treated like a guiri. but hello...free shots.... ended up in the club in port veil, driving the moped back to gracia, wobbling along...was a good night...:rolleyes:

ravenhead

Where abouts is the travel bar?? Flying out soon & it sounds like a good spot....

jonny68

We are thinking of heading out there Paddys day has anyone been there before around that time and what is it like?

Dave

The travel bar is on a side street off La Ramblas. Not sure which one to be honest.

chump

travellers bar: side street before the side street where kfc and mcD's are on the corner... it's nuting too great really, but there's plenty pubs on the next sidestreet down and just best to pick the one with most buzz inside!

All to the left as walking towards the port.

Aspiration

Travel Bar: Turn into that side street between Maccy D's and KFC's, head straight down until you see the Sun&Moon Hostel. After that there's a side street to the left. Head down there and it's just at the end of that little street.

It was great craic altogether! At least try and visit it once! And if you're nice to the guy in charge of the pub crawl, he'll give ya two or even three free shots

There's another great bar down that dodgy side street where Spar is on. You walk in the door and the place is all red lighted. It's like a biker bar. Very good fun

keevita

or that bar, again on the left of la rambla that looks like a forest. paper mache trees...all shadows, love it. going over to visit friends in april and bringing my mom and aunt, will def be showing them that place!!

baby*cham*bell

Aspiration wrote:

Another good spot for clubbng is Port Veil- the top of the shopping centre. Just be careful after a night out, if you're buckled walking down those steps

There's also this beautiful spot at the end of a line of the metro, where u change trains to go up a hill. Once you're out of the building, cross the road and you're literally looking down at Barcelona. Damn, can't remember which line it was, but if i remember i'll let you know.

Don't be afraid to use the Tourist Information Offices- they're so helpful and give you loadsa freebies!!

is that Mont Juec?