Rome v Barcelona

littlemissteach

Hi there,
I am in the process of booking a 3/4 night break in February to either Rome or Barcelona . I've found cheap-ish flights and finding it hard to decide which I would prefer. I'm 29 and I'll be travelling with my fella, who is 32. If anyone has been to either, or both, I'd love to hear your opinion of which you thought was better.Also if anyone has any recommendations of any hotels they've stayed in in either Rome or Barcelona that would be great too.
thanks a mill

Qprmeath

Go to Barcelona

kenco

Both are great cities and well worth the visit so which ever one you dont do this time do it soon!

I would have a marginal preference for Barcelona as there is a lot going on and in some respects more to see than Rome. It should also be less expensive for Hotels, food, etc

Cant remember where I have stayed there before but there should be plenty of options for that time of year

rossie1977

i liked barcelona better but they are completely different cities of course, barcelona is much more modern, rome still has cobbled roads in parts of the city centre, it really is a glimpse into the past

barcelona has a beach (though i doubt you will be using it in february), your fella would probably appreciate barcelona better too if he is into the soccer, tickets for barcelona home games are available online and you can choose your own seats anywhere in the stadium, tickets for home games go on sale about 2 weeks before the game https://entrades.fcbarcelona.cat/web/en/entrades.html

nightlife in barcelona is much better than rome

enzo7

Im 28 and i would choose rome every time!! barcelona is fine but its expensive compared to rome. There is alot more to do in rome also. There 2 competely diffrent citys but i found with barcelona you could be in any city in the world. Where as rome you really knew you were in italy also it so cheap to eat out there and the food is fantastic.

I was just pricing hotels in barcelona for early may and i thought they were expensive. Going to an event there.

Norrin Radd

Definitely Barcelona.

A very good hotel is the Duc de la Victoria, two streets back from Ramblas, central but quiet.

Try to eat in Taller de Tapas, excellent tapas, but it's brought to you from a menu. Authentic tapas without the trepidation of trying to do the local tapas rush at the bar.

If you want to see the city, use the orange tour bus from Playa de Catalunya, hop on/off all day for €20. It will be cold up top though in February.

ncmc

Hi, I haven't been to Barcelona, but have just booked for April. I found it hard to get a decent room for less than €100 (which is my budget). I have ended up booking a place called Hostal Goya (don't be freaked out by the name, it is more like a hotel than a hostal with double rooms with private bathrooms. It gets great reviews on Trip Advisor and is only costing me €96 a night. It is in Playa de Catalunya which I believe is the perfect location.

Incidently, I am thrilled that so many people say they prefer Barcelona to Rome as I adored Rome and hope I like Barcelona as much!

Interesting101

Hey,

Ive been to both so heres my input, but it depends what kind of couple you are.

I went to Rome with the lady this time of year and i really loved it. Nice and romantic getaway. Lots of nice buildings and parks to visit. Can walk to most places and lots of shopping available. Can be pretty expensive to eat unless your well away from tourist areas.

Barcelona is also a great spot. Not sure about this time of year. I was there with a mate for a few days in the sun. As mentioned before the beach is great but not really an option this time of year.
There are also some nice sightseeing options but nowhere near as many as Rome. Cheaper to eat and nightlife is very good. Shopping is decent aswell.

So if your looking for romantic break and enjoy sightseeing defo go Rome.

If you enjoy the pub/club scene then Barca is the way to go.

jam_mac_jam

Rome every time, Barcelona is very over rated, great to go out in but if you havent been to either, you need to go to Rome first. Rome will also cost you a hell of a lot less.

jack67

was in rome in oct09 with the wife was fantastic, a must see go you wont regret it,we stayed in a little hotel called la fenice basic but very clean and beside all the sites also very reasonable.

littlemissteach

Hey everyone....thanks for all your input and opinions....I think we are swaying towards Rome at the moment(with a view to going to Barcelona during the summer)..so now just need to book somewhere to stay!

finbarrk

There is more to see in Rome. Check out tripadvisor for the best hotels.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/HACSearch?geo=187791&q=Rome%2C+Italy&inDay=13&inMonth=04%2F2010&checkIn=4%2F13%2F2010&outDay=17&outMonth=04%2F2010&checkOut=4%2F17%2F2010&adults=2#02,1263298008508,bc_airports:S,bc_convention_centers:S,nameContains:S,l1price:S0|175

Rowley Birkin QC

I had the same problem of deciding between the two a few weeks ago but just back from a weekend in Rome with my girlfriend, we're 21 & 25. It really is an amazing city, the people are great, every corner you turn has another "wow" moment and the food is nothing short of amazing.

We stayed in a deluxe room at the Prime Hotel St.John. Excellent and modern hotel, our room had a humongous bed and an excellent jacuzzi in the bathroom. It's right beside a metro stop (Manzoni on the A line) so it made getting around the city exceptionally easy.

Go with Rome, you won't regret it. We flew from Eindhoven to Ciampino with Ryanair, very easy to get to the city centre from the airport, €1.20 bus combined with €1 metro ticket vs. €35 taxi. Just be prepared to eat your weight for the days you are there!

Jesica Fletcher

You may have made your decision by now but I would definitely say Barcelona! I've been there 4 times and loved it every time! The city is buzzing, it has street markets, beautiful buildings designed by wonderful artists (Gaudi!), super food, and it is cheap! Granted, tourism may have increased the prices but you can wander away from the tourist route! People are very friendly but Barcelona is famous for its pick pocketers!

I found Rome dirty and extremely touristy! It was beautiful in the nighttime as some of the monuments are lit up but during the day they are surrounded by throngs of tourists! That said, I was sick when I was there so I may be a bit bias because of that! If you have decided on Rome I would advise traveling a bit outside it. Italy is a stunning country! I just found Rome a bit touristy to the point that I couldn't enjoy why it is tourists go there in the first place! I hope you enjoy wherever it is you decide to go, either way you'll have a great time I'm sure!

maynooth_rules

Barcelona without a shadow of a doubt. There is just a fantastic vibe in the city and so much to do. And as has been pointed out, fantastic nightlife.

In february,I'd go to Rome.
I've been to both.

Barcelona is a lovely place to visit in october and november when it's not too hot.
Hire a car and travel out of the city for a day.It has a long beach where the bars are open at that time of year,the temp is in the low 20's and theres night life.
The old town is very relaxing.

Rome is a February city.You've a lot to see there,trevi fountain,Vatican Colosseum etc etc.
You'll be doing a fair bit of walking and doing that on a nice crisp day is better.
If you want to get out of Rome for a day,take a train on a daytrip up to say milan.Research the time-tables - You can budget for 2 or 3 hours there for a spot of shopping and the train journey is an experience with a nice dining car.

Both cities can get stupidly hot in mid summer.

littlemissteach

Deleted User wrote: »

In february,I'd go to Rome.
I've been to both.

Barcelona is a lovely place to visit in october and november when it's not too hot.
Hire a car and travel out of the city for a day.It has a long beach where the bars are open at that time of year,the temp is in the low 20's and theres night life.
The old town is very relaxing.

Rome is a February city.You've a lot to see there,trevi fountain,Vatican Colosseum etc etc.
You'll be doing a fair bit of walking and doing that on a nice crisp day is better.
If you want to get out of Rome for a day,take a train on a daytrip up to say milan.Research the time-tables - You can budget for 2 or 3 hours there for a spot of shopping and the train journey is an experience with a nice dining car.

Both cities can get stupidly hot in mid summer.

Thanks!We booked Rome!

ncmc

littlemissteach wrote: »

Thanks!We booked Rome!

You will absoultely love Rome littlemissteach and I can second that Rome is lovely in February. It isn't too manic with tourists and the weather is lovely. We were able to sit on the Spanish Steps in t-shirts eating icecream in the middle of Feb... heaven!

scout353

ncmc wrote: »

You will absoultely love Rome littlemissteach and I can second that Rome is lovely in February. It isn't too manic with tourists and the weather is lovely. We were able to sit on the Spanish Steps in t-shirts eating icecream in the middle of Feb... heaven!

Have to agree there - went in January about 3 years ago and it was wonderful - 18 degrees and no crowds. Everything is accessible and we took the Hop On Hop Off bus - €15 for the day and it visits everything!

Some lovely restaurants and when you move down the side streets the value is excellent.

One thing to bear in mind - if you stop for an espresso (plenty of choice there!) stand at the counter like the locals - it only costs around 75c but if you sit at the table it can run to €5!

No matter what - enjoy it cos you won't be disappointed!

enzo7

Def made the right decision, rome is fab ive been there jan feb and march so would agree with the others. perfect weather and low crowds. This thread has reminded me how fantastic the place is think ill have to try fit in another trip at some stage this year.

Paparazzo

littlemissteach wrote: »

Thanks!We booked Rome!

Good choice! The only thing better in Barca is that it has better places to drink. Rome does everything else better! Unbelievable sights to see in rome. Barcelona is a bit of a dump, graffiti everywhere, scumbags everywhere and in La Rambla, the most over rated tourist attraction in the world!

Oafley Jones

Have a massive urge to get away and I was wondering if either of these places be worth it for just a weekend - flying out 5ish on friday and late flight back on the sunday - or would I be wasting my time?

Paparazzo

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Have a massive urge to get away and I was wondering if either of these places be worth it for just a weekend - flying out 5ish on friday and late flight back on the sunday - or would I be wasting my time?

I reckon Barca for a weekend. I was there from sunday to thursday. You'll see everything in a weekend, Rome will take a bit longer, the Vatican alone takes most of a day.

enzo7

Ya would agree, id give rome a min of 5 days even with that you will only see a fraction. We usually give the vatican a day and a half. First day to see st peters + vatican museum and the half day doing the audiance with the pope fantastic!!

Best bet for a wkend is def barca.

gdcmk

Rome is great but I found when I was last there in March 2008 that restaurants tend to close quite early outside of Summer. We were there in March 2008 and one of the things we love about eating out abroad is enjoying long meals and a bottle or two of wine late into the night, but we felt we were being shooed out of restaurants at about 9.30pm and there wasn't as great a choice of restaurants open as there had been when I visited in September a couple of years prior to that.
We stayed in an amazing small hotel called San Anselmo - good value for money and they upgraded us to a room with a wrap around balcony, jacuzzi bath etc... !
Barcelona is fantastic too - if you could put together Rome during the day, and Barcelona for evening/night-time you'd have the perfect city break
Madrid is going to be my next city break though - I've been hearing brilliant things about it!

Agricola

My username gives me away!.................. Id go with Rome if this is a first trip to either of these cities. Its just an amazing place. A giant living breathing open-air musuem.

kraggy

Hi, was thnking of going to Rome for a few days but trying to do it on a tight enough budget.

Anyone been to Rome recently?

How much for:

a. Beer
b. Cigs
c. Cheap lunch/dinner in basic restaurant/street stall

How much were the tickets for:
Collosseum, Vatican, any other tourist attractions you enjoyed..

Also, anyone know of any cheap hostel in a fairly central location?

And how long is Ryanair airport from Rome?

Thanks,

K.