**barcelona**

poppy_f1

beware of the pickpockets and make sure you have travel insurance

i love barcelona and would go back like a shot, being pickpocketted ddnt put me off, one thing thats great to look at is the sellers in las ramblas selling things like chickens, roosters etc

pbright

Thanks,

Great advice. Can anyone confirm that the bus turistic is i fact the cheapest and one of the best ways to get round the citys sights quich. Also, if anyones familiar with Barcelona and its nightlife, be great if you could check out the location of our hotel and direct us to good near by nightlife areas for a Sunday/Monday night. Is the harbour area good? would it be busy these night? Or is their more popular areas???

Thanks

ps. Also, trying to see if i can find a cheap airport transfer for the six of us. Is their a way to book one in advance cheaply from Girona to our hotel. Puashed for time and if theirs six of us maybe private transport wont be much more than the ryanair bus????

bolche

pbright wrote:

Thanks,

Great advice. Can anyone confirm that the bus turistic is i fact the cheapest and one of the best ways to get round the citys sights quich. Also, if anyones familiar with Barcelona and its nightlife, be great if you could check out the location of our hotel and direct us to good near by nightlife areas for a Sunday/Monday night. Is the harbour area good? would it be busy these night? Or is their more popular areas???

Hello,
3 of the main nightlife areas are "Maremagnum", "Port olympic" and "Street Aribau and roundings", the third is a local nightlife area, full of spanish young people, a sunday or monday night is "death" because they work at the following morning, a friday or saturday night has much life. The Maremagnum and Port Olympic are areas full of tourists, and has much life any day. Maremagnum is not far from your hotel, minus than 1 kilometer, but Port Olympic is better than Maremagnum.

pbright

thanks Bolche,

Just what i need...somebody in the know. Well we will rule "Street Aribau" out then and go to Port Olympic the Sunday night...and Maremagnum the monday - does that sound like a plan, or should i go visa versa or does ot make no difference. If anybody can post directions from our hotel http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187497-d229679-Reviews-Le_Meridien_Barcelona-Barcelona_Catalonia.html to Port Olympic, that would be great...is it walking distance.

Thanks very much, i always act on advice from this site!!

williamrobb88

All this advice is great, but you MUST pay heed to this........
A group of young lads is like a dream to the prostitutes and pickpockets. There was 11 of us lads from Manvchester, and we ended up fighting on the first night we got there (Las Ramblas), with Prostitutes!!!!

BEWARE, the trick is this, they approach you and try to rub your crotch etc, etc, and before you know it your wallet and phone has gone. If you try to fight back or shove them away, just watch the innocent men selling Roses come to life in their aid! They're all in it together. The guys selling the Roses are the lookouts/pimps for the girls, and at the first sign of a struggle, they'll be on you! Best thing to do is don't amble through the centre of Las Ramblas at night looking like a tourist. Just keep next to the walls of the shops and move quickly. You'll be left alone that way!

I don't want to Alarm you, but you MUST be ón your guard in the streets. Also, watch out for the Asian guys selling Trinkets and flashing earings etc. They work in groups of 3. When we tried to man handle one out of our way, it was amazing to see others come to life around you in his defence.

pbright

williamrobb88 wrote:

All this advice is great, but you MUST pay heed to this........
A group of young lads is like a dream to the prostitutes and pickpockets. There was 11 of us lads from Manvchester, and we ended up fighting on the first night we got there (Las Ramblas), with Prostitutes!!!!

BEWARE, the trick is this, they approach you and try to rub your crotch etc, etc, and before you know it your wallet and phone has gone. If you try to fight back or shove them away, just watch the innocent men selling Roses come to life in their aid! They're all in it together. The guys selling the Roses are the lookouts/pimps for the girls, and at the first sign of a struggle, they'll be on you! Best thing to do is don't amble through the centre of Las Ramblas at night looking like a tourist. Just keep next to the walls of the shops and move quickly. You'll be left alone that way!

I don't want to Alarm you, but you MUST be ón your guard in the streets. Also, watch out for the Asian guys selling Trinkets and flashing earings etc. They work in groups of 3. When we tried to man handle one out of our way, it was amazing to see others come to life around you in his defence.

...I have been told to not be afraid of the Ramblas - just to be on my guard! But this scares me...im almost tempted to avoid it(although our hotel is on it)! Is it really that bad??

peskie_pixie

pbright wrote:

Thanks,

Great advice. Can anyone confirm that the bus turistic is i fact the cheapest and one of the best ways to get round the citys sights quich. Also, if anyones familiar with Barcelona and its nightlife, be great if you could check out the location of our hotel and direct us to good near by nightlife areas for a Sunday/Monday night. Is the harbour area good? would it be busy these night? Or is their more popular areas???

Thanks

ps. Also, trying to see if i can find a cheap airport transfer for the six of us. Is their a way to book one in advance cheaply from Girona to our hotel. Puashed for time and if theirs six of us maybe private transport wont be much more than the ryanair bus????

please see my post number 21, i gave you info and cheapest prices on bus turistic (it's the only hop on hop off!) and also gave you all the info on how/where to book cheapest airport transport and prices be it bus, train, taxi or minibus
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/girona/girona-airport-barcelona.html

With regards to pickpockets and street crime, don't let it frighten you from going and Las Ramblas really shouldn't be missed. Just use common sense and be on your guard like you would in any major city in this country

pbright

Thanks peskie pixie. I am interested in private transport still yes, though the taxi fare they quote seems steep. If their is a cheaper private hire taxi company then please let me know. As for the bus, thanks...will definetly do it. Any chance 6people is enough to get a group discount(or is there any other places).

...Also can anybody recommend some cheap yet fun(we are in our early 20s) restaurants nearby our hotel for dinner, or even places to go for lunch on our bus tour??

thanks