Finally booked Barcelona. Anything we 'must see' or do?

Voyager2002

May sneak in a cheeky question of my own to all you Barca experts?

I shall be flying in to Girona airport and think the "Barcelona Bus" is rather expensive. Is there a way to use local public transport to get into town? The trains between central Girona and Barca are very reasonable, but a taxi from the airport would wipe out all the saving.

hollydays

Don't forget to drink cava!

Coraline

timan914 wrote: »

Coraline, u have been great on this thread with so many good suggestions on where to go and what to do. Thank you so much.
Have a feeling this trip is going to be a lot more expensive than Madrid last year! Not doing much Moneysaving at all!:rotfl:

You're very welcome! Hey Barcelona (or most places) are only as expensive as you make it--I managed to pay about £1600 total for 4 people for 8 nights including airfare. (Booking 5 months in advance, going on off season, EasyJet + self catering in a private flat). Most great things there are free, if you're easy to please like me

Coraline

Voyager2002 wrote: »

May sneak in a cheeky question of my own to all you Barca experts?

I shall be flying in to Girona airport and think the "Barcelona Bus" is rather expensive. Is there a way to use local public transport to get into town? The trains between central Girona and Barca are very reasonable, but a taxi from the airport would wipe out all the saving.

Hi there...I've never flown to Girona airport but found this:

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/gerona/girona-airport-barcelona.html#train

It seems if read the information right that the bus only costs €25 for a return ticket and leaves right from the airport to Barcelona city centre.

However to take the train from Girona you first have to take a taxi to from the airport to Girona town centre (about another €20), which would wipe out any savings by taking the train which would be about €10.50 each way.

I think the bus is the way to go!

toozie_2

Coraline wrote: »

You're very welcome! Hey Barcelona (or most places) are only as expensive as you make it--I managed to pay about £1600 total for 4 people for 8 nights including airfare. (Booking 5 months in advance, going on off season, EasyJet + self catering in a private flat). Most great things there are free, if you're easy to please like me

Hi Coraline
Just wondered if you recommended any self catering places/ sites for Barcelona, there are just 2 of us? Thinking of going next year, flights from Liverpool-Easyjet are reasonable now.

Thank you:beer:

Coraline

Hi there..

I don't know about one for only 2 people (when we were there we stayed in a 3BR two level place in Poble Sec).

However I don't think you can go wrong searching for one on this site (I use this for everything!) http://www.booking.com/

Underneath "Search" on the homepage, click on "Filter my Search." Then select:

*Apartments
*9, 8 for user reviews

And submit--you'll get all the highest user-rated private flats in Barcelona. The site only allows verified users who have purchased and stayed in the accommodation to rate them, so it's pretty legit. (I've never gone wrong by doing my due diligence this way).

Hope this helps...all else I can add is stay away from La Ramblas!

totallybored

Coraline wrote: »

I'll say from experience for more worry free travels, leave your phone at home (can't think of a reason to walk around in a foreign country with a smartphone, but this is just me).

Don't carry a wallet/purse/bag at all, and bring an under the clothing money purse for a debit/credit card and a couple large bills.

Learn how the locals dress, and do as they do.

I'm quite the opposite of this, I think as long as you take precautions and stay alert you'll be fine. There is no need to leave your phone at home if you normally use one, just be sensible with it. I use mine for all sorts of things on holidays, taking pictures, checking maps and transport times, emails, currency conversion, translation etc. I wouldn't walk around my dodgy bit of South London with it sticking out my bag so I'm not about to be careless with it in another country.

Same with a bag and purse, just be careful how you carry it. Don't go carrying a handbag that doesn't fasten at the top on your arm. Get one that fastens and goes over your shoulder and have the zip opening at the front or get a cross body one.

What I would say is if someone tries to touch you or ask you something then be very wary (more for Barcelona than other countries). Same with people bumping into you, blocking your exit off the metro etc.

Ady87

Been Barca 3 times in 2 years. Stayed at Hotel Jazz, Hotel Arc La Rambla and Blue Hostel. 3 tiers of pricing and would recommend them all.

Blue Hostel is in the heart of the Barri Gotic and the Jazz is about 2 minute walk from Plaza Catalunya. Location for all 3 is 10/10.

Coraline

totallybored wrote: »

I'm quite the opposite of this, I think as long as you take precautions and stay alert you'll be fine. There is no need to leave your phone at home if you normally use one, just be sensible with it. I use mine for all sorts of things on holidays, taking pictures, checking maps and transport times, emails, currency conversion, translation etc. I wouldn't walk around my dodgy bit of South London with it sticking out my bag so I'm not about to be careless with it in another country.

Same with a bag and purse, just be careful how you carry it. Don't go carrying a handbag that doesn't fasten at the top on your arm. Get one that fastens and goes over your shoulder and have the zip opening at the front or get a cross body one.

What I would say is if someone tries to touch you or ask you something then be very wary (more for Barcelona than other countries). Same with people bumping into you, blocking your exit off the metro etc.

I agree with you. The thing about travel (and everything else in life) is that it all comes down to personal experience whilst traveling that determine your behaviour in future travels.

For me, I don't like to walk around on the streets with "stuff," albeit I bring a lot of "stuff" now that I'm older wherever I go.

Also for me, I find it much more enjoyable to walk around strange cities without having stuff on me. It's less to worry about, and therefore I can focus more on digesting the things that I see, and interacting with strangers without worrying about any stuff on me.

I don't carry a handbag even here in the UK and certainly don't abroad. But that's my choice. From my experience, you don't even have to be approached or feel anything to be robbed or picked. From most stories I've heard in both my backpacking days, and now (OMG now I'm a flashpacker! ) current experiences, no matter what you do or prepare for, you're never immune.

So basically, whenever I'm roaming about the less the better. Again I'm only speaking for me, but besides my flashy camera, I don't want any sort of internet or being "connected." I just want to roam about and get lost!

But whatever anybody wants to do is great, as long as we're all safe and taking precautions whenever we're out and about. At the end of the day, we just have to enjoy ourselves.

AlexMac

Returning to the original Q;
have a fish lunch overlooking to sea in Barcelonette- the further you walk, the cheaper the menu.
And the train half an hour south to Sitges for lunch always appeals- but if you've only 5 days, maybe not.
And as you're going in autumn, the Tapas bar at the end of Ramblas del Mar looks tacky and touristic, but its huge angled, mirrored sheltered canopy means you can sit outside even in cold weather and look over the harbour - they (used to) serve drinks only if you don't want to eat.
And although it sounds nerdy, the boat tour of the industrial harbour is a fascinating window on globalisation- tens of thousands of shipping containers from every corner of the world...

And as far as Catalan goes... remember Bon Dia (not Bueneos Dias), trucha (not tortilla), pa amb tomaquet (garlicky, tomato rubbed toast- often with Pernil (not jamon)), and calcots (find that out yourself if they're in season!)