Barcelona advice

adonis10

Weekend v weekday trip - thoughts?

Weekend better but I really want to watch a barcelona match and there's one on the wed so tempted to do mon-thur!

Big city so always going to be something going on?

phatbear

ive been to barcelona 6 times and i have never been a victim of any crime i have however seen occasional instances on the metro but the victims are usually people who have no concept of security i.e handbags/rucksacks behind them.

i have witnessed far more crime in london than i ever have in Barcelona and i personally have never witnessed any violent crime.

Like all big cities you just have to be aware of your surroundings.

anyway as far as hotel recommendations i highly recommend room mate emma.

adonis10

Thanks for all the replies. Not massively loving the swap of Cuba for barcelona with all the stories of crime, but hey ho. Managed to get the flights for £58 return (plus avios points) with BA which is a steal so thought worth a go.

Certainly will be very vigilant, hopefully the paranoia of being mugged will not put a big downer on the trip.

Doshwaster

I've been to Barcelona several times and have never been a victim but I've had several close shaves and seen plenty of blatant cases of pickpocketing and bag snatching. I am very well travelled but Barcelona is the worst place I have ever seen for it and the police don't seem bothered about it at all.

However, as long as you keep your wits about you then you should be OK and it really is a fantastic city - although in can be expensivein the main areas. Just be especially careful around Las Ramblas and its side streets, only carry the minimum amount of money on you and leave passports and spare credit cards in your hotel.

adonis10

Horribly expensive and lots of crime. Sounds tip top.

May well be a couple of plane seats left at this rate,'cancellation isn't far off!

Puzzcat

Alter_ego wrote: »

Please be very careful in Barcelona. Everyone I know who has visited the city has either been robbed/mugged or at least an attempted.

I've visited 5 times in groups of 6 to just 2 of us, never had any issues. Always stayed on the rambles, so no issues with late night travel. Hope you have a safe and enjoyable trip.

martindow

adonis10 wrote: »

flights with BA for the bank holiday weekend in April

Semana Santa is a big draw in Spain with street processions and lots of extra tourists

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Week_in_Spain

You may have problems getting cheap accommodation as a lot of rooms will already be booked if your trip coincides with this.

andycris3107

I've just moved back to the UK after living in Barcelona for 15 years.

Crime is a problem in the tourist areas (Las Ramblas, Sagrada Familia, Plaza Catalunya). Having said that it is usually non violent crime and a few sensible precautions as you would apply on almost any trip and you should be ok. The big things are mobile phones and pickpocketing as you may imagine. Down Las Ramblas keep your bag safe (often see people with backpacks on their front) and you should be fine. The golden rules are keep your bag in sight (if you're sitting down don't hang it off the back of the chair) and don't leave your mobile on the table.

Most of the crime is committed by Eastern European organised gangs who work together. If you see someone trying to entice you into betting on the old cups and ball trick - walk on by. He will have a few stooges and pocket friendly companions nearby to clean you out.

In my 15 years there I saw pretty much every trick in the book but thankfully was only a victim 3 or 4 times - usually because I broke one of the rules above.

During the week it's obviously a lot quieter unless it's holidays. That can be nicer if you don't enjoy the rush that you get at weekends.

Some popular places to stay are:

Barceloneta - close to everything but has a local feel and nice seafront
Barrio Gotico - the old town, steeped in history but very narrow streets
Sagrada familia - a little out of town but a nice area popular with students and obviously near to the famous Gaudi cathedral
Besos / Vila Olimpica - if you want the beach then this is a good place, but a bit out of town
Plaza Catalunya / Las Ramblas - very central so you get what you pay for (H10 Plaza Catalunya or Le Meridien are some good hotels here)
Plaza Espana - central also but nearer the palace (Hotel Catalunya is a good option)
Francesc Masia / Diagonal - up market shopping zone and near to Camp Nou (FCB)

If you want value for money then I would recommend some suburbs such as Hospitalet or Sant Joan Despi as they are on the main line (15 minutes to the centre on train) but much more relaxed.

adonis10

andycris3107 wrote: »

I've just moved back to the UK after living in Barcelona for 15 years.

Crime is a problem in the tourist areas (Las Ramblas, Sagrada Familia, Plaza Catalunya). Having said that it is usually non violent crime and a few sensible precautions as you would apply on almost any trip and you should be ok. The big things are mobile phones and pickpocketing as you may imagine. Down Las Ramblas keep your bag safe (often see people with backpacks on their front) and you should be fine. The golden rules are keep your bag in sight (if you're sitting down don't hang it off the back of the chair) and don't leave your mobile on the table.

Most of the crime is committed by Eastern European organised gangs who work together. If you see someone trying to entice you into betting on the old cups and ball trick - walk on by. He will have a few stooges and pocket friendly companions nearby to clean you out.

In my 15 years there I saw pretty much every trick in the book but thankfully was only a victim 3 or 4 times - usually because I broke one of the rules above.

During the week it's obviously a lot quieter unless it's holidays. That can be nicer if you don't enjoy the rush that you get at weekends.

Some popular places to stay are:

Barceloneta - close to everything but has a local feel and nice seafront
Barrio Gotico - the old town, steeped in history but very narrow streets
Sagrada familia - a little out of town but a nice area popular with students and obviously near to the famous Gaudi cathedral
Besos / Vila Olimpica - if you want the beach then this is a good place, but a bit out of town
Plaza Catalunya / Las Ramblas - very central so you get what you pay for (H10 Plaza Catalunya or Le Meridien are some good hotels here)
Plaza Espana - central also but nearer the palace (Hotel Catalunya is a good option)
Francesc Masia / Diagonal - up market shopping zone and near to Camp Nou (FCB)

If you want value for money then I would recommend some suburbs such as Hospitalet or Sant Joan Despi as they are on the main line (15 minutes to the centre on train) but much more relaxed.

Great, thanks.

Given what I've read about safety, I just want to stay in a relatively decent area. We are happy to pay more for decent accommodation, especially as return flights cost us only £58 each so there is more in the budget for decent accommodation.

I assume that most places are accessible via metro from the airport?

Anyone experienced buying FCB tickets on their official website? Not many available for the match on when I'm there but from what i've read there will be more tickets available closer to the date (ones that season ticket holders sell back etc.).

adonis10

martindow wrote: »

Semana Santa is a big draw in Spain with street processions and lots of extra tourists

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Week_in_Spain

You may have problems getting cheap accommodation as a lot of rooms will already be booked if your trip coincides with this.

Annoying, but oh well!

When you say 'cheap', what do you class as cheap?