nicolino

How easy is it to get around from barcelona to other cities etc? can we do day trips? if we station ourselves in barcelona what can we expect to fit in 5 days? never been to spain and would like to know what we can do day to day to fit in as much as possible.

LikeLivingThere

There are many day trip options up and down the coast and inland within a couple of hours of Barcelona by train or bus Even Madrid is only about three hours away on the new high-speed train. But most visitors find plenty to keep them occupied without leaving the city.

It would be a shame to not settle into the casual vibe of Barcelona, hang out at cafes, stroll the narrow streets and boulevards and clamber around Parc Guell.

Here's a good overview:

www.justbarcelona.org

HappyTrvlr

With only five days, you should stay in Barcelona. Look under Fodor's Destinations on this website for info on what to do and see. There is so much that you'll easily fill five days.
If you are determined to leave, take a train north to Girona, or Figueres for the Dali Museum.

zorrosf

We spent 5 days in Barcelona on two different occasions and felt we only scratched the surface. It is one of the most beautiful and lively cities in Europe, and IMO the nicest for visitors in all of Spain. Trying to see Madrid, Granada, etc. in 5 days will have you on busses or trains all day. Use the 5 days to see Barcelona on the assumption that you may return to Spain one day.

Fife

You can occupy 5 days in Barcelona easily. In addition, the Spanish schedule is very different. Breakfast is a light meal, lunch is a complete meal followed by a siesta, and dinner is taken no earlier than 9. The novelty of that will help make your trip interesting.

Try to stay somewhere in the old parts of town, which are the Barri Gotic, the Barri Antic, and the Ramblas. Hotels on the Ramblas can be noisy, but look at the reviews in Fodors and on the web. There is a decent subway system, although connections between different lines are not always easy to find. The city is walkable, and several major streets are pedestrian only.

nicolino

WOW ..........Thanks so much for all the great recomendations. Sound like I might consider renting an apartment and staying in Barcelona for the 5 days. Are there any must do's and must not miss in Barcelona? I'm so excited about this trip...............

LikeLivingThere

Glad to read your last post. Like others, we have been multiple times and still have a long list of to-dos.

An apartment is a great choice (I'm biased) and allows you to select a neighborhood. We are partial to El Born both for all that is nearby and for how easy it is to reach the rest of the city.

What time of year are you planning to go, how many in the party and what do you like to see and do? There is great architecture, nightlife, parks, restaurants, a seafront and beach (not the greatest - all man-made but filled with interesting people) etc. Or you can swim in the 1992 Olympic pools (indoor and outdoor) which are now public, or visit a wide range of museums.

leuk2

Check out Mirabel's guide. It's available on-line. Easy to spend 5 days in Barcelona.

Rhea58

Re Must-Dos: Walking La Ramblas, Parc Guell to see Gaudi,
famous architect & Sagrada Familia

Nikki

This is the link for Maribel's Guide, which is filled with information about Barcelona: www.maribelsguides.com

You might be interested in my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm

Fife

The Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell are must sees. If you have an interest in ships, then the Maritime Museum will occupy an afternoon. The centerpiece of the museum is a full size replica of a galley in the ways where ships were built in medieval times. There are other types of Catalan boats, and a striking collection of figureheads.

LikeLivingThere

Don't miss the sound, water and light show at the Font Majica. Great fun, shared with tourist and locals.

If you enjoy music and architecture, check out the schedule at the Palau de la Musica. You can order tickets in advance and pick them up at a will-call window.

wwww.palaumusica.org/Home/seccion=30&idioma=en_GB.do

amwosu

I will be on a cruise in June then have 5 days in BCN in June. Here are my notes for BCN. FYI- I've never been to BCN but have read a ridiculous number of trip reports and tour books to prepare for my trip. I would have asked for your email address to send you the below info but have been chastised in the past for "private" info so here goes...

Sunday,
Explore by foot
http://www.eatndrink.com/media/Barcelona_chapter.pdf
Plaça Cataluña
At the top of La Rambla between the medieval Bari Gotic & 19th-century L'Eixample (enlargement), this plaza, with fountains and sculptures, is the cultural & transportation hub of the city. Surrounded by large stores, cafes & hotels. Increasingly crowded and colorful during the day.
La Rambla
A mile long and divided into five distinct sections- Canaletes, Estudis, Sant Josep, Caputxins, and Santa Monica. Laid out in 1766, following the contours of the 13th C city walls. Originally called ramla (riverbed) by the Arabs, it's the favorite strolling place for Barcelonese and visitors alike. Filled with human statues, jugglers, singers, transvestites, caged animals, kiosks, cafes, flower stalls and pick pockets. During the day the busiest place in Barcelona. After 1pm avoid the bottom half of the Ramblas for safety (from Liceu Metro Station until Drassanes).
Walk down La Rambla and turn left on Santa Anna and through a half hidden doorway on the left visit
Parroquia Major de Santa Anna- Mon-Sat 9am-1pm, 6:30-8pm free, Romanesque church and gothic cloister
Left on Santa Anna, right on Bertellans, right on Canuda, left on Rambla
Detour into the heart of Barri Gotic via a left on Portaferrissa to see fashion shops, cafes then back to La Rambla
Boqueria Market www.boqueria.info Open Mon-Sat. 8am-8:30pm
The oldest and most complete food market of Barcelona dating from 1840 offers vegetables, meat, fish and thousands of other products in stalls with great charm. Home of world famous Pinoxtle (Pinocchio’s Bar)
Pla de la Boqueria site of 13th C meat sellers, 14th C executions, 15th C gamblers, now has a Joan Miro pavement
Café de l'Opera, La Rambla 74, (midway down the Rambla), Elegant 1929 Parisian-style cafe. Murals, iron columns, wall mirrors with etchings and bow-ties waiters.
At 46 take the arcaded passageway left to
Plaça Reial Lovely square, with the Fountain of Three Graces, and filled with palm trees, cafés, shops bars as well as pickpockets drug addicts, vagrants and transsexuals. Lampposts designed by Gaudí. More ominous in the past, today it has virtually become a tourist attraction.
Back to La Rambla and right on Nou de la Rambla, just after the Hotel Oriente on left side of street
Palau Guell built by Gaudi 1885-89 as home for Count Guell one-hour guided visits only, for €3
As you approach, look up to your left at the chimney & ventilator shafts covered with colorful & ornate tile patterns.
Mirador de Colón (Columbus Monument) Open daily 10am-8.30pm (May-Oct) At the port end of La Rambla is a statue built in 1888 for the Universal Exhibition in tribute to Christopher Columbus, who disembarked in the port of Barcelona on his return from America. Elevator to the top for views of the harbor & CiutatVella (Old City).
Take a right at the end of La Rambla
Museu Maritim http://www.mmb.cat/default.asp?idApartado=97 Daily 10am-7pm, 6.50Euro
Excellent museum in the 13th C Royal Shipyards. Vast Gothic medieval space filled with ships, a reconstructed galley, figureheads, and early navigational charts. Audioguide w/ticket
Walk northwest on Parallel to Metro station to board funicular toMontjuic
Montjuïc (Mount of the Jews)
This distinctive hill on the city's west flank offers some of the best vistas of the Catalan capital. After radical improvements prior to the 1992 Olympic Games, it's now the city's greatest green zone with walkways, parklands, leisure areas, and cultural attractions.
The fortress can be reached by a funicular which starts at the Parallel metro stop.
http://www.tmb.net/en_US/barcelona/m...lfunicular.jsp
A cable car goes to the summit of Montjuic-You can get there easily by taking the funicular railway, which stops at the same stop where you get the cable car. http://www.tmb.net/en_US/barcelona/m...oteleferic.jsp
A 1931 cable car connects the Mirador Hotel in Montjuic to San Sebastio beach http://www.barcelonayellow.com/content/view/56/36/
Castell de Montjuic http://www.bcn.cat/castelldemontjuic/en/welcome.html
9am-9pm Tues-Sun April-Sept free admission
Built during the Reapers’ War in 1640. In 1652, the fortress came under royal ownership and, some 50 years later, was one of the key defense points in the War of the Spanish Succession, between 1705 and 1714. In the middle of the 18th century the castle, badly damaged during the war, was restored and its current appearance dates from this time. The castle has launched bombing raids on the city on a number of occasions and it has also been used as a prison. On 15th Oct 1940, the president of the Catalan government, Lluís Companys, was executed by firing squad at the castle. The castle was used as a military prison until 1960 when it was given back to the city and used as an army base. Three years later, Franco opened a weapons museum in the castle.
Montjuïc Castle Café Tucked away inside the castle with a patio section where you can sit outside in good weather, this a great spot for relaxing and savoring the old "castell" ambience.
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) www.mnac.es
Mirador del Palau 6 Tues.-Sat. 10-7, Sun. 10-2:30 10Euros
Housed in the imposingly domed, towered, frescoed, and columned Palau Nacional, built in 1929 as the centerpiece of the World's Fair, this superb museum was renovated in 1995 by Gae Aulenti, architect of the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Monday
L’Eixample
Eixample means “extension.” This was the modern town of Barcelona, built on a grid pattern in the late 19th C Great shopping here. Barcelona is famous for its Modernisat architecture, the Art Nouveau style of the region that flourished from 1890-1920. Chief among the architects was Antoni Gaudí.
Casa Fuster http://www.hotelcasafuster.com/defau...action=english Paseo de Gracia, 132
At the top of the Passeig de Gracia, one of the costliest buildings in the city. Built from 1908-1911 as a gift from a wealthy Mallorcan to his wife. A luxury hotel since 2004
La Pedrera (Casa Milà) Passeig de Gràcia ,92 Metro: Diagonal, 9am-8pm (Mar-Oct)
http://www.lapedreraeducacio.org/flash.htm Probably Gaudi's 2nd most recognizable masterpiece. Built between 1905 & 1910 as a commission for the wealthy Milà family in the upmarket Gracia district serving as an apartment and an office block. At Casa Milà get a taste of wealthy Catalan society a century ago while wandering through the fascinating rooms of the family home. The roof is particularly interesting with its selection of Modernist sculptures and chimneys from where you can see the Sagrada Familia in the distance
Fundació Antoni Tàpies 255 Carrer d’Aragó. Tue-Sun 10am-8pm. Admission: €5. www.fundaciotapies.org
This iron & brick building dates to the 1880s. It contains a collection of the Catalan artist’s mostly Abstract Expressionist works. Notice his huge sculpture on the roof. Just a walk by.
Casa Batlló Passeig de Gracia, 43 Daily 9am-8pm. €10 or €16 includes access to the roof www.casabatllo.es
(20% discount coupon with tourist bus or 10% discount at TI) Down the Passeig de Gràcia on the other side of the road from La Pedrera is another classic Gaudi structure. This 1905 building was commissioned by wealthy local businessman, Josep Batlló, to serve mainly as a family home. Nationalist symbolism is hard at work here: the scaly roofline represents the Dragon of Evil impaled on St. George's cross & the skulls and bones on the balconies are the dragon's victims. These motifs are allusions to Catalonia's Middle Ages with its codes of chivalry and religious fervor. Excellent audioguide included in the price of entry gives excellent insight into Gaudi's aspirations and achievements which will benefit you when seeing other Gaudi buildings in Barcelona.
Casa Amatller Passeig de Gracia, 41 Designed by Puig i Cadafalch dating to 1900. A mix of wrought iron, sculptures and ceramics. Privately owned. However, its main entrance is always open & the bottom floor is often used for temporary exhibitions. Visitors can also tour the interesting chocolate shop that offers a look into the history behind the building's construction. Chocolate industrialist Antoni Amatller bought the building in 1898 and commissioned Josep Puig i Cadafalch to remodel it.
Museu del Perfum (Perfume Museum) Passieg de Gracia, 39
Mon-Fri 10:30am-1:30pm & 4:30pm-8pm, Sat 11am-2pm. €5. www.museodelperfume.com
5,000 perfume vessels from ancient Greece, a bottle designed by Dalí, & one owned by Marie Antoinette.
Casa Lleó-Morera Passeig de Gràcia, 35 Designed in 1906 by Domènech i Montaner. The exterior is covered with balconies and carved floral designs, with a rooftop garden and unusual tower. Privately owned.
Passeig de Gràcia The fantastic block between Carrer Consell de Cent & Carrer Aragó is nicknamed Manzana de la Discòrdia (Block of Discord) because the buildings seemed to be trying to outdo one another.

Tuesday, June 29
Barri Gòtic
One of the largest inhabited (and probably most densely populated) medieval quarter in Europe, 1/2 day minimum
Gothic Walk in English 10am Daily from P/Catalunya office 2 hrs 12 euro
http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/Barc..._dbQzv7e0_JnOs
From Placa Catalunya walk down Portal de l’Angel and bear left at C/del Arcs
Placa Nova One of the main Roman gates to the old city Portal del Bisbe (Bishop’s Gate) w/ towers dating to 1st C
Go through the Roman gate up the slope into Bisbe & left onto Santa Llucia
Casa de l”Ardiaca 15th C Archdeacon’s residence on left at you walk toward the Catedral
Catedral www.catedralbcn.org
Daily 8:30am-12:30pm, 5-7:30pm free or take a tour (not free) Mon-Sat. 1pm-5pm, Sun 2-5pm
Building began in 1298 with many changes over the centuries including a 19th C neo Gothic façade. 13 yr old Santa Eulalia- martyred for protesting Dacian's treatment of Christians during his repressive rule- is buried here. Tour includes 14th C choir stalls and chapter house and roof. See the cloister with palm & orange trees, and a pond with 13 geese representing Eulalia’s age at death.
Leave cloister through side door onto Placa Garriga I Bachs. Cross square to Montjuic del Bisbe leading into Placa Sant Felip Neri.
Museu del Calcat (shoe museum) Tues-Sun 11am-2pm
From the Placa go west on Baisada Santa Eulalia, right on Banys Nous (new baths), left on Palla to
Placa Sant Josep Oriol a lively square with Bar del Pi and it’s terrace
Santa Maria del Pi 14th-15thC Gothic church
Go east on Ava Maria, right on Banys Nous, left on Call to Placa Sant Jaum, right on Ciuta, left on Hercules to
Placa Sant Just- all the elements of a village are retained here, church, grocery, restaurant
North on Dagueria, over Jaume, right on Baixada Llibreteri, left on Vegue
Museu d'Història de la Ciutat,(History of Barcelona) closed 2-4 PM & closed Mon at Placa del Rei
Cameras, bags/purses must be placed in lockers before entering the museum. Audioguide included w/admission & an excellent short film about the growth of Barcelona in English. Underground Roman remains are the museum's main treasure. Archaeological finds include parts of walls, fluted columns, and recovered busts and vases.
Above ground, off the Plaça del Rei, the Palau Reial Major, the splendid Saló del Tinell (where Columbus introduced American Indians to Spanish royalty), the chapel of Santa Àgata, & the Torre del Rei Martí, a lookout tower with views over the Barri Gòtic, complete the self-guided tour.
La Granja (Banys Nous, 4 in the Gothic quarter). Enjoy the hot chocolate and snail shaped pastries, the ambience- turn of the century wooden entrance, the amazing, huge fridge that they still use, the bar, the waitstaff

Wednesday
La Ribera, Born, Parc de la Ciutadella
From Placa Catalunya go east on Fontanella, right on Laietana, left on St. Pere mes Alt
Calle Palau de la Música, 4-6 http://www.palaumusica.org/ 10am- 3:30pm daily,12 Euro Advanced ticket purchase recommended. Tickets can be purchased one week before the day of the tour. Ticket office around corner at C/Sant Francesc de Paula 2. Beautiful building and excellent guided tours of the 1908 Modernist Concert Hall.
Return to Laietana and turn left, turn left on Frances Cambo to
Mercat Santa Caterina 21st-century produce market with curved, polychrome-tiled roof
Return to Laietana and turn left, turn left on Jaume/Princessa, right on Montcada past Museu Picasso
Museu Picasso Address: Carrer Montcada 15-23 http://www.museupicasso.bcn.cat/en/
Trip Advisor reviews lukewarm, long lines. Probably a pass.
Textil Café, Carrer Montcada 12 (tel. 93-268-25-98) charming spot in the patio of the 14th-century mansion containing the Textile Museum, steps from Picasso Museum. Enjoy coffee & pastries in an elegant setting.
right on Sombrerrers to Placa Santa Maria
Santa Maria del Mar Open Mon-Sat 9am-1.30pm & 4.30- 8pm. Sun/holidays 10:30am- 1:30pm & 4:30-8pm.
Breathtakingly symmetrical and graceful church on the Carrer Montcada end of Passeig del Born. Built 1329- 1383, a prompt construction time in that era, in fulfillment of a vow made a century earlier by Jaume I to build a church to watch over all Catalan seafarers. The architect in charge of the construction, a mere stonemason, designed a bare-bones basilica (an oblong Roman royal hall used for public meetings and later adapted for early Christian or medieval churches) that's now considered the finest existing example of Catalan Gothic architecture. The number eight (or multiples thereof)-the medieval numerological symbol for the Virgin Mary-runs through every element of the basilica's construction: 16 octagonal pillars rise 16 meters before arching out another 16 meters to the painted keystones at the apex of the arches 32 meters overhead. The sum of the lateral aisles, 8 meters each, equals the width of the center aisle, and the difference in height between the central and lateral naves, 8 meters, equals their width
La Vinya del Senor wine bar (and tapas) in the shadow of the Santa Maria del Mar church. They love their wines and they want to share them. Quality glassware, generous pours. Interior zinc bar & outside tables, so you can drink great wine while drinking in the beauty of the church.
On the south side of the church travel through Placa Fosser de les Moreres and go east to Passieg de Born
Left on Carrer del Rec, over Princessa, onto Comerc (past Chocolate Museum) to Passieg de Lluis Companys
Commerc 24, restaurant

Thursday
Day Trip from Barcelona
Take the Bus Turista from the Plaza Catalunya for a one day excursion to Montserrat, a monastery on top of a mountain an hour from Barcelona, the Torres winery, and Sitges (beach town). The bus tour begins at 8:30am and ends at 8pm (except Mondays). The bus leaves from near the Aerobus stop at Pl. Catalunya. Be there 20 min. prior to departure. 69 euros p/p http://bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com/...AMcaWLONCfqi4_

amwosu

BTW, I over plan then pick and chose rather than forcing myself to stick to the plan.

Aduchamp1

You should write instructions manuals for IKEA.

I think you omitted the part about putting the knife down and picking the fork up.

amwosu

Yes. I usually keep these things to myself.

nicolino

LOL......Wow Amwosu....Thanks for all the great Idea's and reports etc. So very helpful..............Thanks to all for your input. We have decided on renting an apartment and have several options in the Catalunya area...........center city. There will be 2 couples so we are looking at 2 bedroom 2 bath apartments. There seems to be alot of great flats available and most are very decent in price. We are so excited about this trip. We met the couple we will be traveling with on a Cruise in Greece 2 years ago. Last Year we cecided to vacation together in South Africa and had a blast so we are now planning this trip to sapin for our 3rd vacation together

nicolino

OOPS................SPAIN.......ITS SATURDAY AND SIPPING WINE WHILE DOING RESEARCH

Aleta

You will not regret staying in Barcelona. If art is your thing, there are many wonderful museums, from the huge Miro, the small Tapies, the Catalunya Museum with its beautiful 13th century frescoes, and of course the Picasso. It is also a serious food city, starting with market already mentioned, great tapas, high end restaurants.
Do watch your valuables, for some reason pickpockets here are plentiful and a group of 4 can easily be distracted. Yet at the same time I feel very safe walking around alone.
Between the excellent list on earlier post and the Maribel guide, you won't miss a thing

nicolino

Thanks to all we are booked and have rented an apartment in the el born section which is perfectly central to everything. We are crusiing for one week from the port in barcelona, then returning and staying one week at a beautiful 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment. How far is it from the airport to the port area???? Can we just jump on a train or bus??????