I plan to go to Barcelona in May. I do not plan to rent a car, but possibly take the train to Bilbao and Madrid (from Barcelona). Has anyone taken this journey? Is it safe travelling solo on the train? What interesting areas are around Barcelona?

There are no interesting sites in Barcelona. It's a big bore!!! Go to Cleveland instead. You will have a better time there. Trains are perfectly safe in europe--even in Spain, but make sure your train is on it's way to another country.

You might consider flying; I took a plane between Madrid-Bilbao-Barcelona last Jan. for less than $60 (Air Europa). Flight is about an hour, and the airport is about 20 minutes by cab from the Guggenheim

Note that the above should have read "less than $60 for each leg".

Interesting areas around Barcelona... <BR> <BR>To the south: Tarragona, with Roman ruins & Sitges, a resort town. <BR> <BR>To the east: the dramatic monastery of Montserrat. <BR> <BR>To the north: the towns of Girona & Figueres (where the Salvador Dali museum is located), and the whitewashed seaside town of Cadaques near the French/Spanish border. <BR> <BR>Barcelona itself is a wonderful city...you'll love it.

I just saved our family an 8 hour train trip by flying to Madrid. $203 for 4 tickets. Try - www.travelocity.com or <BR>europebyair.com

The trip from Barcelona to Madrid is very long. Flight is safer for solo travel....many gypsy-type people with quick hands.

I haven't done that particular trip, but have travelled throughout Europe via train. It's a very safe and economical way to get around. Just as anywhere else, be aware of your surroundings. <BR> <BR>I recall Barcelona as a kid and was personaly impressed (even though myine and my Mom's passports were stolen from our car). One place I hope to visit and spend time in this summer is a small town of Sitges (south of Barcelona), on the beach. I recall much Sangria and fun evenings. Hope you fare well in your sojourn(s).

Hello, <BR>I agree with all the places Capo mentioned and especially, Montserrat, not to be missed! I would include Toledo as another highlight of our trip and the wonderful hotel we stayed in outside the city. <BR>I loved Barcelona! The Palau de la Musica is a must see! It is one of the most beautiful buildings I have been in. <BR>We drove from Madrid to Toledo back to the coast up to, and including Andorra, and back to Barcelona during the 9 days we had a car. I much prefer a car over train travel. We took the night train from Barcelona to Madrid. I didn't care much for that. We had booked a private sleeper for 4 and was put into a sleeper for 6! Not much sleep that night, wouldn't go that route again. <BR>I hope this helps, email me if you would like any more specifics! <BR>Have a wonderful trip! <BR>Gloria

If you like the beach I would also recommend Sitges. The beach in Barcelona is nice, particularly for a city beach, but Sitges is a fun resort town with a nice wide beach. You can easily get there by train. <BR> <BR>I also took a tour of the Cordiniu winery, about an hour outside of Barcelona. The grounds were lovely and the tour was very well organized and informative, much more so than some wineries I visited in France (Bordeaux). <BR> <BR>And of course Montserrat.