Barcelona - december 2012 some questions
 

I am going to Barcelona for a few days in December. Arriving early afternoon on Monday 17th and leaving late morning on Friday 21st.

Current total budget is max 1000 Euro, including flights (105 Euro - already paid) and hotelroom (160 Euro, booked but not paid yet).

I'm not planning any daytrips outside Barcelona. There's too little time for that.

I've tried doing research, but still have some questions I can't find answers to.

Is the Montjuïc cablecar going to be too cold in December?

Will Park Guell be less crowded at that time of year? I've heard that there is an entrance with escalators, do those work in the winter?

I suspect the Hop On Hop Off Bus isn't going to be worth the cost if it's too cold to sit upstairs. Is a 3-day Barcelona Travel Card worth getting? Or should I get a T-10 ticket and walk a lot instead?

I will be going to watch Flamenco at Poble Espanyol one evening (have already paid for it). Will it be easy to get a taxi back to the hotel after? I'd rather not take a bus or the tube that late, especially in the dark. What should the taxi cost, from Poble Espanyol to Las Ramblas, at night?

From what I have heard there are elevators going up the towers at La Sagrada Familia. Then people are supposed to walk down. So, are the stairs inside the towers (where it's hopefully nice and warm) or are they open to the cold and wind?

Will I get sick of Gaudi if I visit both Casa Battlo and La Pedrera on the same day? They seem to be located very close to each other and it should theoretically be a good idea to do them at the same time, maybe with a quick lunch in between. But I'm slightly worried that they will be too much alike and I won't remember which of them I saw what in.

Thank you in advance for any answers.

cannot answer Dec questions..
CB and LP are not " too much alike"
You can safely visit both in the same day, IMO.

There is a big difference, IMO, between Casa Battlo and La Pedrera, so I agree with Danon. Definitely visit both on the same day since they are diagonally across the street from each other. Make sure you go inside both of them. You miss out on a lot if you just look at them from the outside.I thought renting the audio guides was worth the money because you have a better understanding of what you are looking at. Casa Battlo is my favorite, but the roof of La Pedrera is amazing.

I can recommend Catalana Cerveseria for a restaurant. It's located in Eixample, on Mallorca St., I think. Food is delicious & reasonably priced. You can click on my name to read my trip report from October 2010, if you like.

Forgot to add that the stairs going down from the rooftop of Sagrada FAmilia are inside, with an occasional cut-out so you can see outside.

Hi an,

>Will I get sick of Gaudi if I visit both Casa Battlo and La Pedrera on the same day? <

I don't think so. We were there a few weeks ago. They are both interesting, but different.

There's no such thing of getting sick of Gaudi'. Also would like to second above suggestion re Cerveceria Catalana.

Thank you for the answers.

Cerveceria Catalana looks like a good place for lunch between Casa Battlo and La Pedrera, if I read the map correctly.

The escalators to Parc Güell are only relevant when you walk there from metro Lesseps.
It's easier to take city bus 24 from Catalunya or anywhere along Passeig de Gràcia to the side entrance of Parc Güell where the bus stop is right next to it. No climb whatsoever necessary, except for what you want to do inside the park.

Taxi from Poble Espanyol to Rambles should be around €10.
I doubt that it will be a problem to get one. Worst case scenario would be to take the regular city bus from right outside the entrance to Universidad and walk from there to Rambles (not knowing on which part you will be staying)

The cable cars at Montjuic are enclosed so should be OK. The top cars are more modern and hold 6 or 8 people, whilst the large cable car down to the port holds around 20 people. The windows are open in the summer but close when it's running in the winter. Be aware that you have to walk between the two systems, which takes 5 or 10 minutes.

The HoHo bus is definitely too cold upstairs if it's open, although there are some that can be closed in. Pick your day carefully.

Thank you very much.

Just payed 10€ from Mercat de les Flors to Estación de Francia at 11pm, the start and end of that trip are close to Poble Espanyol and Las Ramblas (and your trip is a little shorter).

Tablao de Carmen can be perfectly fine, great artists perform here all the time. But just thought I had to tell you that fantastic Olga Pericet and Marco Flores dance at Tablao Cordobés on Las Ramblas on your dates. She was recently voted best female flamenco dancer 2011 by Spanish critics, and he was awarded the "best performance price" in the prestigious festival in Jerez earlier this year.

Here are the two toghether in the documentary "FLAMENCO DE RAíZ (Flamenco from the roots), Olga Pericet dancing and Marco Flores on palmas: http://vimeo.com/46873792

Several performances each night. This could be an experience not to miss out on!
http://www.tablaocordobes.com/espect...eneral/en/1/73

kimhe: I already booked and paid for the other show. Maybe I could go to both of them? Or would that be too much and too confusing?

Tablao Cordobés seems to be a bit more expensive, although I wouldn't have to pay for a taxi after. I can't seem to get the "tapas and show" alternative for any of the evenings I could go on. Is the food worth the price difference between the dinner alternative and the drink alternative?

Maybe I should just tell myself it's vacation and I deserve to have some fun.

I would have done both of them! I recommend to go for the show and drink option on Tablao Cordobés (41€), you could eat better and for less elsewhere before or after the performance (20.30 or 22h). Pericet and Flores would be something truly special!

I would perhaps go 8.30 and have a dinner reservation at close by Can Culleretes from 1786 at 10pm. Traditional Catalan food, excellent atmosphere, wonderful staff (mostly adult women) and reasonable prices. Popular with tourists but also with locals. Have had some very enjoyable meals here, the last just two weeks ago: http://www.culleretes.com/
http://11870.com/pro/can-culleretes
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

The restaurant doesn't open until 9, so you better find somewhere else if you plan for the 10pm performance.