barcelona in december
 

can anyone let me know if barcelona would be a good choice in december. we are going to do 5 days in barcelona then on to nice for 5 days of the cote d'azure.

We were in Barcelona last December and were somewhat disappointed. Weather was OK but remember the days are short! This leaves not too much time for outside siteseeing. Also quite a few spots were either closed or had very shortened hours. Enjoyed all the Gaudi works but were completely underwhelmed by the food which by and large was oversalted and over priced in over smoked restaurants. Best meal was a homemade picnic from provisions in the wonderful central market. We have never been fans of Spanish cuisine and this trip reinforced all our preconceptions; it was bad.
Finally, you will get to see all the Christmas preparations. That is fun and interesting. Good luck.

I don't know where the previous respondant comes from but let me tell you that Barcelona in December has a very mild winter compared to Europe. Winter days are short but, again, compared to other European countries like Great Britain where at 3:30 pm gets dark,Barcelona is great.

If you go around Christmas time, you'll find many places closed since the Christian holidays are very much respected.

Also, you don't have to be a fun of Spanish cuisine but Barcelona is in Catalonia and the ethnic cuisine (the real Catalan cuisine) is very similar to the French one. You just have to know where to go and avoid the typical places for tourists.

Enjoy it!

I was in Barcelona between Christmas and New Years in 2002 and the weather was not bad. It can be a bit rainy but a few days it was nice enough that there were nude sun bathers on the beach (not a pretty sight) You do get some very good rates on pricey hotels if you go in the Winter months. As for the food there are some excellent up and coming chefs in Barcelona if you get away from the Tapas. It is a lot of seafood though. I'd highly reccomend a place called Alchima that is close to the Sagrada Familia. It runs around 100 Euros for 2 but well worth it. It was much better than some of the 3 star Paris Resturants I've eaten in.

I live in Swizterland. I agree with the above posters about Barcelona being fine for December, it will certainly be less crowded which will mean you may get inside the Paul Guell. However, I think you will be disappointed with the Cote D'Azure in December. It is cold, if you are lucky you may get a day or to of 65 F, but the average is temp 55 F. It is also a fairly rainy month. The water color will not be the gorgeous blue that you see in the spring and summer months. You may also find that the good restaurants and shops are actually closed in December.

You might want to head to Madrid or Paris and save the coast for a better time of year.

I was in Barcelona this past December (20-25th). I had a wonderful time, and the weather was fine. I ate at a few places that were very good. One was "Cal Pep". In the "Born" (not sure of spelling) area of Barcelona. There are no menus. The guy behind the counter just chats with you and starts bringing you food (and wine) over until you can't eat any more. Save room for dessert, it was the house specialty. Also in the Born area was an "organic" restaurant that was quite good. Can't remember if that was the name of it too. The area (BORN) is full of restaurants and clubs. Very similiar to "Soho" in New York. I don't remember the days being "short". But then, I tend to stay out very late, and wake up early while on vacation. Don't know if you will be there at Christmastime, but I was (by myself). I had Christmas Eve dinner at a Korean BBQ place (pretty good, and had my favorite Korean beer). I then partied on the Rambla, and ended up at an Irish Pub. You can always count on Asian food and an Irish Pub being open on most holidays.

In a similar thread, I posted a recommendation for the NH Hotel Calderon. It is in a good location near La Rambla and the tour buses, should you want to ride on one. The hotel isn't 5 star, but is a very clean comfortable 3 or 4 star for sure.