Best of Barcelona????
 

What part of Barcelona is the best place to set up home base? What is a good hotel to stay at in that area? (not budget, not luxury....mid-range)

In Dec 2010 we stayed at the Hesperia del Port. In a great location, reasonable, close to a metro if needed. Check out their site for yourself but we were very pleased. You can only access the lobby from the street by being buzzed in by front desk personnel.

Eixample...close to Placa Catlunya...

Hotel=Condes de Barcelona
Rest.=(tapas)Cerveceri'a Catalana

I agree with Danon that the Eixample neighborhood is an excellent area to stay in. We stayed at Hotel Granvia, although we did have a problem with someone stealing our backpack from the lobby. We had arrived early in Barcelona & left our luggage with the desk clerk while we went out sightseeing. When we returned, the backpack was gone and was never found. Other than that, the hotel is in an excellent area, (we walked almost everywhere). Our favorite restaurant was Cerveseria Catalana, which sobster also recommends.

When will you be in Barcelona & for how long? If you have the time, I suggest exploring the Gracia, Sarria & Pebrables neighborhoods. Off the beaten path & well worth it.

How long will you be staying? What type of neighborhood do you like?

There are many comfortable areas to stay, from Poble Nou (near the beaches) to Gracia, a less developed, more authentic zone. You will have more choices if you rent an apartment, which even in a popular zone like the Eixample can be situated away from heavy tourism. For a short stay or first-time visit, you might consider El Born - being careful of the exact location - since it's so convenient to many key sights.

We will be there for 12 days. We want to take two or three day excursions. One to Tarragona and one to Figueres and possibly on to the Costa Brava. Any recommendations? Any one know anything about Tossa del Mar?

For a first time visitor , I would not recommend Poble Nou..
El Born is hip and fun...a bit of the walk to Gaudi sights.
Wherever you decide to stay, metro connections are excellent in and around the city.

We stopped in Tossa de Mar on our way to Cadaques. It is beautiful, especially the medieval walled fortress/town on the top of the hill overlooking the Mediterranean. We also stopped in S'agaro for lunch, & made a quick stop in the fishing village of Calalella Palafrugell before arriving in Cadaques. Visited Dali's house in Port Lligat & the cap de creus. Also spent 2 nights in Girona. You can click on my name to read my trip report from October 2010.