First time to Barcelona: How many days to spend there?
 

Next summer, I'd like to travel to Barcelona. This will be my first time going and I'm curious as to how many days I should spend there. Due to the fact that I will also be traveling throughout the south of France during this trip, I was thinking that I would spend no more than four nights in Barcelona, if that sounds reasonable. Is this a decent amount of time for Barcelona? What are some of the must-see attractions while there and can they all be seen within four/five days? Thanks for your help.

We spent three days there, and it wasn't enough. The destinations section of this website has sample itineraries. My favorite things were the Gaudi sites: Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia.

Don't forget to take a guided tour of Palau de la Musica Catalana.

I second a visit to the Palau. My favorite thing is to go to La Boqueria market.

hi cruisluv,
How was your trip? Welcome back!

Hi Maribel,

It was fantastic thanks for asking. It was a transatlantic cruise which ended in Barcelona.

Among othere ports ,it stopped in Cadiz , which I enjoyed very much just walking around. I thought it was a lovely city.

Weather was fabulous, including our 2 days post cruise in Barcelona.

We were able to cram a lot of stuff on our first day in Barcelona as our 2nd full day there was 5/1. Went to the Boquería which as usual is a feast for the senses. Not surprisingly Pinotxo and Quim were crowded and we chose not to fight for a spot at the bar. We walked from there to Ciudad Condal for a tapas lunch which we enjoyed.

Went into the Palau for the first time. What a place! Enjoyed the tour very much, unfortunately there were no concerts the 2 nights we were there.

We also enjoyed eating at the Taller de Tapas. We went to the one near Palau and the one near Basilica Santa Maria del Mar. Foodwise, I much preferred the latter. BTW, I had never been to this Basilica and I loved all the stained glass.

This is my 5th time in Barcelona and by far the time I have more enjoyed the city. For whatever reason, I ahve never been a Barcelona lover, but my stay this time was fantastic and I now would look forward to returning.

The Apsis Atrim Palace again proved to be an excellent choice, especially at the price we got (138 Euros for a double). The rooms didn't even seem as small as I remembered them from my prior visit!

cruiseluv,
So glad you enjoyed your time in Barcelona. As you know, I'm a devoted, loyal Madrid lover, but the more time I spend in Barcelona (but not June-July-Aug.), the more I love it too!

p.s.
I LOVE transatlantic crossings. My very first trip to Europe, in 1970, was on a classic ocean liner. Wish I had the time to take repositioning cruises. Maybe in another life...

traveler1234,
I think 4 nights would be fine.