Hi all,

This is our first trip to barcelona..I would like to know the good areas to stay in barcelona, so we can book our hotel. We would like to be in an area which is happening (with bars, good restaurants/nightlife). We are going to be there in Oct 2008.

Thanks so much...

I think El Born is currently one of the trendiest areas for the kinds of activities you are looking for. Enjoy.

Thanks JulieVikamnis for the suggestion. But when i go to hotels.com to search for this area (el born) it does not come up. Is it close to some other area? Please let me know.

thank you

I agree with Julie.

To locate El Born, look onto a map (e.g. viamichelin.es or Google Earth). Enter "Carrer de la Princesa, Barcelona".

El Born is the area north and south of Carrer de la Princesa.

The area is close to the Cathedral, museums (Picasso Museum is inside El Born), the harbour, the beach and lots of other attractions. It has good Metro access. And it is full of bars and restaurants. Santa Caterina Market has a very good, trendy, affordable restaurant. For a unique gourmet experience, have dinner at Commerc24.

Inside El Born, Hotel Boria BCN is spectacular (however not cheap).

www.boriabcn.com

My second choice would be the Barri Gotic which is right next to El Born (west of Via Laietana).

In case you are interested in my trip report, here is the link:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35086408