What comparing times for the flights you have to be at the airport about an hour before flight time, only ten minutes perhaps for trains. If you are really lucky, and there is no traffic, it can be a little less than half an hour from the airport into Barcelona, but with traffic, which is more likely, it can take 45-55 minutes. Often it take ten minutes or so just to get off the plane and into the terminal. People tend to hop off the train very quickly. So, at least for flights to Barcelona, you need to add a couple of hours travel time to the flight time.

Stay with Barcelona if food is important, also a fabulous city in so many other ways.

Just back from a week-end here. Went once again to Tickets, the Adrià brothers' (El Bulli, the world's #1 restaurant the past decade) out of this world tapas restaurant. After two years Tickets is #57 on the S.Pellgrino World's best restaurant list. http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/51-100-winners

Fun and very affordable (70€pp for 2x13 courses incl drinks). The highlight this time was the smoked eel with wasabi mayonnaise, but the oysters, the razor clams etc etc are neither easily forgotten: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...50097938535070

You must book 60 days in advance, at midnight Barcelona time. Ten minutes after midnight, all tables are gone. http://www.ticketsbar.es/web/en/

Two plates at much less known places made it into our top three list this week-end. The Coca de Sardina at very nice and laid-back tapas bar Tapeo in El Born: http://www.tapeoborn.cat/tapas-menu/...ardina-en.html

And #1, the Bigoli en salsa Veneciana in one in a million place Xemei in Poble Sec: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lvcjtoh0tU

And you have of course the hearty traditional Catalan food in timeless places such as 7 Portes, an institution in town. No visit to Barcelona is complete without a meal here: http://www.7portes.com/catala/index2.php

Other people will tell you about other fabulous restaurants and tapas bars. But you should now where to go, there are also lots of mediocre and bad places in Barcelona.

Exactly as above. Plane travel involves considerable more time than the stated flight time. If you have a noon flight,you will not spend any of the morning enjoying the city you are already in, and just a bit of the afternoon in the new city. You usually need to give yourself an hour to get to the airport. Plus you should arrive 1-2 hours early. Then likely another hour to get to your new hotel.

So for a noon flight, you'd wake up at 8am, get dressed, eat breakfast, and checkout of hotel by 9:30 to make it to airport by 10:30. Let's say the flight is two hours (hopefully no delays!). If you land at 2:00, it will 3pm at the earliest before you have left airport, arrived at new hotel (often an expensive taki ride from airport) checked-in, etc. plus, then you need to get your bearings in a new city, have lunch, etc. Not likely to get much sightseeing done.

In most cases, trains take you city center to city center, so are much more efficient in terms of time. I'd suggest dropping Barcelona and perhaps even Vienna, and planning your destinations around logical train connections.

Every city in Europe has interesting food and sights. They are all special. Spend your time enjoying them rather than the airports. Go and enjoy!

Kimhe speaks the truth. "there are also lots of mediocre and bad places in Barcelona"
It seemed worse to me last time I was there, especially on Las Ramblas.

And very well said from Msteacher, "Every city in Europe has interesting foods and sights. They are all special. spend your time enjoying them rather than the airports."

plus on the train you have the fun of interacting with other passengers [often locals and more chatty than the average air passenger] and the scenery. and if you have a 9am train [often far more choice of departure times] you can roll up to the station at 8.30 [at the earliest] but some breakfast, find the correct platform, climb on and get comfortable. By lunch time you'll be in Bologna/Florence/Milan, ensconced in your hotel and ready for lunch to celebrate your honeymoon in another gorgeous place, not sat in a departure lounge eating overpriced sandwiches.

Drop Barcelona [you have plenty of time to do it and Spain justice] spend longer in Venice, then go to Vienna [or wherever] by train and then train to Munich. perhaps fit Salzburg in on the way if no-where else in Italy really grabs you.

I suggest an overnight train from Venice to Vienna, private compartment. It will save daylight time, no airports, city center to city center. I've done it and loved it. Also Munich from Vienna by train. Infinitely more civilized and relaxing. Those 3 cities, leaving you more time in Italy, sounds like a great improvement to me.

Book your train tickets early for considerable savings. Check out all the great information on http://www.seat61.com, book on https://www.capitainetrain.com.

sandralist, "and who cares about Vienna, really?" and "During the many days I have spent in Vienna and Munich, I never ONCE ate schnitzel or Sacher Torte. Not once. "

It would seem as if you don't care about Vienna, so your comments about one being highly judgmental should perhaps be reflected back to you.

It is unfortunate, too, that you never ate Schnitzel ONCE in all your many days in Vienna. A well-prepared Schnitzel, unlike much of what is available in the touristy areas for the one-time visitor, can be an enjoyable part of Austrian cuisine. There is more to Austrian cuisine than Schnitzel, as I have stated; as you have not eaten a Schnitzel ONCE, I would presume you could elaborate on the topic, as well.

If you've never been there and not traveled this way, I wouldn't cut short the time at train stations. I would never arrive only 10 minutes before a train, for example, in any large city nor any station I didn't know well. In fact, some trains require you to get there before that (some have 30 minute requirements, I think the Eurostar does, not sure--major ones may). I know I'm a little OCD but I never skimp on projecting the time I arrive at train stations for a major train trip that is very important, when I don't know the station. Once you get there, it may take some time just to figure out the layout and find the information board and sometimes your track may be a bit of a hike from where you happen to enter, stuff like that. Some trains require security checks like planes.


I'll admit I rarely chat with locals on any train in Europe, I only did once when I was stuff in a car with 3 people between Vienna and Prague (and they happened to speak fluent English as I didn't speak German). Most people just mind their own business and sit alone or with their own travel companions, after all. I usually try to book a single seat, anyway. SO I wouldn't count that as any reason to decided between plane and train. Trains just take somewhat less time waiting and to/from, and I just personally hate the actual act of flying, that's all. I hate the checking of bags, the small seats, the clogged ears, you name it. I do it when it makes sense and is expedient, but not casually in a short trip.

I'm not big on Austrian cuisine, either, but I did have Schnitzel once. I don't LIKE veal and don't really approve of it, that's one reason. They eat a lot of it there. I hate sacher torte once but wwasn't crazy about it, just gave it a try. I don't really like cake, though, and the one I had was dry to boot (which I've read a lot about sacher torte so I think that is part of the recipe).

To answer the title question: On a scale of one to ten, 8 1/2.

I'd give it a 5.

<Kimhe speaks the truth. "there are also lots of mediocre and bad places in Barcelona">
The point was that there are few places in the world where you could eat better, but you should of course know where to go. I've lived in food mecca San Sebastian, but this last week-end in Barcelona beats everything.

This is all very helpful! We are still trying to decide.