I need advice- I have the chance to travel in December 18-21 to either Prague, staying in a very centrally located hotel,Rott, in the old city. I also have the possibility of going to Barcelona and staying in a much more inferior hotel, not centrally located and costing a lot more (700 dollars). The important factor is I am going with someone who can not walk great distances so in spite of the weather Prague seems more logical and attractive. Advice please.

Sounds like a no-brainer. If you are centrally located in Prague, you will be able to walk most of the places you'll want to see -- or take a tram. I have to admit to not having been to Barcelona, but I just LOVE Prague. There will be Christmas markets at that time also making it even more appealing.

I do not think this is a no brainer. Weather will be a huge difference in December as Prague will likely be overcast with temperature at or below freezing while Barcelona temperatures will be 20 degrees warmer with much more chance of sunshine. The cobblestones in Prague are much more diffficult to walk on than the sidewalks of Barcelona and this is especially true if you walk across the bridge to the Mala Strana. if there is ice, walking may be even more dicey. There will be Christmas markets in both cities. I find Barcelona to be a real city while Prague is very dependent on tourists which I find less appealing. Beer is better in Prague and the wine is better in Spain. Food is ok in Prague and IMHO much more interesting in Spain. I think you can have a good time in both cities but I think which you pick depends on a lot of factors and I do not think Prague would be a no brainer for me.

I agree with everything mjs said.
Can you say which hotel you have in Barcelona with the address? If it's close to a bus or metro stop it shouldn't be so inconvenient, as Barcelona has very good public transport. Further more Barcelona has an excellent hop-on hop-off tour and taxis are quite inexpensive.
I have been in Barcelona around those dates, having lunch on a seaside terrace with only a cotton sweater on!
Any specific reasons for staying exactly in that hotel? If it's only price, we might be able to make you some suggestions.

Don't get me wrong, I love Prague as well, just to say that indeed it's not really a no-brainer.

You have implied that if you go to Barcelona you are stuck with staying in a particular hotel. Why is that?

Can you not change to a different hotel in Barcelona.

To give you a really honest opinion those factors need to be explained IMO.

Otherwsie it sounds as if you have set this up so that Prague will be the "winner" since everything you say about Prague is positive and everything you say about Barcelona is negative.

There are lots of centrally located hotels in Barcelona that won't necessarily cost $700.

Walking "great distances"..what is great? Even in the central part of Prague there will be a certain amount of walking.

Never been to Barcelona, but have been to Prague 10 times, so I can put my 2 cents in about that place..

As stated by another poster, there is a Christmas bazaar in each city. Prague will have one set up right in Old Town Square. Also, obvious attractions (churches, clock, etc) are 2 blocks away from Rott. Shopping is right there, too. Maybe you should just take a taxi to Mala Strana, if you want to explore that area. Otherwise, take a taxi to a restaurant near, under, or across from the bridge, and have a meal while staring at the bridge. This worked for an elderly friend of mine, who didn't care much about actually crossing the bridge on foot. You can catch all sorts of taxis right outside the Rott. AAA is the best, and your hotel can help you call them, if they are not already outside.

You can also catch some great performances at that time of year in one of the theaters. I would risk saying that culture in Prague is far and above that in Barcelona (that's why my Czech friends are always invited to go there to perform ;-), so there is definitely a plus side to going to Praha, if you are at all interested in attending an opera, ballet, concert, etc..

There are taxis in Barcelona too, and you won't be freezing your butt. As to Prague culture being "far and above"... a rather bold statement. I assume you're not referring to the endless sequence of cheesy shops and museums (Medieval Torture Museum, Sex Machine Museum, etc.) in the center? Prague is an incredibly pretty city but IMHO much of it has been turned into a gigantic tourist trap. And the food stinks.

Definitely a no brainer for me.Prague hands down. As for the comments about food. Well,if you wish I can post a list of very fine eateries. Of course Czech food has a reputation,but then so has French and I've had some very dodgy food there. Prague is a wonderful city and would certainly be my choice

No, Eric, of course those cheesy shops are not high culture! I'm referring to the 3 main theatres that present operas (State, National, and Estates), and the Rudolfinum, Bertramka, Martinu Hall, Vinohrady Theater, etc, etc, plus the many museums, churches, and other venues that people travel to Prague to see. If Spain had all that, then the festival that I go to in Prague every year wouldn't have so many Spaniards flocking to it, eager to eat up all the "culture". Guess you've never ventured inside any of the places I've mentioned, and just stayed in a local pub, which, of course is another reason Prague wins hands down. Even if the temps make it too cold to walk around, you could just stay in a pub, admire the great architecture from your seat, & drink some great beer for 50 cents. Also, if you know where to eat, the food will not stink. Research at least 1,000 threads on here about Praha dining.

Thank you one and all for your replies, Its settled we are going to Prague, It was part of a deal, 4 nights Prague versus 3 nights Barcelona and 700 Dollars cheaper in Prague and a better hotel. We are going with coats, hats and gloves and really looking forward to it. Didn'nt mean this to turn into a competition between Prague and Barcelona lovers!!!.

Have a great time! I don't think you will be sorry.

amp322, "Prague wins hands down". Another sweeping statement, why not just say you like it better? Especially since your arguments don't really hold up. Spaniards go to a lot of places, they have more money than the Czechs. I could give you a list of spanish museums, but it would be silly. Italians flock to Prague too, I guess there are no museums in Italy. Prague may have more music,
I'll give you that, but theater in Czech language isn't every tourist's cup of tea. I still think Czech cuisine is one of the worst I've ever tried. Barcelona is a culinary world capital. Finally, just because I don't agree on your absolute statements it doesn't mean I've been holed up in a pub while in Prague...

Well, yasron decided on Prague, so I guess we convinced him/her based on our tips ;-) Also sounds like a much better deal, so why NOT go for it?

Have a beer for us while you're over there Yarson, and post back after the fact. Cheers!

PS Eric - You are correct. It is a matter of preference. I absolutely prefer Central/Eastern European culture, and I'd rather be in a symphony hall in Prague or Bratislava, than walking around a city that has an apocalyptic decible level, with mopeds running people over at every intersection. And since I have no desire to attend a concert of the Catalonia National Symphony any time soon, I think I'll stick with my usual travel plans.

so now it's about decibel levels, not culture. Glad you admit you were wrong in your absolute statements.

ps amp322

The following is a false dicothomy (look it up on google):
"I'd rather be in a symphony hall in Prague or Bratislava, than walking around a city that has an apocalyptic decible level, with mopeds running people over at every intersection."

And finally:
"I have no desire to attend a concert of the Catalonia National Symphony any time soon"

As a musician allow me to doubt you are among the small percentage of people able to distinguish by ear the Catalonia National Symphony from, say, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.

I wasn't trying to convince yasron or you to go anywhere, by the way.

Hey Eric, I'm a musician, too! Since I've heard the Czech Phil live in concert 7 times, I actually do know their sound. It's funny, because one time I was listening to the radio here in the US, and I heard a recording of a violin solo (Dvorak piece), and I thought to myself "hey that sounds familiar". Turned out to be Vaclav Snitl from the Prague Conservatory! Believe me, I would be able to tell!!

I think that everyone should put Prague on their places to visit, so if Yasron has a choice & has never been, plus has a chance to stay right downtown, I would definitely recommend that.

OK, I love both Praha and Barcelona. Perhaps I've been to BCN 5 times more than I've been to PRG (because of easier transportation and also because I love being in a city by the sea - like Nice and like BCN). Tomorrow I will leave for PRG to re-discover it. Re-discover, bacause last time was like 10 years ago.

amp322, then I encourage you to visit Barcelona, there is some decent music here, not just mopeds! Right now there is a very good jazz festival, for example...

Just my two pence.

Everyone is different. Everyone is looking for different things whilst on holiday. Some people like to sit on a beach with a margarita, some like to spend hours looking at paintings in a museum.

I like Prague. My mother HATES Prague.
I like Barcelona. My mother LOVES Barcelona.

Different strokes for different folks.