Kris

We had to cut Barcelona from our trip to Spain last year but I still want to go there for a few days. I am a little perplexed on what else to do on the same trip (probably 7-10 days total) since Barcelona appears to be sort of off on its own. Do we need to hop on a plane? Or are there other worthwhile places to visit that are accessible by train or car? We were in Madrid, Seville, and the Costa del Sol last year and would like to see different places this year. <BR> <BR>Thanks for any help you might be able to give me.

Janne

We visited Barcelona and a beach resort Tossa del Mar a couple of years ago. I can assure you there's enough to see and do in Barcelona for a week, no matter what your tastes are. I can also recommend Tossa del Mar. It was a small picturesque town, although it was perhaps a bit too crowded for my taste as we travelled in August. It still was real relaxation in a beautiful setting after a seven days severe sightseeing in Barcelona. There's really A LOT to see in Barcelona so you better save enough time for it. We visited an equally beautiful, although somewhat different town called Girona north of Barcelona. It's worth seeing also. It's easily accessible by public transport.If you're interested in Salvador Dali (or even if you weren't) there's the extraordinary Dali Museum in Figueres north of Barcelona also. Yes, it's really worth going all the way by train just to see the museum. I guarantee it's a unique museum experience. I've heard Tarragona, south of Barcelona is interesting, but have never been there so can't say for sure.

marie

I have always heard San Sebastián is a must see. You can take the train there.

elvira

LOTS to see and do in Barcelona: Gaudi buildings, Picasso Museum, Olympic site, bullfights (depending when you're there), incredible shopping (the Catalans are very elegant). In Figeures is the Dali Museum (very pretty seaside village north of Barcelona, easy to get to by train). Northwest-ish of Barcelona (also accessible by train) is Monserrat, a monastery perched on the side of a mountain (I think it was used in a James Bond movie at some time). There are coastal towns north and south of Barcelona that are interesting to visit. <BR>The sparkling wines cavas are nearby, too, that you can visit (like Freixenet). Catalonia is very different from the rest of Spain (geographically, topographically, philosophically); we had a wonderful time there (great paella, by the way) and are planning a return visit shortly. You can fly to Barcelona from the U.S. (it's a favorite stop like Paris or Rome); I think our gateway was New York City. If you are going to Barcelona from another Spanish city, flying probably is the fastest. I'm not that familiar with intercity train travel in Spain, so you might be able to do it on a train, stopping along the way.

michele

Hi, Kris, <BR>There is PLENTy to do in Barcelona. Don't miss the Palaou Musical ( Spelling?). If you can get a ticket, see a concert there. The interior is incredible. Monserrat is a must. We also drove to S'agaro on the Costa Brava. As it was off-season we had the place to ourselves and enjoyed it. Karen Brown has a good intinerary for "Barcelona and Beyond". Check it out. Oh, we got lost and spent part of the afternoon is Rupit, a mountain village...very charming.

covadonga

I donīt think San Sebastian itīs a good idea. It is very far away from Barcelona, and you would lose almost a day in the journey. <BR>If you have ten days, I would stay in the area. Now there is a new fast train along the coast to Valencia, and you spend just a couple of hours in the journey. You can spend a couple of days down there, and have some paella (Valencia is the craddle of this dish). <BR>I wouldnīt go to any bullfight in Barcelona. Itīs not a classical place, and probably they are only geared towards the tourists.