Travel question -- Barcelona

It's been long time since I was there but I loved it. My wife's first language is Spanish but I was able to get by there with English much better than in Madrid. If you get a chance, take a drive north up Costa Brava -- breathtaking views and windy mountain roads. Don't know if you'll want to go all the way up to the Pyranees (and Andorra) but that's a fun side trip. The beaches to the South are nice, too, but generally topless so you'll need a pair of dark sunglasses.

 

In Andorrra, there's not a ton to see. In the capital (Andorra la Vella), they have a funky spa that's architecturally cool - but mostly, the country is a mecca for Europeans doing duty-free shopping. It's fun for a quirky side trip if you have loads of time but if you only have 4 days, I'd highly recommend sticking with Barcelona.

 

Barcelona is BEAUTIFUL. The Segrada Familia and the Gaudi Park (featuring, though I didn't know it at the time, the longest park bench in the world) were definite highlights. Also went up to the Olympic Park while I was there, overlooking the harbor. There is great shopping as well down by the Segrada Familia.

For only four days, I would recommend just staying in Barcelona. There is plenty to see there. I'm actually trying to remember (I went Madrid-Barcelona-Florence-Rome in 12 days) and there wasn't much I can remember of Madrid. The Barcelonians (?) were a friendly people as well and incredibly patient, especially if you compare them with their neighbors to the east.

Also, take good walking shoes. From what I remember, a lot of the streets are wide rock and aren't exactly level.

 

It's a drive -- probably three hours the most direct way but if you stick to Costa Brava more like 5 or 6 hours. It's been a long time, so there's some guess work there. Just driving up into the snow-capped Pyranees to get there is worth the trip. There isn't a lot to do there because it's a tiny little place but the food and scenery were great and we met some of the most friendly people of the whole journey. We stayed at this paradore:



Here's more on paradores, in general, which were a fun option for us.

http://www.paradores-spain.com/

You can't really go wrong on this trip. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Good luck.

 

Agree on what everyone else has said. I've been twice, once was a cruise stop and I took a wine tour that came with the cruise ship. It was awesome, they took us to Torres and Codorniu. The first time I was there we did all the Gaudi stuff, including the apartment, which is a must-see. Also, the Olympic venues were fantastic. I'd also recommend the park with all the Gaudi sculptures. There is a red tourist on-off bus that is great, goes to all the tourist spots and you can ride it all day and get on and off where you like. Also, don't miss the Picasso museum. Great restaurants and bars there as well. Go to Four Cats, or Quatros Gatos, where Picasso used to hang. Have a great time!

 

As many have said here, Barcelona is awesome. Don't worry about not speaking Catalan -- most everyone you'd need to deal with speaks spanish (and sometimes english).

I do, however, highly recommend a catalan restaurant called Can Culleretes (i think), the oldest restaurant in Barcelona (and 2nd oldest in spain). Great seafood, obviously. For sightseeing, definitely hit up Parc Guell (the Gaudi park) if you can. Other things to check out: Sagrada Familia, the Montjuic Castle, and the main cathedral in the gothic quarter.

If you get a few minutes, definitely stroll through the Boqueria market, or grab a meal there, too. That's right off La Rambla at the Liceu stop on the metro, which is incredibly easy to use.

That's all i got off the top of my head. If you have any other questions, feel free to message me.

 

1) Barcelona plays Real Madrid twice in April, the 17th (Spanish league) and the 21st (Copa del Rey). If you're there during that time, just be aware that the Ramblas will get pretty crazy should Barca win one or both of those matches.

2) Mind your pockets. Every one of my friends who have gone to Barcelona have raved about the place, but all of them have also had problems with pickpockets. As long as you take the usual precautions (don't carry large amounts of cash, have a copy of your passport ready just in case, etc.), you should be fine.

3) Nothing. I just can't stand two-item lists.

 

Parc Guell is one of my favorite sights in the world. It's like an amusement park on acid.

 

If you don't want to rent a car but are interested in side trips (if you did the Pyrenees, you'd really need a car), consider Girona or Tarragona, both about an hour north and south, respectively, by train from Barcelona. Girona has an extremely cool, walled-off old quarter that's fun to walk around, and Tarragona features some impressive Roman ruins and killer views of the Mediterranean.

The Boqueria market and Parc Guell are must-see, as others have mentioned.

 

If one were to visit Barcelona for a few days, would Madrid be worth some time as well, or would Lisbon be a better bet? My wife and I are thinking of taking 10 days to maybe do Portugal, Spain and/or Morocco.

 

I've never been to Madrid but I did a cruise between Lisbon and Barcelona. Lisbon is very nice but if you're into museums, I'd lean toward Madrid.