<p>I see that things have been pretty much covered.</p>
<p>2 things - if you are a light sleeper, avoid staying at a hotel along Las Ramblas or the other touristy areas (or get a room facing a courtyard or back street) and yes, be very careful of the pickpockets (worse than Paris).</p>
<p>i LOVED Barcelona and an beyond jealous that you’ll be going so soon.</p>
<p>While it’s late in the game to change plans, I agree with k&s – avoid staying around Las Ramblas. It’s not the safest area, there’s a lot of street performers or people dressed as statues, and I want to say that when I went around 7 years ago, it was an area where drug use was evident at night especially (that’s not to say that it’s disgusting, because it’s pretty cool, I just wouldn’t stay there if I were to ever go back). But that’s a strip where nightlife lingers into the morning, so again, if that’s not your scene then it’s not the most ideal. Watch out for pickpockets there and watch out for pickpockets near the Olympic park. </p>
<p>Go in La Sagrada Familia, and if you have a relative afraid of heights (like me) coax them to the top – its amazing. I loved it.</p>
<p>We were just there this past Spring Break. Our oldest daughter has been studying at the University of Barcelona for the last year.Her apartment on one of the narrow side streets near the Museum of Modern Art which is across the street from the university.
We stayed at Abba Rambla Hotel<br>
Rambla del Raval, 4 c, 08001 Barcelona just off the Ramblas because we wanted to be centrally located and close our daughter. D2 was also staying with her sister and they were just a short walk away. We shopped La Boqueria for amazing food every morning. Just a 2min walk from the hotel.
We were very aware that everyone carried their purses in the front.</p>
<p>Transportation around the city is very easy. We did the very touristy thing of taking a bus tour while our daughter was in class. It was a great way to see many areas of the city. We could get on and off all day as much as we wanted - I think we bought a 2 day pass and felt it was definitely worth it.</p>
<p>A bottle of red wine was cheaper than a bottle of water - Enjoy the local Catalan cusine - Our daughter was determined to walk my legs off -she’s a little like a gerbal in a habitrail - when you see the narrow alley’s and roads - bustling with shops and people you will understand. There is no American breakfast - shops open about 10a - many close at 2p for siesta - then reopen to eat and drink all night.</p>
<p>Make sure to visit the market - Mercat de la Boquer</p>
<p>Thanks, all. We just returned from a great trip. I don’t know when I’ve visited a more enjoyable city. We stayed near the main cathedral, not far from the Ramblas, and fortunately did not hear much nighttime noise (although it seemed like garbage collection was done in the middle of each night and that was loud). We loved the Boqueria, visited it twice, and my daughter got some great photos of it with her good camera. Also enjoyed Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, the Picasso Museum and Casa Mila (another Gaudi work). One evening we took a funicular up to Tibidabo Park, which was really enchanting. A charming little amusement park, not sleazy at all like many of ours here, and the view was outstanding. </p>
<p>Outside of Barcelona, we did visit Montserrat, which was nice, and also Cadaques, a seaside town near France, the Dali museum in Figueres, Tarragona, which had Roman ruins but was perhaps “not ready for prime time” as far as tourists. Then we did some major driving and spent two days in Cuenca, which has the most amazing, extensive medieval town perched up on top of a gorge. I have been to most parts of Spain now, and I have to say Cuenca is one of the most spectacular, historic and scenic (shhh, tourists don’t seem to know about it yet!) 1600 kilometers of driving and not one pothole!</p>
<p>I amazed myself by getting into the late eating thing. No small accomplishment for a Norwegian Minnesotan who grew up with 5:00 pm dinnertimes. We ate large for breakfast, late for lunch, and we were often ordering dinner at 9:30 or after.</p>
<p>No, we didn’t go to a bullfight. Saw one in Mexico thirty years ago and that was more than enough.</p>
<p>Anyhow, thanks to all of you for your recommendations. Now back to reality.</p>
<p>Glad you had a wonderful trip, SuNa! I just got off the phone with my D3 who is in Granada for six weeks, and is loving it. I hope it was cooler in Barcelona than it’s been in Granada, where it was 42 C today! :)</p>
<p>I have been to Barcelona twice and it is a wonderful city. Any guide book will direct you to the major sights in the city from the beach to Barri Gotic to Parc Guell.</p>
<p>For me the miust see’s are Barri Gotic and the Cathedral, Las Ramblas and La Boqueria(do lunch there), Eixample district and Casa Mila/La Sagrada Familia. Montjuic was disappointing however.</p>
<p>Our favorite restaurants were Set Portes and La Venta.</p>
<p>A day trip to Monestir de Montserrat iswell worth it if you have time.</p>
<p>Darn. I missed your post and am replying too late. My husband and I and our children love Barcelona. We often rent an apartment there for a week or so. I hope you had fun!</p>
<p>Hey guys. My D is doing a study abroad in Barcelona in Jan. I am alittle nervous about it. I hear there is alot of crime. She is going with a group of friends. Does anyone have any information they can give me to make me less apprehensive? Thanks.</p>
<p>Been to Barcelona once. We were there during winter (Christmas) season. It was beautiful. Picasso museum is great but many of his important works are not there…unfortunately. For example, ‘Guernica’ is in Madrid and ‘Le Madamoiselle Du Avignon’ is in Moma here. And the museum is very well-organized with different stages that he went through but the collection is not complete. Like having to read a beautiful book with several key pages missing from each chapter. Anyway, the other more “important” museums seems to have gotten their dibs at Picasso ahead of his hometown, I think. Most of the work were donated by Picasso himself.</p>
<p>Loved the food. We were staying at a hotel at the Gothic quarters…it was pretty. Due to the cold we could not spend too much time at the beach.</p>
<p>Barcelona is a very young place, lots of very young people. I don’t think it has too much crime but in touristy places you should be careful with pick-pockets. In Barcelona now you can rent a bicycle (from the city) and go around, just be careful of other bikers.</p>