Barcelona hints and tips

[CisMyArse]

Anyone been for a long weekend? Can you advise me please? Travelling with family from 18 years to 87! Nice places to eat etc outside of La Ramblas which I hear is massively overpriced.

Lovely city! I'd do the red bus tour, it's so flexible for a short visit. I've been 8 times and every time the pick pockets/thieves are worse. Don't leave your bag down outside a restaurant when you're eating, my friend had hers stolen including passport. Don't useca back pack on your back, my friend had her contents stolen when using an escalator from the subway. Be vigilant and you'll have a great time!

The hop on hop off bus tour is really good, you can see all of the city.
Sagrada Familia is a must see.

Thank you!
hoping to book a few lovely restaurants for the evening too. Would love to hear suggestions.

Whereabouts are you staying? As we found some lovely restaurants near to our hotel, just outside the main tourist areas?
There are lots of areas to explore and walking around the city is fun, so many places to stop for a coffee/pastry/tapas, but perhaps depends how spritely the older guests are.

book sagrada familia & the gaudi park etc now.

there are loads of great restaurants everywhere

Definitely be careful of your belongings . We were told by locals about our phone being in my pocket . Also depending on your budget we just got the bus from the hotel to the airport saved us so much money compared to the taxi . We also went for the football stadium tour which was really good .
we went the very end of January , when we got to the airport there was ice melting on the runways it was lovely but absolutely freezing here and trying to snow as we left the uk , we was wearing short sleeved tops with no jacket on the beach in Barcelona .

Have a lovely time :)

Calle Granados has some lovely bars and restaurants. My favourite area though is El Born, near the Santa Maria basilica - its so quirky and atmospheric.

Definitely Sagrada Familia, any of Gaudi's other houses and Park Guell. There is an amazing sandwich shop just outside the park. The cable cars are good if they are open when you go. Also just spend time wandering, the streets are beautiful and there is lots of eating and drinking to be done. If you like pizza we found a lovely restaurant in Born, next to our hotel. We found Born lovely, kids in the streets playing football and lots of restaurants and bars.
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Arrosseria Xativa for paella. Very good for any allergies or dietary requirements in terms of staff awareness and menu signposting. Lunch or dinner. There are three locations. Menu and maybe even whole website available in English. Be sure to book. Not sure how big your group is, they're not huge restaurants.

If it's not out of your budget do a food and drink tour. If you can do it on your first day you get a tour round all the areas and lots of stops for nice food and drink, it gives a lovely oversight of the city.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/AttractionProductReview-g187497-d11461438-Barcelona_Tapas_and_Wine_Experience_Small_Group_Walking_Tour-Barcelona_Catalonia.html

Pre book tickets for sagreda familia. They go weeks in advance.
Loads of lovely restaurants in born just wander and see what you fancy.

The hip on hop off is great

The metro is an easy way to get around you can buy a family ticket

If you have people with limited mobility with you get the metro to Parc Guell - the walk is nice but very steep.

Avoid Las Ramblas like the plague.

If you are unused to big cities be very aware of pick pockets and bag thieves including distraction thefts.

If you need somewhere for a sit down, a wee and a ok priced cake and drink the cafes in El Corte Ingles are always a good bolt hole to have up your sleeve.

Yes book Sagrada familia in advance! We tried to book the week before, congratulating ourselves on how organised we were, and it was completely sold out. We did manage to get Parc Guell tickets a week in advance.

My! Barcelona has changed since we were last there in 2007. We just rocked up to both of those on spec and got in.

those days are over for sure.
We went in October to Barcelona & it was a bit last minute so didnt prebook anything - couldnt get into the SF, parc etc.

I suspect much of Europe is now like this - you have to book months in advance for Rome Collesum etc.