Your best tips for Barcelona please

[imustbeanidiot]

Have got 4 days booked in May, we'll be staying at a hotel near Plaça de Tetuan.

Planning on getting the bus from the airport.

Will we need a metro card to get around?

Have the Sagrada Familia booked for visiting the first day we arrive, Park Guell for the 2nd.

3rd day we'd like to use the Hop on Hop Off
bus to see a bit more and visit the Barca FC museum (we know the stadium is under construction).

We also want to take the cable cars from the harbour, spend a bit of time on the beach.

What else is a not to be missed? And your best restaurant addresses please . Thanks mumsnetters

Keep your belongings in some sort of super-secure bag or pouch. The pickpockets in Barcelona are fucking rampant.

Highly recommend Restaurant la Fonda on carrer escudellers, just off Plaça Reial. They have a sister restaurant Quinze Nits on plaza reial itself but La Fonda is better! There’s a cool bar called El Bosc de Las Fades just off the ramblas too

Factor in some time for just wandering around, especially the Gothic Quarter, we spent hours doing this, come onto La Rambla and have a walk around La Boquería an amazing market.

Try to get to the Exiemple area and visit the Gaudi houses there.

It's a fabulous place, enjoy.

Get a multi-trip transport card that you can use in buses and metro. At the top of the cablecar from the harbour is the Miró foundation, I have not been but have been told is very good. Also great for kids in the science museum CosmoCaixa, not too far from Park Güell. Casa Batlló is amazing too and there is a Picasso museum in Barri Gótic, probably best to book if you want to see it. The Lego shop is also very cool.

DD went a few months ago, and said it was horrendous for being hassled in the street/pickpockets. Get a really secure bag to put your belongings in and never walk about with your phone in your hand.

You need a bum bag on your front or pouch type bag. Don't get your phone out on the street.

Sing it with Gusto.

🤣🤣

Go to El Cortes Ingles for a mooch and coffee on the terrace:

www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/shopping/el-corte-ingles-barcelona.html

Our favourite thing we did was the magic nights at casa battlo - basically a concert on the roof of the gaudi house with lightshow and nice few glasses of cava - was really gorgeous

www.casabatllo.es/en/online-tickets/visit-magic-nights/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=16180847658&utm_term=gaudi%20barcelona%20houses_b&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwn7mwBhCiARIsAGoxjaLcI7-RgTrWW4nieyuHjNQF0uEgtf42PBAzW2p4GNnow5xB57m_fUMaArRSEALw_wcB

These are great suggestions, thanks all.

You are freaking me out though with the pickpocket stories

Don’t go….I’ve been a couple of times…..never feels safe….seen loads of people getting robbed….visit Valencia, Seville or Granada…..far nicer and much safer

I loved Barcelona ! Used a Uniqlo cross body bag but never had any issues, security wise. I do have my wits about me though and am naturally suspicious of everyone.
Take super comfy shoes, you'll be walking for miles.
Restaurant wise, 'Pla B' was very good

We were there for 3 days and saw no crime/pick pockets. As above bags in front of you, keep your wits about you and enjoy.

We live in London and are used to being aware but don't let it put you off.

We used the Aerobus to get from the airport - it was really easy, and then bought a 10 journey ticket each on the metro which was enough for 4 days.

We liked the food market at lunchtime - just walking round the stalls trying different dishes. We found a fantastic Mexican restaurant - La Quesadilla - not far from La Sagrada - they were so welcoming and the food was amazing if you like Mexican food.

We did the lights night at Casa Batllo - half way round I realised they had given me a kid’s audio guide so check which version you have if you go because I probably missed out on some interesting information, instead I heard a story about a dog and playing hide and seek, I kept saying to dh that it was an odd commentary

I felt completely safe and had my phone out using Google maps all of the time.

We had a fabulous time walked everywhere did all the gaudily stuff amazing the cathedral left me quire tearful.
Absolutely no problem at all re pickpockets etc have wonderful time

Thanks all.

I do have a cross body bag, and will get one for my husband also, even though he's rolling his eyes.

Thanks the the ticket tip for the metro

Trip to the Dali museum at Figures, doesn’t take long on the train

I was there last summer, I loved the public transport system it’s very cheap and efficient, although very busy and confusing! Have a look at the underground and overground routes before you go and make a plan on what stops or connections you required.

if you want out of the city I would recommend Stiges by train or any of the little beach resorts along the way.

I went 2 weeks ago with my 19 year old DS and had a fab time. I was aware of the pickpockets and just had a cross body bag. I thought it was a fantastic place, never had any hassle.

We bought a Hola Barcelona card for the metro as we were staying just outside of the centre of Barcelona. You can use it on the metro, local buses and tram. Once you’ve ordered it though you can only collect it from the larger metro stations, we picked ours up from the ticket machine at Catalunya as annoying couldn’t pick it up from our local metro station. If you are staying in the centre and doing the hop on hop off bus tour, probably no point in getting one though.

We went to camp nou but you literally couldn’t see anything as you couldn’t see anything of the stadium with the work going on and unless you are going to go inside the museum when you get there it’s really not worth it in my opinion.

If you like history, then do the Runner Bean tour round the gothic quarter. It’s 2.5 hours and they give you loads of history about Barcelona and the area. It’s a completely free walking tour, but u book online and costs €2.50 euros per person to book. We just give the guide a €10 tip ar the end.

We did a half day trip to Monserrat which was worth it, we got the train early from Espanya and it look an hour to get there and cost about £25 per person and that included the ticket to get the funicular to the monastery (you do have to pay to go into the monastery too). It was well worth it for half a day, great views and the monastery is really impressive if you like that sort of thing.

Sagrada Familia is really amazing as you would expect, but get there early if you can. We had booked tickets for 9.45am and walked straight in.

You will have a great time, I loved it and would definitely go back.

And I was totally paranoid about pickpockets as everyone had said how bad it was but as long as you have your wits about you it didn’t feel any worse than any other big city in my opinion.

Some great tips here.

The magic fountain show is fun. It's near the magnificent Museum of Catalan Art. I also recommend the Miro museum. Really depends what art you're interested in (those two are polar opposites!)

I'd avoid Barceloneta beach - full of people drinking, trying to sell you drugs, or steal from you. It's not nice sand either (artificial beach). I'd say there's plenty to do in the city and save the beach for a separate holiday (or take the train to Casteldefells or Sitges for the day).

Have your wits about you re pickpockets but I had no problems (then again I was ultra cautious).

I think the hop-on / off bus is a great way to see the city and you can even get off near Parc Guell if you want to be efficient (given that Parc Guell is quite far from the centre). That said, public transport is cheap and efficient.

It's a wonderful city - enjoy!

I think the hop on hop off bus do different routes too, one goes to the football stadium and it’s another route to go to park guell, Sagrada familia etc so worth checking the routes before you buy.

lots of useful tips above. a second vote here for the science museum

Just back from an Easter trip. Case Goudi is a must, it's incredible. Don't bother going to La Ramblas nothing to see and you'll come back minus your wallet.

If you're into art there's the Picasso museum and another fabulous modern art gallery. We did a Segway tour which was great. There's Gaudi Park (not real name but you'll find it), wasn't that impressed. We just used Ubers/taxis.

The paella and fish/seafood at Fishers fish restaurant on the beach was lovely.