Execellent

It is one of the most beautiful city in the whole world I went there 3 time and I am thinking of going there again. Port, mountains, and beautiful city all three things in one place.

Last Visit: March 2008

24 August 2008 | A Yahoo! User

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Barcelona- authentic, non english Spain!

All those people that went back after 3 days clearly didn't give Barcelona a chance. Yes, I found all the touristy shops annoying but if you look beyond that and try and find all the authentic Spanish shops and places, you can have a great time at an affordable price. Sagrada Familia Right, more for adults than children as they won't understand the task which Gaudi faced in building this amazing construction. Costs around 10euros to get in, a student card will provide discount for this (and a lot of other things around the city so don't forget it!) Las Ramblas Good for entertainment, be careful of pickpockets although I never encountered any, some people do look a bit dodgy! There are many people around here selling red Estrella levante cans, for around 1euro to gullable tourists (mainly americans!) even though you can buy then in the supermarkets for 50cents. At various times of the week you will find along the ramblas flower and animal stalls, selling little bunnies and turtles! There is also an amazing fruit market on the left (as you walk away from the beach) which although is incredible on the eye, is VERY expensive for a little! Overall, our apartment was in one of the side streets of the Ramblas and I loved it! Was easy to get around, although the shops aren't great and there is loads of restaurants. (Don't eat or drink directly at the little cafes on the street because they are over 4euros for a coke) Public transport There are loads of tube stops here, great for getting around although some of them are absolutley boiling and you have to walk half a mile underground to get through them. Not good for buggies or disabled, they only provide one lift initially and then you are left to go up many steps. Along las ramblas there are also loads of bus stops which are great and reliable. you can use the same card for the bus and tubes and i recommend using the T10 because you save a lot! (10 journeys for 7.40euros, compared to one journey for 1.30euros) Barceloneta Beach This is the only beach I went on and it was nice and the waves are pretty good! there is a spa shop nearby which sells cold drinks! ahh! :) Shopping The best and cheapest place for clothes and bags is in and around the small side streets of Las Ramblas. They do a gorgeous bag for 12euros/15euros, and silky dresses for 20euros. The square where the hard rock cafe has more 'proper' shops like mango, naf naf, el corte ingles etc and these are great for clothes too! Restaurants I can't remember the names of the restaurants I went to :S but the hard Rock Café is not expensive and a great experience! We went to some which had queues outside (the day after we saw the queues) and these were always great! I hope this was a bit helpful to at least one person cos I would have appreciated advice before i went!!

Great for: Beaches, History/Culture, Family Holidays

Last Visit: July 2008

10 August 2008 | A Yahoo! User

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5 Nights in Barcelona

We spent 5 nights in May2008 in Barcelona and stayed on Los Ramblas. Sadly there was a water shortage, so not one fountain was on which of course, was really disappointing but it still didn't spoil our little holiday. We visited all the Gaudi sites and the most colourful market on Los Ramblas. One thing to think about when you go: shops are closed on Sunday and Monday - so if you expect to go shopping and are there for a short stay - bear that in mind! Also, a lot of "hen" and "stag" parties tend to go for the weekend and Los Ramblas is a very noisey place to stay along. Make sure if you do, you get a room not overlooking it as you'll never sleep. However, Barcelona's architecture out-weighs the negatives and we had a lovely time.

Great for: History/Culture, Theatre/Music, Nightlife

Last Visit: May 2008

29 June 2008 | A Yahoo! User

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An absolute delight!

My wife, and our two teen-agers just got back from eight days in Barcelona and that wasn't enough time to see all there is to see in this incredible city. Sure, as some have pointed out, it's dirty and smelly in some of the older sections like Bari Gothic, but hey, the place is 2,000 years old! It supposed to look, feel and SMELL like that. As for crime, Barcelona is BIG AND DENSE (about 2 million people packed into a very small area) so you're going to have a little crime. The city is an architectural wonderland -- from Roman ruins to Gaudi to Gehry and more -- what a visual delight! And don't skip the tapas, yum!! Saw the London Royal Philharmonic perform in a 100-year-old concert hall. Can't get that kind of experience in the USA. (We tear down "old" buildings before they reach half that age.) Bottom line: If you get the chance, check out Barcelona -- but you'll need AT LEAST a week to take it all in.

Great for: Beaches, History/Culture, Theatre/Music, Nightlife, Family Holidays

Last Visit: May 2008

27 June 2008 | A Yahoo! User

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Bore-calona

Recent council crackdown in 2008 has curbed late night drinking. It is smelly, overpriced and overun with theives, thugs and generally unfriendly locals. The only Spanish who spoke to me were the prostitutes that happily parade along les rambles.

Great for: Beaches, History/Culture

Last Visit: June 2008

24 June 2008 | rosco_rrstar

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We didn't have any problems

We loved Barcelona, and had no problems. I read a lot of reviews before actually arriving there so we were prepared for both good, and bad. My wife, and I went there for our honeymoon. Here are some things we did to ensure a safe trip. 1. Don't walk around like arragent loud American. ( we are American). dress sort of lightweight conservative. 2. Keep a color copy of your passport with you, but hide your real one in your hotel/hostel/ apt. 3. Carry minimal cash. 4. Wear a money belt inside you pants, or under your shirt. 5. Carry a little money in your front pocket to throw at the robbers in case you do get robed, or pick pocketed just to keep them happy. Keep your real money in a safe hidding place. Carry just what you need that day. 6. Don't buy your water at the tourist areas, they charge you a whole lot. If you walk around the block, at one of these ethnic stores, you'll get it 2/3rd cheaper. 7. Don't fall for the coffe spilled from the terrece trick. When they politely come to offer to clean you up, they clean you out. This did not happen to us, but we heard similar stories from others that this goes on. 8. When walking in the Raval area, dont talk out loud if your American. We rented an apartment in the worst area of the city, and had no problems, maybe because I look like Im Arab, but Im not, Im black, and proud. Enjoy your trip.

Last Visit: January 2008

31 March 2008 | abldwn

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I can't wait to get there

i saw different pictures about barcelona and i like the surrounding and the activites.

24 March 2008 | A Yahoo! User

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paid £500 to leave early!

i've just come across this, and thought i'd review, me and a friend went last summer, we've both never been to such an awful, vile place in our lives! we were staying in the city itself. if you like things such as the smell of sewage, repetative and over priced tourist shops, and the mistreatment of animals, you'll love it here. we booked 10 days there, but left after 3, needing to fork out £500 each for the only spare seats on the airoplane!

Last Visit: August 2007

21 February 2008 | A Yahoo! User

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Crime riddled and obscenely expensive.

I personally will not be re-visiting Barcelona. Myself & a group of 8 others visited primarily to see Barca' at the Camp Nou which was awesome but the city on the whole is a dirty, smelly crime ridden place. 2 of our group were robbed in the main Ramblas street and the queue at the police station the next morning had over 50 people of various nationalities lined up out the door. Everywhere you go the food & drink prices double if you aren't Spanish & they are expensive to start with. If you must go, visit the Segada familiar (cathedral) & the harbour area with the cable cars but if you have a choice, go to Prague or Berlin instead.

Great for: History/Culture

Last Visit: February 2008

16 February 2008 | A Yahoo! User

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Whatever you like, you'll find it in Barcelona!

I went to Barcelona to do a Spanish course (www.caminobarcelona.com ) and it was the perfect opportunity to discover this marvellous city with plenty of time (as I stayed there for 12 weeks). What I liked the most is that there are so many different things that you can do there. You have the beach, yes, but mountains and 'nature reserves' are close by (Collserola Park for example). I even went skiing to Andorra, which is 2 hours away from Barcelona! When I felt more 'cultural' I had such a wide selection of museums -modern, Picasso, ancient (Egyptian museum in Barcelona!)...- but I also had an even wider selection of restaurants, bars and clubs to party all night long, so different to home where they close so early :-(

Great for: Beaches, History/Culture, Nightlife, Budget Travel

Last Visit: October 2007

7 February 2008 | A Yahoo! User

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