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Plan my Barcelona Itinerary
We're heading to Barcelona next month. Here's what I've planned so far . . .
Saturday: Arrive in the morning. Hopefully get to hotel by noon. Drop bags off (if we can't check in), spend the afternoon walking around (probably Las Ramblas), have lunch, head back to hotel to check in/shower, back out in the evening to Las Ramblas and dinner.
Sunday: We have tickets to a BFC game - we don't know if the game is in the afternoon or the evening yet, so we'll just do some more exploring around Las Ramblas, maybe some shopping, definitely some eating. Family from Italy might come visit and if so, we'll spend that day with them.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday are up in the air (we leave Thursday morning.) We would definitely like to see: Gaudi, Sagrada Family, the Picasso Museum, the Dali Museum.
Is there anything I'm missing?
Should we go to Montesserat?
Will there be time for a wine tour (which would take up an entire day) and all the other things we want to do? I'd like to do one, but I don't want to do so at the expense of missing something in the city.
Are there certain days that are better than others to go to certain places? (For instance, here in NY, the Met is closed on Mondays, I know in Paris there was one day something we wanted to see was closed, etc.)
A little about us: love wine, love eating, not into extreme sports/hiking, definitely not renting a car.
Any help with planning would be greatly appreciated!
GP buddy to blenderdance
Re: Plan my Barcelona Itinerary
We're planning on working off of this 3-day iterinary; you could tweak it: http://www.barcelona4all.com/Itineraries.html#Three%20Days%20Itinerary
(ETA: scroll to midway down the page for full 3-day)
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We went to Montserrat as a day trip. It's pretty but I wouldn't say it's a must-do unless you're desperate to get out of the city or it has religious significance for you.
If you're interested in doing some shopping, there's an enormous Sephora (it was the biggest in Europe when I went, not sure if that still holds), and at that time we found that the prices on European designer stuff was decent.
Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.
Mark Twain
My Travel Blog
Tarragona is on our list of a possible trip; it's about 1.5hr train ride)
? Tarragona (Roman Ruins; via 1.5 hrs train (7E)or bus)
o Pretori I Circ Romans: Vaults of Roman Circus
o Forum Roma
o Roman Museum
o Amfiteatre Roma
o 5 restaurants
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Color me envious that you are getting to go to a BFC game.
Ok...walking around the Barri Gotic is way more interesting that Las Ramblas. While you are there, go into the Barcelona Cathedral. Take the elevator to the roof and look out over the city. Not a stunning view, but cool nonetheless.
Then, while you are in the vicinity, go to my **favorite** museum in Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat Bacrelona:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187497-d244210-Reviews-City_History_Museum_Museu_d_Historia_de_la_Ciutat-Barcelona_Catalonia.html
I think it is one of the best archeological museums in Europe. Beats the one in Paris by Notre Dame hands down! Getting to walk around the roman ruins under the city is very cool. Get the audio guide so that you can understand what you are looking at (I can't remember if there are english translations on the signs). The whole thing will take less than an hour but you really get a feel for the time.
Get a Streetwise map to carry with you and just wander around. You will stumble on the coolest things that way. You really can't get lost as you will either hit a major street or the Mediterranean Sea if you go far enough.
Also, go to La Ribera. It is not the most obvious neighborhood to get to (you will have to cross a major street and wander down an alley or two), but do it. It is filled with great shops and fun little cafes. It is the SoHo of Barcelona -- definitely gentrifying and very trendy.
http://www.whatbarcelona.com/la-ribera-barcelona.html
See La Pedrera *before* you go to Sagrada Familia. The museum at La Pedrera does a great job of explaining how Gaudi worked and designed and will help you understand La Sagrada Familia so much better. It is easily walkable from Las Ramblas.
If you get really enamoured with Gaudi, throw in Casa Batllo. It is beautiful, but be aware that it has limited opening times, so check to make sure it will be open when you want to go.
http://www.casabatllo.es/en/
Don't bother with Parc Guell unless you have tons of time.
Montserrat will take most of a day, so be aware.
The Olympic grounds isn't that much of a wow, and we were kind of disappointed with Montjuic. Not high on my list of recommendations.
If you are a huge art fanatic, try the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, but realize that there are no English subtitles on the paintings. Their medieval collection is incredible, but if art isn't your big thing, feel free to give it a pass. I am an Art History freak, so it was first on my list, but I realize that most people wouldn't care.
My favorite town in all of Spain! I'd live there in a heartbeat.
L'isle Sur la Sorgue, Provence
If you're familiar with Ferran Adria / El Bulli, check out 48 Degrees and /or Tickets restaurant. 48 Degrees is a bar and many of the apps were on the menu at El Bulli and Tickets is a full sit down restaurant. You'll want reservations ASAP for both.
As far as Sagrada Familia, MH had been there many years ago so we thought we could climb the steps up into the towers. This is not the case anymore and they really don't explain how the admission works at the ticket booth. If you want to go into the towers, you have to buy the tickets for the elevator when you buy your admission ticket. There was a long line at the ticket booth when we went and I wish we had gotten our tickets in advance at the yellow ServiCaixa machines that are all over.
If the weather is nice, you could go to the beach one day (at least to walk around).
We also went to a FCB game and it was amazing. We did a day of Gaudi sights including Parc Guell and I thought it was worth a trek up to the Parc. There were also 3 Gaudi buildings that we viewed from the outside (you can tour at least one of them but we passed) on the "Block of Discord".
we spent four days in Barcelona as part of our two week trip to spain in july
agree with PP on not spending so much time on Las Ramblas...while you are there though check out La Boqueria...it is awesome. http://www.boqueria.info/index.php?lang=en
The Gothic quarter is gorgeous too. i do recommend getting your Sag. Fam. tickets ahead of time. we did this and were able to skip the long line easily. (DJ is an architect so he is way way way more into building and art than a normal person). We did Sag. Fam first (did the audio tour), Casa Balto (AMAZING..my favorite one, also did the audio tour), then Park Guell....if you can swing it, don't miss it, the view of the city is great. It was a long day but fun. Montjunc was cool to see...and i agree the olympic park isn't AMAZING but my DH loved it (skipable though).
Do Cook and Taste cooking school! this was a highlight of our trip. We also went to the beach one day and just bummed around that area. very cute.