Anyone been to Barcelona, Spain?

[Debbi in Texas]

I am planning to go there on May 17. Can anyone give me any tips? I plan to get international service on my phone and a converter for my charger and laptop.I am going with the college and will be staying with a host family.

 

What other things do I need to know?

 

Thanks,

Debbi

[SKL]

We went to Barcelona last Christmas, but we only stayed 2 nights.  The highlight was a drive to the Montserrat monastery.  In the evenings we went to Las Arenas shopping mall (google some images - it is a converted bullfighting arena), which has a very nice view of the city and lots of restaurants on top.  You have to enjoy Tapas while you are there.  :)  There was also a flamenco dance show there in the Arenas mall - I think it is a regular thing since that is apparently a tourist spot.  That's about all we did in Barcelona, but there are other things to see.

[Penguin]

Love Barcelona.

 

Agreeing with the previous poster that Montserrat is a worthy side trip. There are various ways to do it, including a scary looking cable car. We opted for a train :)

 

I highly recommend the Magic Fountains for a free and delightful evening:

http://w110.bcn.cat/portal/site/FontMagica/

 

It is normal to be eat dinner very late and then to stroll around - plan to enjoy the nighttime!

 

If you want to see any Gaudi Park or Sagrada Familia, book ahead. Otherwise, the wait is atrocious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miss Tick]

International service is often very costly, if it is even available. We were in Spain recently and with the proliferation of wifi hotspots I was able to transact all my social communication using the Hang-Outs wifi texting app. I also bought a tiny, voice-only, reloadable phone from a kiosk once I was in Spain. I used it for two local calls. It was cheap and I should be able to use it on other international trips, if the need arises.

[Veritaserum]

I loved the Gothic Quarter. The cathedral there is not to be missed. Dh and I visited Barcelona five years ago and have joked about moving there. It's a beautiful city. We stayed in Eixample and did a lot of walking/using the metro. We only viewed the outside of Sagrada. The gothic architecture was more interesting to us than Modernisme. Tapas and savory crepes are my food memories. Signs are in Catala and Spanish. Most people speak Catala and Spanish. Our hotel staff spoke English. We used taxis a few times and had fun chatting in Spanish with the drivers, but they spoke English as well.

 

We were only there for two nights and 1.5 days (lost a day due to airline awfulness) and spent most of Sunday at the Formula One Grand Prix just outside of Barcelona. We are big Motorsport fans and one of our favorite drivers is a Spaniard. It was so much fun to cheer for him beside all the locals. You'll just miss the Spanish Grand Prix this year (it's a week from now).

 

We took a cruise out of Barcelona to visit Monaco, Florence/Pisa, and Rome. We booked last minute and got five nights/6days for $299 each on Royal Caribbean.

 

Have fun!

[Haiku]

I enjoyed Barcelona even though it was very loud and crowded. I recommend visiting Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia.

[Debbi in Texas]

Thanks, everyone. I am looking forward to the trip.

[Lanny]

I assume that your GSM phone is "unlocked".  Question: Does it have GSM bands that are used by your potential phone carrier in Barcelona?  My understanding is that the GSM bands commonly used here in the Americas are not used in Europe.  If Spain is like Colombia, you can buy cell phones and SIM cards in just about every supermarket and in many other places.  In May, I doubt the weather in Barcelona will be extremely hot, as it would be during the Summer. Have a great trip!

[madteaparty]

All I can remember is that we did not have a bad meal there!The Gaudi stuff, of course.

If you have an unlocked phone, you can buy a SIM card for it when you land. But there's wifi everywhere so I just used that

Edited May 10, 2016 by madteaparty

[Debbi in Texas]

I assume that your GSM phone is "unlocked".  Question: Does it have GSM bands that are used by your potential phone carrier in Barcelona?  My understanding is that the GSM bands commonly used here in the Americas are not used in Europe.  If Spain is like Colombia, you can buy cell phones and SIM cards in just about every supermarket and in many other places.  In May, I doubt the weather in Barcelona will be extremely hot, as it would be during the Summer. Have a great trip!

 

Since my original post, I have learned that the Wal-Mart employee who told me my Straight Talk phone would work in Barcelona with the International Calling Card was misinformed.

 

I will be with a group, so I will just do what they do :)