boatnfish

Planning our first trip to Barcelona. Will be arriving early before noon on a Sunday and departing the following Friday morning. Might be staying at the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona on points.

What do people think of this hotel, other recommendations? Our visit is to see the city and sights, not just the beach. It seems this might be far from downtown.

What about transfers from the airport (BCN) to hotel? Hotel service seems expensive, but after the flight it could be worth it. How hard and long is it to take the public options? Would this be difficult with baggage?

Finally, do people recommend staying closer to the airport for a morning flight? If so, ideas on where?

Thanks in advance!!

Koby

To get to the hotel from BCN, just take a taxi. Should cost you less than 40 EUR... (There are public transport options, but they are not quick nor easy and straightforward. Not worth it in my opinion.)

To get into the city from the hotel however, public transport is not a problem. Both metro and bus can get you there. You can use the Google Maps transport planner (or similar) to see the options. But keep in mind that 10 EUR spend on a taxi can get you pretty far in Barcelona.

Make sure to read the thread on this hotel on the Hilton forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilto...elona-esp.html

boatnfish

Thank you for the information!

Palal

Figure on an hour by bus+Metro

466SHH

Plus there's an increased risk of pickpockets on public transportation. You never look more like a tourist than when you are dragging your luggage behind you.

boatnfish

Thanks everyone.

Hilde

Is Uber an option in Barcelona?

sxc234

are pick pockets that common occurrence in Spain?

LupineChemist

In Spain in general, no. In Barcelona, yes. There is just such a huge amount of tourists that are there often for just a few hours from a cruise port that wouldn't even know how to file a police report and don't want to waste what small amount of time they do have in a police station.

BamaVol

We were able to get a taxi between that area and the airport for around €30, maybe one or two more. I wouldn't hassle with buses, metro, trains etc. unless really strapped for cash.

boatnfish

Thanks.

Current plan is a taxi to/from the airport.

Now trying to figure out the departure time for Friday AM. Options are 6:30 or 10:30. Not sure that we want to try and make the early one.

brittwentz

I loved the metro system. From El Prat to the center it takes around 1 and half hour, maybe add 20 mins until Diagonal. A great option is the Hello BCN card, it gives you unlimted access to metro, bus, tram and trains inside the metropolitan area for just €14. I traveled to and from my hotel using the metro and i didn't had any problems, mind you it was with a carry on bag. If you're carrying bigger luggage then it's probably better to get a taxi. But don't worry much about pickpockets, just be mindful of your belongings and be careful in full wagons as it's easier for someone to "bump" into you and take your stuff with them!

Since you'll be staying for 6 days i'd recommend maybe getting the 4 or 5 days bundle, but it depends on how much you're planning to move. Although the Diagonal area is a little far from downtown, you can easily get to the ramblas in less than 10 minutes using the metro.


Barcelona is an amazing city and you'll get to see and do a lot during that week as it's easy to move around, i hope you enjoy your trip!

Maxima81

Just came back from a short 4-day visit to Barcelona. If you're traveling with 3-4 people, a taxi definitely makes the most sense as it'll come out to about the same in cost if you wanted to utilize the other transportation options. With some minor traffic, it should take about 35-45 minutes to/from the center of town (Plaza Catalunya) and cost about 35 Euro. If you're traveling by yourself or with one other person, then the AeroBus or public transportation might be worth a look if you're looking to save some $.
I used this page for a quick comparison to help:
https://www.barcelonahacks.com/el-pr...o-city-centre/

The metro, while being one of the more budget-friendly options, definitely is not the most convenient. (As previous poster mentioned, it takes about 1.5 hrs to get into the center... not sure you'd want to sit thru that after a flight).

As for the transportation pass to get while you're in town - the multi-day unlimited pass options might be worthwhile if you plan to use public transportation a lot. The Hilton Diagonal Mar location looks to be a bit out of the way, so I think you'll be using the Metro a bit to get around to the sights. We stayed by the Gothic Quarter area and did a lot of walking to explore pretty much the entire length of Las Ramblas without using the Metro or buses. We purchased the T-10 tickets (ticket with 10 rides for 9.95 Euro) and only used it on days we traveled to the farther sights (La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Montjuic, etc.).

Do be careful for pickpockets, especially in crowded areas & the Metro. Someone from our party was almost a victim on a very crowded Metro. Fortunately, the inner pockets were zipped and she felt the hand go in her bag. She yelled at the pickpocket and he ran off the train quickly.

Hope that helps! Enjoy Barcelona - it's truly a beautiful city despite the pickpocket problems.

boatnfish

Thanks all. Great advice. After an overnight flight in probably will do the taxi into town, may get a bit more creative on the way out.

Is there a recommended airport close to the airport for an early AM flight?

Koby

Airport hotel? Don't bother. Since from most hotels in the city an early morning taxi takes 20 minutes to the airport, there is nothing to win by switching to an airport hotel for the last night.

If you want realistic information on when to be at the airport, tell us which airlines/terminal and where (Schengen/non-Schengen) you are flying and if you have luggage.