Any recommendations for Barcelona?
 

The wife & I booked a trip, SFO to BCN in early June.
Does anyone have any help on hotels or activities/sights without a car? We arrive on a Thur. and the plan is to rent a car on Mon. and drive to Provence. Thanks, jack123

I'd recommend the Hotel Arts (managed by Ritz-Carlton). It's near the beach, central to many attractions, and within cheap taxi rides of others.

Rotary International is having it's international convention in Barcelona at the end of June. The Rotary WEB site has much information about Barcelona. You might give it a look.

www.rotary.org

You might want to repost your request in the "Europe East/west section", but here goes...

I've booked Barcelona for August, and here's what I've come up with:

Barcelona Tourism:

http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/turi...p/ing/home.htm

English newspaper:

http://www.vilaweb.com/barcelonachronicle/

A personal web page with Barcelona pics:

http://www.geocities.com/missmadrid98/

A website & chatroom that focuses on Madrid but has info on all of Spain including Barcelona: www.madridman.com

I've got a room at the Fira Palace, a very nice looking hotel that I was able to book for a $50 discount at yahoo travel. I've not stayed there yet, so the best I can say is I seem to have gotten a good price on a luxury hotel.

http://www.summithotels.com/hotel_ve....cfm?id=24388&

travel.yahoo.com

This site also has an interesting hotel plan that has received good reviews elsewhere:

http://www.bancotel.com/

Frommer's is a good source of information for budget minded travellers. I've had good luck with their recommendations:

www.frommers.com

Gaudi: check out his architecture, including the cathedral, the Sacra Familia. Here's a web link:

www.gaudi2002.bcn.es/english/flash/home/G0.htm

Dali: worked in & around northeastern Spain. There may be museums with his stuff in Barcelona, but I think the town an hour north is where the best museum is.

Picasso: did his early years in Barcelona. I believe there is a museum dedicated to him.

The Rambla: a tree lined walking market street that goes through the heart of the city.

The Gothic Quarter: in the vicinity of the Rambla, the oldest part of town.

The beaches: several, including the Olympic facilities.

It looks like the public transit offers a daily pass that does a "tourist loop". I don't plan to get a car until the day I leave.

Barcelona's fortunes seem to be increasing since hosting the Olympics & now Spain chairing the European Union. By all means, contact their tourist service for printed information, and get a guide book on at least Barcelona,if not all Spain.

Should you have good advice upon your return here, I'd love to hear back from you before my departure!

JP

Thanks - all of you for the help. "j379pa" your links are great. I don't have much experience with these boards and not posting or finding "Europe".
I will try and give you some help for your Aug. trip.

Check out Gaudi's Park Guel and the Sagrada Familia. We found both amazing. Though we never do this, we took a city tour and it was the best I could imagine. The Gothic cathedral was awe inspiring.

The most recent "Europe" magazine has a nice article on Barcelona. You might find it at a Borders, or maybe in your library.

JP

Aywhere on the Ramblas is the best place to stay. It's a large tree-lined boulevard with market stalls, artists, and restaurants.