Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with barcelona

Prague, Vienna, Barcelona: what to do

jeather — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:40:04 -0800

I am going to Prague, Barcelona and Vienna. What should I do there? A friend lives in Prague, so she'll have advice for me there, though the more ideas the merrier. I want: walking tours, museums, and in Barcelona, beach. Reasonable restaurants would be nice, though I'm perfectly happy picking up stuff from street vendors or a grocer. I like good coffee, and I eat fish but not seafood. I'll probably just search out hostels in Barcelona and Vienna (staying with the friend in Prague).

A Gaudi walking tour would be excellent. I don't have the vaguest idea what to request for anywhere else.

I am leaving Thursday. I'd prefer not to bring guidebooks since I need to bring books to read and have weight restrictions, so I'm hoping there is web-based stuff I can print out.

Can anyone recommend a similar Barcelona hotel?

angryjellybean — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:07:28 -0800

Can anyone recommend a similar Barcelona hotel? My boyfriend and I are hoping to stay in Barcelona sometime between the 14th and 23rd September for 7 nights. Last night, after checking MeFi, we found the perfect one -

http://www.hotelbanysorientals.com/

... only to discover that it's not available for the dates we need.

Can anybody recommend a really nice, cosy, not grossly expensive, not ridiculously noisy and central, friendly, perhaps even nice-looking hotel in Barcelona?

I think that due to the location of the Banys Oriental, we're also preferably looking for somewhere near or around the Jaume 1 or Barceloneta(?) metro stations.

Broke but ambitious in Barcelona.

Zé Pequeno — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:42:07 -0800

I've just finished business school and have landed myself an internship at a very respectable multinational company in Barcelona, Spain. The internship is great, the salary dreadful. So, I'm now in a position where I can barely afford to live and need to find something else to suppliment my income. Can someone give me an idea of what formalities I need to address in order to sell food in the streets of Barcelona? I work just six hours a day so I have plenty of free time and I'm warming to the idea of starting my own business. I have identified a possible business opportunity centering on selling a very easy to prepare, mouth-wateringly delicious South American dish at night to drunken revellers. All I need from a purely logistical perspective, as far as I can tell, is a mobile barbecue, food and a few cooler boxes. I don't want to have any problems with the law, however.

I would be really grateful to anyone who could explain exactly what legal obligations I must fulfil before I can be legit. Also some indication of the probability of being able to do this would be also appreciated. I've already found out the hard way how spirit-crushingly obsinate the Spanish bureaucratic behemoth can be.

I'd welcome any informed suggestions but also ideas from anyone at all as to how I could feasibly make honest money in this city.

Barcelona: Hotel Regina vs Prestige Passeo de Gracia

Lylo — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:30:51 -0800

Barcelona: Please Help me choose between two hotels We have reservations at two Barcelona hotels for September. Is anyone familiar with them who can advise me which to pick?
1)Prestege Passeo de Gracia
2)Hotel Regina
Prestige is $326 USD/night not including taxes
Regina is $290 USD/night which includes taxes.
Is Prestige worth spending $60 more per night ?

Where to stay in Barcelona?

junesix — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:14:59 -0800

Pair of mid-20s friends looking for a place to stay in Barcelona in early June. I've read up a bit on the neighborhoods and it sounds like the popular, touristy area is near Las Ramblas. However, many of the modern tourist attractions are farther to the northeast. Help! I'm having trouble nailing down a neighborhood to find a hotel to stay. I love being in an urban neighborhood that's great for walking around day and night, cheap eats, and great shops. Since this will be our first time to Barcelona, we'll likely be heading to the big tourist spots as well which seem to be northeast of the old town center. So far I've picked out Hotel Del Mar just north of Las Ramblas but near a good metro station. What do you think? Should I go closer to the center or farther? Any suggested hotels for 6/1-6/6? Budget max is $200/night for the 5 nights.

What should we do in Barcelona?

cardamine — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:20:01 -0800

Help make my trip to Barcelona awesome! I'm going to Barcelona next week with my boyfriend, it's our first holiday in a long time but we're only there for three days. What are the must-see places and must-do things in the city? Bonus for quirky, fun stuff!

Favorite Barcelona hostel?

smackfu — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:23:55 -0800

What is your favorite hostel in Barcelona?

Looking for a European holiday apartment.

DirtyCreature — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:54:09 -0800

Where is a good place in a European city for a non-European to buy a small but nice two bedroom apartment for holidays? Looking for a city environment. How much would I need to spend? Are there any regulatory hurdles? Where do I find them? I was kind of leaning towards Paris but am fairly open. I am also open to Eastern Europe in safe areas and don't want to have to worry too much about the apartment when I am not there.

Palau Musica Tickets - Jose Carreras?

zachlipton — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 10:52:22 -0800

I would very much love to attend Friday's Christmas Concert at the Palau Musica in Barcelona with Jose Carreras (scroll down slightly to the 21st of December). Only problem is, it's been sold out for months. The box office, concierge, and Google haven't been much help, so it's time for Ask MiFi. I would appreciate any leads on ticket brokers/ticket exchange sites that might be of help. I only need one ticket.

Girona to Barcelona on a shoestring

samstarling — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:40:22 -0800

What's the cheapest way to get from Girona Airport to the middle of Barcelona, and back again? Specifically, I'm talking about doing this in January 2008. There are a lot of pages out there that talk about buses and trains, but does anyone have any personal experience?

What to get the young and transient (Spain-specific)?

sa3z — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 17:17:16 -0800

Wedding gift for a transient young couple living in Barcelona? I'm going to a wedding this weekend in Virginia for a couple that currently lives in Barcelona, Spain. I'd love to get them a useful and fun gift that won't be something they have to lug back with them. Ideally, I'd give a gift certificate that is handy in their parts, for an experience or event of some sort. They're pretty transient these days (moving around Spain, and possibly other parts of Europe), so they probably aren't in the mood to collect junk.

I checked the archives, and couldn't find anything specific to Spain or Barcelona. There doesn't seem to be an Amazon specific to Spain (like there is for the UK or France, etc.), but I'll send an Amazon gift certificate as a last resort. Any and all ideas welcome.

Summer Vacation: Prague, Barcelona, or Puerto Rico

blapst — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:32:30 -0800

VacationFilter: The ladyfriend and I are going on vacation for a week this summer. Most likely in July. Maybe August. The leading options: Puerto Rico, Prague, and Barcelona. Which place rules the most? We prefer, if possible, to spend less than $150/night on hotels, and enjoy cheap eats as much if not more so than the fanciness. And we don't really rock the late night club scene.

Books featuring Barcelona in Spain?

uk_giffo — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 02:46:58 -0800

I'm going to Barcelona this weekend and wanted to get a book for the flight and for when I'm relaxing over there. Does anyone know of any good books that feature the city quite prominently? I'm happy to consider fiction, non-fiction, sporting, historical or political books, anything that you might have enjoyed and that you think might help me engage that little bit more with what Barcelona has to offer.

How do I make it to Spain next June?

mikeh — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 07:24:34 -0800

New to international travel. Sonar Music Festival in Barcelona, next June. How should I start planning? Background: I'm 25 years old, living in the midwest United States, and have never traveled internationally. The current plan is for a friend and I to make travel plans and go to either the Sonar festival or the events around it in Barcelona this coming June.

I'm looking for any recommendations on setting up flights, accommodations, and transportation once there. If you've been to the festival and have some tips, feel free to share. Both positive and negative stories are welcome. Since it's still six months out, plans may change.

How accurately does Auberge espagnole, L' depict the city of Barcelona?

willnot — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:38:46 -0800

If you've been to Barcelona and if you've seen the movie Auberge espagnole, L', would you say that the movie does a good job of depicting what the city is like? As a result of the answers I got to this question, I had my sights set on Barcelona as my next vacation destination. Naturally when I saw that Auberge espagnole, L' was on, I watched it with great interest since it's set in the city and I wanted to get an idea of what I'd be in for.

It didn't look all that attractive to me in the movie. It seemed a little run down and not like the type of place I think I'd want to visit. I don't just mean the appartment where a lot of the movie takes place, but also around town when they're out sight seeing or whatever. The place seemed kind of claustrophobic and dirty.

Now, I know that a director can make a city look like pretty much whatever they want it to look like, and since the movie deals with poor college students, that may have been the vibe they were going for.

Still, if you've been there, and if you've seen the movie, how accurately is the city portrayed?

Where should I vacation?

willnot — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:01:11 -0800

I have some vacation time coming up, but I never really know where I want to go or what I want to do. I know that I like artistic cities. I know that I'll be spending a lot of time taking photos. I know that I want something exotic enough that I'll have some good stories, but modern enough that I can enjoy modern conveniences. Where would you go if you were me? Just to get more specific about what I'm looking for in a vacation destination:

1. Good weather for the time of year I'll be traveling (late April/early May).

2. I tend to like places with a strong art vibe -- sort of an embrace of creativity with plenty of interesting galleries and public sculpture and architecture. I'm particularly drawn to modern art as opposed to religious iconography or renaissances or other periods. I really liked Mykonos for this reason. It really felt like art was important to locals there.

3. Lots of opportunities for interesting photographs. The last couple of trips I took, I spent it almost exclusively looking through a camera lens. I like shooting crowd candids, interesting architecture, spectacles of nature, local culture, etc., the more colorful and varied the better.

4. Interesting things to see and do during the day -- I tend to like going places and doing things more than just hanging out on the beach. Probably lower-key stuff like going to a museum or ruin or day hike more often than really active stuff like jumping off cliffs. Daylife is more important to me than nightlife since I'm typically back to my hotel room fairly early most nights.

5. Something mildly exotic or unique that will provide me with plenty of good stories that will make me sound interesting when talking to people about my many travels.

6. Shorter plane rides are better than longer plane rides if possible, but I'm probably looking for something out of the US. I've been to Mexico and Greece and Italy. They were very nice, but I'd like someplace that feels different than that just for varieties sake. I'm in California.

7. I didn't like Venice. I didn't like Athens. I really liked Verona. I sort of liked Zurich (although I didn't see all that much of it), and as I mentioned above I loved Mykonos.

8. Someplace with somewhat modern conveniences as much as possible. Good restaurants, indoor plumbing and electricity, comfortable beds in nice, moderately priced hotels.

9. I will always try to speak the local languages to the extent that I can, but someplace where lots of people speak English would be helpful.

I'm probably looking to spend about two to three weeks and would like there to be enough variety with respect to what to see and do to keep that interesting.

Barcelona adventure

octomato — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 11:08:25 -0800

What to do in Barcelona? This is my third time in a short period of time. I'm looking for something new to do, see. I'm very excited to go. I'm going at the beginning of December with my favorite friend, both speak spanish (first language). We are looking for something off the beaten path even a nice day trip to a nearby town. Some cold weather hike. I don't know. Anyone have any ideas?

We're art students (i don't know if that helps)

Tapas and Setas in Barcelona

dfreire — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 14:55:51 -0800

What's the name of the tapas and setas bar on the corner of Plaça Nova and Carrer dels Boters in Barcelona? google map here

How to turn a movie into a vacation itinerary?

milkdropcoronet — Mon, 15 May 2006 14:12:05 -0800

How can I find out what Barcelona locations were filmed in the 1999 Pedro Almodovar movie All About My Mother? Almodovar's cinema is a definite inspiration for visiting Barcelona this summer. Even beyond the storytelling and narrative, his films have an arresting visual style -- warm vibrant tones, so contrasting they're almost kitschy. All About My Mother was shot on location in Madrid and Barcelona. I'll be in Barcelona soon and would love to visit the same churches, streets, alleyways, train stations, whatever, as featured in the film.

Is there a way to find out what these real places are?

Where are the two-stars?

lampoil — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:38:22 -0800

Are there travel booking sites that have really cheap hotels that aren't hostels? I'm looking for a place to stay for a week in Barcelona next month. I'll be with one friend and we're on a tight budget.

It seems that the big name travel websites have only three-star and up, and don't designate between Barcelona proper and resort towns 35 miles away. Hostel websites have mostly true hostels--difficult to find a private room with a bathroom for the dates I need.

The STA site lists a few places that look right for me, but I can't for the life of me get the website to work. (I put in all the info, click "continue" and nothing happens. Ever).

Are there websites other than STA that actually have one- and two-star hotels? Should I suck it up and choose between a hostel and a three-star? Should I go to an in-person travel agent? Any thoughts welcome.

Ten hours in Geneva

kickingtheground — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 08:59:57 -0800

I'm taking a week-long trip to Barcelona, and have a 10-hour layover in Geneva on the way there (during the day). Any recommendations? Ten hours isn't a lot, but if there's some cheap/convenient way to do so, I'd much rather spend a few hours in the city than waiting around at the airport.

I'd also be interested in any personal recommendations you might have for Barcelona (things to see & do, interesting neighborhoods, cheap places to eat, etc.).

[I'm an American college student, traveling on the sort of budget typical of such.]

Outdoor dinner party locations in Barcelona?

kdern — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 15:52:29 -0800

Barcelona filter: Can anyone help me locate a facility for an outdoor dinner party for 100 people? It has to be within walking distance of the Hilton Barcelona. I'm thinking museum, beer garden, etc.

Apartments or rooms in Barcelona?

deafweatherman — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 14:44:09 -0800

Inexpensive apartments or rooms in Barcelona? My friend is studying Barcelona and is on the verge of becoming homeless, she's looking for a place to live for around 300 euros or so, preferably around Arc de Triumf, Borne, El Barri Gòtic, or Raval. Anyone have any leads or know any good resources to help find housing? (craigslist isn't panning out and her study abroad program isn't being very helpful either) Even some tips from some people who have been in similar situations might help.

What should I see in Spain?

Gamblor — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 08:26:35 -0800

My wife and I are going to be in Spain for one week in March. We'd like to take in as much as possible, but not run ourselves ragged (especially since the laid back atmosphere of Spain is one of the draws). What are some things that you must see and/or do if you're in Spain? We live in NYC, so we definitely don't need to spend all of our time in a sprawling city (we've had our fill of museums and boutiques). We'd like to drink some good wine, eat tapas, see some flamenco dancing, and just generally take in the atmosphere.

We'll be in Dublin for a wedding immediately before this, and we're tentatively planning on flying into Barcelona, staying there for three days, then traveling to the south (possibly by plane, if time is an issue) and seeing the Sevilla/Cordoba/Granada area for the remaining four days.

Is this a reasonable plan for one week? Or are Andalusia and Catalonia better done in two separate trips? Also, can we get by traveling between cities by train, or will we need to rent a car?

Honeymoon in Barcelona

Wilder — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 12:21:20 -0800

Barcelona: some ideas for a five day honeymoon over Christmas! Help! Two dear fiends of mine have decided to get married. They each have children from other relationships so they will only allow themselves 5 days for a honeymoon, in order not to interfere with family obligations.
Problem is my wonderful moments in la Barca are 13 years ago!! I remember the fantastic experience in "El Cangrejo" (Anyone remember where that is??), the Edith Piaf Bar, all off the Rambla. They have five days from 25th December, where else can they go?
These guys have been through so much and are so committed to their kids, this will be a once-off. Help me to make it special, please!