Barcelone tips please

[millsa]

We are off to sunny Barca for a few days to do some partying and sightseeing, and maybe a bit of shopping - all nice things you do without babies around! Any tips for good and cheap local food, bars and clubs, and flee markets welcome :)

[bigbadwolf]

Once again, consult the oracle.

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/profile.php?20,186

[silverfox]

I believe the 176 goes past the Barcelona but they charge 12.5% service charge so I wouldn't leave a tip as well. You may find a few days is too long though.

[candj]

Don't miss the really amazing (and sometimes creepily organic) architecture of Antoni Gaudi (the Sagrada Famillia Church and all the apartment buildings he did in and around Barcelona are something else). Also, the Picasso Museum is worth a visit.

You can't really go wrong with any of the tapas bars as all are very yummy and uber reasonable, or the outdoor cafes on Las Ramblas serving different varieties of paella. I think there is a big market off of Las Ramblas (more a food market than flea market) that is worth seeing, as well.

Have fun!

[daizie]

Haha silverfox that place is ALWAYS empty .

[Ladygooner]

Be sure to take care of your bags in Barcelona - I have travelled extensively and have never seen so many muggings and attempted muggings as I saw on my weekend there.

[chez]

I was there a couple of weeks ago and I went to a great seafood place on the beach, also check out the sand sculptures as you walk along. Awesome city! Be careful on Las Ramblas though!

[Sharon_H]

I can recommend this place, great tapas and Estrella Dam, lovely.

http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_directory/restaurants/tapas/bar_celta

I believe there is a cava bar there too but I didn't get to try it unfortunately.

As Ladygooner says, watch your bags, wallets etc.

[Mick Mac]

Ladygooner Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Be sure to take care of your bags in Barcelona - I

> have travelled extensively and have never seen so

> many muggings and attempted muggings as I saw on

> my weekend there.

Spot on Ladygooner.

I went on a stag weekend to Barcelona - 15 of us and over 2 nights, 7 people had their pockets picked. And some of my friends are not to be messed with. They had their wallets taken from their front jeans pockets.

Be extremely careful, separate your money into different pockets. Avoid any conversations with "locals" who try to make conversation with you at night. And if you see a street fight, stay well away, these are staged to direct your attention from the pickpockets.

Las Ramblas is an outlaw zone at night. We spoke to an English barmaid and she had been mugged 3 times in a year in broad daylight - do not wear a bag over your shoulder. Great city but Las Ramblas, you need to know the dangers.

My wife warned me before we left - I told everybody what she said - they responded "well, probably no worse than Oxford Street" - 2 days later we were over a grand down between us.

[Peckwich]

I have to echo that. My sister went in group of about 6 and they were kindly warned by some other tourists to watch their bags as a bunch of lads nearby appeared to be scoping them out. Her trip passed without incident in the end and they had a great time but just be aware of your surroundings, more so than in other tourist cities from what I have heard.

[bon3yard]

I too had been warned about the Pickpockets along The Ramblas but I have to say that I found it a lot less threatening walking Barcelonas backstreets at 2am than I ever have in London. It was refreshing to see Spanish families with Kids in tow taking in the night air and it was noticable that the most raucous and menacing place we drank in was an English pub at the top of The Ramblas.

Take a cable car up to the top of the crumbling old Olympic Village for the best view of Barcelona. Theres also a fusty old War Museum up there(in The Castle Basement I think)which is well worth a peek.

[Jeremy]

Gracia is a really nice area for a quieter evening... the food is more reliable and the beer is cheaper than the centre of town.

[intexasatthe moment]

Fraid it's true about being careful.

Passing ( broad daylight ) some pavement diners ,I shouted to alert them to an attempt to take their bag.

Then self and boyfriend persued and set upon ( no harm done ) by thwarted bag snatchers.

[DaveR]

I would recommend visiting Parc Guell and La Pedrera for Gaudi as well as Sagrada Familia. I would second Jeremy's vote for Gracia as a nice place to wander, in the day time as well as the evening - nice shops and a nice vibe. I would particualrly recommend a tapas bar called L'Anxoveta, on a side street off Gran de Gracia, and the bars and cafes on Placa del Sol. The Born is another area with lots of good bars - Txakolin is a very good for tapas. Barceloneta is good for eating seafood - I've eaten at 4 or 5 of the places on or around the main drag and they've all been good.

From the posts above and also what I've heard, the Ramblas is best avoided these days - tourist tat by day and drunks, fights and crime by night.

[Izodia]

When I went with a friend, we really enjoyed looking round Casa Mila and Casa Battlo.

But actually everything we saw was great...just as everyone else says, be careful of the pickpockets.

[Mick Mac]

Today's Metro:

Worst pickpocket cities in the world

Friday, September 25, 2009

Barcelona has been named and shamed as the pickpocket capital of the world.

The Spanish city, a popular tourist destination, is the place visitors are most likely to have valuables stolen, a study revealed.

The famous and lively Las Ramblas boulevard was the 'perfect place to get your purse poached', TripAdvisor said.

[PeckhamRose]

Yup this happened to a mate of mine. A man walked up to him and took his attention whilst another man approached from behind and held his arms whilst the first man stole passport and wallet.

At the police station the police basically calmly told him to wait behind all the other people in the queue reporting the same thing.

The police gave him a piece of paper with information on it to give to the airport for his flight back.

That piece of paper was a waste of time and was not going to let him fly home, and he had to visit immigration. So the police did not know what they were doing.

Apart from that - he said it was a lovely city!

[bigbadwolf]

At least you can rest assured that if the 8 year old Algerian pickpocket is apprehended by the local Guardia Civil, then they'll be more than happy to placate your frustration and loss by handcuffing the little scrote and chucking them down several flights of steps, after tasering the soles of their feet.

And they say chivalry is dead.