Some help and answers from a Barceloner

[traveld]

Thank you so much for your assessment. I had a feeling that neither location would be considered ideal for the first time tourist. However, I was hoping to save a little money by staying at a Hilton since I am a Hilton Honors member and can get the room at no charge. That being said though, I also do not want to stay at a hotel that will be incovenient to access the major tourist sites.

Is it your opinion, that it would be better to spend the money to stay in the central area, rather than out in the outskirts and take the bus or metro into town? We are still many months away, so I do have a lot of time to make up my mind. We are both able-bodied and are accustomed to long days of sightseeing. It is not unusual for us to leave the hotel first thing in the morning and not return until we are ready to go to bed!

To stay in town, is there a resonably priced hotel that you would recommend that is readily accessible to various transit alternatives?

Thank you for your help. :)

[BCNlady]

[quote name='traveld']Thank you so much for your assessment. I had a feeling that neither location would be considered ideal for the first time tourist. However, I was hoping to save a little money by staying at a Hilton since I am a Hilton Honors member and can get the room at no charge. That being said though, I also do not want to stay at a hotel that will be incovenient to access the major tourist sites.

Is it your opinion, that it would be better to spend the money to stay in the central area, rather than out in the outskirts and take the bus or metro into town? We are still many months away, so I do have a lot of time to make up my mind. We are both able-bodied and are accustomed to long days of sightseeing. It is not unusual for us to leave the hotel first thing in the morning and not return until we are ready to go to bed!

To stay in town, is there a resonably priced hotel that you would recommend that is readily accessible to various transit alternatives?

Thank you for your help. :)[/quote]

I still think Barcelona Hilton (financial district) can be a good option. Keep your money for a good diner at Botafumeiro for ex. The area is well connected with bus through the Diagonal av. and with metro line 3. You will perhaps loose 20 min extra on the whole every day. I think it will be a good deal for you.

[CruisinGerman]

BCNLady (Bea) is always right. She is far more thorough and insightful than I am.

If you are going to get the room for free, by all means go for it. Even if you took a taxi every day (and not public transportation), you would still come out way ahead. As I mentioned in my previous e-mail, Barcelona is a relatively small city, so when I say that the two Hiltons are not near where you want to be, they are still easily accessible by taxi, bus or metro to all of the tourist sites.

The Hilton Diagonal financial district dates from about 1992 (right before the Olympics). This would be the more convenient location to the tourist sites. The Hilton Diagonal Mar is much newer, but is farther away. Check out the facilities of each hotel and decide what is more important to you out of the two, since they can both be reached by taxi or public transportation, although as Bea mentions, the Hilton Diagonal financial district is probably closer.

Kind regards,

Gunther and Uta

[traveld]

Thank you both for your helpful advice.

Can I trouble you for more? I have been reading that pickpockets and thieves take every opportunity to prey on trusting tourists. While at one time I was considering taking the airport bus into town and then a taxi from there to the hotel, I'm not sure that this is the best thing to do.

What would you recommend? Should we take a taxi from the airport to the hotel directly? Or should we arrange for a private car in advance to transport us? I expect that we will have many pieces of luggage since we will be embarking on a 2-week cruise.

Our flight is scheduled to arrive very early in the morning, around 7:30am.:)

[seagopher]

Thanks for the wonderful information that BCNLady and CruisinGerman have given us.
I will be staying at the Avenida Palace in December for a transatlantic cruise. I have read about the Spanish making a bread for celiacs that taste like the wheat bread everyone is so use to. I would like to find a restaurant close to the hotel for dinner. A celiac can not have any wheat, barley or rye. I have been on the celiac site for Barcelona, but it is in Spanish and I can not read it.
I hope you can help me. Thanks in advance.

[cruising forever]

Hiya gopher:

 

Wow, I haven't thought about celiac for a long time, but when my 26 yo son was a baby, they thought he had sprue or cystic fibrosis for several years and he wasn't able to tolerate any gluten or lct for about 6 years! BTW, now he's healthy as a horse!

 

I think I"ve seen a link somewhere for a translator; maybe Google it and give that a try to add to your database.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[CruisinGerman]

Barcelona, and other Spanish cities, are some of the safest cities in the world. The time schedules in Spain have a lot to do with this factor. It is quite common to find school-age children riding the metro/subway at 11:00 p.m. at night or later.

 

The reputation Barcelona has for "pickpockets preying on tourists" is really mostly limited to the area of Las Ramblas from Plaza Cataluña down to the Columbus statue which you Americans usually feel is where Barcelona both begins and ends, but which those of us who actually live here regard as one of the worst parts of Barcelona.

 

Yes, you will find the pickpockets on Las Ramblas and in places mostly frequented by tourists, just like you would in any city of the world. Just use your common sense and you will be fine. Believe me, Barcelona is a lot safer than cities such as London, New York and Los Angeles.

 

People usually rave about the bus service between the airport and Plaza Cataluña. Maybe I'm lazy in my older age -- my vote is for a taxi. It's only about 20-25 euros by taxi from the airport to anyplace in central Barcelona. That's a bargain compared with other major cities.

 

Whatever you do, just relax and have a great time.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[BCNlady]

I have read about the Spanish making a bread for celiacs that taste like the wheat bread everyone is so use to. I would like to find a restaurant close to the hotel for dinner. A celiac can not have any wheat, barley or rye. I have been on the celiac site for Barcelona, but it is in Spanish and I can not read it.

I hope you can help me. Thanks in advance.

 

I've found this list of restaurants, on the web they say it's better to ask for a celiac menu when you book.

http://http://www.celiacscatalunya.org/cas/8_5_enlaces_restaurantes.php#canarias

 

Open the web of Conesa Entrepans, it's located in the heart of Gothic Quarter, very known and crowded they prepare gluten-free sandwiches.

 

Hope it helps

 

Bea

[seagopher]

Bea thanks for the information on the restaurants from the celiac site. I want to get a good map of Barcelone so I can find the restaurants. I was surprised to find a hotel that was listed as having gluten free food.

[Ladydee]

Thanks for the wonderful information that BCNLady and CruisinGerman have given us.

I will be staying at the Avenida Palace in December for a transatlantic cruise. I have read about the Spanish making a bread for celiacs that taste like the wheat bread everyone is so use to. I would like to find a restaurant close to the hotel for dinner. A celiac can not have any wheat, barley or rye. I have been on the celiac site for Barcelona, but it is in Spanish and I can not read it.

I hope you can help me. Thanks in advance.

 

Hi there,

 

I don't know if you are familiar with the Celiac listserve http://listserv.icors.org/archives/celiac.html, but it is a wealth of information. It is my #1 go-to spot when I need to check on something regarding Celiac Disease, gluten free foods, dining, etc. If you join, check out the archives for "Spain" for the last two years and you will get some useful information. Good luck!

[Sky Sweet]

Thanks so much for all your helpful advice on this thread

 

How far is the "Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona" from the airport and cruise port?

[seagopher]

Thanks Ladydee for the information. I already belong and went on and found so much information.

[Cruisin Oma]

Gunther and Uta, but especially Bea:

I have no questions (for I am quite able to completely read a post or search on the web) before I would ask something here. That being said -

Muchas, muchas gracias!

You are truly ambassadors for your city and I am so excited to visit it this November. I have an entire page on word of suggestions I have copied from this post and hope I have the opportunity to check out at least a small portion of all of your wonderful suggestions.

 

I also really appreciate the information on http://transbuca.com/presentacion_ingles.htm

as they sound very simliar to what we in every US city refer to as Super Shuttle. When you are more than 2 this kind of transporatation to and from the airport is a life saver.

 

While I was recently reminded from a new German Cruise Critic Friend that I have met, Phoenix Arizona is not on any cruise port he knows of - if you should ever visit my fair state, I would love to return the favor. We may not have the historical and architectural beauty of your city, but the Grand Canyon and Sedona can provide you with some of the most majestic sites that nature can provide.

 

Bea - may you be blessed for your paitence and kindness that you show to others. You are truly a remarkable woman.

 

Thank you so much for your information!

[barb61s]

We're in BCN post cruise so thanks for the info

[bgg]

Hello: We're staying at Casa Fuster pre-cruise in a few weeks. Could you suggest restaurants in that area? Also, I understand there is a hop on/hop off bus in Barcelona. Do you know if any of the stops are in close proximity to the hotel. Thank you for your help.

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

I have 365-day per year rooms at Casa Fuster which I use for visiting diplomats and businesspeople. Casa Fuster is a beautiful hotel -- almost like living in a Gaudi monument, since it is a building by another famous architect of the same era - Domenech i Montaner. Feel free to ask me any questions about Casa Fuster since I am quite well known there.

 

Within walking distance up Gran de Gracia, you have one of Barcelona's most famous seafood restaurants -- Botafumeiro. The hotel will make a reservation for you if you'd like to try it (I warn you while it is not a pretentious restaurant and it is not in a pretentious part of town, it is indeed quite expensive).

 

Right down one block on Paseo de Gracia there is a restaurant called Fernández -- sort of a chic, modern bistro/brasserie.

 

A few blocks from the hotel right below La Diagonal, going onto Calle Córcega and turning right walking down the pedestrian part of Calle Córcega, passing Rambla de Cataluña and between Rambla de Cataluña and Calle Balmes, there is a restaurant called Windsor. While it is not pretentious and formal to the extent that you need a suit and tie, it is quite a smart restaurant. It has Catalán cuisine. It is beautiful inside. High ceilings, looks onto a garden, etc. For 56 euros per person you get a full gastronomic tasting menu. Lots of creative courses plus dessert. Wine and beverages extra. I go there quite frequently.

 

Walking down Paseo de Gracia, inside the Majestic Hotel, you have the Drolma restaurant. Expensive and really nice -- it has a Michelin star. Smart attire required, although doesn't have to be suit and tie.

 

For casual dining, there are lots of Tapas bars up and down Paseo de Gracia. Also try the Mussol chain of casual Tapas bars/restaurants. Food quite good and reasonable.

 

The hotel staff are familiar with all of the restaurants. Just ask them for help if you need any more recommendations other than mine.

 

Also -- if you walk one block north from the Casa Fuster up Calle Gran de Gracia, on the left side you have a Consum supermarket, and right next to it an Opencor convenience store (owned by El Corte Inglés and open nearly all night) if you'd like to stock up on bottled water, cokes, orange juice, fresh breads, croissants and pastries, ice cream, fruit, snacks, toiletries, cellphones, DVDs, CDs, newspapers, magazines, etc.

 

The hop-on-hop-off bus stops right near the hotel (just ask the hotel staff they'll tell you the closest stop -- I do know it stops right in front of La Pedrera (Casa Mila) and that's only three blocks south).

 

Please let me know if I can be of any other help.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[veramoore]

We are on the Celibrity Millennium arriving July 24, we are staying in Barcelona for 2 days at the Hotel Regina...does anyone know about this hotel, is the location good, a decent hotel? It was our only choice with the cruise line.

There are 7 of us with 2 children 10 and 8 years, any thoughts on what we can do considering the ages of the children.

 

Much appreciated

Sharon

[JSMM]

What a terrific thread! Thank you to Bea, Gunther and Uta. My wife and I will be arriving July 22 for two nights prior to sailing out. Staying at the Grand Marina and wondering what the top '5' suggestions for restaraunts would be in the vicinity of our hotel. Would enjoy a nice paella. Would love to hear comments on both food and atmosphere.

Thanks!

[nizurc]

We will be in Barcelona on May 23 from 7:00 - 11:00 p.m. Are there any restaurants in Barcelona where we could eat lunch and enjoy a flamenco show?

[hyacinth]

Can you advise what the costs are like for a minivan from the airport? The costs on these threads appear to be for a small car. There are 5 of us. Would it be easy getting one at the airportor pier?

[BCNlady]

For those loving Modernisme, don't miss Palau de la Musica. Lovely Domenech Montaner master piece.

Guided visits every half an hour:

http://home.palaumusica.org/

 

Very nice cafe, quiet and with good tapas assortment. Wonderful place to have a breack from the noisy city.

[All too soon...]

Any tips for getting into Casa Mila without waiting in line?

 

We are willing to pay a premium to avoid the wait, unless A Tuesday in late October is not likely to be crowded.

[marci22]

Wow, I can't believe I read this whole thread. Very nice to read :)

[LHT28]

Can you tell me if there is a special event happening in Barcelona April 3rd???.

.many of the hotels seem to be booked up

 

Thank you

Lyn

[marci22]

Barcelona Negocios & Franquicias 3- 5 April 2008 : Franchise and Licensing International Exhibition

 

More than 330 trademarks will be represented at BNF 2008: Barcelona Negocios & Franquicias. The show will provide the setting for thousands of entrepreneurs and investors to make contact with franchises, licences and other business concepts.

 

The Mediterranean region is BNF’S main area of influence; 15% of companies come from other European countries and North Africa.

 

I just googled it.