steph peds- there is some good advice about getting around on page 11 of this thread. The metro is probably the cheapest way, hop on hop off buses go everywhere, but cost 23 euros a day. We mainly walk and use taxis!
Best places to go have to be-
Sagrada Familia
ParcGuell
Gothic quarter and Ramblas
Magic fountains (if they are operating in Dec)
Picasso museum
shopping!
stunning cable car ride if she's got a good head for heights!
pueblo espagnol
It depends what she likes doing really.
kate

Hi Kate,

Thanks that's some really good info! It's hard to research things when you don't really know what's the best places to visit etc :).

Thanks again! x

Does anyone know how to purchase tickets for FC Barcelona? There is a match on 18th December but we can't find how to buy tickets, it says there available but when we click it says there not on sale yet?

Many Thanks.

Does anyone have any itinerary suggestions for a whistle-stop visit (literally just one day) to the city please?

I happened to come across some really cheap return flights from Gatwick to Barcelona (£50 each with Easyjet, gotta love Easyjet!) a couple of weeks ago, so, as it's a city I've always wanted to visit and as I've been after a surprise gift for my mum (hoping she won't see this), I decided to book the flights.

We'll be arriving in Barcelona at 10.00 on the 10th of September and I've booked us into a hotel near the airport which has free transfers (our flight back home leaves at 08.00 so it's jut somewhere to get a few hours sleep and freshen-up. Had I been going on my own, I'd have hung around the airport overnight). There is a bus which goes from the city and stops right outside the hotel.

As we won't need to take much with us we'll just keep our bags on us until we go to the hotel that night (I'm aware of the pick-pocket risks so will ensure our documents, tickets and money are safely secreted), travelling straight to the city from the airport.

I'd like (and I know my mum would too) to view the 'must-see' architecture, maybe wonder around a few shops, have a snack at lunchtime and eat somewhere nice late in the evening. Thinking of booking a tapas walking tour for early-evening as that gets great reviews. Not interested in the beach, not on such a short visit. I know there are a couple of 'hop-on-hop-off' tour buses so may book us a ticket each for that.

Sagrada Familia for a start!

Thanks Pam

For one day and with not having been there before, I would suggest the Bus Turistica or the other one I don't know the name of, but they are both hop on hop off buses. That is your quickest way to see the main sites. The tickets are around 23 euros.

Thank you

If anyone has any restaurant recommendations, somewhere authentic as opposed to touristy, that would be great

I'm just tidying my drawers, and have come across the gumph from when I was in Barcelona last October!! I took the Barcelona City Bus Tours which were excellent! I would say, if you only have that day, then the Red Route was probably better than the Green Route. And unless you can prebook tickets to the Sagrada Familia I would say you could "waste" a lot of your day just queuing up to get in. If you're interested in Gaudi, the Casa Batllo is an amazing building too, and you are given an audio walking tour thingie to use while wandering around.

Walk up and down the Ramblas, there is loads to see, and little alleyways off to each side. Lots of different restaurants to choose from, I couldn't just recommend one Halfway down the Ramblas is the Boqueria Market which is worth popping into, to see all the fruits, veg, meat and shellfish, and perhaps you could have a snack in there for lunch? Then there is the Gothic Quarter on the other side of the Ramblas!

Can you tell I just love Barcelona

You are a star Sue, thank you!

I've changed our return flight time to one which leaves at 21.25, so we'll now have the half-day we arrive then a full day the next day.

I've also changed our hotel (I do love booking.com!), have cancelled my previous booking and have now booked to stay HERE. I've booked direct with the hotel this time as they were offering free breakfast. Very good reviews (I've booked us an 'extra large' twin room) and perfect location! Five minutes from where the Aircoach and tour buses stop and a very good base from which to explore.

Looks a nice hotel Pippy - very modern

Glynis HT Admin wrote:

Looks a nice hotel Pippy - very modern :tup

That's what I thought!

Looks lovely! Have a brilliant time, I know you will

Very nice think i need to book mark that hotel for if I manage to get there anytime soon. i always find booking hotels in a city really difficult.

I'll let you know what I thought of it, will also ask Mum to post her opinion. I'm taking a chance posting here but think it unlikely she'd read this part of the board when she has no reason to do so (or not one of which she's aware, anyway!)
I maybe ought to have my camera ready to film her reaction when she discovers we aren't going for a day-trip to somewhere in the UK!

Be a lovely surprise for her Pippy, I too hope you can catch her reaction on camera

She still has no idea where we're going, other than the fact we'll be heading up to the M25 from Worthing, via the A27 and (of course!) the M23 (from which I shall make a very last-minute exit at the Gatwick junction! ).

Does anyone happen to know where the best place in Barcelona is to see Quaker parrots (or, as some people call them, Monk parakeets)? I know there is quite a large population but not sure how wide-spread they are across the city and would love to see them (being the parrot-mad person that I am)