teechor

Thanks for the info!  🙂

We have used Galveston Express in the past, and found them to be a great service, however for our summer trip with a larger group of people we have gotten a better price from a company called Galveston Shuttle and Limo. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with this other company to give us some guidance on whether or not to go with the lower-priced option or stick with a company but we have used before.  Thanks in advance!

Following!

I just booked my Colosseum skip the line tickets and was not given any information from the website where I booked them regarding a time slot, nor was I able to say what day I wanted them to be used. When I got a reply back from Italy Tours, they indicated there should have been a time slot given. Has anyone else booked these and have any advice? Thanks!

Curious about this hotel too - same reason. Following thread.

Hi Everyone! I will be traveling on a cruise out of Barcelona next summer, at this point traveling solo. I read through all of the previous suggestions and was thinking and trying to decide between Hotel Europark, Catalonia Sagrada Familia, or U232. Europark cost is showing up to be more than the other two, so I'm just wondering if anybody has any advice whether it is worth it to go with the one that is more expensive (it was mentioned more often by other posters) or if one of the others would be recommended?

Thank you for the information! I booked a noon-ish flight for next summer and was a little concerned if that would be a tight time to get from the boat through everything at the airport. Feeling relieved now!! :)

I am traveling to Barcelona next July and am also traveling solo. Based on reviews and comments on these boards and reviews on TripAdvisor I think I've narrowed down my hotel options to: Hotel Vueling BCN, Hotel Ciutat Vella, Hotel Catalognia Sagrada Familia, and U232 Hotel. I'd like to keep costs on the lower end, but also want to feel comfortable walking from the hotel to attractions and restaurants so would welcome any advice from those familiar with any of these options. A couple of them seem to be right in the middle of the "touristy" area and the other two are more removed, but in opposite directions. Help please!!??!! :)

"since I won't have car"... boy, be thankful for that, finding a spot for parking in Barcelona is harder than in Chi-Town... and it's never free, you can't park anywhere in the city for free -not in downtown anyway.

 

For staying, I personally would choose somewhere in L'Eixample, it's a pretty nice area (see Barcelona's neighbourhoods: http://monbarcino.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/barris_bcn.jpg ) or if you prefer something more historical, but also a bit more rowdy, somewhere in El Gòtic or in La Ribera.

 

There's this absurd notion to stay "close" to the port (or to the airport), which is the dumbest thing to do... there's nothing much near those two sites and even if it's for a night, you surely won't spend all the time in your room, right?

 

I don't want to queer anyone's pitch but Les Rambles is no longer what it had been for decades, if not centuries, when was one of the main places in the city. Barcelonians of all walks of life mingled to get their fresh food in the markets, attended its opera and the theatres, strolled to see and be seen, etc.... but that's now pretty much over.

 

For the past say, 20 years, Les Rambles has degraded to an overcrowded boulevard flooded by zillions of tourists, full of tacky souvenir shops selling cheap Chinese-imported crap and bars with terraces offering unpalatable food and even worst booze at outrageous prices. Some of the most iconic stalls and shops in the boulevard are now almost all gone. Take for example the florists, there was a time in which dozens of stalls filled Les Rambles with a beautiful multi-colored landscape and a magnificent fragrance. They populated La Rambla for nearly two centuries, ie https://cloud10.todocoleccion.online/postales-cataluna/tc/2014/12/23/20/46911159.jpg or https://i2.wp.com/secretolivo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Sobre-las-Ramblas-de-Barcelona.jpg There's a reason why one of the stretches of Les Rambles was called "La Rambla de les Flors" (Catalan for the "boulevard of the flowers") but now only a few of them survive. In its place, stalls selling unrelated stuff, that should be in a shopping mall instead, have taken the boulevard.

 

Yet, yes.... it's *a must* to pass by and stroll, it still has a bit of a flair indeed... but just to tick it off your list or if you're going to somewhere in that area. Don't keep your hopes too high.

 

As per shuttles, as I've mentioned in other posts, there are very few companies offering them and hardly any hotel use these services because mobility in Barcelona is excellently served by a modern, clean, safe, cheap and efficient network of public transportation of buses/metro/tramway. Pss, our network is far (far!) better than the Metra! :) We also have a large fleet of taxis, bigger than NY's (13000 serving 8 million residents vs 11000 for 1.6 million residents in Barcelona) and they are pretty inexpensive.

 

There are no unsafe areas in Barcelona -none that you or I'd be going anyway. Having said that, there are some less 'savoury' than others, of course (ie the lower part of El Raval, where the Red Light District is located). Despite we do have crime --it's a city, after all-- I hate to remind this, but we don't have guns or gangs here -you know what I mean!- thus most of the crime is "minor" so to speak.

 

Check out www.timeout.com/barcelona ... it's pretty handy for going out.

 

And don't forget to browse these as well: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/ - http://www.infocatalonia.eu/ - http://lameva.barcelona.cat/en - http://www.barcelonaesmoltmes.cat/en/inici

 

Enjoy!

EnricM - thank you so much for your very informative posts! I am also traveling to Barcelona (next summer) and have found many of your posts sprinkled throughout these port message boards very helpful. I appreciate you sharing your insights and local wisdom - thank you!

From another "solo" cruiser/visitor to Barcelona :D

We easily made a 10:40AM earlier this month, during the airport strike. We made sure to get off the ship early but had plenty of time at the airport.

Thanks for sharing that - sounds like I should be good for a 12:45 flight then. :)

Hi all!

 

I'm working on booking my flights for a cruise in/out of Barcelona next summer. What departure flight time post cruise is reasonable and will cause no stress about getting to the airport on time from the port? I'm looking at one option that is a 2 pm flight - other options are all around 11 or noon and those seem a bit early. Would love suggestions/input from those who have cruised out of this port and flown home immediately post-cruise!

 

 

Thanks!

Susan

UPDATED Question - after doing some other research on the connections available for the flights I can book using my air miles, I found that the best option seemed to be a 12:45 pm flight out of Barcelona. Would love to have feedback from those experienced with this cruiseport and airport to confirm this will be an ok departure time for getting from the ship to the airport. :) Thanks!

Susan

Hi all!

I'm working on booking my flights for a cruise in/out of Barcelona next summer. What departure flight time post cruise is reasonable and will cause no stress about getting to the airport on time from the port? I'm looking at one option that is a 2 pm flight - other options are all around 11 or noon and those seem a bit early. Would love suggestions/input from those who have cruised out of this port and flown home immediately post-cruise!

Thanks!

Susan

Hi Susan, I am sailing solo next month:D.......I am booked at The Hotel Pulitzer. They get very good reviews on

Trip Advisor and I read some good threads on here as well (the search feature is a good source). I did book

a tour with a company called "Barcelona Day Tours" and they get excellent reviews too. (not free though).

Will be happy to let you about my experience when I get back.

Hi Lois!

I will look forward to hearing about your experiences when you return! I will check out the hotel and tours you suggest too. Thanks!!

I am not a seasoned Barcelona cruiser but i have researched the hotel i chose, the location and price was what a wanted plus we got 5% discount for breakfast Hotel Europark, we will be in Barcelona 4 days pre and looking at Barcelona Day Tours, and try out the Tapas Bars and Museums.

I found Hotel Europark on Trip Advisor and it sounded pretty good, so that one is definitely on my short list. I can't book yet for another month or two because dates aren't available that far out. Thanks for your input that your choice was made after lots of research - that is reassuring and saves me some time! :)

I'm following Susan! LOL One thing I've been told or warned about over is lots of stealing, pic pocketing scams etc....one person got their piece of luggage stolen at a 5* hotel! So be wary.

Thanks Ldanna! I've traveled a lot - so I definitely am aware to be careful about pickpockets!! :D

I am traveling out of Barcelona next July and looking for recommendations for a couple of nights pre-cruise. This will possibly be a solo trip, so I need something that isn't too expensive but is also someplace I'll feel safe. Would really appreciate suggestions with those parameters from seasoned Barcelona visitors!

I'm going to check out the suggestion about runnerbean tours from EnricM.

Does anyone else have any reasonable priced or free tour ideas? Thanks again!!

Susan