Opinions on extended stay

[Mr&MrsSmith]

We would like to extend our stay when traveling for our cruise this september and are thinking of arriving 4 days early into Paris, theafter taking a train to Barcelona. There seems to be a lot of options with us thinking Paris would be great but is 4 days too little considering we would have to take a train or plane? Should we consider spending those in Madrid and doing the train from there instead?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hi, there's a nearby thread here on the subject of transportation from Paris to Barcelona:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1642400&highlight=paris

 

As for timing, four days sounds pretty short to me. When we go to Barcelona for a cruise next year, we plan on spending about a week we hope, just in and around Barcelona! So if you have only four days, why not just spend it in Barcelona?

[Mr&MrsSmith]

Thank you for the link, thats actually what got us thinking maybe to do Paris. We are planning the Sunday of boarding, Sunday of arrival from the cruise and Monday to see Barcelona. Not knowing the area, how long should we dedicate to staying in Barcelona? Thank you again. =)

[calliopecruiser]

I stayed 5 days, though I spent one of them on a day trip to Figueres, and it was more than enough for me......it turns out I'm not a huge Barcelona fan (who knew?). I think 3 days would allow you to see the things you probably want to see and get a feel for the city.

[Mr&MrsSmith]

Thank you Callio. If you dont mind what made you a not Barcelona lover. I have been places I feel the same about and wondering where I will be in the spectrum of love or not soo much and plan around. Have you done Madrid? if so, any thoughts?

 

I would love to do Paris but the reasonable side of me is saying stay closer and do more Spain this trip and plan Paris for the next one. Of course the other side is saying its been 10 years since you were in Europe do everything you dont know when you will be back. Oh decisions! Thank you for the help.

[calliopecruiser]

Thank you Callio. If you dont mind what made you a not Barcelona lover. I have been places I feel the same about and wondering where I will be in the spectrum of love or not soo much and plan around. Have you done Madrid? if so, any thoughts?

 

I was really looking forward to Barcelona, but when I got there it didn't have the "vibe" that I liked......it's hard to explain. I did 5 days in Madrid also, and much preferred it over Barcelona. The cities seem to be like that - they have a different feel, and often people strongly prefer one over the other. I thought Barcelona didn't feel comfortable and friendly to me, which Madrid did (in spite of how busy and crowded it is). Barcelona did have interesting things to see, and I'm very glad I did that, but it's not a city I would ever want to go back to (unlike Lisbon - I loved Lisbon!).

 

I know everyone lists all the Gaudi things you should see while you're there, but don't miss the other things (when I saw a Gaudi building in person, I discovered I wasn't terribly interested). Take a trip up to Montjuic and see the Joan Miro art museum, and the MNAC museum at least. The Picasso art museum is nice, as much for the building that it's in as for the art itself. Although La Sagrada Familia gets all the press, take some time to see the smaller Santa Maria del Mar and Santa Maria del pi churches. Parc Guell is a Gaudi site worth seeing, IMO, but it's a bit further away.

[calliopecruiser]

I should add that if you're staying in Barcelona for a while, I'd really recommend you consider a day trip by train to Figueres to see the Dali Museum and Jewels. Well worth it, IMO.

[msk1]

Completely agree with Calliope. We just spent four days in Barcelona, one on tour with Spanish Trails Tours to the Dali Museum in Figueres/Girona. Currently we are on day three in Madrid and it has been just right. We are off to Venice tomorrow to catch our ship. A lovely one week pre-cruise in Spain. It´s been enough and we´ve greatly enjoyed our visit. The Hotel Preciados in Madrid has exceeded our expectations and their breakfast buffet is a terrific option.

 

msk1

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Wow, a week in Spain then off to Venice for a cruise, how great is that! I presume you're flying from Madrid to Venice?

 

I'm planning a week in and around Barcelona prior to a cruise in November 2013 (a crossing.) I've factored-in probably an overnight trip to Girona with visits to both the Dali museum and home. We are real fans.

 

But reading about others' opinions, I'm wondering. I was in Barcelona for a few days in 1970 (yes, it was pretty different then.) I want to see how they've gotten on with the cathedral in the last 40+ years.

 

But reading about folks doing other cities across Europe before/after makes me wonder if we should fly into Rome or something and spend time there first, then make our way to Barcelona. I say Rome rather than Paris or Madrid because it is November. Madrid can be quite cold I know, and I know that Paris can be miserably cold in November. Any thoughts?

 

The length of pre-cruise is fluid at this time. Could be a week, could be more.