Hi -- I am planning a trip with my 12 year old son to Barcelona and the French Riviera for this summer. I was thinking we would go to Barcelona first. Does about four full days sound right? Any suggestions on well-located hotels, especially safe and near public transport? Mid to high-end, but not super high end, if that makes sense.
Posted by
Oregon
365 posts
That sounds about right to me- and fun! We used apartments can’t help on hotels but there are a LOT!
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1603 posts
I assume you know that you need to stay in Barcelona for 5 nights to get 4 full days, which is a good amount. An extra night would be nice if you have the time but not a necessity. We stayed at the gran via hotel in the Eixample neighborhood which is safe and convenient with lovely architecture. We liked the gran via but this was in 2010 so not sure what it is like now.
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
2940 posts
Hi atkitch
My two cents,
While I won't enter into accommodation recommendations -I live here and don't work in the tourism industry therefore I have no use for "hotels" :)- I'll gladly make a few suggestions for your visit:
- Four days to me it's a bit short, knowing the variety of activities and places to visit there are here. Keep in mind that beyond Barcelona, the region of Catalonia -where Barcelona is the capital of- has a myriad of very different places worth visiting, from medieval castles to golden sandy beaches, an abrupt coastline with delightful coves, +10,000 ft high mountains, lots of traditional festivals and fairs... and everything is at a stone throw away from Barcelona. In fact, from Barcelona, you can reach almost any corner of Catalonia in less than a 3h drive.
- "safety" and "central" are two concepts that don't really apply in Barcelona. To start with, the city is very safe (by international standards that is, especially if compared to major US cities, should you be coming from there). While it's a major metropolis -hence it's not a peaceful oasis!- major or serious crime is negligent. Pickpockets (and the odd mugging) are probably the major hurdle you can encounter. As in per central, the city has an excellent public transport network which makes it very easy to move about, making less important where one is based when visiting the city. It's efficient, cheap, clean, safe and very convenient, be metro, bus, tramway or the large fleet of taxis.
- While in Barcelona you won't need the car -unless you plan to do getaways, and even then, depending on where you want to go you might not need it either. A car in Barcelona is a nuisance: no free parking, many pedestrianised areas, parking is expensive, lots of traffic... it's far better to move about either on foot or by public transportation. On foot is probably what you'll do most as the city offers lots of things to see/do very close to each other. In fact, it's what the vast majority of visitors do.
If you care to let me know what sort of boy you have: which are his preferences, what does he like and dislike, etc... I can suggest a few activities/places to visit when you're in Barcelona.
Posted by
124 posts
I went to Barcelona in April and like the H10 Urquino Plaza hotel very much. There is a metro stop right outside the hotel doors. We could walk to several sites and always felt safe. Join the H10 club and it will get you free breakfast and more discounts. We had a rrom with a terrace which we liked a lot for the extra space. It seems that all the H10 hotels in their group are nice. I am returning to Barcelona and giving the H10 Metropolitian a try this time.
I think your son may like the night-time tour of La Pedrera-Casa Mila. It gives a different perspective to a Guadi building and the views were really wonderful. Also take a guided tour of the Sangrada Familia which you can book on their website. It was less than an hour but explained things really well. When I have traveled with 12 years old before, I know that they like some down time and want to see some of their kind of sites (like the beach). Come up with a short list and give your son the option of selecting a couple that interest him. We found some short breaks like pool time, made our children act better when we took them to multiple museums and sites.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6502 posts
This hotel has a good location and a swimming pool, which your son might appreciate. It's on a pedestrian street between Placa Catalunya (a transit hub) and the cathedral and Gothic quarter. Lots of eating options nearby, walkable to Las Ramblas, the Picasso Museum, the historical museum, and other sights. The Eixemple district is a longer walk or a short subway ride, and Sagrada Familia a slightly longer subway ride.