Still looking for hotels in Barcelona and info on high speed train tickets to Madrid

You can buy the train ticket starting about 2 months ahead (sometimes more) to get the advance-purchase discount tickets, which are not refundable or changeable. Purchase options include www.renfe.com (parts in Spanish, pay with PayPal), our Rail Europe link (a US site with the full range of fares and an $8 order fee), and agents www.Petrabax.com or www.CaptainTrain.com. You should find similar pricing on each. Second class is perfectly comfortable.

Rick's hotel recommendations are in his guidebooks.

We recently stayed at Hotel Villa Emilia. Good location, very helpful staff. Fun rooftop bar.

I used the Captain Train website to purchase our AVE tickets and had no problems. The site is very easy to navigate.
As for hotels, we stayed at the Hotel Do in Barcelona and loved our stay. Not sure if it is within your budget.

We stayed here:

http://www.hotelcontinental.com/en/hotel-continental-barcelona/

right on Ramblas - 3 star - lots of pink - free 24 hr food, beer & wine!

I recommend trying www.petrabax.com if you are having trouble using the RENFE site. They charge a small commission , but their sales are denominated in US dollars. I have used them for years to get my Spain rail tickets. As for hotels, on my most recent trip to Barcelona 18 months ago, I stayed at the Hotel Balmes (a Derby Hotel). It is in the Eixample area of the city. It's a very pleasant hotel with comfortable rooms, great front desk staff, and an excellent breakfast buffet. I recall that I paid about 100 euro per night for a double. They also have a daily lunch available to guests in the 15 to 20 euro price range. This hotel is near the Block of Discord and its many Gaudi sites, as well as a straight shot down Mallorca to Sagrada Familia.

John,

We enjoyed our stay at this NH Hotel years ago: http://www.nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-barcelona-eixample
If you join their rewards program, you will get a 5% discount on all your bookings.
The buffet breakfast offered at the NH hotels is very hearty & delicious.

You may also check RS Spain book for more hotel recommendations for various budgets :-)

Enjoy your trip!

EDIT: I forgot to answer your 2nd question...

• You may want to read this helpful article on how to buy tickets
  online via the Renfe website.

• As previously stated, make sure you pay with PayPal when booking via Renfe

• Travel time Barcelona >> Madrid via AVE (high speed train) = 2 h. 45 min.
  Make sure you choose the following stations: Departure: Barcelona-Sants. Destination: Madrid-Puerta De Atocha

Have a wonderful trip!

Like Christi, we also stayed at the Hotel Barcelona Continental. Modest, superb location, friendly staff. Breakfast buffet,24 hour free coffee,wine,snacks...nothing fancy, plastic cups, but no complaints. Also outdoor seating area. About as reasonably priced as anything I saw a couple of years ago. One clerk spent half an hour helping me with the computer. Another saw me carrying my RS tour book as I walked out one morning and told us he would apply a discount for RS upon checkout (he did). We got a balcony room...lots of fun each evening sipping our vino plastico watching the Ramblas parade. Noise was not an issue, either. And yes, our room was Barbie Dreamhouse PINK with plastic end tables but we were very pleased overall. Good luck

As Jon already noted, we also stayed at the lovely Hotel Villa Emilia. It is in a great location, and the room was extremely modern/nice. The rooftop lounge area is great for relaxing. If you stay there, the subway stop is just down the street, and a great restaurant in around the corner, believe it was L'clare (don't know if it still is there, we were in Barcelona a few years ago).

We used CaptainTrain to book Paris to Barcelona and Barcelona to Madrid - very user friendly!

I also used CaptainTrain for purchasing rail tickets from Madrid to Barcelona. The tickets were the same price as Renfe and
so much easier to purchase.

For hotels you might try Priceline and Hotwire.
Last Nov we got a 3 star in Eixample for $59 pn plus taxes and were very happy with it.

I just returned from Barcelona. In researching, I found the hotels to be expensive. We booked an apartment with Easy Flat Barcelona. It was 122 euros a night, but it had three bedrooms, two baths and a kitchen. Google them. They likely have something even smaller and cheaper. There were five people in our group. But I don't even recall finding a decent hotel room for less than 122 euros.

It's also personal preference, I hardly ever stay in a hotel anymore. You can get so much more for your money by booking a house, condo or apartment.