barcelona

We have been to Barcelona twice-most recently in June-and stayed two nights each time. It would be hard not to like Barcelona. On the first trip we left Barcelona by train to spend time in the Dordogne. We took the train to Narbonne and then a bus to Carcassone and spent a night there and picked up a rental car and headed to the Sarlat area. After five days in the D area we drove to St Emilion for a short stay and dropped the car in Libourne at train station(added Paris at the end) It was definitely one of our favorite trips.

I went to Barcelona last year with a female friend and enjoyed it very much. I was a little nervous about everything I had heard about pickpockets, but as long as you take the usual precautions you will be fine. We spent 3 nights and decided we could get a good overview by doing the hop on/hop off bus. There are 3 lines and we took them all. It was a good way to get an overview of the city and we did get off at quite a few stops. I had the Rick Steves Snapshot Barcelona book and it was perfect for our trip.

We too generally prefer small towns and villages, but we loved Barcelona. There is no need to be apprehensive. We walked all over for the three days we spent there, and neither experienced nor saw anything suspicious in the way of pickpocket activity. Actually, if you read the Tourist Scams section of the Graffiti Wall, you will read far more about Paris than about anywhere else. As in any large city, take precautions with your valuables, and be aware of your surroundings and people close to you (particularly along Las Ramblas, and on the metro). Barcelona is a beautiful citynwith a variety of architecture. The Eixemple area, apart from the Gaudi buildings, may remind you of parts of Paris, with its broad tree-lined boulevards. The city is very pedestrian-friendly and we took advantage of that. And the food is fantastic.

We also enjoyed Barcelona, was there about a year ago and the only thing we found annoying was the "gypsey" girls trying to get us to sign petitions, very intrusive. Just be very stern and wave them off as we are sure they did not want our signature, just our money. We walked Las Ramblas late at night and did not feel uncomfortable. As previous poster said, just be aware of surroundings and valuables as you would any place.

We also spent three days/nights in Barcelona. Day one we walked the Ramblas and beaches but did few sights. Day two, we focused on the Gothic Quarter and sights. Day three, we saw the Modernist architecture including Parc Guell and Sagrada Familia. Day four we visited Montserrat on the way to Zaragosa.

We have just returned from Barcelona and had a wonderful visit. Just be cautious and use common sense.We were pickpocketed on the metro.My husband had put his travel wallet in his pocket(not around his neck where it should have been) after purchasing tickets. When we went to get off the train, he had a suitcase in each hand.(always have a hand free) A man grabbed the handle of our daughter's suitcase and wouldn't let go and at the same time someone bumped up against him and he could feel his wallet being removed. Due to his quick reactions, we were able to recover the wallet. one of the thieves threw it on the ground. The city is beautiful. Don't miss Sagrada Familla and Parc Guell.