TWO DAYS IN BARCELONA

To maximize the time. a tour guide would be the first suggestion. Things to see: Picasso Museum, Las Ramblas, Gaudi,Gaudi,Gaudi. The markets on Las Ramblas. The Gothic quarter. The CathederalIf you go on your own, you will miss much of the history. Suggested guide book: The Moon Guide To Spain, Candy Lee LaBalle.

We had only two days in Barcelona and saw of the above mentioned sights plus Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell (take a short bus ride to get there). We loved a restuarant that was mentioned in RS guide, Cafe Academia. Our dinners were excellent for around 60 euros with a glass of wine. It is in the old area and the metro near was Jaume. Sagardi for tapas was good and the atmosphere was fun-in the same area. You can have lunch at the Boqueria Market-don't miss seeing this market.

Inexpensive eats? Keeping in mind that Barcelona is the most expensive city in Spain...and seating a party of 10 would be challenging in many small restaurants. There were some places offering Menu del Dia for ~€10 in the area between the Cathedral and Plaza Catalunya. Down the hill from Parc Guell is a simple restaurant called La Salud (Mare de Deu de la Salud, 16-18) that offered a decent and ample menu del dia for 10.75€ and they could surely seat your entire group together in their back room. La Boqueria has a number of restaurants in different price ranges with the very crowded counter seating places generally being cheaper. We lunched there once at El Kiosko for seafood, and bought bocadillos and fruit from stalls for another meal. Doing bread/cheese/fruit meals is not a bad idea because they have wonderful breads and many great cheeses that you won't find at home, so its another way to try the local cuisine. La Torna in the Mercat Santa Caterina is open all day...we were there for breakfast but they are known for their excellent tapas and their bakery.

There are some good and moderately priced restaurants behind La Boqueria market. We ate early by Spanish standards and there was always lots of seating, so you should be able to seat your party if you don't go too late. I don't remember names, but they had good paella!

Kia- I was with you on Sagrada Familia. I'm not that impressed by the exterior and didn't really want to go inside, but I was with my mom and grandmother and they did. We saw horrible crowds at 1pm, but took Rick's advice and came back at 6pm, which meant no line whatsoever. And the inside is AMAZING. I was truly stunned. Plus, going in late afternoon/evening means you get the full effect of the sun hitting the stained glass! As far as general recommendations, I enjoyed wandering around the Barri Gothic, even into the areas Rick didn't recommend (he's a little "jumpy" about what's sketchy in Barcelona - I was walking around in the daytime by myself through that neighborhood and Barcelonetta and didn't feel it was at all skeezy, just "atmospheric") and don't miss the main cathedral. The outside isn't that interesting compared to some other European ones, but the courtyard inside is really very cool. Plus! Geese! I mostly had to satisfy middle-aged, midwestern tastes so didn't get to experiment much with food, but I did have an amazing and cheap meal of "nuevo tapas" at a restaurant called "Molina" about a 5 minute walk from the Tibidabo metro stop. There's not a whole lot to see this time of year at that neighborhood though, but it's only a 10 minute ride from Placa Catalyna.

To H J, Susan, Elizabeth, & Deanna, Thank you so much for your suggestions and input. We look forward to a brief but exciting stay in Barcelona.
Salut!

I'm in Barcelona now, and my list of must-see's would be very different.....go to Montjuic and see the Joan Miro Foundation and the MNAC (the national art museum of Catalunya)....I thought both were far better than the Picasso Museum. I suppose you've got to see La Sagrada Familia, but it's a long line to wait in for Gaudi, and I've seen enough exterior Gaudi buildings that I'm not sure I want to wait two hours to get inside. Obviously it's your choice - it is one of the things Barcelona's famous for, but with limited time available, I'm not sure that's where I'd want to spend it. In addition to La Ramblas, wander up north through Placa Catalunya to Passieg de Gracia and Rambla de Catalunya - they're both a little calmer and still a lovely walk.

Just a note about La Sagrada Familia hours - don't arrive at 6pm, because that's when they close ;) They're open until 8 through the summer until September, but startinhg this month their closing time is earlier.

You don't mention what the age range is of your group - all adults, families with kids and grandparents, etc. I've been to Barcelona once with just my sister, and once with my husband and kids, and did things very differently the two times. I would highly recommend the Runner Bean Tours tour of the Gaudi sights, no matter what the ages in your group. Their Barri Gothic tour is really good for adults/teens, but younger children might be bored. If you have good weather, Parc Guell is not to be missed IMO. Neither is the view from the top of the Cathedral. (Tip - go when you have to pay to get in and the place will be nearly empty. The elevator ride to the roof is included in the price and you are unlikely to have to wait in line.) If you have anyone in your group who cannot walk a lot, then you might want to do a HO/HO bus to maximize what you can see while minimizing walking. La Boqueria offers yummy treats and is my favorite "local" place for eats.

Thanks to Kia, Sarah, and Dina for the additional suggestions. The group consists of all adults but has grown from 10 to 20, which adds a logistical twist to going around. But we are all excited and determined to have fun. I think that the HO/HO bus is a great idea - there are a couple of us who have tried it before.
Thanks to all, again.

We were there for 5 days last year and, although it sounds touristy, we loved the hop on, hop off bus that cover the entire city. Buy a 2 day pass and just go where you want. It stops at all of the sites and neighborhoods. If you need a hotel, the Hotel Montecarlo on the Ramblas is perfect!