The best season to visit Barcelona has begun

By Loren in Barcelona

Barcelona in May, is a luxury, and those who ever made a reservation during spring in this Mediterranean capital know it. The design, fashion and trend city shines radiantly this time of the year, when the heat rises and the sun can be enjoyed since morning.

So if you’re able to extend your stay a few days from the weekend, we recommend you a short trip to Barcelona and enjoy every single thing. In order to do that we have a tip list to enjoy it the most, keep reading and take notes.

1)    Accommodation in Barcelona. First of all, start right away to look for a hotel in Barcelona, an Airbnb accommodation or a hostel, since the accommodation is very crowded on this month thanks to the events (festivals, fairs, concerts, etc) and the prices will rise along with the market demand until June.

You already read our advices like a million times: book in a hotel in the centre of Barcelona if you have the chance. You really don’t need a car to move in the city, unless you want to know some towns from the Barcelona’s coast. The public transportation is perfect to move around the capital and it save you money and time.

Some of the featured hotels in Barcelona are in the Ramblas and Boquería zone, at the beginning of Eixample y Gràcia. However, another option would be opt for hotels in Plaza de las Glorias, the Pobre Now, and near Forum since they’re more affordable.

Prices may not be cheap, Barcelona is an expensive city, even more than Madrid, at least in accommodation, but the quality services are excellent, a high level service.

2)    Interesting routes. Besides Borne, the Gótico, the modern routes, the commercial areas and the best tapas y tascas zone, Barcelona has a variety of alternative touristic routes that you shouldn’t miss. The GoBcn offers us different activities, such as the hidden Raval route or the hidden Gracia, that will change the way you see this peculiar neighbourhood in Barcelona. This tours usually cost around 14 euros per person, they are in the morning and includes a vermouth and aperitifs. The web Turisme,is the entity that promotes the city tourism. You also have the opportunity to know the centre of Barcelona, both the classical and the modern areas, one of them is the Contemporary Barcelona which makes an itinerary of the city through its architecture from the xx to the xxI century.

3)    Downtown tapas Barcelona has thousands of excellent places to go and have some tapas and fresh cañas right in the centre of the city. The atmosphere in both the street and the buildings will captivate you, we recommend the Quimet I Quimet, the Esquinica (typical aragonese cuisine), the vermouth in the Xampanyet, the best cañas in El Vaso de Oro, the unique environment in the Gata mala and the unmissable San José Market (Boquería)

4)  Music and more music. May is the month of music in Barcelona, with international concerts with the best bands such as AC/DC, and to end the spring we will have the Primavera sound with the best independent groups nowadays, an excuse to come to the city and enjoy with your friends.

 

Holidays in 2015: where to go and what not to miss (Part 3)

By Luke Durden in Barcelona

Mini-holidays… in Barcelona!

Sun, beach and ambientazo. Mediterranean at the rhythm of the city. Culture at a nice temperature, music, sport, museums and more and more plans. Barcelona – as we already said in other occasions – is always a fantastic option if you do not have many holiday days. Take a breath, ask for two free days on a weekend and escape to the Mediterranean capital. It is better that you check for the cultural programmes in those days, before booking your dates. If you have the possibility to choose your days, you can be sure that you will find events that will make your trip not only worthwhile, but also extraordinary. Whether you cannot choose your dates, do not worry too much. If we always mention Barcelona in our destinations proposals is because it will never disappoint you: the agenda of this city is endless and suited to every kind of audience, from parents with kids to groups of friends that want to experience the Barcelona night at the utmost.

Hotel Palladium in Palma de Mallorca

Hotel Palladium in Palma de Mallorca

Accommodations in Barcelona are more expensive than in Madrid. Since ever. Therefore, in this case, you need to book your trip as soon as possible. Other tips that can help you to lower the rate of your hotel in the centre of Barcelona or at least to get more and better facilities at the same rate, is to book directly on the official website of the hotel you have chosen. You will find very interesting hotel offers near Las Ramblas. It is also possible to get rooms in the Sagrada Familia area  at low cost rates, without sacrificing the quality or end up in flophouses. If you go there only for 4 days, the best you can do is to take a central, well-connected place with facilities that can help you get the most out of your days: free PC and Wi-Fi in your room, free breakfast, discounts if you travel with children or if you book rooms for groups…

Barcelona and modernism

By Loren in Barcelona

We couldn’t talk about Barcelona without mentioning the word modernism two hundred times per mite. Yes, we exaggerate. Nevertheless, The Catalonian capital is one of those few places in the world where you can enjoy an artistic style in all its essence.  This, along with the excellent ability to present its attractions as a tourist destination, have turned Barcelona into one of the most famous and visited cities in the entire world.

 

The modernism attraction has not end. Or, at least, it seems. Years go by, there are more and more visitors, but it is still one of the most appreciated elements for those to visit the city -whether they go for the first time or they are tourists in love with the city, those who repeat every year-.

 

Museums, art centres all around the city, temporary exhibitions, guided visits to ancient palaces and houses of the Catalonian nobility… All the tourist circuit related to the modernism is reinvented every year, it grows, changes and adapt to the tastes, trends and whims of the new century travellers. An ability worthy of recognition to the city, people and its institutions. Everyone, in a joint effort, have always understood what their guests are looking for and have met their needs.

 

Modernist puppet shows; sunsets from the Palau Güell; international art exhibitions related to the modernist aesthetic; complete refurbishing of the programs offered by key centres such as the Art Museum of Catalonia, which launched its new program the last September; the yearly meeting of the Modernist Fair of Barcelona… Dozens and dozens of plans whose common factor is the art and made up one of the best elaborate tourist calendars of the country.

 

Accommodation in the modernist route

One of the most interesting experiences offered now by Barcelona is the possibility of staying  in one of the most emblematic modernist houses in the city. The ancient Casa Garriga Nogués, now turned into a 4-star hotel in the centre of Barcelona, is the perfect trip plan for art lovers and those who want to really enjoy this representative aspect of Barcelona.

Petit Palace Opera Garden Hotel

Petit Palace Opera Garden Hotel

Very close, you can find comfortable hotels of the same chain (Petit Palace), ideal to enjoy the charm of the centre of the city, but without the special benefits offered by a museum hotel such as the before mentioned.  Now, if you travel with a group, some of these accommodations could be the most suitable place to sleep: Petit Palace Ópera Garden, or a hotel close to La Boquería stand out for its functional rooms for families and groups.

 

Next to the Petit Palace hotels in Barcelona, Catalonia chain is another of the most recommended options to stay in the centre of the city. Modern hotels in areas such as Las Ramblas or close to La Sagrada Familia, offering the perfect combination of design, service and location: Catalonia Ramblas, Catalonia Atenas, Catalonia Sagrada Familia…

 

Although, as we can see, most of the hotels are situated in the centre of the city, and the best option is usually booking an accommodation next to Ciutat Vella and L’Eixample, it is true that the price is higher that in other important areas of the city.

 

There are affordable hotels in 22@Barcelona, close to Plaza de las Glorias, combining good price, large spaces (even larger than in the hotels of the historical centre) and excellent connections with the main tourist attractions of Barcelona. They are hotel focused on business tourism but they have services adapted to those who visit Barcelona in search of leisure and relax.

Confortel Barcelona Hotel

Confortel Barcelona Hotel

One of the most outstanding accommodations is, for example, the Confortel hotel with free wifi in Barcelona. Although, as we have mentioned before, it is a hotel with meeting rooms next to Plaza Las Glorias, it is worth it for price, location and service if you want to enjoy an affordable and comfortable trip to Barcelona with all your family.

Barcelona never disappoints

By Loren in Barcelona

Book holidays at the last minute is never a good option if you want to save… Even so, if you are running out of time and have lost the opportunity of getting a good discount in your hotel by earlybooking, there are always destinations that, whatever the time of the year, combine a complete leisure and rest offer with more than affordable prices, both in transportation and accommodation. This is the case, for example, of Barcelona.

Barcelona never disappoints when you plan to organise holidays without room for budgetary manoeuvre. The Catalonian capital has a so wide variety of proposals that is ideal for all kinds of travellers, there converge the most multifarious motivations: seeing a certain exhibition, attending  a music festival or a special concert, having a party weekend with friends, going with the children to PortAventura…

Hotel rooms in Barcelona

Hotel rooms in Barcelona

Barcelona, besides its infinite plans offer for all tastes and ages, has the advantage of offering good connections and accommodations that, despite not being the cheapest, provide a very interesting price-quality relation, in particular, as regards hotels in the centre of Barcelona, where the competition is ferocious, making the hotels in Ramblas and Ciutat Vella to offer really attractive discounts.

Choosing your coast opens up a world of possibilities. Beach hotels in Pineda de Mar, Calella or Santa Susanna are good and cheap accommodation options in Barcelona that, besides offering access to the best beaches for family holidays, boast complete services at surprising prices. The ideal transport would be by own car or you can travel to Barcelona by plane and rent a car there.

These coastal towns are perfect for escaping and getting lost in the most sea-essence of Barcelona, where tradition, cuisine and beach are the main figures. If you travel with children, booking a hotel in Calella, for example, is one of the best options, since it is quieter than the city and offers very varied out of doors leisure possibilities.

The revolution of El Raval, Barcelona

By Esther in Barcelona

El Raval neighbourhood in Barcelona has been a forgotten place until very recently, a historic place in the suburbs known for years as “Barrio Chino” and that now -specially its upper part- has become the in style neighbourhood of the city. It is a multiethnic area which keeps the charm of the old things and a meeting place for those who lead the cultural vanguardism in Barcelona.

The advantage of this place is that what used to be the suburbs of the city has now moved to the heart of it: El Raval delimits with the Gothic neighbourhood through La Rambla and with the area of Pelai street. The famous La Boquería Market is part of its network of streets and, in fact, a good example of the bustling and colourful character of the neighbourhood.

Accommodation in Barcelona

Accommodation in Barcelona

El Raval belongs to the old city district and here the traveller will find pleasant terraces, tapas bars with an atmosphere typical from Barcelona and restaurants with worldly cuisines. One of the essential elements in the neighbourhood’s renovation has been the construction of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA) in the area.

Surrounding this institution, the University and many other firms that have invested in the area, we can find all type of businesses which have created an innovative and dynamic scheme, where traditional firms come hand-in-hand with modern firms from technological or design sectors.

Many hotel chains have also responded to the call of this revolution, inaugurating hotels of vanguardist design, accommodations specially designed for young clients, between 25 and 45, preferably for trips as a couple to Barcelona, trips with friends or business trips.

Hotel in Barcelona

Hotel in Barcelona

A good example of the adaptation of these hotels to the new reality of El Raval is the Barceló Raval, located in the Rambla of El Raval, with a 360º terrace on the roof which offers stunning views of this area of the centre of Barcelona.

The Abba Rambla, the Milenni Hotel, the Be Sound Hostel… And close to them, although outside the neighbourhood, we find some hotels of the Basque chain Petit Palace, such as the Petit Palace Boquería.