Thorn Tree travel forum

1

Hola and welcome to Barcelona!

First of all, when in September? around Sep 24 the city celebrates its biggest festival, 'La Mercé'. This year it will extend to the weekend after. If this coincide with your travel dates, you may have a different holiday than expected, but an unique experience.

Can't tell you about hotels (living in Barcelona, never used one). As per its name, the "Royal Ramblas" I guess is on Las Ramblas... personally an area I would never recommend to stay, not even to spend much time there. The good point is you will be walking distance to many attractions and to much cheaper, nicer and safer areas to hang out. The bad point is Las Ramblas is always busy and noisy, if your dates coincide with the festival it will be even more busier and noisier. Be sure your room has a good acoustic insulation or sleep with earplugs

Budget is a bit difficult to calculate. For lunch the best deal is doing as we local do: having our main meal at lunchtime (so around 2 pm, even more restaurants do serve lunch from 1 pm), and get any "menu del dia" deal. These "menus" usually consist on 3 courses plus drinks for 8 to 12 €. Funny enough, the very city centre is packed with places offering excellent deals, as there are many local workers using them. If you have a heavy lunch, you can have a light dinner for 15-20€. If you eat "a la carte", budget a minimum of 30 € per meal. You may fancy some "tapas", but bear in mind these in Barcelona are usually the best way to pay more to eat less. So... for meals I'd say you can budget a very minimum of 30 € per person/day. It depends as well of "where" you eat, i.e. in restaurants right on Las Ramblas be prepared to pay twice for worse food and service, but if you walk a couple of blocks away you will get more, and better, from the same money

Shopping... I can't say. Barcelona is an expensive city. Souvenirs? It depends of what you buy, from something cheap (and usually tacky) of 2-3 € to quality pieces that rarely woudl cost less than 15-20 €.... or as much as you can afford. It all depends, if your idea of souvenir is a fridge magnet or a nice piece of design jewelery :)

Have a great trip

Isa

"No estimo res més, excepte l'ombra viatgera d'un núvol..." S. Espriu (I don't love anything else, but the traveller shadow of a cloud...)

2

Good points from Belsa so far. Royal Ramblas is a bit of an instition, and very central, so walking distance to most places and towards the top end of las ramblas, so easy access to the metro at Plaça Catalunya and the Ferrocariles if you fancy going further north. If you're coming back late at night, there is a problem currently with prostitutes and drug dealers - but nothing for you to start changing a booking there. I think you'll be fine. To put it into context, at around 50 metres you have 2 of the cities most famous 5 star hotels (Le Meridien - Madonna stayed here on last world tour - and 1898, another new-ish one).

With regards budget, I would also agree with belsa that 30 Euros per day is about right. If you have a good (included?) breakfast in the hotel and are not used to eating ourt on the money saving menu del dia, then you can get something on the go like a sandwich and then eat the normal meal on an evening.

Souveniers. You can barter witl all the souvenier shops on las ramblas, with the tourist tat. Why not think about something Gaudi related? You can also pick up some really reasonable prints from the newspaper kiosks on las ramblas, too - not tacky at all. Frame them back home and they work out really good.

Apartments for rent Barcelona and Barcelona apartments for groups

3

Hola!

Bcn is an intermediate-expensive European town. similar to Rome, cheaper than London or Paris and more expensive than Berlin or Lissabon. I am afraid I don´t know any Oz town to compare it with ;-)
Bon viatge!

txemisan