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Barcelona Questions

devarae

100+ Posts
Hello folks!

My husband and I are considering spending a week in Barcelona in late January next year, hoping that it will be a pleasant break from the Maine winter and maybe a bit less crowded than it would be during other parts of the year.

Has anyone here been to Barcelona in the winter? And if so, did you find it pleasant?

I'd also love any advice folks have on which neighborhood to stay in. We are fans of walkable neighborhoods with quaint or artsy atmosphere that are close to the major sites, but are not necessarily right next to them.

Thank you in advance to anyone with thoughts or advice!
 
Hi:
Barcelona is great to visit any time of the year! We visited twice in mid-February and found it very pleasant. Temperatures ranged from about 10 to 15 degrees Celsius It was generally sunny. No guarantees on what 2023 will bring! At Weather Underground under the "More" button one can find historical weather summaries for places.

There were still crowds at the popular sites so it would be wise to purchase tickets in advance if possible.

We have stayed in a number of neighbourhoods over the years (Gothic Quarter, Poblenou, Eixample and Gracia). Of all of them, Gracia had the best neighbourhood feel. It is near Parc Guell and has good Metro connections to tourist areas. If it is your first time to Barcelona perhaps the Eixample area would suit your wishes. Although some reports state El Raval has become gentrified I would still avoid it.

Dennis
 
Thank you so much Dennis! This is really encouraging and helpful to read! I will start taking a look at Graci and Eixample...
 
We have been in Barcelona in the winter several times. Our stays have ranged from 6 to 8 weeks each time. The weather ranged from 60s (occasional 70s) in the daytime to 50s and high 40s at night. We generally wore layers. Our favorite neighborhood to stay in is the Eixample. The apartment we rented three times was in the Eixample, but only a few blocks from Gracia. We walked a lot and also used the Metro and buses. If you decide to go, I would be happy to give you more tips on restaurants and other places.
 
Thank you so much Jan55612! I am about 80% sure we are going to go for it! Just waiting for the approval from my workplace for the time off, and I will hopefully be able to book our flights!

I'm looking at apartments now and definitely am drawn to both Eixample and Gracia based on what I have seen so far. If you have a link to the place you've stayed that you are willing to share I would be grateful to see it!
 
Sorry, "my" apartment is no longer being rented. It was fabulous! Good luck with your search. I did a summary of places in Barcelona to eat, shop, etc. It isn't current, but many places are still there and very good. But, let me know if you have questions.
 
Okay! I just booked our flights! We will be flying Portland ME to Barcelona via Newark and back, on United. We will arrive 9AM on Thurs Jan 19 and depart Thurs Jan 26, so seven nights in the city!

I haven't booked an apartment yet but have several in mind, mostly in Gracia, Eixample and the Gothic area.

I'm excited!!!!
 
Place to stay: check out BCNGòtic.com -- we have stayed there twice (two weeks each time), and will be there again in October for two weeks. Metro one half block.
 
Coming back to post that our trip is next week, travel gods willing! Hopefully I can share some sort of trip report. But I figured I would share some of the planning details ahead of time here.

Our flight ended up getting changed, so we are now flying out of Boston, with a change in Frankfurt. Hopefully we can find our way through the airport while jet-lagged!

We're booked at an AirBnB in Eixample: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/29274945

My tentative itinerary is:

Thursday Jan 19: We should get into the city before noon but not planning anything for this day as we will be jetlagged!
Friday Jan 20: Open
Saturday Jan 21: Guided tour of Park Guell at 11:30
Sunday Jan 22: Open
Monday Jan 23: Sagrada Familia tickets for 2PM
Tuesday Jan 24: Casa Batlo tickets for 3PM
Wednesday Jan 25: Open
Thursday Jan 26: Fly home

Mornings are unscheduled because my husband likes to sleep late, but I will probably head out solo to wander.

With mornings and unscheduled days, we would like to try to see some of the following:
Montjuic (though I have been unable to figure out if the fountain light show is actually going on at this time of year. I am thinking not, both because of the time of year, and because there is apparently a drought... )
Casa Vicens
Casa Mila
Palau de la Musica Catalana
Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau
Parc del Laberint d’Horta maze (a little out of the way, but I have a fondness for mazes)
And just wandering the Gothic Quarter, food markets, and other scenic areas and absorbing atmosphere

Depending on how we are feeling, we are also considering a day trip by train, most likely to Figueres to see the Dali museum. I was initially considering Montserrat but I think Figueres or Girona would be more our style...

If anyone has any suggestions or favorites to recommend I'd be happy to hear them! We're not huge fans of Picasso or Miro so less interested in those museums.
 
Good luck and safe travels to you. The apartment looks great.
Casa Batlo was my favorite of all we did. Be sure you get the tickets that include the tablets for an enhanced experience.

You might want to look at my blog (link in signature) and search for Barcelona to see how we spent our week last Spring.
 
Good luck and safe travels to you. The apartment looks great.
Casa Batlo was my favorite of all we did. Be sure you get the tickets that include the tablets for an enhanced experience.

You might want to look at my blog (link in signature) and search for Barcelona to see how we spent our week last Spring.
I was just re-reading your blog entries on Barcelona a few days ago! I wish we were going to be there at the right time to see the human towers! Thank you for sharing your travel experiences.

I'm glad to hear Batlo was your favorite-- it was so hard to choose which Gaudi sites to focus on and it seems like everyone prefers a different one, but Batlo really appealed to me in the descriptions. We did get the all-the-frills tickets with the tablets and I am looking forward to it!
 

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