My sister and I are planning to travel to Spain and Morocco in the fall. We plan to be there for a total of three weeks. We want to visit Barcelona and Seville and are still trying to decide if
My sister and I are planning to travel to Spain and Morocco in the fall. We plan to be there for a total of three weeks. We want to visit Barcelona and Seville and are still trying to decide if want to spend time in Madrid. We are trying to determine the appropriate amount of time to allocate for Barcelona. Do you think 3 days is enough or do we need between 4-5? Thanks for any input you can give!
Barcelona could fill as much time as you give it...but some indication of your interest would help folks answer your question.
How much time would you want to spend on Barcelona's rich collection of modernist architecture? Are you willing to put aside a half day for one of the world's best science museums? How interested are you in Barcelona's wealth of food markets? Just a sample...
The truth is...you could have a wonderful 3 days, even if you miss things you'd like to do, see, feel. The same is true for 4 or 5--just don't make the mistake of trying to pack "everything" into too small a container; if you do that, you end up remembering only the rush, and not the feel of where you've been.
The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectation.
have never visited Morocco, so I do not know if it is worth to spend 1 1/2 week there. I think that Spain requires at least 2 weeks.
Madrid is more than worth the visit, in my opinion. Fantastic museums (the Prado has one of the greatest painting collections in the whole world) and many interesting things to see, including day trips to Toledo, El Escorial, Segovia or Avila. I went to Madrid for a week and it was not enough for me (I could not visit Segovia or Avila, for example, just did Toledo and El Escorial).
You can select Seville as your center to visit Andalucia, doing Granada and Cordoba (both magnificent; do not forget to book the Alhambra using its website, because the lines are long and tickets are usually sold out) as day trips.
3 days is the minimum to only begin scratching the surface in Barcelona.
I spent 10 days in Barcelona and felt like I could stay much longer, whereas I spent five days in Madrid (and felt like three days would've been more than enough). Madrid felt too congested and too similar to New York City, where I live now. I was happy to leave Madrid and move on to San Sebastian for better food and a more relaxing pace.
As PHeymont pointed out, it helps if you can share what you hope to see and do during your time in Barcelona. For me, I couldn't get enough of the architecture and food in Barcelona, so 10 days went by too quickly.
Thank you for responding. Sorry I left out critical information! We are very interested in architecture, markets, food, street theater, etc. While we both enjoy museums we don't want to spend a lot of time in them. I'm a City Planner so I really want to explore neighborhoods, parks, civic spaces, shops, etc. . Hope that helps.
Given your set of interests, 3 days--or even 5--may be cutting it close.
There are, of course, a number of Gaudi's houses and commercial buildings available to view...but it only scratches the surface. The old St. Pau hospital campus, not far from Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, is a collection of gems by his contemporary and sometime rival, Domenech. And there's Parc Guell, which he designed an populated with structures, monuments and other amusements. That's a couple of days gone!
Between St. Pau and Sagrada Familia, by the way, is Avinguda Gaudi, a pedestrianized diagonal filled with cafes and restaurants; some are better than others, but they demand an hour or so of your time to sit, relax and watch.
The Bouqueria market, off Las Ramblas, is one of the world's great ones; each neighborhood has a daily indoor market as well. From the Tourist Office on Placa Catalunya, you can sign up for a walk through the markets and specialty food stores in the old center of the city...that's a couple of hours, and then you have to retrace your steps to shop and sample the foods.
The old Barrio Gotika, the medieval center of Barcelona with its Born and Raval neighborhoods is good for more than a day of wandering; even though most of the available space at ground level is taken up with shops, both chic and touristy or not, it's a fascinating warren of streets with many surprises.
I could go on. No, 3 to 5 days is not enough...but if it's all you've got, by all means go and enjoy it...but don't rush it.
The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectation.
It's been a few years since we were in Barcelona but it is a terrific city with much to see and do. The architecture is beyond what you can see anywhere. There are several museums that are terrific. Three days would be enough to see the highlights but not to experience all that Barcelona has to offer. Make sure you get on top of the hill for the museums and Olympic views over the city below. Make sure you walk the Ramblas, especially in the late afternoon. The Catalans are a tad different than Spaniards in general but all for the best. This is a great world class city that is totally unique.
Given what you mention as your interests, I think you will likely fall in love with Barcelona. If you only have five days, you will love those five days, and start to think about what you want to focus on in your next trip there. The first time I went to Barcelona, our plan was to spend three days there. Three days turned into ten. I have enjoyed my trips back there, as well. It is an enchanting city. There are many squares that allow for great people watching and soaking up the feel of the city while enjoying coffee or a drink. Enjoy!
My wife and I spent a week in Barcelona last October. We were going to spend 5 days and then changed it to a week, after doing some research. One day was devoted to going to Montserrat. That was a highlight. There are a lot of museums, such as Picasso's. Many buildings by Gaudi, the Olympic Stadium, the fine arts museum. There is plenty of shopping off of Las Ramblas. Great places to eat. You can walk the beach. It is the second largest city in Spain, so the options are endless. It depends on your interests. We have been traveling for 41 years and have always spent a week in a city. In 3 days, you see what the tourists see. In a week, you see what the locals see. How ever amount of time you spend there, you will enjoy yourself. Have a great trip!
I went to Barcelona for about 3 days last spring and could have stayed much longer to see all the things that I'd be interested in seeing. One tip is to take the hop-on, hop-off tours. A day ticket is aomething around $20 (maybe a little more, since my hotel gave a discount on tickets) and there are several routes going to all major attractions. This saves you time trying to figure out local transport. Also, to see Segrada Familia (a must!) the wait alone was 45 minutes the day I went. I'd say closer to 4-5 days, but as another poster said, it helps to know what you're interests are. I can also recommend a good hotel should you be interested.
I agree with the Hop on Hop Off bus and taking a different route each day. Be sure to check your route map as you go. On a couple of occasions it was much quicker to walk to the next destination than wait for the next bus. I would also suggest a trip by train to Monserrat which was one of our highlights in Barcelona. It was breath taking, fascinating...take the funiculars both up and down and walk the path to the origin of the Black Virgin. The walk is a bit hilly at times, but so very worth it.
If you have an interest in Gaudi, you'll want to spend at least three days just to see all of his work, i.e. Sagrada Familia, etc. Buildings, parks, chuches, gates, etc. he designed are spread around the city and require taking public transportation to reach them or long walks but they are worth visiting. You might find Barcelona's celebration 'Le Merce' fun with it's human towers, parade of 'giants' and the like, should be in Barcelona in the latter part of September. For information about 'Le Merce', Google 'Le Merce Barcelona'. See my posted photos of the human towers and 'giants' by City Hall taken during 'Le Merce'. There's so much to see and do in Barcelona, we would have liked to have spent more time than the three days we enjoyed there. Do your research and plan accordingly. You will enjoy the city and the people.
It all depends on what you enjoy doing. We found 10 days was not enough and we never went outside the city for a side trip. Plan on a morning at one of the outdoor markets, at least two days to visit the architectural sites (Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlo and La Pedrera at the least) and probably another two days minimum to see the museums (Picasso Mus, Mus Natl Arte Catalunya). This is a walking city, so enjoy it on foot as well as by bus or taxi. And don't worry - you will go back to Barcelona and enjoy it differently each time. Have a great trip.
Anything under a week and you will need to study up on what your must see attractions will be. The interiors of Gaudi's buildings are fantastic. The modern beach area, the park, the hospital, and Ramblas are also must see attractions. We rented an apartment for 1 week there a few years ago and I fell in love with the place. Great ambiance, great food and I had a hot chocolate so thick and rich in a little alley bakery which was much betther that famous place in Paris everyone always raves about.
MHeymont and overthehill are right on the money. Barcelona is an architectural dream of great buildings, magnificent vistas and things to do.
Ride the funicular al Montjuïc, also the one that goes to the top of Tibidabo, with a magnificent view of the city and the sea. The Catalan Modernist movement produced great artists and talented builders such as Gaudí, Jujol, Doménech i Montaner, and Puig i Cadafalch (see his Casa Amatller, next to Casa Batlló). There is also a new generation of Spanish artists like Antoni Tapies, Eduardo Chillida, Miguel Barceló and Antonio Saura, successors of the golden generation of Dalí, Gris, and Picasso.
If you're into museums go visit the Joan Miró Museum at Monjuïc and the Tapies Museum. Gaudí is all over the city - please do not miss La Sagrada Familia temple, the Ciudadela Park, Casa Calvet, Casa Vicens, Park Güell, Casa Batlló, Plaza Real near the Ramblas (the design of the street lamps was Gaudí's first assignment when he was 19), Palacio Güell (also near Ramblas), Bellesguard (on Tibidabo grounds), and Casa Milá (a.k.a. La Pedrera) with its surreal roof-top. Also, go inside the wonderful flats and see Paseo de Gracia from the wavy balconies.
The Maremagnum (built for the '92 Olympic games) encloses a great aquarium and the building itself can be enjoyed best from a Golondrina rental boat. Another suggestion is to visit the awesome Orfeo Catalá (Music Hall) designed by Doménech. Plan to stay at least 5 days, it's a great city!
