I recently got back from Barcelona, one of my favorite destinations. Revisiting some old haunts and discovering some new ones, I found some tips and experiences that anyone heading to Gaudi’s city would enjoy. Think of this as a Johnny Jet post (but without the junkets.)
The Hotel with Something for Everyone
I stayed at the Hotel Silver, a family-run place in the cozy Gracia neighborhood just north of the city center. Not only is the Silver a bargain — rates can be under $100 a night for a comfortable room with a kitchenette — the staff are genuinely helpful and the safe and peaceful yet central neighborhood is full of useful services, including supermarkets that are open late.
The Silver does have one quirk, though: almost every room is laid out slightly differently. Take the two most expensive rooms, on the sixth floor. They’re sold interchangeably — but one has a gigantic terrace while the other has a smaller terrace but a gigantic, heart-shaped bathtub. Elsewhere in the hotel, some rooms have tubs, some have little walk-in showers, and some have larger showers. One room on the fifth floor I saw has a little dressing room in front of the bathroom. Others don’t. Some rooms get a lot more light than others, too. When you make your reservation, you might want to specify your preferences in terms of size, light, and bathroom amenities, and the staff will try to accommodate you.
If you intend to cook, spring for one of the slightly more expensive, renovated rooms. They have new electric stoves and microwaves (and a few have convection ovens.) The hot plates in the older rooms are a bit dodgy.
Baby, Baby, Baby
If you’re traveling with a small child, Barcelona is a delight. You could make an entire trip solely out of exploring the playgrounds in the city parks, which are studded with little child-size houses, impeccably kept swings, piles of public toys and very friendly babies.
Sure, stop by the famed Parc Güell, but other, smaller parks are cleaner, more peaceful, and less touristy. The Parc de la Ciutadella, near the old city (metro line 1 to Arc de Triomf), has a toy barn which opens up before and after siesta. The Castell de l’Oreneta park in the Sarria district (metro line 6 to Reina Elisenda, then bus 130) even has a little miniature railway which runs on Sundays. If you’re with kids, pick up a map, pick a park, and prepare to be surprised by the quality of the childrens’ facilities.
Tremendous Tapas
My pick for the best tapas place in the city is still La Bombeta, in the charming Barceloneta district. Not only is it tasty and affordable, it’s less touristy than some of the places in the old city (for now). For a quick “cafe solo” (Catalan for espresso) you can’t beat Central Cafe, at 3 Carrer Calvet just off the Plaça Francesc Macia. Central Cafe staff will be competing in the World Barista Championship in Tokyo this year, so you know they’re good.
Come On, Get Happy With Your Mobile
International calls from mobile phones usually aren’t cheap — unless you stop at a Phone House store (there are many around Barcelona) and pick up a “Happy Movil” SIM card for your unlocked GSM phone. This is the cheapest local mobile phone card you can get: a €10 card includes €5 of calls, and calls back to the US cost 30 euro-cents for the first minute, plus only 5 euro-cents for each additional minute. That’s an affordable way to check back in at home.
If you’re a Cingular or T-Mobile subscriber, you have a GSM phone. Call your carrier’s customer service and find out if your phone will work in Spain, and if they’ll unlock it to work with local cards like Happy Movil. If they won’t unlock it, you can get your phone unlocked for around €12 at most independent mobile phone shops and hardware stores.
Delta Says It, But Doesn’t Show It
For ages now, Delta has been telling me they’ve been upgrading their planes with new, state-of-the-art entertainment. I’ve flown Delta several times in the past few months, and I haven’t seen it. My domestic flights have been entertainment-free, and our flight to and from Barcelona was on a rather poorly kept 767 showing movies on a few wavy, scratchy cabin screens. On my way over, my armrest started coming apart. I don’t doubt that Delta is upgrading something, but I’m starting to wonder exactly what. Their planes may need upgrades, but their staff, fortunately, doesn’t; the flight attendants were the brightest part of my Delta experience.
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