|
|
05-18-2017, 04:58 PM
|
#21
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 7,746
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunset
I did check out airbnb base on your comment, and comment of others above, actually went to Fuego's blog and read on his airbnb adventure (Quebec City).
Then I looked for a random day and found some very high rated ones with over 300 reviews, and the prices were in the $25->$40 range which is a lot cheaper than some nice hotels at over $200.
We will definitely go to Montserrat as a day trip.
|
Good to hear. Yes, avoid the bottom of the barrel places like I booked in Quebec City. Lesson learned - go cheap but not all the way to the bottom.
We booked 64 nights in Europe at an average of $82/nt and we're staying in almost exclusively 5-star rated (a few are 4.5 stars). Mostly 2 BR, some 3 BR, and one might be 1 BR w/ sleeper sofa if we're there just a couple nights. To get this level of space, luxury and accommodations for the five of us at hotels would easily cost 3-4x what we're paying.
If you want privacy, set the search limits to "whole house/apartment" so you won't just be renting a room in a house. Then you get the whole kitchen, living room, and bedroom (assuming a 1 BR+) to yourself and don't have to tiptoe around. I find "whole house" rentals cost a small premium but it's still way cheaper than hotel rates (which usually come without a living room and kitchen).
Any hint of uncleanliness in the reviews and I skip it and move to the next one - too many fish in the sea to settle for somewhat dirty (unless you're on an extremely tiny budget). I also look for non-smoking and "no pets" but don't include those as search limitations since I might be okay if they're clearly hard core concerned about not having pets dirty up the place and don't have any of their own. And for smoking, sometimes they allow it but it's outside on the patio only or in the common courtyard or something. If any reviews say "funky smelling; smoky" or anything like that - I trust their sensitive noses.
And don't be afraid to ask for a discount.
We usually identify 10-15 properties we might like to rent after looking at most of the ones in the area we want to stay in while setting the price range to the lower third or so of all properties. Then identify the top 2-4 candidates and reach out to the owners to make sure they are available and see what kind of discount we can get. If you're staying 1+ week you'll most likely get a decent weekly discount already but don't be afraid to ask for a bit more off since weekly renters are tons easier on the landlord/manager. And you're going before peak season starts so you might find them looking to fill up their place.
__________________
Retired in 2013 at age 33. Keeping busy reading, blogging, relaxing, gaming, and enjoying the outdoors with my wife and 3 kids (8, 13, and 15).
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
05-18-2017, 10:12 PM
|
#22
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spending the Kids Inheritance and living in Chicago
Posts: 16,972
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
That honestly would be a rush/whirlwind. And there are some nice side trips - seeing Montserrat, visiting nearby wineries - the area specializes in cava - Spanish sparkling wine. You can visit Figueros, and some other nearby historic cities or coastal towns, even Tarragona. Lots of day trip options. And even things like cooking classes.
We didn't try to visit Andalusia from Barcelona - too far. We plan to spend several weeks exploring that region next year.
We spent 6 nights in Barcelona last year and we were very busy!!!
|
I doubt we will visit wineries, as DW does not drink, so has no interest in the subject, and I used to make wine for years. While I would enjoy touring a place that made wine like they did 100 or more years ago, the large wineries I have stopped at when traveling on my own were a lot like factories and seemed to miss the craftsmanship we like to thing goes into the product.
I will look into the winery idea, if it involves lots of history (like made in a monastery for last 500 yrs), that could make it interesting from a history point of view.
Day trips to coastal towns does sound interesting, how did you travel to them ?
|
|
|
05-19-2017, 05:32 AM
|
#23
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 37,931
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunset
I doubt we will visit wineries, as DW does not drink, so has no interest in the subject, and I used to make wine for years. While I would enjoy touring a place that made wine like they did 100 or more years ago, the large wineries I have stopped at when traveling on my own were a lot like factories and seemed to miss the craftsmanship we like to thing goes into the product.
I will look into the winery idea, if it involves lots of history (like made in a monastery for last 500 yrs), that could make it interesting from a history point of view.
Day trips to coastal towns does sound interesting, how did you travel to them ?
|
Some are accessible via a short train ride. There are numerous day tour operators such as mini-van tours. We did some of those. TripAdvisor has reviews of them, plus the Barcelona tourism website has tons of day trip options. http://bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com/shopv3/en/?prom=0
We had a wild and fantastic "All things Dali" day trip where we spent time on the coast including lunch and Dali's house. Something for serious art aficionados. Spanish Trails - one of many local tour operators, but the best I found for the Dali sites.
We had a great tour of Sagrada Familia through an independent travel agency that organizes English speaking tours, and I booked it just a few days ahead. It was the best option for us rather than booking directly and trying to figure out the main system. OK - here is the info, we booked through http://visitenglish.barcelona.ticket...-guided-tour-/ and got the LA SAGRADA FAMILIA GUIDED TOUR (ENGLISH) run by TGI city tours, and it was excellent. The tip/reference was from this blog - https://www.barcelonahacks.com/categ...n-attractions/ and it gave us several other good tips as well. Several other things we got through http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/ (the official Barcelona tourist office) including our Montserrat day trip, and a good deal on Casa Batlló which also skipped the line and required no fixed time slot.
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
|
|
|
05-19-2017, 08:09 AM
|
#24
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 662
|
Definitely book ahead for Sagrada Familia and Park Guell if you decide to visit them. Really just a day or two ahead is all you need if you want to stay flexible.
We took a small van tour to Montserrat and the winery, Barcelona Day Tours, a Rick Steves recommendation. The winery we visited was small and had been in the same family for 11 (if I remember correctly) generations. The old house was restored and had indentations in the wall where the animals who were housed on the first floor used to lick the walls.
We enjoyed Casa Batllo and recommend that.
We mostly ate at little cafes away from the touristy area. We also had a meal through eat with.com. That was fun. It was in the chef's apartment and a very small group.
Barcelona is known for having many pickpockets so beware. We didn't have any trouble but I did observe a pickpocket arrest on the Metro.
|
|
|
05-19-2017, 08:56 AM
|
#25
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: S. California
Posts: 776
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunset
I do have Rick's book, and I do seem to remember that he said 3 days was all you needed to see Barcelona.
Which means side trips would be needed to fill in other days.
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
Rick Steve's book said three days but that is with every minute crammed full .You will want some time to just sip wine in a sidewalk cafe . Wine is 2 euros. Book Sagrada Familia ahead of time or you will be waiting forever .There are tons of Hotels in Barcelona but for $100 or less you may need to look at air B&B's.
|
Sunset, concur with Moemg above. There is plenty, plenty to do in Barcelona beyond three days. We were there a full week, and felt like we never stopped moving. I'm not suggesting it is as dynamic as Paris, however there is a lot to do and see, and the food is indeed wonderful, and the wine cheap and plentiful. One of our daily 'activities' was to stop for a pitcher of sangria each afternoon. We also made time for espresso breaks at one of Rick's recommended cafes each day. Honestly, the time there flew.
|
|
|
05-19-2017, 09:51 AM
|
#26
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 4,032
|
This thread makes me change my travel plan next year. There seems to be a lot of things to do and it's dirt cheap, even for hotel. Originally I planned only one week here, I might change to 2-3 weeks. I never booked using Airbnb, I wonder what I need to book on Airbnb. Any gotchas?
|
|
|
05-19-2017, 10:14 AM
|
#27
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Pacific latitude 20/49
Posts: 7,677
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunset
Next Spring we are taking a Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona, and then a back to back transatlantic return trip to NY.
At first I thought, we could fly into Barcelona a week ahead of the cruise to see Barcelona, but I thought maybe I'm missing something better and you worldly travelers could suggest a better alternative.
I suspect flying into some other city, for a few days, then train to .... and end up at Barcelona ?
I'm willing to fly over up to around 10 days prior to the cruise.
Any suggestions for our trip ?
|
We took the cruise from Venice to Barcelona, spent a few days there the rented a car and stayed at Paradores all the way to Malaga. We spent 3 weeks extra and would expand to 5 weeks in a redo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FUEGO
For a different vibe, Southern Spain (the Andalucia region) might be worth a visit. Smaller towns than Barcelona with a more varied history (don't think Moors/Muslims made there way all the way up to Barcelona whereas they controlled S. Spain for 700 years). Different architecture, different feel. The weather will be perfect in the April/early May timeframe you'll likely be there (it gets hot in S Spain around June-August, similar to southeastern US). Barcelona might still be chilly??
However you'll likely visit Malaga (coastal town in Andalucia) on your cruise so you might get a taste of Andalucia like it or not!
In a month, we're heading to Andalucia for a week and a half as part of our big 9 week vacation in Europe. We opted to skip the bigger Spanish cities of Madrid and Barcelona to see something different in Andalucia. We're doing 2 days in Malaga (where our flight from Portugal lands - basically a stopover ), 3 days in Granada (El Alhambra!!), and 4 days in Seville.
I checked Seville to Barcelona and there's an 11 hour train connection for €25/person or a 1.5 hr flight on Ryanair for €20 (plus another €25-50 for checked bags probably ).
Disclosure: I've never been to Europe before.
|
We stayed in The Alhambra.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fedup
Which airport is closer to Andalucia? I'm going to be fly in from London.
|
Malaga
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fedup
This thread makes me change my travel plan next year. There seems to be a lot of things to do and it's dirt cheap, even for hotel. Originally I planned only one week here, I might change to 2-3 weeks. I never booked using Airbnb, I wonder what I need to book on Airbnb. Any gotchas?
|
The Euro is strong, although Spain is cheap.
__________________
For the fun of it...Keith
|
|
|
05-19-2017, 10:23 AM
|
#28
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 37,931
|
Barcelona was the most expensive European city we visited last year, so I'm not sure why people thought it was cheap. Maybe the rest of Spain is cheap, but Barcelona has a rep for being expensive. And I can see why - it has a massive tourist draw.
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
|
|
|
05-19-2017, 10:27 AM
|
#29
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 4,032
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by audreyh1
Barcelona was the most expensive European city we visited last year, so I'm not sure why people thought it was cheap. Maybe the rest of Spain is cheap, but Barcelona has a rep for being expensive. And I can see why - it has a massive tourist draw.
|
I've just checked the hotel price on Barcelona, I've found some hotels less than $80 a day. Not expensive at all. Even Italy is more expensive.
|
|
|
05-27-2017, 07:09 PM
|
#30
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 199
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fedup
This thread makes me change my travel plan next year. There seems to be a lot of things to do and it's dirt cheap, even for hotel. Originally I planned only one week here, I might change to 2-3 weeks. I never booked using Airbnb, I wonder what I need to book on Airbnb. Any gotchas?
|
We spent 2 months in Barcelona a couple years ago and were pleased with our rental apt. We found it on airbnb but then noticed that they had their own website so booked direct. It was a risky move on our part, to wire a deposit and sign paperwork, but then it all worked out. I enjoyed the location (near Placa del Pi and La Boqueria market) although if going again I would choose El Born area.
Barcelona was great, although I think we could have seen/done most of the major sites in just one month, instead of two. We like slow travel, but even for us the last week or so was just revisiting some of the our favorite restaurants and clubs. We probably should have split between Barcelona and southern Spain or Portugal, in hindsight.
You could see and do plenty in 2-3 weeks, Fedup, including some side day trips. We liked the town of Sitges, which is a short train ride from BCN. Also, having done similar trips to Paris and Scandinavia, we found most of Barcelona pretty reasonably priced in comparison.
|
|
|
05-27-2017, 07:23 PM
|
#31
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 4,032
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zona
We spent 2 months in Barcelona a couple years ago and were pleased with our rental apt. We found it on airbnb but then noticed that they had their own website so booked direct. It was a risky move on our part, to wire a deposit and sign paperwork, but then it all worked out. I enjoyed the location (near Placa del Pi and La Boqueria market) although if going again I would choose El Born area.
Barcelona was great, although I think we could have seen/done most of the major sites in just one month, instead of two. We like slow travel, but even for us the last week or so was just revisiting some of the our favorite restaurants and clubs. We probably should have split between Barcelona and southern Spain or Portugal, in hindsight.
You could see and do plenty in 2-3 weeks, Fedup, including some side day trips. We liked the town of Sitges, which is a short train ride from BCN. Also, having done similar trips to Paris and Scandinavia, we found most of Barcelona pretty reasonably priced in comparison.
|
I will definitely add Sitges, interestering, I almost bought a house with a street name Stiges, very close spelling. Thank You for all your suggestion.
|
|
|
05-27-2017, 08:59 PM
|
#32
|
Gone but not forgotten
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
|
Fedup . You need to add a day trip to Monseratt to your plans .
|
|
|
05-27-2017, 09:41 PM
|
#33
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 4,032
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
Fedup . You need to add a day trip to Monseratt to your plans .
|
Oh definitely. My husband has a music DVD raising money for Monserrat, so it will definitely be in my plans. Thanks for the suggestion.
|
|
|
05-27-2017, 10:36 PM
|
#34
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spending the Kids Inheritance and living in Chicago
Posts: 16,972
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zona
.... I enjoyed the location (near Placa del Pi and La Boqueria market) although if going again I would choose El Born area.
......
|
Please explain why you would choose El Born area vs Plaza del Pi ?
|
|
|
Suggestions before Med Cruise from Barcelona
05-27-2017, 11:15 PM
|
#35
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 199
|
Suggestions before Med Cruise from Barcelona
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sunset
Please explain why you would choose El Born area vs Plaza del Pi ?
|
Sure. I loved the area, and the church and Placa del Pi were beautiful. It was a very picturesque square, but it was pretty close to Las Ramblas and there were just constant throngs of people/tourists every day. It made it tough to get a table at certain times of day at the Placa cafes. And we discovered that the Boqueria got very busy at mealtimes -- we ended up going over to Santa Caterina market for our shopping instead. We also ended up going to the Born area restaurants more often.
Placa del Pi was a great location for the first couple weeks, and if you're only there for a week or so I'd still recommend it, but for more than a month the crowds got old (mostly due to proximity to Las Ramblas). There are even more "local" and quiet neighborhoods such as the Eixample or Gracia, but for me El Born seemed like a nice mix of local Catalan residential area and also had touristy things to do, and was pretty centrally located.
If your travel plans allow, try to time your visit for La Merce, a huge festival in September. It has everything -- music, gigantes (papier-mâché giant costumes), dancing, fireworks, and great food. It takes place at various locations around the city, with free concerts and events.
ETA: Sorry I just re-read your OP and realized you'll be there in spring, so you would not be there for La Merce. But for anyone else reading this with flexible travel plans, I'd really recommend it.
|
|
|
06-21-2017, 11:11 AM
|
#36
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,368
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fedup
I wonder what I need to book on Airbnb. Any gotchas?
|
Look for lots of reviews, (read them), see if the host has previously made a practice of suddenly cancelling, look at the pics, if you can get the exact address, or even if you can only get a general locale, use Google Maps for a street view.
Also ease of access from airports/train & bus stations.
__________________
"Exit, pursued by a bear."
The Winter's Tale, William Shakespeare
|
|
|
06-21-2017, 11:24 AM
|
#37
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,368
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moemg
There is so much to see and do in Barcelona that a week will fly by.
|
We were in Malaga for three weeks last Fall, (took a few day trips), and, as is our wont, wandered the streets aimlessly.....we didn't see 'it all' and we never got bored.
(From Barcelona a day trip to Girona by train is nice.)
__________________
"Exit, pursued by a bear."
The Winter's Tale, William Shakespeare
|
|
|
06-21-2017, 01:15 PM
|
#38
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: New York City
Posts: 2,838
|
__________________
Withdrawal Rate currently zero, Pension 137 % of our spending, Wasted 5 years of my prime working extra for a safe withdrawal rate. I can live like a King for a year, or a Prince for the rest of my life. I will stay on topic, I will stay on topic, I will stay on topic
|
|
|
06-21-2017, 03:45 PM
|
#39
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Spending the Kids Inheritance and living in Chicago
Posts: 16,972
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Collar Guy
|
Some interesting stories here, but the founder of the site thinks Airbnb type room/apt rentals is still the way to go.
Why AirbnbHell Exists - From the Founder - Airbnb Hell
This site has an axe to grind, and the founder admits as a host he lost nearly 3K which he blames on Airbnb policies:
" After about 3 weeks of this frustration I finally had enough. My last message to the manager at Airbnb was “Go ahead and keep my money. I’m going to cost your company more money than you have cost me!” That was when I launched AirbnbHell.com – I felt that others needed to be warned."
So besides trying to be careful booking a place, I think I'll check out and note down the phone numbers of some hotels.
I don't need swanky to sleep, I plan to tour.
|
|
|
06-21-2017, 04:17 PM
|
#40
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Huntsville, AL/Helen, GA
Posts: 6,002
|
We hit Malaga and another coastal city in April on a transatlantic cruise ending in Rome. We've never seen so many high rise condos as there are along the coast. Those that took the Hop on Hop off buses were disappointed as it took forever to get a few blocks.
But Barcelona is on our list. I know the "fast train" from Paris takes 6.5 hours, and reading other train ride times makes you realize that Spain's a very large place with different societies. If one traveled the country extensively, it'd take two or three trips to see the best places.
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|