Barcelona - where to stay?

The Rock

Any recommendations on which area is best/most convenient in terms of proximity to airport and venue?  I know nothing about Barcelona

Thanks!

TheMookster

Both airport and venue are easily accessible so I would say if you're going to be in Barcelona more than 1 night and have never been before, choose a fairly central area where you can see the sights and enjoy bars and nightlife etc 

There is a Rodalies train from terminal 2 at the airport (with a free shuttle bus between terminals) that will take you central in about half an hour (it stops at the main Barcelona train station, Sants, as well as convenient stops afterwards at Passeig de Gracia and Clot. More details here: 
http://www.aeropuertobarcelona-elprat.com/ingl/accesos_aeropuerto_tren4010.htm
I've taken it many times and is a good service.
Also very good are the airport buses which go from both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and have more stops along the way before terminating at Placa de Catalunya which is the main square in the city centre and next the famous Rambla.

The venue for the show is on the Olympic Park next to the Olympic Stadium and is on top of the Montjuic hill. It's easily accessible by getting the metro to Placa d'España and walking (about 25 minutes). There are outside escalators that take you up the hill. You will be able to follow a big crowd I'm sure. There are also local buses that go up there (you can find On Google maps) and even a funicular (https://www.tmb.cat/en/about-tmb/transport-tmb/montjuic-funicular) from Paral-el metro station but that obviously has limited capacity so I find the walk from Placa d'España quite nice if you have the time. 
Taxis are also plentiful but after the show I guess maybe harder to come by so I would follow the crowds down the hill to a metro station.

Metro runs from 5am to 2am I think although once you're down off Montjuic hill onto one of the main streets, taxis should be easy to get.

If you've never been to Barcelona before, I would stay somewhere central so you can explore. Most visitors I guess like being fairly close to Placa de Catalunya and La Rambla, or Sagrada Familia. 

I like Eixample neighbourhood which is not quite so touristy but still walkable to the good places to see.
Gracia neighbourhood is also lovely and has a local/family feel but maybe a bit quiet if you prefer to be around more action/nightlife. If you want to be near the beach then Poble Nou is a nice area but more residential and further away from the centre and the venue, although still has good transport connections (quite a good location if you're taking in the QOTSA gig at Razzmatazz on 11th. Razzmatazz is a good venue for music and has several different rooms with different performers in usually).

Hope this helps. Basically if you're going to be visiting for more than just the day/night of the PJ show, I'd suggest putting together a list of sights u want to see/places to visit and use that to determine where to stay. Venue and airport should be no problem getting to as you'll see from the links above. 

TheMookster

Forgot the link for the airport bus:
http://www.aerobusbcn.com/

TheMookster

I should probably also qualify my response by saying I'm not a local, just someone that has visited Barcelona many times for work and gigs, so maybe there are locals on the board with a different view/insider suggestions

The Rock

TheMookster said:

Both airport and venue are easily accessible so I would say if you're going to be in Barcelona more than 1 night and have never been before, choose a fairly central area where you can see the sights and enjoy bars and nightlife etc 

There is a Rodalies train from terminal 2 at the airport (with a free shuttle bus between terminals) that will take you central in about half an hour (it stops at the main Barcelona train station, Sants, as well as convenient stops afterwards at Passeig de Gracia and Clot. More details here: 
http://www.aeropuertobarcelona-elprat.com/ingl/accesos_aeropuerto_tren4010.htm
I've taken it many times and is a good service.
Also very good are the airport buses which go from both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 and have more stops along the way before terminating at Placa de Catalunya which is the main square in the city centre and next the famous Rambla.

The venue for the show is on the Olympic Park next to the Olympic Stadium and is on top of the Montjuic hill. It's easily accessible by getting the metro to Placa d'España and walking (about 25 minutes). There are outside escalators that take you up the hill. You will be able to follow a big crowd I'm sure. There are also local buses that go up there (you can find On Google maps) and even a funicular (https://www.tmb.cat/en/about-tmb/transport-tmb/montjuic-funicular) from Paral-el metro station but that obviously has limited capacity so I find the walk from Placa d'España quite nice if you have the time. 
Taxis are also plentiful but after the show I guess maybe harder to come by so I would follow the crowds down the hill to a metro station.

Metro runs from 5am to 2am I think although once you're down off Montjuic hill onto one of the main streets, taxis should be easy to get.

If you've never been to Barcelona before, I would stay somewhere central so you can explore. Most visitors I guess like being fairly close to Placa de Catalunya and La Rambla, or Sagrada Familia. 

I like Eixample neighbourhood which is not quite so touristy but still walkable to the good places to see.
Gracia neighbourhood is also lovely and has a local/family feel but maybe a bit quiet if you prefer to be around more action/nightlife. If you want to be near the beach then Poble Nou is a nice area but more residential and further away from the centre and the venue, although still has good transport connections (quite a good location if you're taking in the QOTSA gig at Razzmatazz on 11th. Razzmatazz is a good venue for music and has several different rooms with different performers in usually).

Hope this helps. Basically if you're going to be visiting for more than just the day/night of the PJ show, I'd suggest putting together a list of sights u want to see/places to visit and use that to determine where to stay. Venue and airport should be no problem getting to as you'll see from the links above. 

Wow, that's a massive help! Thank you very much for all of that information.

I've decided to fly out on July 9th, arriving just before 6pm. So, it gives me the evening to explore and I have all day on the day of the show because I'm seated so don't have to queue up all day!

I definitely want to go to the Museum of Natural History, so I've put that on my list. I've booked Hotel Vilamari at Carrer de Vilamarí and Google Maps tells me the Placa d'Espanya is 250 metres away, but it's only showing bus options on Google to get to the venue. Is there a different stop where I can get a train?

The Rock

Made a wrong post!

TheMookster

I would say that's a good location for getting to and from the venue and the airport.
You can take the airport bus (A1 from right outside terminal 1 and A2 from right outside terminal 2, you can check the link I posted above) to Placa d'España to get to your hotel and your hotel should be able to confirm exactly which stop to pick it up again on the way back.
To the venue from there, I would walk if you don't mind walking. From Placa d'España if you look down Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina you will see very clearly MNAC which is the National Art Museum at the far end (see pictures here:https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187497-d257527-Reviews-Museu_Nacional_d_Art_de_Catalunya_MNAC-Barcelona_Catalonia.html) 
Walk to that and you will see a chain of escalators that take you up the hill and to the street the Olympic Stadium is on. Palau St. Jordi is right next to the stadium. I'm pretty sure there will be loads of people doing this walk to the gig so there will be a crowd to follow.
The venue website (https://www.palausantjordi.cat/en/practical-information/how-to-get-there/) also lists the buses that go from Placa d'España to the venue if you prefer not to walk. There is no metro closer to the venue than Placa d'España. 
You can download PDFs of the metro maps from here:
https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-transport/map/metro

From your hotel you can take L1 on the metro to Placa de Catalunya from Placa d'España or Rocafort stations. If you've not done it before I'd recommend walking down La Rambla From Placa de Catalunya and stop by La Boqueria which is an indoor market with all sorts of food and places for a quick beer and tapas or pintxos. Then cross into the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) and get lost amongst the small streets full of bars and cafes. Placa Reial is a nice place to stop and watch the world go by. 

If you're interested in architecture then definitely try and see Sagrada Familia, even if only from the outside and also worth seeing Gaudi's other buildings like Casa Batllo and Casa Mila on Passeig de Gracia. These are walkable and worth seeing from the outside even if you don't have time to go in. 

Barceloneta and Port Vell are also nice to walk around by the water if you have time. You can walk or reach by metro

I've always found Barcelona to be very safe, there's normally a lot of people around until late but as with any big and touristy city there can be pickpockets, especially along La Rambla so just be mindful of people who may be distracting you while they try and grab something. I'm always wary of saying that and putting people off because it's not something to be too worried about but of course it does happen

The Rock

TheMookster said:

I would say that's a good location for getting to and from the venue and the airport.
You can take the airport bus (A1 from right outside terminal 1 and A2 from right outside terminal 2, you can check the link I posted above) to Placa d'España to get to your hotel and your hotel should be able to confirm exactly which stop to pick it up again on the way back.
To the venue from there, I would walk if you don't mind walking. From Placa d'España if you look down Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina you will see very clearly MNAC which is the National Art Museum at the far end (see pictures here:https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187497-d257527-Reviews-Museu_Nacional_d_Art_de_Catalunya_MNAC-Barcelona_Catalonia.html) 
Walk to that and you will see a chain of escalators that take you up the hill and to the street the Olympic Stadium is on. Palau St. Jordi is right next to the stadium. I'm pretty sure there will be loads of people doing this walk to the gig so there will be a crowd to follow.
The venue website (https://www.palausantjordi.cat/en/practical-information/how-to-get-there/) also lists the buses that go from Placa d'España to the venue if you prefer not to walk. There is no metro closer to the venue than Placa d'España. 
You can download PDFs of the metro maps from here:
https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-transport/map/metro

From your hotel you can take L1 on the metro to Placa de Catalunya from Placa d'España or Rocafort stations. If you've not done it before I'd recommend walking down La Rambla From Placa de Catalunya and stop by La Boqueria which is an indoor market with all sorts of food and places for a quick beer and tapas or pintxos. Then cross into the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) and get lost amongst the small streets full of bars and cafes. Placa Reial is a nice place to stop and watch the world go by. 

If you're interested in architecture then definitely try and see Sagrada Familia, even if only from the outside and also worth seeing Gaudi's other buildings like Casa Batllo and Casa Mila on Passeig de Gracia. These are walkable and worth seeing from the outside even if you don't have time to go in. 

Barceloneta and Port Vell are also nice to walk around by the water if you have time. You can walk or reach by metro

I've always found Barcelona to be very safe, there's normally a lot of people around until late but as with any big and touristy city there can be pickpockets, especially along La Rambla so just be mindful of people who may be distracting you while they try and grab something. I'm always wary of saying that and putting people off because it's not something to be too worried about but of course it does happen

This is brilliant stuff, thank you very much. If the weather is good, which I imagine it will be in July, then walking is definitely more appealing to me. I didn't realise that it was only a half-hour walk to the venue from where I'm staying.

I'll have the evening of the 9th, and all day on the 10th until the show so should be enough time to see some stuff. La Boqueria sounds right up my alley, as does the History Museum, and the Gothic Quarter. I'll just get up early on the 10th

lastexit78

Here’s where we are staying for the week. It’s close to the venue and the Metro. Also close to a grocery store.

https://www.hotelbarcelonaportafira.com/en/

Got a great week lined up. All the Barcelona sights, a cooking class, day in Sitges and another full day touring the Costa Brava coast up North. Can’t wait!

TheMookster

The Rock said:

TheMookster said:

I would say that's a good location for getting to and from the venue and the airport.
You can take the airport bus (A1 from right outside terminal 1 and A2 from right outside terminal 2, you can check the link I posted above) to Placa d'España to get to your hotel and your hotel should be able to confirm exactly which stop to pick it up again on the way back.
To the venue from there, I would walk if you don't mind walking. From Placa d'España if you look down Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina you will see very clearly MNAC which is the National Art Museum at the far end (see pictures here:https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187497-d257527-Reviews-Museu_Nacional_d_Art_de_Catalunya_MNAC-Barcelona_Catalonia.html) 
Walk to that and you will see a chain of escalators that take you up the hill and to the street the Olympic Stadium is on. Palau St. Jordi is right next to the stadium. I'm pretty sure there will be loads of people doing this walk to the gig so there will be a crowd to follow.
The venue website (https://www.palausantjordi.cat/en/practical-information/how-to-get-there/) also lists the buses that go from Placa d'España to the venue if you prefer not to walk. There is no metro closer to the venue than Placa d'España. 
You can download PDFs of the metro maps from here:
https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-transport/map/metro

From your hotel you can take L1 on the metro to Placa de Catalunya from Placa d'España or Rocafort stations. If you've not done it before I'd recommend walking down La Rambla From Placa de Catalunya and stop by La Boqueria which is an indoor market with all sorts of food and places for a quick beer and tapas or pintxos. Then cross into the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) and get lost amongst the small streets full of bars and cafes. Placa Reial is a nice place to stop and watch the world go by. 

If you're interested in architecture then definitely try and see Sagrada Familia, even if only from the outside and also worth seeing Gaudi's other buildings like Casa Batllo and Casa Mila on Passeig de Gracia. These are walkable and worth seeing from the outside even if you don't have time to go in. 

Barceloneta and Port Vell are also nice to walk around by the water if you have time. You can walk or reach by metro

I've always found Barcelona to be very safe, there's normally a lot of people around until late but as with any big and touristy city there can be pickpockets, especially along La Rambla so just be mindful of people who may be distracting you while they try and grab something. I'm always wary of saying that and putting people off because it's not something to be too worried about but of course it does happen

This is brilliant stuff, thank you very much. If the weather is good, which I imagine it will be in July, then walking is definitely more appealing to me. I didn't realise that it was only a half-hour walk to the venue from where I'm staying.

I'll have the evening of the 9th, and all day on the 10th until the show so should be enough time to see some stuff. La Boqueria sounds right up my alley, as does the History Museum, and the Gothic Quarter. I'll just get up early on the 10th

Yeah, you should have time to see some good things. It will be light and hopefully warm until late in the evening so you could do some things the evening you arrive including Bari Gotic or Barceloneta and Port Vell. I think La Boqueira probably closes by about 8pm (and may even be closed on Mondays) so better to try that during the day on the 10th if you can although La Rambla in the evening is nice. It's definitely worth going in that direction to find bars etc. for food but if you find you can't/don't feel like it,  there is a shopping centre in the old bullring (https://goo.gl/maps/fVQ6SUmEFcR2) right next to Placa d'Espana and it has several eating places on the top floor, some with a terrace, although I've not eaten there so can't speak for the quality of the food.

TheMookster

lastexit78 said:

Here’s where we are staying for the week. It’s close to the venue and the Metro. Also close to a grocery store.

https://www.hotelbarcelonaportafira.com/en/

Got a great week lined up. All the Barcelona sights, a cooking class, day in Sitges and another full day touring the Costa Brava coast up North. Can’t wait!

Yeah, your hotel only a couple of metro stops from Placa d'Espana or even a do-able 40 minute or so walk back after the show. 
Sitges is very nice. Recommend having some Arroz Negro there (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arròs_negre) or Fideua (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fideuà) if you like seafood.

The Rock

TheMookster said:

The Rock said:

TheMookster said:

I would say that's a good location for getting to and from the venue and the airport.
You can take the airport bus (A1 from right outside terminal 1 and A2 from right outside terminal 2, you can check the link I posted above) to Placa d'España to get to your hotel and your hotel should be able to confirm exactly which stop to pick it up again on the way back.
To the venue from there, I would walk if you don't mind walking. From Placa d'España if you look down Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina you will see very clearly MNAC which is the National Art Museum at the far end (see pictures here:https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187497-d257527-Reviews-Museu_Nacional_d_Art_de_Catalunya_MNAC-Barcelona_Catalonia.html) 
Walk to that and you will see a chain of escalators that take you up the hill and to the street the Olympic Stadium is on. Palau St. Jordi is right next to the stadium. I'm pretty sure there will be loads of people doing this walk to the gig so there will be a crowd to follow.
The venue website (https://www.palausantjordi.cat/en/practical-information/how-to-get-there/) also lists the buses that go from Placa d'España to the venue if you prefer not to walk. There is no metro closer to the venue than Placa d'España. 
You can download PDFs of the metro maps from here:
https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-transport/map/metro

From your hotel you can take L1 on the metro to Placa de Catalunya from Placa d'España or Rocafort stations. If you've not done it before I'd recommend walking down La Rambla From Placa de Catalunya and stop by La Boqueria which is an indoor market with all sorts of food and places for a quick beer and tapas or pintxos. Then cross into the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) and get lost amongst the small streets full of bars and cafes. Placa Reial is a nice place to stop and watch the world go by. 

If you're interested in architecture then definitely try and see Sagrada Familia, even if only from the outside and also worth seeing Gaudi's other buildings like Casa Batllo and Casa Mila on Passeig de Gracia. These are walkable and worth seeing from the outside even if you don't have time to go in. 

Barceloneta and Port Vell are also nice to walk around by the water if you have time. You can walk or reach by metro

I've always found Barcelona to be very safe, there's normally a lot of people around until late but as with any big and touristy city there can be pickpockets, especially along La Rambla so just be mindful of people who may be distracting you while they try and grab something. I'm always wary of saying that and putting people off because it's not something to be too worried about but of course it does happen

This is brilliant stuff, thank you very much. If the weather is good, which I imagine it will be in July, then walking is definitely more appealing to me. I didn't realise that it was only a half-hour walk to the venue from where I'm staying.

I'll have the evening of the 9th, and all day on the 10th until the show so should be enough time to see some stuff. La Boqueria sounds right up my alley, as does the History Museum, and the Gothic Quarter. I'll just get up early on the 10th

Yeah, you should have time to see some good things. It will be light and hopefully warm until late in the evening so you could do some things the evening you arrive including Bari Gotic or Barceloneta and Port Vell. I think La Boqueira probably closes by about 8pm (and may even be closed on Mondays) so better to try that during the day on the 10th if you can although La Rambla in the evening is nice. It's definitely worth going in that direction to find bars etc. for food but if you find you can't/don't feel like it,  there is a shopping centre in the old bullring (https://goo.gl/maps/fVQ6SUmEFcR2) right next to Placa d'Espana and it has several eating places on the top floor, some with a terrace, although I've not eaten there so can't speak for the quality of the food.

Port Vell looks great so I'm thinking I'll go early morning on the 10th and then visit the aquarium because I love aquariums!

timdwilli

https://casabonay.com

I stayed here a couple years ago and absolutely loved it. Perfect location. The airport bus is super convenient. 

lastexit78

TheMookster said:

lastexit78 said:

Here’s where we are staying for the week. It’s close to the venue and the Metro. Also close to a grocery store.

https://www.hotelbarcelonaportafira.com/en/

Got a great week lined up. All the Barcelona sights, a cooking class, day in Sitges and another full day touring the Costa Brava coast up North. Can’t wait!

Yeah, your hotel only a couple of metro stops from Placa d'Espana or even a do-able 40 minute or so walk back after the show. 
Sitges is very nice. Recommend having some Arroz Negro there (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arròs_negre) or Fideua (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fideuà) if you like seafood.

Cool, thanks for those food tips, both look great! I was planning on walking up to Castell de Montjuïc and the surrounding sites prior and then walking back the hotel following the show. Looks like a manageable walk on Google Maps. We usually pile up 20,000 steps a day anytime we are in Europe so I’m not opposed to using my feet as a primary source of transportation.

ImNoGuide

IFL...  I booked a place in Eixample that seems close enough to a market, metro stations, restaurants.  We were given advice to either stay in Eixample or Gracia for our week there.  Also signed up for a couple nights where a local takes you to a few bars/restaurants to help with ordering wine/food. One night in Poble Sec , and another a bit more spread out.  It will be my first time there.