Advantages: great cultural diversity and cosmopolitan
Disadvantages: none

...The first thing that a visitor should do when visiting this marvelous city is forget all the preconceptions that they have about Spain - Barcelona is another world! As you might know Barcelona is situated in Catalunya (Spain is divided in many regions and Catalunya is one of them). Each region has their own cultural background, customs, traditions and some speak other languages. Catalunya is very different from the rest of the regions in Spain and Barcelona is its capital. If you went to Barcelona and were expecting to see some bullfighting or flamenco dancing, you are in the wrong place!! Barcelona is a city well known for its cultural diversity and for being very cosmopolitan. I am not going to give you an extensive description of areas to visit, just some guidelines, I believe the best way of discovering a city is by getting a map... Read review

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Advantages: A good transport system.
Disadvantages: none

...What I really wanted to write about was the 'Barcelona Card' (see below), and I proposed this product months ago, but it wasn't added by Ciao, so I will try to widen the scope of this review to include all transports (well, all the ones I can think of…). This review will not include information on driving in Barcelona, as we had no first-hand experience of it. First, let me give you some general information about Barcelona by way of an introduction. Situated in the northeast of Spain on the Mediterranean coast, Barcelona is the second city in Spain, but this fact matters little to the Catalans for whom it is the capital of Catalonia (Catalunya in Catalan). One and a half million people live there. The city's development is arrested on two sides by the hills of Collserola and by Montjuïc Mountain, and it has had to expand... Read review

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Advantages: Loads of great buildings to see
Disadvantages: They are miles apart

...Yes,Barcelona is impressive, and architecturally uplifting, but you tend to miss a lot unless you walk. This is definately the way to get around the old town, in the area of the Ramblas, and near the Plaza Catalunya s Avoid the rainy seasons, February, March, October. If you get wet in Barcelona you get really wet!! Be careful, though, about taking a walk by the Olympic Village and along that part of the esplanade. It is a much greater area and distance than it might at first appear. Similarly, if you are climing up to the Olympic stadium from the centre, be aware that you need a whole afternoon. It is a bit of a trek. I frankly prefer Madrid. There you can walk relatively short distances and soak up loads of athmosphere in the centre. Barcelona´s huge avenues, on the other hand, mean that when you look in your guide and see... Read review

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Advantages: Very comprehensive listings
Disadvantages: Expensive?

...found, was not particularly useful for everyday spanish, and if you're a non-spanish-speaking linguist, it might just be easier to get by with a dictionary. However, it excelled in the food and drink department, including all the main catalan specialities. As Barcelona is catalan-speaking, it would be useful even for those well learned in Spanish, as it offers Castillian and Catalan translations. The full colour maps contained at the back are just the right scale, and very easy to follow. I never got lost using it! A metro map is included for good measure, though it would be possible to use the system without it, as it is very straightforward, and there are maps in every station. A slight downside is the price, at £10.99 it is a lot more expensive than the less comprehensive guides. All in all though, a very good guide, even for those... Read review

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Advantages: Close to the city, good links, clean, good facilities
Disadvantages: Perhaps not as efficient as it could be!

...That’s the phrase that greets you when landing at Prat de Llobregat airport in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. The primary language for all signs is Catalan, as the region enjoys the autonomy granted by the government to reassert the sense of national identity that was deliberately eroded during the authoritarian rule of General Franco. No need to panic though, because every sign also has an English translation, with the Spanish information relegated to third place. I flew to Barcelona with Easyjet last weekend (a flying visit with the primary aim of seeing a match at the Nou Camp, if you hadn’t already guessed!), and hazy memories of a chaotic time at Alicante airport many years ago combined with some vague stereotyping of the Spanish way of life to make me expect a jumbled mess of an airport. However, the terminals... Read review

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Advantages: A home away from home
Disadvantages: None

...Last month I had a chance to go Barcelona with my dear husband:) I was searching through the internet to find a hotel to stay at. The idea was to fly there, grab a cab at the airport, get to the hotel and then walk around the city to get the most out of it. We wanted to avoid as much as possible subways, trains or buses. So my idea was to find a place to stay (initially a hotel) located in the hottest part of town... I guess it was my lucky day ...nooo.. I didn't press the "I'm feeling lucky" thingy from Google, but I did find a great site! I was gonna stay @ a beautiful apartment instead of a cold city hotel room :) Great! The company º~º~º~º~º~º~º~º Travel Flats Barcelona is an on-company that rents apartments for short stays. You can also rent them for over a month (special offers apply). It is registered and abides by all... Read review

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Advantages: laid back, off the tourist track
Disadvantages: there really aren't any....

...Think of Barcelona and what comes to mind…probably Gaudi buildings, the Ramblas, the Olympic Port, the Parque Guell…I’d hazard a guess that Placa de la Virreina wouldn’t be high on your list of priorities. Understandably so, there’s really nothing of note to be found here, no towering cathedral, no great works of art. It is precisely this lack of attractions that makes Placa de la Virreina worth a visit, watch the world go by for a change instead of heading for the sights. Located in the district of Gracia, Placa de la Virreina, is not on the regular tourist beat. That’s not to say you won’t find tourists here, you will, but alongside them you’ll see plenty of Barcelona residents. Gracia was originally a separate village from Barcelona and only became part of the city in the late 1800s, yet it still retains its distinctive... Read review

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Advantages: Too may to name! Great nighlife, food, people, architecture, the list goes on!
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...as though you know where you’re going. Try not to look like a tourist and plan your journey before you go out onto the street to avoid having to get it out in the middle of the city - nothing calls attention to you more than a huge map! Don’t let all this put you off, Barcelona is just as safe as any other major European city, it’s just wise to tak precautions. Barcelona is well-known for it’s architecture, everbody knows the “Gaudí Cathedral”. However, while it’s well worth a visit (be prepared to queue during the summer season), there is more to se in the city. The Güell Park, in the north of the city, also designed by Gaudí, is a further example of his amazing work and is perfect for an afternoon’s stroll. In the centre of the city are also cituated many of the houses he designed, take a stroll around the Eixample, you can also take... Read review

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Advantages: Informative, accurate (at time of press at least), lightweight for carrying around
Disadvantages: updated very 2 years so if you just miss the new edition it may be slightly dated

...for real. The first main page contains the publisher info and a content list The Contents Introducing Barcelona City Life Arts Architecture Food History Barris (Neighbourhoods) Walking Barcelona Eating Drinking and Nightlife Entertainment Shopping Sleeping Excursions Directory Language Index Map Section Okay, a fairly substantial list, but does it really cover everything you need to know? In my opinion it pretty much does. The begining chapters give a few pages to each of the first 6 titles listed, with some great and interesting facts and insights that you may not have already known - like how long Picasso actually lived in Barcelona, famous authors from the area, and also about the Catalan language - long suppressed by Franco, and now a compulsory part of the school curriculum and daily life in Catalan as a whole. But my favourite part... Read review

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Advantages: See Opinion
Disadvantages: See opinion

...They say history repeats itself and i`m a true believer of that. Liverpool are back on the map in world football and everywhere you turn whether it be domestic football,European football, or International football Liverpool are there making the headlines. An impressive season scooping 5 trophies and without doubt the best entertaining club for the season of 2000/01. Gerrard Houllier is a well respected manager and trust me has knows the football world ; he can virtually capture any player he wants too. In the last 6 months he has signed some talented and quality players; Jari Litmanen from Barcelona - Markus Babbel from Bayern Munich and there are rumours that he is due to scoop Josep Guardiola from Barcelona. The good times are back and roll on my beloved Liverpool who look to dominate Domestic and European football once again. Can... Read review

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