Over my head!

[gojoe]

So, I think we bit off my than we can chew! First time on a cruse and we pick 7 day Mediterranean Barcelona to Barcelona on the Dream. Our plan was to spend a couple of days before and after in Barcelona. Trying to figure flight and hotel is overwhelming. Any help would be great help. TMI, the more I search the more I search...

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

I am also doing a 7 night Med cruise out of Barcelona but not with Disney. I am from Ireland so I have booked my flights from Ireland. I have booked pre and post nights cruise in Barcelona to do sightseeing. I have planned out my days in Barcelona and a few of my ports. I do all cruise ports DIY. This will be my 5th cruise, all others were with Disney in Europe. I do not drive so I will be using public transport and I will be using the Metro in Barcelona to get from the airport to my hotel and then from my hotel to the ship on embarkation day.

Feel free to PM me, as my cruise is not Disney and I dont really want to share my travel details in public

 

[Mommb]

Flights are just a pain. My husband typically spends months looking at different combinations of departure cities and connection cities.

For hotels in Barcelona, one consideration is how many people you have traveling and another is what areas of the city you want to explore. Two people who share a bed are easy; 3 or 4 people will limit your options. My family of 4 stayed at the Hotel Colon (now called the Lamaro Hotel) in the Gothic Quarter across from the Cathedral after our first cruise from Barcelona. That gave us easy access to the museums in that area as well as Las Ramblas. The day before our cruise, we stayed at a hotel close to Montjuïc and went to a few museums there.

 

[holula]

Post EBTA this year I stayed at H10 Montcada hotel and thought it was a great location and really liked the hotel. It’s right across from the cathedral and next to a metro station.

For a restaurant recommendation we ate at La Alcoba Azul for lunch. It’s a tiny place so get there early (not sure if they take reservations) but I really enjoyed the food.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Be extra cautious in Barcelona and book a hotel through aaa or a travel agent. We found lots of pickpockets in Spain in general and our DIL and her Mom had a few interesting (scary) interactions in Barcelona. Not to scare you, just be aware of your surroundings and carry your valuables under your clothes. Use a car service the hotel calls. Be safe and enjoy.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Be extra cautious in Barcelona and book a hotel through aaa or a travel agent. We found lots of pickpockets in Spain in general and our DIL and her Mom had a few interesting (scary) interactions in Barcelona. Not to scare you, just be aware of your surroundings and carry your valuables under your clothes. Use a car service the hotel calls. Be safe and enjoy.

While I agree Barcelona has a pick pocket problem, in my opinion this is scaremongering and overkill.

It is ALWAYS better to book hotels direct and not through a third party or travel agent. The third party will own the booking not you the guest and if there are issues or you need to cancel or extend a stay, the hotel will not be able to that much for you. Whereas booking direct with the hotel you will not only get a better rate but the hotel will be much more easy to deal with if there are issues and they may also have perks or something extra not available if you book through a third party or travel agent.

There is absolutely no need to use a car service called by the hotel. Barcelona like most European cities has a very efficient, safe and regular public transport system, which is used by the vast majority of locals and visitors to the city. If you really have to use a taxi, use the FREE NOW App to call a metered taxi. Getting the hotel to call you a car service is tourist trap and you will end up paying a lot more than just getting a regular metered taxi.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Am I the only one thinking the OP should be talking to a TA?

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Am I the only one thinking the OP should be talking to a TA?

Not really. Barcelona is a really easy city to navigate. The airport is not that far from the main city centre, and the cruise port is in the main city centre. Ive researched everything using Google maps and YouTube videos. The metro website is in English , as are many of the main tourist sights. Barcelona like most European cities now is very tourist friendly with the main city centre area walkable. Ive got a list of places I want to see and have planned out my own DIY walking tour, as well as finding restaurants.

 

[gojoe]

So far so good, more research to do. Thank you. Please keep them coming.
Just 2 of us if anyone wants to meet up PM me.
Anybody use a money belt? I used one once at Octoberfest in Munich, tough to get money out to pay.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We have stayed at Hotel Jazz (https://www.hoteljazz.com/en) either before or after multiple cruises to/from Barcelona. Nice rooms, good breakfast, rooftop pool and bar, and reasonable price. About two block walk to Las Ramblas. We have used both taxis and public transportation in Barcelona. I also recommend the hop-on/hop-off bus tours for an overview of the city. We pre-booked a Sagrada Familia tour. We also did a half-day trip to Montserrat.

 

[princesscinderella]

This is where we stayed this summer after our DCL Mediterranean cruise. It’s also one of the DCL preferred hotels I just didn’t book through them as I used Bonvoy points. It’s in a great location one block from two Gaudi design houses- Casa Batllo and and La Pedera.The street is upscale with the nice shops and restaurants nearby. We used cabs which were easy to grab with the local cab app that I can’t remember the name of off the top of my head. We prefer the cabs to the metro just because it’s nice to sightsee along the way to your next destination which is hard to do while underground. I used a Pacsafe bag which has all kinds of theft deterrents and locking mechanisms for the zipper. I think public transport provides a greater opportunity for picking pockets. The gothic quarter our guide said is also a hotspot for it due to the narrow alleys and they can “bump” you in the guise of trying to get by you and you don’t realize they have robbed you too.

One of our tour group members did have their backpack stolen while at a cafe as he set it down next to his chair unsecured. He got so lucky apparently there was a cop who saw it happen and they got the thief and he got his bag back with everything intact. Our guide couldn’t stress enough how rare and lucky he was to get his bag returned, that was only one hour after getting off a cruise ship on their first day.

I used get your guide to book tours and we have never been disappointed. Our big one was a full day small group tour that went to Monserrat in the morning and the gothic quarter and Sagrada Família in the afternoon.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

There were just two of us traveling and we also stayed to the Renaissance Barcelona. Lovely hotel. I would absolutley stay there again. The breakfast buffet there was amazing. Service was excellent. Small but very clean room. Central location-we walked everywhere. Any major city has crime and you just need to be aware of your surroundings. I wore a Travelon cross body bag. I carry a dslr camera for photos, so I have to be extra cautious. Never left my sight, nor did I set down anywhere except my lap. I had no issues at all. Husband wore a money belt that hangs around his neck for ease of excess. We carried little cash, everything is card anyway. We used Barcelona Day Tours for a full day tour of Monserrat and then the city in the afternoon. A family run business. Excellent and knowledgeable.

 

[dllocals]

While I agree Barcelona has a pick pocket problem, in my opinion this is scaremongering and overkill.

It is ALWAYS better to book hotels direct and not through a third party or travel agent. The third party will own the booking not you the guest and if there are issues or you need to cancel or extend a stay, the hotel will not be able to that much for you. Whereas booking direct with the hotel you will not only get a better rate but the hotel will be much more easy to deal with if there are issues and they may also have perks or something extra not available if you book through a third party or travel agent.

There is absolutely no need to use a car service called by the hotel. Barcelona like most European cities has a very efficient, safe and regular public transport system, which is used by the vast majority of locals and visitors to the city. If you really have to use a taxi, use the FREE NOW App to call a metered taxi. Getting the hotel to call you a car service is tourist trap and you will end up paying a lot more than just getting a regular metered taxi.

We also recommend the Free Now app when in Barcelona, very easy

Also, have you considered AirBnB?

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

Also, have you considered AirBnB?

I would not recommend AirBnB, please only use hotels in Barcelona. Barcelona like many European cities has a local housing crisis. AirBnB is a major contributor to local housing issues. Please only book hotels , as this is a positive way to contribute to the local economy as a tourist. Barcelona has major over tourism issues , especially in the summer so it is very important to be aware of how you as a tourist are impacting the local economy.

 

[Cheburashka]

• Don't try to scrimp on accommodations. Stay in a hotel in the main tourist area, so more things will be walkable. It's worth the money.
• We found that taxis are fine in Barcelona. They're ubiquitous in the main tourist areas, but not in outlying areas.
• We always felt physically safe (from assault) walking the tourist area streets in Barcelona. However, we were hypervigilant about the possibility of nonviolent theft.
• Barcelona is one of the world's most notorious cities for petty theft and pickpocketing. Be vigilant. The following guidelines are useful in major tourist areas (anywhere), including Barcelona:
  • Keep valuables stored in the hotel safe. Don't leave them out in the room. Don't walk the streets with your passport.
  • Do not talk to strangers who approach you- this is a common pretext for pickpocketing. "Do you speak English?" is a common line.
  • Ignore beggars. Do not acknowledge them or engage.
  • Never rest your cell phone on a cafe table as you eat.
  • Never ever leave a bag on a table or the ground. In fact, your bags should not hold valuables. Use purses and bags only for non-valuables that you can't keep on your body.
  • Do not carry bags with valuables on your back, like a backpack.
  • Your wallet and phone should be on your body (not in a purse or bag), and never in a back pocket (or any exposed pocket).
  • Jackets with interior pockets are ideal.
  • Pickpocketers go for the low-hanging fruit: the wallet in the back pocket, the bag on the ground, the cell phone on the cafe table, etc. Don't be low-hanging fruit.

 

[asgur5]

What is hard about this? Booking international flights and hotels is easier then its ever been. You can do it in about 20 mins.

Managing logistics on port days so you see what you want to see, eat where you want to eat and get back to the ship in time is far more challenging.

 

[princesscinderella]

https://www.clothingarts.com/

Makes great pickpocket proof clothing. I got a few pairs of pants for my husband and he said they made it even hard for him to get his wallet out there’s no way he could be pick pocketed. They make items in small batches and sell out so it’s best to get on their email list and you can pre-order. It’s not really a place you can buy from last minute.

 

[Keladry84]

So, I think we bit off my than we can chew! First time on a cruse and we pick 7 day Mediterranean Barcelona to Barcelona on the Dream. Our plan was to spend a couple of days before and after in Barcelona. Trying to figure flight and hotel is overwhelming. Any help would be great help. TMI, the more I search the more I search...

What about it is overwhelming you? The cruise part? Barcelona? The flight? For me when this happens, it helps to break the planning down into steps, and use that to eliminate options and make decisions.

Also, which country are you from, and have you traveled internationally before? This can help us figure out some things to offer for help.

 

[bakerworld]

What is hard about this? Booking international flights and hotels is easier then its ever been. You can do it in about 20 mins.

Managing logistics on port days so you see what you want to see, eat where you want to eat and get back to the ship in time is far more challenging.

My sister was told this. She did a BTB thru HAL that changed in Milan. They had to leave the ship. She was told it was easy to get around but it didn't turn out that way. Luckily a local was able to help her get a ride to the hotel, which was not in walking distance from the port as she was told. Once at the hotel they were able to help her return to the ship. She did some walkable site seeing from the hotel but almost got lost because all the streets looked the same.

 

[Bad Pink Tink 2.0]

My sister was told this. She did a BTB thru HAL that changed in Milan. They had to leave the ship. She was told it was easy to get around but it didn't turn out that way. Luckily a local was able to help her get a ride to the hotel, which was not in walking distance from the port as she was told. Once at the hotel they were able to help her return to the ship. She did some walkable site seeing from the hotel but almost got lost because all the streets looked the same.

This always baffles me when I hear things like this. When you travel to a different country and especially one which does not have English as a first language, you should always do your own research before the trip. Google Maps in Europe is amazing, it shows bus routes, train lines and so much more. All you have to do is before your trip save places and download it to your phone. That way you dont need internet Wifi data or cell service to access the map.

Never rely on just assuming the ship staff know the city. Unless they are part of the excursions team they will have very little local knowledge as most of them dont have much time off in ports. Most ships excursions are local companies which the ship contracts for their passengers, so even though they are ship excursions, they are not run or operated by ship staff, so unless the specific crew member you speak has actually done that excursions they wont know the exact local details.

There is such a huge amount of information online now, that all it takes is the effort of a few hours before your cruise to get a basic overview and information about where you are going.