[BMW F22]

Anyone been here before? What are some musts and must nots? I'm thinking about going there in a few weeks.

[ASAP]

Dont go around the train station at night... its super sketch. There a lot of Romanion immigrants that hang out at nightime in certain parts of the city that make it a bit scary. Otherwise its a beautiful city...

[KingOfJericho]

Like many popular tourist cities in Europe, you need to look out for opportunistic crime (pick pockets, etc).

[bimmette]

Even if you're not really into architecture, be sure to check out the Gaudi buildings.
And yeah, be extra careful about pickpocketing.
It's a great city. Easy to get around and wander.

[BMW F22]

Seems like pickpocket is a big problem in Europe. When we were in Paris this past May, that was the one major thing we were warned about. Luckily we didn't experience that but we were always wary and check out belongings.

[BEM-S4]

Whatever you do be sure to hit Boca Grande. Bar upstairs is awesome and the giant gold bathroom with DJ booth in the cellar is definitely something to see.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by bimmette

Even if you're not really into architecture, be sure to check out the Gaudi buildings.

Can they finish that church already????

[bimmette]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Can they finish that church already????

LOL!!!

[kscarrol]

We went to Barcelona a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it! Get a good guide book but as others mention, watch the pick pockets (especially on the metro), see the Gaudi buildings and definitely go to Park Güell. Lots of great food but can't offer anything on the nightlife as we had the kids with us. The beach is nice as well but not a great time of year for it.

Folks recommended we to Raval for shopping but we did not care for it, kind of sleezy. The old part of the city is excellent as well.

[JasonCSU]

I went there with a couple of friends this past March and had a good time. Like others have said, you have to be aware of pickpockets especially on the Metro and on La Rambla (pedestrian mall). Some people warned me that they will try to distract you while little kids do the pickpocketing. We didn't have any trouble, though it might be a different case if you are wandering around by yourself.

I would highly reccomend checking out the Gothic Quarter which is the old part of the city. The Picasso museum is there and so is the Barcelona city history museum where you can see some old Roman ruins under part of the old city. It is a bit of a hike, but the Castle de Montjuic is a fort on a hill at the south eastern part of the city offering some great views. Gaudi's buildings are throughout the city and can be pricey to tour if you want to see them. I think the church was best viewed at night.

[PINeely]

Just keep your wallet in your front pocket and always be aware of your surroundings. Thieves are going to pick an easy target like someone wearing headphones or face in their phone, etc. If you look aware you won't be targeted.

[BEM-S4]

Just do not go during mobile world congress if you can at all help it

[koreez88]

Less than hour flight to Ibiza.

[JasonCSU]

When you go out to eat there, be sure to look at the menu closely to see what you are ordering. I saw this at one of the places we went.

[BMW F22]

^ lol. That is disturbing.

[BMW F22]

Originally Posted by koreez88

Less than hour flight to Ibiza.

I'm not really into that whole partying scene. Would be a cool place for EDM lovers though.

[windtendo]

Just went for 10 days a few months ago... Loved every bit of it!

DO:
-There's 2 sightseeing tour bus lines that cover different halves of the city. Take them both if you have time. You will see more on these two tours than you ever could doing it on your own. Nice thing is, you can hop on and off any time during the day and they run every 15 minutes or so. You will see most of the major Gaudi buildings this way, and you can plan individual tours of those you want to spend more time in too.
-If you like art, visit the Dali museum in Figuera. It's a short bus trip outside of Barcelona. There's a bus that picks up in Barcelona and takes everyone there, then they take you to his castle he built for his wife, and then to some really neat town nearby that has incredible ocean views.
-Get used to not tipping anyone. It's a weird feeling for the first few days.
-Carry just a few hundred euros at a time, and use a credit card when possible. If you need to reload, just use a bank's ATM.

DON'T:
-Don't spend much time on La Rambla. It's a gigantic tourist trap full of pick pockets and overcrowded. It wasn't representative of Barcelona in my opinion. Grab an ice cream cone, take a picture, and keep walking.
-Depending on the type of trip you're wanting to take, I wouldn't recommend staying at the W. Although it's incredible nice and a landmark building in the city, it's not the most convenient of places to stay since there's one way in and out of it. I think Casa Mila is a great central landmark in the city with good hotels, shopping, restaurants, and transportation options nearby.

[nusevad]

I was in Barcelona for a week during thanksgiving, great city to eat some of the best food. The city is not that big so you can explore the different areas of Barcelona just by walking. Walk around, get lost, find a bar, grab some booze, eat. Keep in mind, their lunch is like our dinner, so its one of the most busy time of day. The resturants usually close around 4ish, and reopen at 9. So id eat a bigger meal during lunch and then go for tapas and drinks around 9-10.

[KingOfJericho]

Esquire channel has a show called The Getaway. They send a celebrity to a different city each week. Last week's episode was in Barcelona with Jenny Slate. They rerun shit all the time so it's worth a watch if you're going.

[BMW F22]

Thank you for all the responses everyone- I appreciate it! I don't think I will be able to make it to Barcelona this year. My brother has to take some time off for a friend's wedding so we're canceling our plans. I don't really want to go to Spain by myself. With that said I might go to Vietnam or Germany for a week or two.