Barcelona Articles

June 26, 2006

Night Train to the Beach

The backtracking continues...I am headed back to Barcelona, a city I feel very comfortable in. I know my way around and I need a day or two in a place like this, to figure out my next move...what better place than the beach? Yes, it will be crowded and hot but I´m up for 48 hours of it. I´ll travel by night train from Madrid this evening, get to Barcelona about 8 am, check into a fairly new hostel near Las Ramblas, then take in some sun and plan my next move...I might head to Girona for a day, possibly make a daytime stop in Nice or Monaco, then push on to Italia...I will probably take advantage of the train pass and use another night train or two along the way, it saves time (less planning on trying to find accommodations) and saves money too.

by Kelly Amabile | # | Comments (2)

March 21, 2006

Second Class to Barcelona

Yesterday morning we took a 9:41 am train from Madrid that arrived in Barcelona at 14:44 pm. When we made the reservations in Madrid a few days ago, I requested second class seats for my friend CJ and I, instead of the pricier first class. We are both traveling with first class Eurail passes, but the reso for 1st class seating for this trip would have cost 20 euros! However, for only 6,50 euros we had a peaceful, smooth ride that was not that different from first class, at least as far as I could tell. Same comfy seats, two movies and a small free snack in the last hour, as lunchtime approached. CJ and I had packed a yummy lunch of Spanish omlette sandwiches, chips, soda and fruit, so we had plenty to keep us satisfied as we approached the fabulous Mediterranean. The only bad thing was that the car got hotter and hotter as the trip progressed and we felt as if we were in a sauna as we arrived in Barcelona. Too bad it was not warm enough for a swim!

Everything else went smoothly at the Sants train station too, and we easily maneuvered to the metro and grabed the green line (#3) to La Rambla, in the heart of Barcelona. We´ve been enjoying the sunny afternoons and fabulous selection of food and shopping that this city offers. Tomorrow will be our first serious tourist day, with visits to the Cathedral, Picasso Museum and Gaudi´s famous Sagrada Familia.

by Kelly Amabile | # | Comments (0)