Barcelona has quickly become the weekender capital of Europe. While Europeans can jet right over on low cost flights, even Americans on the East Coast find that the flight is not too long for a long weekend. Flights from the New York City area are only about 7 1/2 hours long so if you leave on a Thursday evening, you’ll be in Barcelona in time for breakfast on Friday. Leave Tuesday and you’ll be back Tuesday– so that can give you 4 full days in Barcelona.
Barcelona is blessed with a moderate Mediterranean climate. Spring and fall are ideal times to visit, especially May, June, September and October. Even in the winter, days are crisp to cold (since Barcelona is close to the mountains) but often sunny. Snow is rare and never lasts more than a day or two so, really, Barcelona would make a great weekend getaway for friends, couples or families.
What are some fun experiences to have in Barcelona in 4 days?
- Take a hop on hop off bus on the first day to acquaint yourself with the city. The Barcelona City Sightseeing Hop-on Hop-off Tour has three different tour routes to explore the city with over 44 stops to choose from and you can hop on and hop off all around the city. Spend as much or as little time at places of interest before jumping aboard for the next stop – the choice is yours! Of course, you’ll want to spend some time at the Sagrada Familia, the Ramblas and some of the museums. There’s actually so much to see that you might want to get a 2 day pass.
- Take an afternoon tour to Monserrat with the Cog Wheel Train. A trip to Montserrat will give you the opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking views of the Montserrat Mountain, one of nature’s special creations. Part of the fun is going up to Montserrat with the Cog–Wheel Train, which leaves you in the middle of the Monastery. It’s only a 15-minute trip but it will give you a spectacular view of the mountain.
- Taste Tapas on a Barcelona Tapas Tour. You can, of course, sample tapas on your own but taking a tour will give you chance to sample tapas as the locals do. A fun evening excursion will take you out of the tourist areas and into some of the bars, bodegas and restaurants all the time while enjoying wine or an aperitif along with tapas.
- You can’t leave Barcelona without experiencing a Flamenco Show and Tabloa Flamenco El Cordobes is one of the most popular.
- Wear comfortable shoes and take a Walking Tour of some of the popular areas in Barcelona. You can take a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter, the Ramblas, the Jewish Quarter, La Ribera (El Born and Sant Pere), El Raval, the Moderniste Route (L’Eixample). You can explore these areas on your own (My Vacation Lady has info on self guided walking tours for our clients) or we can include some guided walking tours into your Barcelona itinerary.
- For the Foodies- take a Gourmet Walking Tour of Barcelona! During this guided walk you’ll learn about the history of Barcelona’s cuisine, as well as sampling at some of Barcelons’s flagship restaurants and food outlets.
- Visit a winery– A popular winery to visit is Oller del Mas Cellar and vines (a 10th century castle) and learn how wine is made before enjoying a wine and cheese tasting. You can also visit Ca N’Estella, an old cava cellar and explore the house and barrel cellar before enjoying sparkling wine.
- Something new—- a great way to create memories– your own private photo shoot! We can arrange a photo session for you in the Gothic Quarter, Park Guell or the Born Quarter.
So, if you only have a few days to hop over to Barcelona or if you’re making Barcelona just one stop of your vacation or honeymoon, My Vacation Lady can help you plan an itinerary that will give you the freedom to explore on your own and learn about the culture, architecture and food of Barcelona.
We believe in the personal approach to vacation and honeymoon planning so we’ll talk to you at length about what you want to see, do and experience before we plan your vacation . Contact us for more info on how we can help take stress out of vacation planning and let you enjoy the experience.
