Hi everyone, post #2. I will search the forum but while I have the time let me ask the following.

We will be a group of 3 adults and 3 kids (prior to traveling with in laws). We arrive into Barcelona on July 4th and will spend 4 days and 4 nights in the city. We want to stay in a nice pension, in an area that might have cool old alleyways, nooks and crannies (thinking Toledo, Cordoba, etc.), in an area that is centrally located, and somewhere near a subway stop. Our kids are 11, 8, 4.

I would appreciated any and all suggestions on (a) location & (b) places to consider.

Thanks again, Almohada

hi almohada
welcome to the forum
i have stopped at laietaina palace hotel (on via laietaina) which is right next to the barrio gothic area of Barcelona, it is approx 200mtrs from las ramblas and all the local sights (walking distance ones)its not a bad hotel good price if i remember and as cheap as you would probably get so close to the centre, unless you were to go into a hostel.
Great place is Barcelona enjoy!

Thanks, Billy, I will look into the laietaina.

In the meantime, would you say that I should focus on the Barrio gotico?

we are not necessarily looking for the cheapest but good bang for the buck and comfortable, safe, and reasonably quiet.

Gracias, A

if its narrow streets,nooks and crannies then yes that is the place to be,loads of shops,church,and eating/drinking places but at night it gets VERY crowded,best to go threw the day to sightsee, as for safety, as of the norm pickpockets are the main threat so keep an eye on your money,dont eat or drink on las ramblas not because its bad, its because its very expensive just a tourist trap, go to one off las ramblas,make sure you have a walk into Mercat de Boqueria fascinating place with all there goods on show, and then the great walk along las ramblas down to Port Vell, its a street you can walk up/down all day and something differant is going on all the time,for an easy way and in my eyes the only way to see the city is to go onto the touristica bus (about 22 euros for two days) its hop on hop off,make sure you go to Gaudi Park (again be careful with money when there are no tourist about)like any city you have to keep your eyes open
another thing most hotels in the centre have the underground below them which can be a little noisy, but theres no getting away from that if you want a great location

Following on from Billy´s comments - I would suggest eating in Mercat de Boquería !! They have first come , first served bars in the market place and if you like seafood you can NOT get fresher than this . Expertly cooked there and then . I was in heaven when I went .
July should be very warm , so take advantage of the Chiringuito bars by the beach ... get a drink , listen to music and there are play areas for kids too .
If you like beaches then take the short train trip to Sitges . Great town and great beaches . Take advantage of a half hour massage on the beach listening to the waves ! Steve

Try looking at some of these guides - you might find what you are looking for.

Barcelona Hotels - http://www.ruba.com/barcelona_hotels

These two sites are not very helpful at all...

You are better off with Kayak or Atrapalo.

You plug in your dates and listo. Either site gives you a listing of what is available --plus customers' comments-- instead of a description that may not be very helpful nor accurate. And, more importantly, you have a dollar figure to work with (actually a total in Atrapalo).

JA

Thanks for all comments.

Finally freeing up from work to focus on the trip ahead. Lost alot of degrees of freedom in planning but work is work.

But now, I am starting to get very excited about my return to Spain since 2004.

We ended up with the following itinerary
** 4 days and nights in Barcelona: staying one night at the NH and three at the Praktik. From all indications good values for the money. we will average roughly 100 Euros/night per room tax inclusive. I have to say that the hotel prices were not cheap so I feel lucky we got what we got. I hope things work out as described.

** Three nights in Vic for the wedding
** One week in Peratallada
** One week in Begur
** Final two nights: still up in the air. Will decide tonight on a place in Sant Pere above Sitges.

Now its finally time to sketch out the plan of attack for Barca. Billy & Steve, thanks for tip on the Mercat and the Chiringuito--just our style, and for the walking recommendations.

I'll start looking into other threads for more eating tips.

With three kids in tow, we will need to conserve our energy in terms of sights, but the Cathedral, churches, Sagrada Familia, Parc Guelle, Batllo, and poking in and out of the Barri Gotic sounds like great stuff.

A question: what expectations should we have of the nights in July? Are there thigns to do and see with three young children? Where we can breathe in the spirit of Barcelona without much interface with drunkards or muggers? Madrid was pretty safe at night, although with far less to so, while Sevilla was ideal.

Thanks, A.