I'm bringing a group of teenagers to Barcelona for a few days. Any recs for what they'd like to do / see?

Question

Non-obvious responses would be great. Like recommended places to eat? Places to shop? Low-cost entertainment? Teenage-friendly museums?

Answer 1

Go to the nearest Tourist/Information office. The hotel will tell you where it is, and you can't miss the large "I" sign. There, they will have some of the best recommendations, as well as free posters. (Take advantage of these, as they are great quailty, and make for fanstastic artwork later!) Your hotel will also have some recommendations on what to see. The Rough Guide series of travel books is very helpful in finding off-beat places as well.

Answer 2

A good restaurant for groups is called Organic.  It's very near Las Ramblas but just a bit off the beaten track.  It is absolutely HUGE and spacious, and serves a great, cheap lunch special.  They have a big salad bar with fresh soup and bread.  You can just get the salad bar (which IS NOT all-you-can-eat) or you can add on an entree as well.  All the food is vegetarian but they have lots of kid-friendly stuff like pizza and pasta.  The great part is that there is plenty of seating, including tables that seat 16+ people, and you can get a huge lunch (soup, salad, entree and dessert) for less then EUR 10.  It's a lot more expensive at dinner, when each item goes a la carte.  The address can be found at the link below, I'm not going to bother searching and typing.

For low-cost entertainment take the Metro to Arc de Triomph and walk down the promenade to Parc de la Ciutadella.  There's a beautiful fountain, lots of green space, and ping-pong tables (bring your own balls and paddles).  You can let the kids run free here for an hour or two and then set a meeting time.  The same thing would apply at Parc Guell- there is nothing nearby that could get them in trouble, so just allow them to explore it themselves for two hours and then arrange to meet by the beautiful mosaic benches after.  Both of these parks are free to the public.  You can also check out the Sagrada Familia from the outside without going in.  The only real reason to enter is to take a tour- you can seee 85% of the good stuff from outside the gates.

Before you go, remind the teens of the following:

- Don't take photos of street entertainers without giving them some money (it's called STEALING)

- Keep your hand on your purse or bag when you're getting on and off the Metro, never hang your bag on the back of a chair in a restaurant, and never keep your wallet in your back pocket

- Any betting or gambling on the street is fixed, and if it's not fixed it's a ploy to steal wallets from rapt audience members

I spent three months in Barcelona in 2004 and 2005, and created a website about my favourite things to do.  You can check it out below for more information if you want.   Either way, VT is a good site for travel planning.

Answer 3

Picasso museum

Answer 4

Picasso Museum, Miró Museum, Montjuic, Rambla, Plaza Cataluña, Maremagnum, Figueres if you can, the beach, Parc Güell, Barrio Gótico, the old Cathedral, Sagrada Familia, Ciudadela, Rabadal (or something like that), the pierre, it's a lovely city!

Answer 5

I also like the Miro Musuem which is in in the park on Montjuic and there is a tram that you can take there. There are great views up there. They might like the roman city ruins that aqre underneath the old city.

Answer 6

Not sure..but I did want to warn you that pick pocketing is frequent in Barcolona so make sure the kids do not let their gaurds down.

Answer 7

Teen-agers or not, the Picasso Museum is an absolute must, so is the Barcelona flea market.  I've been to quite a flea market in the world and never seen one like the big (there's a few) Barcelona one.  Hysterical: from underwear to Crystal chandeliers, and nothing but Catalan spoken.  I was surprised that by Southern European Standards, the city closes early, restaurant, etc....  Check out Lonelyplanet.com.  It's great for younger hipper crowds.