Fodor's Barcelona: with Highlights of Catalonia

by Fodor's Travel Publications Inc.

Barcelona  is a top European destination for American travelers, and this stunning eguide features the city's biggest draws, from the cutting-edge cuisine to the dizzying heights of Gaudí's architecture. The city springs to life, covering quintessential experiences from the famous Boqueria market to the sunny beaches.

Expanded   New shopping coverage highlights the top neighborhoods to boutique-hop, complete with illustrations, maps, and spots for refueling. Craft studios, jewelry shop, and pastry emporiums are covered in addition to Barcelona’s cutting-edge design.  Nightlife is revamped to include a lively mix of tapas bars and clubs that tempt readers to keep Spain’s late-night hours.

Indispensable Trip Planning  Tips on when to visit each neighborhood and the city’s major monuments, how and where to order the best Spanish wine, and which beaches are best for sunbathing versus surfing all help our readers navigate the city.  And our city walk leads readers from the well-trafficked Rambla to the little gourmet counter of Quim de la Boqueria.

Discerning   Fodor’s Barcelona offers savvy advice and recommendations from local writers to help travelers make the most of their time. Fodor’s Choice designates our best picks, from hotels to nightlife. “Word of Mouth” quotes from fellow travelers provide valuable insights.

Genres: Travel, Reference, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2003

About the author

Fodor's Travel Publications is a United States-based producer of English-language travel guides and online tourism information. It was founded by Hungarian Eugene Fodor in 1936.
Fodor’s was acquired by Random House in 1986 and sold to Internet Brands in 2016.

Reviews

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barcelona is full of enough information to keep you busy for a year on your trip to Spain. The maps are fantastic and this guide is very well laid out, making it easy to find the information you require. Obviously, Barcelona has a lot of offer the traveler, the only question is: Will you be prepared for your experience? My favorite thing that the book tells you to do is to get lost. That is when the real adventure begins. Don't take me wrong, it is important to have an itinerary, but give yourself time to explore by wandering aimlessly around. You may just stumble upon a jewel of Barcelona that is not listed in this book.

All I know is that if I were heading out to Barcelona, I would definitely plan my trip by using Fador's Barcelona as my guide.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how in depth the book was with information and background about Barcelona. At one point, it was truly overwhelming but for me, it was a great introduction into the Catalan culture and it's picturesque landmarks. I did a few hours of research before committing to certain guide books and I found this and the Rough Guide to Barcelona to be the best at organizing essential information. Not to mention, the beautiful colored pictures throughout the book helped to whet my appetite even further. However, if you plan to travel to Barcelona, DO NOT rely on the map given in this book but I did find the map of the Metro system very handy as you cannot find this anywhere in the train station. My recommendation is to map out your route on Google Maps before you go off on a trip as I was able to find recommended restaurants within a matter or minutes. I wished that this guide book provided more information about places off the beaten path and found that certain districts of Barcelona in this book were not covered very well or not updated. Lastly, I found the recommended restaurant list to be lacking as they do not provide any of the traditional Catalan cuisine or famous restaurants in general. Overall, I found this guide book to be very helpful in planning my trip to Barcelona and providing me with some insight into the culture.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative esp for those who are travelling or wanting to learn more about the destination