i am going to paris and barcelona: who has been there

[juliet21]

i am going to paris and barcelona from feb 11 - feb18

i wanted to know what visit and where to go and what kind of clothes to bring with me

[technojesus]

I went to Paris on business 2 years ago and Barcelona/Ibiza this past summer. As far as France is concerned, I didnt quite have enough time to check out everything that Paris had to offer since I worked in a clinic in Poiters but here's a rundown of things you must check out while in Paris:

Champs Elysees - its the equivalent of NY's 5th avenue and runs through the heart of the city. Over here you run into the Arc de Triomph (gateway of paris).

Eiffel Tower - beautiful during the day but even more so at night. There's an elevator that goes up to the top that you're better off doing at night to truly absorb the "city of lights" experience. The same scavengers you see in Times Square selling watches, lighters, cameras etc are rampant around here so dont go alone. They prey on tourists. The Invalides and Ecole Military (sp?) are the other monuments located behind the tower.

Also check out the Bastille district, Notre Dame cathedral and the opera house to really respect the architecture. This will help you prepare for what Barcelona has in store for you

As far as nightlife goes, there's a ton of bars and cafes sprewn throughout both the intimate alleyways and major avenues. Pub St.Germain is the biggest bar in Paris and has a younger college crowd. Montecristo is a cuban-themed lounge which was pretty cool (latin music) as well as Casbah. Also you have China club which makes NYC's club look like a joke. Place where I really enjoyed myself was Les Bains which was pretty upscale and notable for celebrities.

Parisians are really big on fish. So if you dont like seafood, you might find yourself munching on duck, pidgeons or other exotic dishes. Meals are all given in courses with the standard bread, wine, cheese and crackers bit. I wasnt too impressed with their food but you should check out Loubnan and VEdettes Paris.

Weather there is pretty chilly so pack a jacket and a few light sweaters. If you smoke, stick with Dunhills out there. A must is a french translation device or dictionary otherwise you're f*cked. Most of the folks speak English but act as if they dont. Dont let it bother you. Disney is also in Paris but I never got to see it. Too much to do and see in just a few days.

Barcelona is another world and by far the best place I've ever visited. I stayed at a hotel right by the Ramblas in Placa Catalunya which is like NY's Times sq. Bunch of bars, restaurants and street performers at night here. The university is in this area also so you'll find a younger college crowd. In this area, catch one of those doubledecker buses for about $15 and you see every attraction Barcelona has to offer from the Olympic stadium, Bari Gothic (church district), Sagrada Familia (one of the tallest cathedrals in the world), Olympic port (at night its bar/club central), Montjuic mountain which has a theme park on top and this enormous statue of Jesus hovering over the city. Most of the architecture in Barcelona is designed by Gaudi who had this creative surreal imagination and implemented that in his work. Alot of the buildings you'll see look like they belong in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Its truly unreal and awe-inspiring work. You'll see most of it on that bus I told you about. Sucks that you're not going in the summer where the weather is alot warmer and you can take that ferry to Ibiza. Thats like a week of its own and you owe it to yourself to go back in the future. The nightlife in Barcelona is pretty underground and afterhours. Parties dont get good till about 1-2am and go on till the morning. Ask around for La Tierra (its basically a city inside a city and you walk inside what looks like a residential complex but turns out to be a mall of dance clubs). Its the true afterhours spot and the music was on point. :D The line is hugeee but if you walk up to the doorperson and flash a US passport or NY drivers license, you're a celebrity

Not sure if they started them yet but when I was there, we got to see a bullfight at the Monumental. Pretty barbaric but thats what they do there on Sundays. You're not giving yourself much time but if you plan well and have your agenda pretty organized, you can cover the major bases and see for yourself if its worth checking out in more detail later.

Have a safe trip!

Ray

[juliet21]

thanks for the info

it is very helpful:L)

[technojesus]

no prob

[gracer]

my mom took me to pairs a couple of months ago for four days only and totally fell in love with the place, with the culture and with the people! shopping fever! the 2 big malls i went to was galleries lafayette (architecture was crazy, even the ceilings were detailed) and printemps (i loved this place). there are also great stores lined along the way to the champs. if u can borrow a book about sights and stuff like that beforehand, it will def help! and we even brought like a french english dictionary (dont worry we didnt whip it out in the middle of conversations like we're fresh off the boat), but at least we knew wat the hell those people were talking about even AFTER the fact lol... beautiful place, ull love it a lot of people dressed trendy but without trying too hard, they used scarves and blazers and nice jeans and man i have to say i havent seen so many women walk so fast in those pointy shoes like its no problem! if ure gonna be walkin around, def wear sneakers, theyre into the puma/diesel/bowling shoes look the last time i went. but anything goes, ull be fine with watever ur wearing, there and here is not drastically different! we used the subway almost everywhere we went, ull learn it pretty fast, less complicated than NYC's ..check the weather forecast ranges before u go, but its basically chilly esp in the morning. have fun babe, im sure ull love it! go out there, see the sights, watch the shows, shop til u drop and go out at nite!!! im jealous, im less than a 100lbs if u have extra baggage space