01279 647566
18-Oct-2024
Absolute Travel in Barcelona
October is a great time to visit Barcelona. It was wet and chilly when we left Stansted last week and even colder when we arrived back home three days later. But it was warm, sunny (nearly all the time), and lovely in Barcelona. Café culture, glorious avenues – Passeig de Gracias is simply wonderful – fabulous food and the architecture is stunning. Everyone here in the office loves Barcelona – the football, the art, the gastronomy, the language and the culture – and it’s unambiguously one of our favourite cities whether that’s in October, the Spring, early summer or indeed at any time of year!
As part of our own Safety Management System, we try to see all the properties we work with, as frequently as possible, and to undertake a full audit on those that we use regularly too. Several of our team here are qualified accommodation auditors with considerable experience, and this was the opportunity for Paul to get signed off as an auditor too! We managed to look around eight different youth accommodations during our stay, each with a distinctive dynamic. The different room sizes, capacities, locations and budgets mean that one size does not fit all. It’s why it’s so important to discuss the pros and cons with someone familiar with the destination. Of course, the priorities of each group can vary, and collectively we should consider the age of your students, the group size, meal plans options, getting around the city and more. Talk to the experts before you decide! And whilst all hostels will offer breakfast, only some will cater for evening meals.
That’s not a problem as we have different group dining options in local restaurants for those who need (or would like) to eat out. These include traditional tapas as well as everything from pizza and pasta of course. There are vegan options too and special dietary requirements can be catered for if we are given notice in advance. We enjoyed lunch (prawns, patatas bravas and salad) with our handling agent and discussed new workshop options, booking trends post-Covid and when Barca would be returning to the Nou Camp! After some further hotel visits in the afternoon, we had dinner with the owner of the major football tournaments we feature too. There are some fantastic events in Salou and on the Costa Brava.
We also made time to visit Le Poble Espanyol. I had never been before, so it was a fascinating chance to see this intriguing representation of the whole of Spain, in a tiny segment of Barcelona. It’s a hidden gem, a short walk from the Palau de Congressos, and the Magic Fountains. But there is considerable added benefit for school groups here if you are looking for added value. The visit is hugely enhanced with a workshop on site and there are excellent pottery, art and cookery options, in particular. Learn how to prepare, cook and eat your own tapas for the most traditional of interactive experiences!
Fancy some free downtime too? Visit the old bullring – it’s now a shopping mall and food court – and you’ll enjoy a brilliant view over Placa d’Espanya and across the city from the top floor. You can walk up the busy Ramblas and meander through the Gothic Quarter, but most groups will head for the iconic sights of the Nou Camp stadium, the impressive Sagrada Familia cathedral and Parc Guell. We took a couple of taxis and used the Metro more than once, but it’s fair to say that we added considerably to our annual step count over the few days, too!
In our opinion, Barcelona is a brilliant destination for school groups. As with all cities, it can be expensive and difficult to manage without the right guidance, experience and preparation. At Absolute Travel and Tours, we’ve been running study trips, enrichment week trips and sports tours to Barcelona for 30 years. We have representatives in the city and unrivalled experience in the office to ensure that you enjoy the best possible school trip at the best possible value for money to meet and surpass your expectations. Please don’t hesitate to call us on 01279 647566 for a chat or drop us a line at [email protected] from some friendly and free advice.
Ashley Gowing
Managing Director, Absolute Travel and Tours