The Thinking Man’s Barcelona Stag Do

Stag weekends have something of an image crisis to attend to, especially in the UK. It seems barely a week goes by without a new story about “Brits abroad” getting in trouble on foreign soil, whether it’s scrapping with the locals or being too drunk to board the flight, sometimes the point that’s forgotten is there is a market for men looking to expand their cultural horizons with their “last weekend of freedom”.

For these more aspirational types, a Barcelona stag do might be just the ticket thanks to the cities’ peerless emphasis on good living as well as the small matter of the city being home to one of the best football teams the world has ever seen.

For foodies Barcelona might just be one of Europe’s highlights owing to the cosmopolitan outlook the city boasts. There is a world of international delicacies on offer but if it’s a more traditional Catalonian experience that your stag party is seeking, there’s a great selection of restaurants you should be targeting. Dos Palillos on C/ Elisabets serves traditional Spanish tapas infused with Asian influences, which, on paper admittedly sounds like a bit of a muddle but it’s well worth a visit.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to eat well but at a budget, keep an eye out of the Menu Del Dia, which translates at Menu of the Day where you can pick up a salad, a main dish, a drink and a dessert for as little as a tenner – just use your discretion as the quality will vary. Generally, a good rule of thumb is to stay off the tried path – take a detour from the more touristy spots and you’ll save money and get great quality food to line your stomachs before heading out to some of Barcelona’s plentiful night spots.

Give the identikit pub crawls a miss on your journey here and do some research before you travel otherwise you could be faced with the less than ideal scenario of paying top dollar to drink in places that will be much the same as you’re used to in the UK. These are the places that arguably give the whole Brits abroad thing its reputation. There’s a lot more to be said for stepping out of one’s comfort zone and giving the cities’ tapas bars your onceover. Here you can get a light bite of some authentic Spanish tapas free with your drinks. Alternatively, head for any bar with Chupitos hanging above it, Chupitos translates as “shots” and here you can get a start on a Barcelona stag night that will live in infamy.

So there you have it, an introduction to the Barcelona stag do with none of that unsavoury business of being a bad ambassador for your country. Pick up a phrase book, ingratiate yourselves with the locals and see your stag do as being the perfect opportunity to expand your horizons and you’ll be rewarded with a stag weekend experience that will last a lot long in the memory banks than your average binge’s wrecking ball.

Backpacking in the Best Holiday Destination in Spain: Barcelona

Based on my personal experiences, the city of Barcelona is clearly one of the best holiday destinations you could ever hope to visit in all of Europe. The capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia, Barcelona is for me one of the best all round cities you can visit, as it offers a little bit of everything for tourists, backpackers, holidaymakers and other visitors alike who may travel to the city. Whether you are interested in art, architecture, sport, beaches, food, or nightlife from your favoured city holiday destination - there is little doubt that Barcelona can proudly offer each of these aspects in one form or another, all wrapped up in to one top holiday destination. Why not check out my travel guide to Barcelona to find out the best places to visit on your backpacking holiday in Barcelona. If you ever get bored of the city itself and wish to travel further affield in the surrounding area, then why not check out the local options for cheap car hire in Spain either from local rental services or by checking the latest prices online.

If you are travelling to the city from overseas, you will know doubt be pleased to hear that the city of Barcelona is easily accessed via several different airports in the region, with frequent and affordable budget flights taking off from the UK often flying to the nearby Reus Tarragona Airport. Although 30 miles from the centre of Barcelona, it is still very easy to reach the city by either public transport such as the frequent bus services or airport taxis, or there is also the alternative of car hire Reus Tarragona Airport if you feel you may want to go on beyond the city of Barcelona and explore the coastal region of Catalonia.

Top 10 Most Visited City Destinations in Europe

Before you set off on a backpacking holiday in Europe you will firstly of course have to have a fairly rough idea of which European cities you want to visit on your travels. Although spontaneity is important to a certain extent on any backpacking trip (as you will naturally want to gain new experiences and learn new things), you obviously don’t want to miss out on the best holiday destinations in Europe simply through poor pre planning. If sheer popularity in terms of visitor volume is anything to go by, then the city destinations below must qualify as “must visit” places for any young backpacker during your backpacking holiday around Europe. Listed below are the 10 most frequently visited cities in the continent of Europe - based on visitor numbers.

1. London
2. Paris
3. Rome
4. Barcelona
5. Dublin
6. Madrid
7. Amsterdam
8. Prague
9. Moscow
10. Vienna

Make sure you find the time to visit at least some of these fantastic city destinations on your trip! Remember, this list is compiled purely from visitor volumes - there are also several cities not on this list that I would highly recommend visiting! Please check out my other post to find out my personal thoughts on what are the best city destinations in Europe. My list is compiled slightly differently to this one - but that is simply because I have had a really great time when I have visited other less popular locations and stayed there!

Get Away For The Weekend With Winter City Breaks In Europe

Anyone else feel like they need to get away for a short city break somewhere? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty fed up with all the freezing cold weather and snow were having in England at the moment. It’s cold, dark and quite frankly, all a little depressing sat in the office at the moment. Think its time to get the lads back together and visit some of the fantastic cities I’ve already visited on my backpacking travels around Europe. You may notice that in some of my older posts I wrote a backpackers guide to Barcelona - without a doubt one of my favourite cities to visit because it has something for everyone from the football fan, food lovers and those who are interested in the arts. Luckily at this time of year in particular I’ve found that you can get cheap flights to Barcelona relatively easily - and you can always save money by booking online. I remember visiting the city in January 2008 and was pleasantly surprised that the temperatures are still very mild - certainly a lot higher than the sub zero temperatures we’ve got in the UK at the moment.
If Spain is not the place for you, then maybe you could try a short winter break to Paris? If you are traveling with a partner as a young couple then maybe Paris could be a better option for you. Please take the time to read my blog post review of the city to get a great travel guide to France’s capital - and hopefully learn about all the best sights to see in this beautiful, historic and romantic city. Again, it seems that flights to Paris are pretty inexpensive at the this time of the year, so I would probably now is a great time to let your hair down for a few nights and begin to enjoy fine wining and dining in some of the best restaurants that Europe has to offer. So what are you waiting for, check out my city guides and forget the winter blues - get yourself on that plane right now!

UEFA Finals Rome: Barcelona ties Chelsea, Faces Manchester United

Barcelona tied Chelsea with a spectacular goal by Andrés Iniesta's in the 93rd minute during penalty time to tie the game 1-1. Since Barcelona was the away team its goal counted for more than Chelsea's goal, meaning the tie goes to the away team and Barcelona is going to Rome to face Manchester United in the Champions League UEFA final in Rome May 27. Last year Manchester United beat Chelsea in the finals, but there will be no repeat this year.

Beautiful Barcelona: A Guide To Europes Capital of Art

Barcelona is capital of the Spanish province of Cataluna and is situated on the beautiful Mediterranean coast in the North East coast of Spain. The city has become an iconic centre of culture with its history of fine art, architecture, food and sport. Perhaps amongst the most famous in his field, the artist and architect Antoni Gaudi designed the huge cathedral that has become the cities most famous iconic landmark - a truly ornate structure quite unique to anything I have seen across the world. The intricacies of its decoration are quite fantastic to behold - and at just a short tube journey from the central street of Las Ramblas this really has to be worth a visit. While on Las Ramblas you can take the time to check out the numerous cafes, bars and restaurants that line the street - and don't forget to check out the fantastic fish market which produces some of the finest and freshest seafood in Europe. Why not follow Las Ramblas down to the sea front and see the famous bridge and picturesque docks and harbour.

Fans of football the world over know and fear the name Barcelona - a club enshrined by legendary status in the sport. The Spanish giants look set to regain the La Liga title this term and face Chelsea in the Champions League Semi Final. You can watch some of the worlds best players such as Messi, Etoo and Henry at the huge and magnificent Nou Camp Stadium here in Barcelona and even take a tour of the ground during the day to see the huge selection of trophies the club have won over the years. I found attending a match at the 120,000 capacity ground quite awe inspiring and when the crown are behind their team for a big game such as against league rivals Real the noise and atmosphere can be deafening.
If you are looking for a good, friendly hostel in which to stay I can highly recommend "Hello BCN". The hostel has friendly staff, a large common room with a bar and table tennis, gym and excellent internet access from either the free WIFI or the computers provided. At around 20 euros a night it wasn't the cheapest I'd stayed in, but it has an excellent location and the facilites are worth the money.