Which city for a weekend break in March?

[raceboy]

Shortlist is...

• Venice
• Budapest
• Barcelona

Looking at 3 nights in the middle of March with a modest budget with the better half.
Looking for a bit of culture, and a bit of nightlife but nothing too hectic or stag do ish.

My current favorite is Barcelona but I'm not quite sure why, I guess I just fancy the chances of watching a bull fight live.

So any recomendations or 'avoids'

[metro lover]

Liverpool! capital of culture

[elster]

I quite like Budapest but can't comment on the others.

Although a friend of mine goes with her mum a couple of times a year to Barcelona and absolutely love it.

[Mad Dave]

I've done quite a few weekend breaks to various places in Europe and Barcelona is the only place i'd happily go back to. Really nice city, fantastic architecture and just a really chilled out atmosphere.

[anonymous-user]

Been to Barcelona once.

Beware of pickpockets, I nearly had my card swiped out of my wallet by some woman pretending to be a flower seller, and one of my mates had his phone taken off the table from right in front of him by some kids who tried a distraction tactic.

Heard of other people who have had similar experiences. It is a nice place, but I was paranoid for the whole weekend I was there, constantly checking my camera, pockets etc. I feel a lot less vulnerable walking through the centre/city of London, than in Barcelona.

Loads of homeless people begging on the streets aswell.

We could only find the Hard Rock Cafe, we couldn't find any bars at all.

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 16th November 13:18

[HSVGTSCoupe]

Can't knock your short list... I'd pick the same and maybe add Rome if it were mine. After 4 years livin (and pretending to work)in the UK I luckily made the most of it and kaned the entire continent, many faves on more than one occasion.

Venice is both amazing & unique with more Kulcha (read history) than you can poke a stick at but less nightlife than Upper Rissington (in the proper "old town" that is, which is the only place to stay if you want the true Venician experience). Late Feb, early march is also the pick of the times to do Venice IMO - summer is mentally packed & stinks as well as the king tides kick in and smelly wet shoes aint fun. Autumn is also good but way more mozzies. I last went in Feb 07 the week after the masquerade festival - was the best time I've ever been there.

For a mix of culture, shopping, fun & bohemien nightlife it has to be Barcelona, this city rocks all year long and is a great place to just get lost. Gaudi, Picasso & that absolute nutter of brilliant nutters Dali all spent serious time there and have left their unique mark on one of EU's most amazing cities. If you want a great weekender to impress the missus, see if you can get a "romantic" 2 night ackage at the Hotel Grand Central - a converted old bank opposite the central cathedral near the Gothic area (not the other more famous cathederal La famigla - thats a 10 min cab from the heart of town). We got a dinner bed & brekky package & the hotel eatery was top notch - not to mention the amazing roof top infinity pool which dissapears into the BCN skyline. Will sound expensive when you book maybe 30% more than regular hotels but I was rapt we did it.


Budapest is also awesome but the best time to go is for Aug 20th - hot weather, still cheap accom and the red bull air race (personally the best one I've been to).

To top it off, because it is their national holiday, you get a kick arse fireworks display on the danube that night - all free of course!

Hope the extra info helps but if too much to read, my answer in one based on your OP...

"And the games go to.... Barhelona!"


ENJOY!

[minimoog]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I don't usually get wound up about security when abroad and just take sensible precautions and try not to look too much like a typical tourist, but Barca had me on edge the whole time I was there. I think what finally made it a 'never go back' place for me was the gangs of vermin strolling around Parc Guell looking for bags to snatch. So blatant it was unbelievable - one or two of them were even toting clubs ffs.

I'd vote for Prague in March. With luck it'll be really cold - it's beautiful in the snow and ice. The only time we came across stag dos was on the plane there and back, the fking wkers.

[sleep envy]

raceboy said:

• Venice
• Budapest
• Barcelona

have done all 3, Barcelona is my choice from those three simply because Venice is IMO a letdown and Budapest didn't really do it for me

the food in Barcelona is great and it will be warmer than the other two

[Nolar Dog]

Barcelona of the three on your list.

Have you considered Bruges though?

[Silver993tt]

Berlin
Munich
Hamburg
Dresden
Vienna
Salzburg
Budapest
Riga
Amsterdam

..to name but a few fantastic places to visit

[sleep envy]

Copenhagen - great city if expensive

[cottonfoo]

sleep envy said:

Copenhagen - great city if expensive

Tivoli doesn't open until mid April and that's always worth a visit. Bars aren't expensive if you head off the main tourist areas (I recommend my old local Drop Inn).

[raceboy]

HSVGTSCoupe said:

Loads of useful stuff

Did Rome last year, but based on that little lot Barcelona is the current favorite, hotel wise looking for something nice but central, did flash but 'out of town' in Rome and I liked it, especially having to work out public transport but the better half isn't keen this time.
I'd happly do somewhere cold but my aching joints wouldn't thank me, and the dates can't really be played about with too much either so It's looking like Espania may win....just need hotel recomendations now.
Not too worried about the security issues, I've usually got nothing worth nicking and look like a scruffy local at the best of times so don't usually stand out as a target in most places.

Edited by raceboy on Sunday 16th November 14:24

[cottonfoo]

It's only around La Rambla you need to be wary in Barcelona. Horrible area anyway, I avoid.

[Baby Huey]

I'd go for Barcelona of those, haven't been to the other 2, but I've heard Venice is extortionate and the nightlife dull.

As someon else said, how about Bruges.

[welshbikerduck]

Barcelona for me, never been to Budapest tho may i add. Although a friend did and had a bad time, he and one other went into some strip joint ordered two beers and was hit with a bill of over 90 quid. the 4 rather large bouncers that suddenly appeared from nowhere when he got the bill were there to "answer" any questions he had about why he just got charged £90 for two beers. he paid and left pretty quickly.

[10 Pence Short]

metro lover said:

Liverpool! capital of culture theft

That's better.

["Torquemada"]

Bruges, Vienna, Lisbon?

[Silver993tt]

welshbikerduck said:

Barcelona for me, never been to Budapest tho may i add. Although a friend did and had a bad time, he and one other went into some strip joint ordered two beers and was hit with a bill of over 90 quid. the 4 rather large bouncers that suddenly appeared from nowhere when he got the bill were there to "answer" any questions he had about why he just got charged £90 for two beers. he paid and left pretty quickly.

The primary reason the strip joints are there is to service the requirements of groups of "Ryan Air" British blokes who descend on cities such as Budapest. The same in Riga, they opened to service the demand for the groups of males travelling there on no service airlines. They generally deserve what they get since the locals don't want the strip clubs in their cities since they attract the criminal element as "management". The stag parties or whatever they are there for have ruined many European city centres over the weekends, I have no sympathy if they get charged £90 per beer.

Edited by Silver993tt on Sunday 16th November 14:52

[Nolar Dog]

Actually, giving it some more thought I'd highly recommend Antwerp too.