BARCELONA TOUR GUIDE INTERVIEW
Here’s our latest interview with a tour guide or certified local as we seek to learn from some of the top experts from the places we love.
If you are a certified tour guide and would like to be considered for an interview, drop me a note at: uliketotravel@gmail.com and we can chat about specifics.
My questions are in bold and the responses follow below. Please excuse us if you see a mistake in grammar, we are travel bloggers & travelers not English writers. 😉
What’s your name?
Answer: GEMMA COLL SABATER
Where are you originally from and what city do you currently live?
Answer: I AM FROM BARCELONA AND I CURRENTLY LIVE IN GIRONA.
How long have you been a tour guide?
Answer: I BEGAN WORKING AS A TOUR GUIDE IN 2006.
Why did you want to become a tour guide?
Answer: A FRIEND SUGGESTED ME I WOULD LOVE THIS JOB, SHE HAD RECENTLY BEGAN WORKING AS A TOUR GUIDE.
Are you a licensed tour guide? What cities? If so, from which organization?
Answer: YES, I AM A LICENSED TOUR GUIDE IN CATALONIA, SO I AM AUTHORIZED TO GUIDE ALL OVER CATALONIA. MAIN TOUR CITIES ARE BARCELONA, GIRONA AND TARRAGONA BUT I ALSO GUIDE IN COSTA BRAVA, IN SMALL VILLAGES, THE PYRENEES, ETCETERA.
How many tours have you provided?
Answer: COUNTLESS.
Let’s get to the exciting stuff. Why should anyone visit the city?
Answer: BARCELONA IS A VIBRANT CITY, WITH AMAZING ARCHITECTURE, OLD HISTORY, GREAT FOOD AND WINES, FANTASTIC WEATHER ALL YEAR ROUND, LOCATED BY THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA AND THE COLLSEROLA MOUNTAINS. IT HAS A COSMOPOLITAN ATMOSPHERE AND IT IS EASY TO FEEL WELCOME.
Is the city safe? What areas are not safe?
Answer: THE CITY IS SAFE, THE ONLY BIG PROBLEM IS PICKPOCKETING.
What’s the weather like?
Answer: MILD WINTERS AND WARM SUMMERS. WE DO NOT HAVE EXTREMELY COLD OR HOT TEMPERATURES LIKE IN OTHER PARTS OF SPAIN THANKS TO THE SEA.
What languages are spoken in the area? Is English spoken?
Answer: CATALAN AND SPANISH ARE THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES EVERYBODY SPEAKS, ENGLISH IS BROADLY SPOKEN, LIKE FRENCH.
Is US Dollar widely accepted?
Answer: NO, ONLY EUROS ARE ACCEPTED EVERYWHERE.
What are the best areas or districts to stay in the city?
Answer: EIXAMPLE IS THE MOST RECOMMENDABLE AREA WHERE TO STAY. THE OLD TOWN IS VERY CHARMING ALTHOUGH IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ACCESS THE HOTELS BECAUSE OF THE PEDESTRIAN STREETS.
What’re your top 3 hotels and why?
Answer: THERE ARE MANY WONDERFUL HOTELS IN THE CITY, IT IS A TRULY DIFFICULT CHOICE BUT MY FIRST OPTION WOULD BE MERCER HOTEL BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION AND THE FACT THAT IT IS HOUSED IN A MEDIEVAL PALACE WHICH WAS BUILT ON THE ROMAN CITY WALLS. IN THE EXTENSION I LIKE COTTON HOUSE AND ALMA HOTEL.
How does one get around the city? Taxi, Uber, similar apps, ATVs?
Answer: LOCALS WE NORMALLY USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BECAUSE BUS AND METRO WORK PERFECTLY. FOREIGNERS GENERALLY USE TAXIS AND UBER.
Can you highlight the MUST see sight? Minimum of 5, feel free to share as many as you would like.
Answer: THE MUST SEE SIGHT IN BARCELONA DEFINITELY IS SAGRADA FAMILIA. NO-ONE SHOULD LEAVE THE CITY WITHOUT GOING INSIDE THIS INCREDIBLE AND UNIQUE CHURCH. OTHER PLACES THAT SHOULD BE VISITED ARE PARK GÜELL, CASA BATLLÓ, CASA MILÀ, AND “EL BORN” NEIGHBORHOOD.
I WOULD RECOMMEND TO THOSE THAT LOVE ART AND ARCHITECTURE TO VISIT CASA VICENS, PALAU DE LA MÚSICA CATALANA AND MIRÓ FOUNDATION AS WELL.
What’s the best place to take a photo?
Answer: MY TWO FAVOURITE PLACES FOR A PICTURE OF THE CITY ARE FROM MNAC (NATIONAL ART MUSEUM OF CATALONIA) AND FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF ALCALDE UP IN MONTJUIC HILL.
What about the top 3 restaurants?
Answer: THIS IS ALSO A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER… THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF EXCELLENT RESTAURANTS IN THE CITY! MY CHOICE FOR NON-TOURISTIC RESTAURANTS SPECIALIZED IN CATALAN FOOD ARE CASA JORDI, L’OLIVÉ RESTAURANT AND CERVECERIA CASA FERNANDEZ.
What‘s the one thing you MUST eat in the city?
Answer: TOMATO BREAD (PA AMB TOMÀQUET) WITH ESCALIVADA OR ANCHOVIES (APPETIZER), CANELONS DE ROSTIT (MAIN COURSE), CREMA CATALANA (DESSERT).
What about food markets?
Answer: LA BOQUERIA IS A WONDERFUL MARKET BUT THERE ARE CROWDS NOWADAYS, SO I WOULD RATHER RECOMMEND VISITING MERCAT DE SANTA CATERINA, MERCAT DE SANT ANTONI OR MERCAT DEL NINOT FOR A MORE LOCAL EXPERIENCE.
Where should one go at night? Any bar/nightlife areas or districts you recommend?
Answer: PLAZA REAL HAS MANY BARS AND CLUBS, IT IS A MORE LOCAL AREA THAN PORT OLIMPIC.
Any rooftop bars or restaurants that you recommend?
Answer: I SPECIALLY LIKE THE BARCELÓ RAVAL HOTEL ROOFTOP BAR.
Can you recommend the best shopping areas? Best shopping mall?
Answer: THE BEST SHOPPING AREA IS THE OLD TOWN, THE STREETS IN BETWEEN LA RAMBLA AND PORTAL DE L’ÀNGEL. NEARBY THERE IS THE DEPARTMENT STORE OF EL CORTE INGLÉS THAT IS A CLASSIC. REGARDING SHOPPING MALLS I WOULD RECOMMEND LAS ARENAS OR L’ILLA.
Do you recommend any tours outside the city? Islands? Boat Tours?
Answer: THERE ARE NICE BOAT TOURS ALONG THE COAST OF BARCELONA, VERY RELAXING, WITH LIFE MUSIC ONBOARD ON SOME OF THE CATAMARANS. AS DAY TRIPS I WOULD RECOMMEND MONTSERRAT, GIRONA AND COSTA BRAVA.
Are Casinos allowed? Blackjack tables? If so, what’s the best Casino in town?
Answer: THERE IS ONE CASINO IN BARCELONA, IN PORT OLIMPIC.
Any last advice for people visiting the city?
Answer: TRY TO INTERACT WITH THE LOCALS, ASK FOR DIRECTIONS, LEARN SOME WORDS IN CATALAN OR SPANISH, AVOID CHAINS OF RESTAURANTS AND CAFÉS THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE AT HOME.
How can people learn more about you? Feel free to share your phone, email and contact info below.
Answer: THEY CAN CHECK MY WEBSITE WWW.GOBARCELONATOURS.COM WHERE THEY CAN FIND INFORMATION ABOUT TOURS AS WELL AS MY CONTACT DETAILS.
Thanks for your time! Your insights will help the next traveler.
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