# Barcelona in December - Campsites, anyone?



## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

We're starting off for Morocco just before Christmas and looking for a campsite offering good access to Barcelona City.

I've checked out the postings on camping around Barcelona and noticed the Mataro and Vilanove options. 

Does anyone know of any other campsites suited for day tripping into Barcelona with the minimum of bus/train connections, in December?


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

www.garroferpark.com

Easy to Barcelona on train or bus.

Open all year


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

billym said:


> www.garroferpark.com
> 
> Easy to Barcelona on train or bus.
> 
> Open all year


I'd second this. Make sure you have a look at Sitges while there - walk or cycle via a gate in the fence at the back of the site.

It's quite a long( 1 hour via airport) but interesting bus ride to Barcelona but the bus goes from outside the campsite and into the centre of the city. You can get off the bus in Sitges and get the train from there.

There are sites closer to the city but they looked rather squalid and were noisy ( airport and road) when we saw them at Easter 2006. Quite a lot of facilities on the Garrofer site were closed in low season but showers etc were heated and clean and the people in the office were helpful. It is an ACSI site if you are members - and you will save if you join.

G


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

Thanks fellas! As usual, MH Facts has good answers.

That's the kind of advice I was looking for and I'm going to use Garrofer Park and take the bus into Barcelona!

The ACSI card is good advice too but I notice that they don't issue the 2008 card until mid-December and we leave on the 16th! Knowing our luck it won't arrive in time. Maybe we can get one en route at a campsite.


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## 107616 (Oct 13, 2007)

What can I say.

I have sneaked back on here just to save poor Norman from the usual standard of self congratualtory misinformation that abounds on this site

None of the 3 Sitges sites will be open on the dates you want, as far as I am aware.

One site now closed and divided up into building plots

Second one closes for winter until Easter

Garrofer, by far the best, closes on 16 December 2007 until 18 January 2008 (source web site, first page)

Best bet is probably Vilanova i la Geltru, but even there I'm not sure.

Sorry


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

Thank you jw1 - - that's probably saved me from a matrimonial duffing up. (I could have arrived, in the dark, at the gates of a building site or a campsite closed for the Holidays.)

But all the replies have been helpful and appreciated. 

For me though it's back to the drawing board!!


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

Well spotted jw1.

Sorry for getting it wrong.

As regards the rest of your comments.. self congratulatory misinformation..what is that all about ? 

I guess you changed your name on here to post that so who are you really ?


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## ianhibs (May 1, 2005)

You could of course go to the new Barcelona aire. 18 euros a night with full facilities and a bus into the City centre. How do I know all this when I haven't been there.

Well, 3 weeks ago I met a Dutch couple who had been there and showed me a leaflet. I carefully copied the GPS position and 2 days later we went. It turned out to be the middle of a dual carriageway on the outskirts and it was no fun escaping from Barcelona - I can tell you.

Perhaps someone else has been there and can give you the true position. I'd like to know myself.

Ian


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## JSR (Mar 3, 2006)

Hi NormanB,

I would recommend Camping Bon Repos. www.campingbonrepos.com just North of Barcelona. Definitely open all year with reasonable rates during December. Train station is a few minutes walk from site and cost is about Euros 6.50 return to centre of Barcelona. Journey time is approx 40 minutes.

Good Luck


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## billym (Dec 17, 2005)

No response from jw1 ?

Maybe he had to go out and drive his toy train !!


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

If you're really stuck you could use El Masnou, on the coast road just to the north. GPS 41deg28m/2deg18m.

It's almost opposite the railway station, so getting into downtown Barcelona shouldn't be a problem.

But. It's right on a busy road; there's no facilities in winter; it's tight for a big rig, and cost us €30 for one night last December. Don't know if it shuts for Christmas.

And I'm not jw1, by the way, in case anyone thought it was me. Though I can't deny the prospect of posting under an alter ego had occured to me.

Right, I must stop now to allow adequate time for self-congratulation.

Bruce


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

Problem resolved!

Thanks everyone for your help in identifying a place to stay in winter which give reasonable access to Barecelona City.


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## nukeadmin (Oct 10, 2003)

so dont keep us hanging Norman, where did you eventually get booked in  ?


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

Well, I intend to use Camping Bon Repos. The website checks out as open in winter. Access to Barcelona is straightforward and as it's only 2 nights, it doesn't really matter if it's too near the railway etc.

I'm now looking for a similar "city break" location near Madrid for later on....


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## JSR (Mar 3, 2006)

Railway noise is not a problem at Bon Repos Norman. Last train at night is around 11 pm. Even during the day/evening there is little noise as the trains are electric and very new. Good restaurant/bar on site. Recommend you park up on the beach front - only about 5 metres from the sea (lucky it's not tidal!!) so you get a marvellous view when you open the door in the morning. We always stay there for about 10 days or so on our way back from "wintering" in Southern Spain.


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## JSR (Mar 3, 2006)

Sorry, forgot to respond to your "city break near Madrid" comment. Apart from the obvious - it's the capital of Spain, I don't rate the city too much. If you're looking for a city break with lots to do/see, then I would recommend Granada. Bags of history, culture, night life etc. Great site in the centre of Granada: Camping Maria Eugenia, open all year. See www.vayacamping.net/mariaeugenia/index.htm.

Good Luck


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## NormanB (Sep 8, 2005)

JSR - that's welcome feedback and I've put Camping Bon Repos in a tiny crevice at the back of my head for future reference. 

The first (and last) time we over-wintered in Spain in the van was in 2005/6. (It was really a clockwise tour of the shoe and handbag shops on the Iberian Peninsular coast, thinly disguised as a cultural tour of the classical cities.) We did stay in the Alhambra (it'll look lots better when it's finished) car park overnight and then went up in the mountains to Sierra Guejar for the apres culture. Had to zip off smartly as the place snowed up overnight!

We followed that with an overdose of Cordoba and by the time we got to Sevilla we were burned out and gagging for some Carlsberg con Coronation Street.

Your comment about Madrid rings a bell - ie others have mentioned that Madrid may be over rated and I'm tempted to cut straight to Camping Kiko on the A3 to Valencia and some walking/biking. However, my child bride reckons that Madrid could well be the handbag capital of the world, so it may have to remain on the itinerary.

This time we have the choice (after Morocco) of mooching up the Portugese left hand side again, or the Spanish right hand side on the way home. I guess it will depend on what the weather's been like in Morocco. 

I would like to choose the right hand side if we've not had such good weather in North Africa (-but can't deny that the disposition of handbag shops is likely to determine the actual routing.)


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