Barcelona, Spain (and specifically the Eixample Gay neighborhood) are perfect for a vacation. Restaurants, bars, transit, and more are within steps of each other, and you can even walk to some of the main attractions. It reminded me of a big-city version of Puerto Vallarta or LA, with better transit and stunning architecture.
The city, with a climate similar to California, Chile, or Australia, is a temperate LGBTQ+ paradise at bargain prices. With the euro at par with the US dollar, drinks at a bar are just $5. Enjoy a fancy meal with wine for under $25. Get the special five-day transit pass for just $20 (including from the airport).
The people are well dressed, with interesting haircuts (very short on the side). They are also friendly, but you will have to adjust to their odd hours. Nothing is open before 9 a.m. on weekends — even for coffee. Take a nap between 2 and 5 p.m. Enjoy dinner at 8 or later: the food is great, and of all types (lots of empanadas!). And the bars don't close until 3 a.m. or later. They are indeed night owls.
Where to stay
Stay at the Axel Hotel: enjoy the nightly events at the Sky Bar, make new friends at breakfast, work out at the huge gym. Axel is a LGBTQ hotel chain with locations all over Europe (and in Miami Beach). However, everyone (Gay or straight) is welcome there; its motto is "we are hetero friendly." The staff is very helpful with travel tips and information about things to do.
What to do
Nightlife
There are lots of clubs and bars in Eixample just steps from the hotel. Try the nearby Dmen's, Gin Bar, the Boxer Cafe, and others. Dance the night away at the Safari. The bar on the seventh floor of the Axel Hotel (the Sky Bar) has events almost every night; try the cava (champagne) for just 5 euros. There's also a bar next to the rooftop pool on the eighth floor during the day. Both are a lot of fun.
What to eat
I enjoyed the empanadas, which are seemingly everywhere. The cava is very refreshing, not to mention the sangria. And of course, Barcelona is famous for its tapas. The Spanish omelet at La Cova de La Mari (across the street from the hotel) is very good. Ask for a coffee with milk, or have a cafe americano or a double espresso. (Note: There is no such thing as a 12-ounce cup of coffee in Spain.)
Getting there
American Airlines rerouted me onto Iberia Airlines by Level, a low-cost budget carrier that has great food (Indian beef stew) and great service but uncomfortable seats. I spread out to sleep in the nearby unoccupied seats, as the plane was not that full. The fare was very low too.
On the way home, I took American Airlines, which had great service and offered free wine and beer, a delicious lunch (a choice of meatballs or pasta), followed by British ice cream and then a pizza-type sandwich. The service was great, and the flight was on time. Terminal 8 at JFK in NYC is new and very nice. However, Kennedy suffers from long TSA lines, so leave plenty of time for your connection.
I also took EZJet from Barcelona to Milan. This is Europe's equivalent to Southwest or Spirit Airlines. Fares are cheap, but they charge for everything, and service was so-so. We waited for 20 minutes on the jetway to board and then faced a one-hour delay due to a staffing snafu.
Getting around
Take the Metro (line 9 Sud (south)) from the airport, and buy a five-day pass for just $20 (including from airport). Then take a short bus ride to the hotel. There are also street cars and buses. The pass is good on all of them.
Travel tips
This is only a sampling of the many things to do in this great city you'll want to return to. It's arguably the most Gay-friendly city in the world, and it's very walkable. And affordable for all.
Bill Malcolm is North America's only syndicated value LGTBQ+ syndicated travel columnist, whose column appears or has appeared in publications in Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto, Fort Lauderdale, Charlotte, Atlanta, Dallas, and other cities.