Barcelona

CASINO BARCELONA

The Casino Barcelona is the home of the EPT Barcelona, and is rich with poker action. The poker room is of decent size with around 12 tables and a list of daily and weekly hold’em and Omaha tournaments – both no- limit and pot-limit. The casino has also been the venue for the World Heads-up Poker Championship and its excellent location at Port Olimpic means it is accessible to most tourist areas. Opening hours are from 3pm – 5am. For more information visit www.casino-barcelona.com.

GETTING THERE

As you would expect, flights to the Catalan capital are always in high demand. Bargain- hunters can find return flights as cheap as £38 if booked in advance with operators such as Opodo and Aero World Travel. But in general, you are looking at starting prices from around £75-100. The airport is 12km from the city centre.

GETTING AROUND

The traffic can be grief in Barcelona, so taxis are probably best avoided. The underground metro service offers the most convenient option, but it won’t get you to every corner of the city. If you want to travel by road, you could do a lot worse than hop on a tourist bus for convenience.

WHERE TO STAY

The ideal location of Las Ramblas and its broad mix of budget and upmarket hotels makes it your one-stop shop for accommodation. For the cash-starved, there are stacks of hostels and self- catering houses, and the mid-to-high end hotels remain surprisingly affordable. Located at the southern end is the three star Gaudi Hotel. The Rialto Hotel is well- situated in Gothic Quarter (four star) while at the northern end, the Atlantis, Monte Carlo and Continental are all decent picks and remain in the heart of the best action.

EAT, DRINK & PARTY BARCELONA

Where do we start? Barcelona is spilling over with lively bars and classy restaurants. In the heart of the touristy Las Ramblas, you’ll be graced with outside cafes aplenty. The area can get seriously busy though, and at night you’ll need to keep your eyes open as the southern end becomes something of a Red Light District, rife with pickpockets.

Gothic Quarter offers perhaps the best spots to eat and drink. Las Ramblas is also situated near the neighbouring Port Vell and its bars again offer a lively option for evening entertainment. If you want to walk to Casino Barcelona, it’s about 20 minutes and its surrounding Port Olimpic area is swarming with partygoers.

Like any city of its size though, there are plenty of places to avoid. But for the most, just stay away from chain tapas restaurants – they are overpriced and the service is terrible!