Not asking for information on this thread but just want to give Seville a gold medal. Up until now Donestia (San Sebastian) and Barcelona were my favourite Spanish cities (as weekend destinations).

They are now into Silver and Bronze places due to Seville.

Culture. History. Nightlife. Food. Everything. It has everything.

Glad you liked my local! But...have you tried Granada yet?!

Give me chance. I'm working my way around Andalucia.

Granada and also the slopes are next.

i thought seville was a bit pants. nice city, really rude staff everywhere. it was easter, fair enough, but if i'd wanted to see moaning, grumpy auld face aches as staff members, i'd have gone back to belfast. and whats the story with the taxis? one set only for the city centre, one for outside?!?
only my opinion mind, plus my wifes, and my 2 spanish friends the went with us....
give me Santiago any day, now that was excellent.

Wasn't my experience, but hey I've met people that describe Parisians as charming ;-)

lol
yeah, i've been to barcelona about 6 times, recommended it to a friend back home, he and his wife hated it.......ooops!

Absolutely love Seville but you are right - if you spend your time anywhere around the Barrio de Santa Cruz there are lots of rude staff in the restaurants - luckily not everywere. Don't spend money on taxis - I got ripped off - the buses are good and cheap.

I know what you mean - Barcelona I think is a fantastic city. I've had nothing but great times there. But it has a seedy side, which I kind of like.

PS. I loved Belfast also. Had a great time there it's a great party town.

Maybe there's a theme here?

Sevilla for me is the best place I have ever been, I had my best time ever there, but that was mostly staying in a hostel and partying all night, Then I went back with my partner and she did not like it at all, said it was a dirty sewer of a place, i guess possibly I can agree, Having been to Jerez which is very clean, it does not compare well.

Anyway our views are different and she could harp on about a lot more awful things in Sevilla, but for me It still gets there as the best place ive ever been in Spain away from the coast, I didnt find staff rude at all, I thought Taxis were ok when I needed them, but there are plenty of bus'es about, and in the Yellowpages it lists the buses with maps on the back so you know which one you need.

Very laid back, bars open all the time, all over the place, In Barca everyone shuts up shop at 3.30 am other than club's. I went to a Barca v Sevilla at the start of the season and It was a midnight finish, next train back was not til 6.30am, so we spent 2.5 hrs waiting around the station which was shut,

On my first trip to Sevilla it was a similar story but much different, I remember going back to my Hostel about 6am it was and I was waiting for a bus, anyway this bar opened behind me and this Sevillan guy with me at the bus stop came in and we right laugh for a few more hours, I think I got back about 10am thanks to some chica on a moped, The night before this was even better.

On my more cultured visit with my patner I probably spent 70% of the daytime meals in the Barrio de santa cruz area and I didnt find it expensive and the staff was ok, no different to any other food places.

taxi fare for Calle Betis to the Alemeda area was about 5€, I dont think that is expensive would have been 2.20 on the bus for 2 people.

for nightlife I think Sevilla is a great place anytime of the year, for anything else I think Jerez would be more suitable with a day out to Sevilla maybe (1 hour on train)

lol, you may be right....
for me, barca's been done enough times now, although always happy to pop up for a weekend. anyone ever been to the fairy bar? as in the enchanted type, before anyone goes off on one? its down las ramblas and up the alley to the wax museum on the left? that was fairly cool. indoor forests et al.....

i'd agree with you andy, that i found seville pretty clean, tbh, just didnt like the attitude of the 'service peeps'. i wouldnt not recommend it, but i'd say to people to try santiago first, from my own personal view. great craic, cheap, really friendly, apart from the troubador (sic) who really didnt like me, but tried to woo the wife, for some reason...... we spent 3 days frequenting the same bar at lunch time to take advantage of the free tapas!!
hmm, did that in albacete too, if i remember correctly!!!

Yes, we went to the "fairy bar" in Barcelona a couple of years ago! Did you go to the absinthe bar? Off the other side of the ramblas.
I like Seville well enough but for me it's a bit too flat and spread out and a bit too genteel. I prefer Granada (esp for nightlife) because it's a bit more down to earth and, dare I say it, shabbier. Plus you have the awe-inspiring Alhambra to admire.
For a change of scenery I'm off to sample Florence in a couple of weeks!

i can categorically state that i am forever glad not to have discovered the absinthe bar!! i just hate the way it stays there for at least 10 seconds before it decides whether to stay down or not. tequila is much more refined.
did visit the london bar, over that side of the ramblas, may have been close by.
we've been talking about doing ganada for years, must get the fingers out and get down there some time soon.

For Barca the clubs in the Harbour open pretty late don't they?

And one street away from Las Ramblas there's a club that if you bang on a wooden door, a slit opens, you give the password and then they let you in.

Went in once at about 3am, came out at 10am. That was of course in my younger days.

Now I think that 3am would be a challenge.

Seville is great, Seville is great, lah lah lah I'm not listening.

Next I'll stamp my feet and hold my breath if you don't all agree with me.....

yes mate, clubs anywhere in Spain Ive noticed open that late and some charge a fortune for it, I just mean bar's really, Spain is more bar culture than the Uk so I didnt find it that good in Barca, had I not been with my bird im 100% sure I would have found somewhere open, lol

I would say Sevilla is safer aswell, I did get mugged there what has put a downer on it but I know exactly who done it and where he will be again. Id say im very streetwise but a bad combination of the wrong clothing and a distraction at the same time made me a easy target, However I know of much more violent issues in Barca