Follow these easy tips to get a little more out of your Barcelona vacation. These tips will save you time and money and show you things you might not have seen otherwise.
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Starting off with a serious one - be extra vigilant with your personal belongings, particularly on the Ramblas and on the beach. Pickpockets are common in Barcelona. Wear a moneybelt or keep your hand on your wallet or purse at all times and you should be fine - don't let the risk of being robbed stop you from enjoying your time in Barcelona!
To learn about the most common thieves tricks in Barcelona, see Barcelona Safety.
Barcelona has a number of famous views. There are its two mountains (Montjuic and Tibidabo), La Sagrada Familia, the Cathedral and many more. But for me, the best views are from the top of the Columbus monument. Situated at the bottom of the Ramblas, you are right among the best Barcelona has to offer. It is also cheaper to get into than most of Barcelona's sights.More »
The best day trip from Barcelona for art lovers is to Figueres, a small town of little consequence other than the fact it was the birthplace of Salvador Dali and is now host to a fabulous museum in his honor.
If you're visiting in the summer months, you can expect incredibly long lines to get in - having to wait an hour is quite common. But if you take the guided tour, just a couple of euros more expensive than the normal entry, you don't have to stand in line and you get an expert to show you around the museum. Perfect!More »
My tip is to instead go up to the Hospital de Sant Pau (just one stop further on the metro, at Sant Pau Dos de Maig). Not only is the hospital a spectacular and rarely visited attraction in itself (the sight of amazing modernist architecture in a still-in-use hospital is quite memorable), but the walk down Avinguda de Gaudi to La Sagrada Familia is a much more impressive way of approaching the basilica.More »
How many airports do you have to choose from when visiting Barcelona? Only one, really - Barcelona International Airport. But that doesn't stop some airlines (well, Ryanair) from advertising Girona and Reus airports as 'Barcelona' airports.
Girona and Reus have their merits as destinations, but the hour-and-a-half journey to Barcelona makes them impractical if your destination is the Catalan capital.More »
The Picasso Museum and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya are both free on the first Sunday of the month, while the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona is free on the first Wednesday. Find out when the museum you want to visit is free if you're short of money or are only mildly curious about the exhibits and don't want to fork out on the full price admission. But arrive early, especially in summer, as lots of people will have the same idea as you.
On the other hand, if you want the time and space to enjoy Barcelona's museums properly, make sure you avoid these days. Either way, it's worth being informed.More »
Barcelona restaurants, just like everywhere in Spain, put on the best menus at lunch time. They're cheaper, but that doesn't necessary worse - it is the serving of large quantities of a small selection of dishes that brings the price down. You will usually get a starter, main course, a dirnk and a dessert for between eight and 12 euros, but be sure to check - sometimes the dessert or certain drinks are extra. My personal favorite lunch time menus is served by Flor de Maig, at Calle Pintor Fortuny 29 (just off Las Ramblas).More »
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1. Keep Your Eye on Your Wallet
Starting off with a serious one - be extra vigilant with your personal belongings, particularly on the Ramblas and on the beach. Pickpockets are common in Barcelona. Wear a moneybelt or keep your hand on your wallet or purse at all times and you should be fine - don't let the risk of being robbed stop you from enjoying your time in Barcelona!
To learn about the most common thieves tricks in Barcelona, see Barcelona Safety.
2. Choose Your Barcelona Discount Card Wisely
Barcelona has a number of discount cards offering a variety of offers. They're not for everyone. Do your research before you arrive. If you go for the Barcelona Card, get it before you arrive, as it includes free transport from the airport.More »3. Go up the Columbus Monument
Barcelona has a number of famous views. There are its two mountains (Montjuic and Tibidabo), La Sagrada Familia, the Cathedral and many more. But for me, the best views are from the top of the Columbus monument. Situated at the bottom of the Ramblas, you are right among the best Barcelona has to offer. It is also cheaper to get into than most of Barcelona's sights.More »
4. Share a Ten-Trip Metro Ticket
If you don't get the Barcelona Card (see above), make sure you get a ten-trip metro ticket. Each journey is nearly 50% of the standard fare and the ticket can be shared between as many people as you want. The ticket is also valid on the buses and even on the train from the airport.More »5. Go to Figueres, Do the Tour
The best day trip from Barcelona for art lovers is to Figueres, a small town of little consequence other than the fact it was the birthplace of Salvador Dali and is now host to a fabulous museum in his honor.
If you're visiting in the summer months, you can expect incredibly long lines to get in - having to wait an hour is quite common. But if you take the guided tour, just a couple of euros more expensive than the normal entry, you don't have to stand in line and you get an expert to show you around the museum. Perfect!More »
6. Don't Get Ripped off on Boqueria Juices!
Every visitor to Barcelona takes a trip to the Bocqueria and are keen to buy something from Barcelona's most famous market - but fear of the weird and wonderful cuts of meat (meat of what? non-Spanish speakers ask) or simply a lack of cooking facilities means most people just buy one of the freshly squeezed fruit juices. So here's a simple tip for you - the stalls as you enter the market from the Ramblas charge two euros for a glass of juice, but the markets just ten meters to your right charge only one! OK, it's just one euro, but I'm always pretty annoyed when I think I've paid double what I should have paid for something.More »7. See Hospital de Sant Pau Before La Sagrada Familia
Another essential stop in Barcelona is at Gaudi's famously unfinished basilica (no, it's not a cathedral), La Sagrada Familia. But most head straight for the Sagrada Familia metro stop. This does indeed take you directly to the church, but there's a better way...My tip is to instead go up to the Hospital de Sant Pau (just one stop further on the metro, at Sant Pau Dos de Maig). Not only is the hospital a spectacular and rarely visited attraction in itself (the sight of amazing modernist architecture in a still-in-use hospital is quite memorable), but the walk down Avinguda de Gaudi to La Sagrada Familia is a much more impressive way of approaching the basilica.More »
8. Fly to Barcelona, not Reus or Girona
How many airports do you have to choose from when visiting Barcelona? Only one, really - Barcelona International Airport. But that doesn't stop some airlines (well, Ryanair) from advertising Girona and Reus airports as 'Barcelona' airports.
Girona and Reus have their merits as destinations, but the hour-and-a-half journey to Barcelona makes them impractical if your destination is the Catalan capital.More »
9. Know When the Museums Are Free
The Picasso Museum and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya are both free on the first Sunday of the month, while the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona is free on the first Wednesday. Find out when the museum you want to visit is free if you're short of money or are only mildly curious about the exhibits and don't want to fork out on the full price admission. But arrive early, especially in summer, as lots of people will have the same idea as you.
On the other hand, if you want the time and space to enjoy Barcelona's museums properly, make sure you avoid these days. Either way, it's worth being informed.More »
10. Eat at Lunchtime
Barcelona restaurants, just like everywhere in Spain, put on the best menus at lunch time. They're cheaper, but that doesn't necessary worse - it is the serving of large quantities of a small selection of dishes that brings the price down. You will usually get a starter, main course, a dirnk and a dessert for between eight and 12 euros, but be sure to check - sometimes the dessert or certain drinks are extra. My personal favorite lunch time menus is served by Flor de Maig, at Calle Pintor Fortuny 29 (just off Las Ramblas).More »
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