Planning a trip to Barcelona??
When I went to Barcelona on my round the world trip, I was recovering from a lung infection. Even though I was feeling miserable, I wandered the city in the name of Gaudi and Picasso! I hope to go back so I can write a proper guide but these are the few things that I did and recommend to you, my fellow traveller.
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HELPFUL GENERAL TRAVEL TIPS
- Flights: Find a cheap flight using Skyscanner or Momondo. I like these two booking sites because they both search all websites and airlines around the globe including budget airlines.
- Accommodations: I use Booking.com or Tripadvisor to find the best rates on hotels. Hotels.com offers a free night after booking 10 nights
- Get up to $40 off your first Air Bnb stay by using this code!
- Travel Insurance: Having gotten sick on my travels in the past, I never travel without being insured. You never know when something may happen. For my round the world trip and extended long-term travel, I use World Nomads. For other trips, I have used Roam Right and they cover activities like extreme sports.
Barcelona and I need a re-do since I was so sick. But here are some highlights:
After I landed, I ended up in a disco. Not my scene but hilarious
Parc Guell, what a beauty of a park
Even kids love Parc Guell
Gaudi, on some next level
I’m a sucker for markets and La Boqueria is one of the best
I loved picking up some juice and just walking around the market
Seafood is serious in Spain
Read more: The Best Food Markets Around The World
Casa Batilo by Gaudi, right on Passeig de Gracia
Sagrada Familia is a must! It’s mind-boggling even if you’re not into church
More views of Sagrada Familia
Inside a tower at Sagrada
A view of Barcelona from Sagrada Familia
La Rambla
Plaça Catalunya
Arc de Triomf
A gorgeous sunset down by the waterfront
Inside the Picasso Museum
The man himself, Pablo Picasso
Patatas bravas of course. I can’t do a post without local food!
Found a tapas bar that was a 1 Euro 50 for wine/beer + a free tapa. Hi!!
A local hole in the wall spot called Romesco. I ordered grilled atun/tuna.
Barcelona highlights I recommend (super touristy but worth the visit):
- Sagrada Familia
- La Boqueria Mercat
- Parc Guell
- Casa Botilo (I didn’t go in, just walked by)
- La Rambla – be careful of super skilled pickpockets!!!!!
- Plaça Catalunya
- Gothic Quarter
- Picasso Museum – I happen to be in Barcelona at the start of the month and caught the free day for the museum. Check for free admission days or times to save money!
- Head up Montjuic (mountain) for the views. I took a local bus up there and just wandered around
- Visit the Joan Miro Museum while you’re at Parc de Montjuic
- If it’s summertime, go to the beach (but be wary of pickpocketers)
Handy Barcelona travel tips:
- From the airport, I took the Aerobus to get into the city.
- If you are travelling from Barcelona to San Sebastian in the north, the buses leave from Barcelona Nord bus station.
- Get out of the tourist zone and check out local neighbourhoods!
- If you’re a solo traveller check out the Couchsurfing website. They list meetups for travellers. I met some really awesome people when I was there. I went to Parc Guell with a girl from Morocco. At night, I met up with travellers from Mexico, Italy, the USA, Morocco, and Argentina. If it weren’t for them I probably would not have had such a good time.
- Be aware of the really skilled pickpockets in Barcelona. I’ve heard so many horror stories. I was lucky and didn’t have this problem but many friends did.
- There are two tapas bars inside La Boqueria called El Quim and Pinotxo. Eat there!!
- There’s also a restaurant called La Rita on Aragao. At lunch, I had their menu del dia (fixed lunch special). It was 10 Euros and was a 3-course meal plus carafe of wine. I ended up getting day drunk. (Please note these tips are several years out so prices have changed)
- A few ex-pat friends recommended getting on the hop-on, hop-off bus. If you’re trying to pack in the sites and get to some places in a hurry, it might be worth it to get on and off just for the ride.
- If you’re looking for data for your mobile phone, I bought a sim card from Orange for 30 Euros for 7 Gigs of data and is valid throughout most of Europe (April 2019). Be sure to bring your passport for the initial purchase.
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