5 Travel tips to visit Barcelona

Travelling to a new city can be as exciting as stressful especially if we do not speak the same language or if it is a different country with another culture. To avoid any kind of unexpected situation and make sure you get the most of your trip, we recommend you follow some tips that we enumerate here…

1. Buy a 10 trips ticket metro:

   The T10 is one of the most common cards in the wallet of the population of Barcelona. You can buy it in any station. The traffic and the difficulty to park in the city make the local choose the metro as the cheapest and fastest option to move around Barcelona.

Just be careful with the pickpockets when travelling in public transportation. They are silent and no dangerous but they know how to do their job very well 🙂

All info about transport in Barcelona here.

2. Learn a couple words in Catalan:

   Local people will love it! Catalan is one of the official languages of Barcelona so using some of the basic expressions will help you to get closer to their culture. Try it when you order your drinks or food:

*Bon dia! which means Good morning!

*Bona tarda! = Good evening!

*Moltes gràcies or Merci instead of: Thank you!

For more words read this article.

3. Never show up without booking in the main monuments: 

   Buy your tickets in advance to make sure you will visit them. Check availability and be sure to book in advance. You will have fast track entrance, especially for Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Park Güell and Palau de la Música Catalana.

And the most important: Go with a licensed guide to learn from the experts and skip the line in all monuments. Even if you have pre-booked your ticket online, you will have to queue.

4. Visit La Rambla: 

   This promenade located in central Barcelona connects Plaça Catalunya with the Port. It is one of the most representative places to visit. It is a place where everybody goes to walk and see the streets performances. Don’t miss the Canaletes fountain and the Joan Miró’s mosaic. You will discover the pleasure of “Ramblejar” as we say in Catalonia, or what is the same, walk along La Rambla of Barcelona.

Just an advice: after midnight the part between Grand Theatre Liceu and the Column of Colombus, where all the nightclubs of La Rambla are located, may be seedy but even at that time it is still safe. Just again pay attention to your bags and wallets.

5. Have a day trip outside Barcelona: 

   Definitely you must visit all the areas of the city. They are so different between them that you will feel like travelling to another city each time. The best way to see how local live is by visiting where they shop, live and enjoy life. Remember the districts you can’t miss:

*The charm of tradition in El Born.

*The classicism of the old city in Gothic Quarter.

*The beach area of Poble Nou.

*The beauty of disorder at the Raval where we celebrate the Marathon of TV3.

*Where the local goes: Gràcia.

*The mountain of the city: Montjuïc.

*The new area: Eixample where many incredible houses of the architect Antoni Gaudí are. Casa Batlló, La Pedrera and Casa Vicens are some of them.

But also you should escape from the city and spend the day in the magic mountain of Montserrat. Take a tour and you won’t have to worry about the connections. Montserrat has difficult access.

Or travel to Girona the medieval city where the seven season of Game of Thrones was filmed. If you have time, you should stop in Figueres where the museum Dalí is. You will understand the secrets from conscious-unconscious that this crazy genius leave on its walls.

If you have any doubt about Barcelona, just ask us and we will advice you as a local 🙂