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It doesn’t take long to realize what a unique city you are in. The second largest city in Spain has an atmosphere and an energy you may have never seen or felt before. Barcelona is a laid back city that puts a big emphasis on spending time with your friends and family. It is steeped in history and any time spent there will impose the fantastic architecture from years gone by on you. Add in the amazing smells and tastes of the food there, as well as the multicultural daily life of locals, and you have a truly remarkable city. Barcelona is a melting pot of cultures. Asian, Middle Eastern and North African nationals have moved there in their thousands. This has only helped to form the Barcelona way of life. This Barcelona Travel Guide will help guide you through an unforgettable stay in an unforgettable city.

Currency Converter – €1 = £0.86/$1.15

Getting In

Barcelona is served by one main airport. El Prat Airport is located just outside of the city. For transport between the airport and some of the city’s busiest areas, take the Aerobus. For €5.90, this bus will bring you to one of three stops, depending on your preference. The bus stops at Placa Espanya, Gran Via-Urgell and Placa Catalunya. Buses leave from both terminals every 5 minutes and tickets can be bought on the bus. The full-length journey is expected to take 35 minutes. There are connections to the Barcelona metro at each stop. If travelling by rail, you will arrive at one of two stations. Both Barcelona Sants and Estacion de Francia are quite central with good connections to the whole city.

Where To Stay

Barcelona is a big city and staying in the right area can be vital. In saying that, there is no right or wrong area to stay in. The key to choosing the ideal accommodation is keeping yourself within walking distance of the main attractions. To do this, get a map of Barcelona and mark the area between La Sagrada Familia and La Rambla. Once you are staying in this area and anywhere from La Sagrada Familia to the beach, you are in a good location. This keeps everything close and saves spending any extended time on public transport. There will, of course, be some walking involved but that can’t be helped in a city as vast as Barcelona.

When To Go

Barcelona has an amazing climate. The best times to visit are probably early summer and autumn, May to June and September to October. This means to you have a very high chance of hot, dry weather but you’re avoiding the peak highs that July and August bring. Barcelona is great to visit year round though. Even in the winter months, rainfall and snow are uncommon. It might be chilly but the sun will, more often than not, still be shining.

Useful Phrases

Hello = Hola (Pronounced Oh-la)

Good Morning = Bon Dia (Pronounced Bohn Dee-uh)

Good Afternoon = Bona Tarda (Pronounced Boh-nuh Tar-thuh)

Goodbye = Adeu (Pronounced uh-theu-oo)

Good Night = Bona Nit (Pronounced Boh-nuh neet)

How Are You? = Com Estas? (Pronounced Kohm-uhs-tahs)

Please = Sisplau (Pronounced Sees-plow)

Thank you = Gracies (Pronounced Grah-syuhs)

Yes = Si (Pronounced See)

No = No

I Don’t Understand = No ho entenc (Pronounced Noh oo Uhn-tehng)

What To Do

La Sagrada Familia

Without a doubt, Barcelona’s star attraction. Pretty much every tourist that travels to the city, visits the cathedral. It is truly remarkable. Famed architect Antoni Gaudi designed the cathedral in the late 1800s. Work on La Sagrada Familia is projected to be finished in 2026. Even though construction is still taking place, tourists are permitted to enter. It can get quite busy though so plan ahead and buy your tickets in advance. Tickets can be bought from the official website, here. I would recommend visiting as early as possible and paying extra for the audio guide. A visit there will most probably be the standout moment from your visit to Barcelona.

Parc Güell

Second to only La Sagrada Familia in Gaudi’s portfolio is Parc Güell to the north of the city. The park was built between 1900 and 1914 before being opened to the public in 1926. Originally Parc Güell was built as a living estate for many well off families from the city. Only two houses were ever built before the plans were scrapped. The park still contains some amazing stone structures, buildings and walkways. There is the Gaudi House Museum on site as well as a terrace which gives fantastic views of the park and the surrounding areas. Parc Güell is almost always busy and you will need to take public transport to reach it. However, it is worth the effort and the crowds to see.

La Rambla

Nearly every city in Europe has something similar, either a street or a square that is the epicentre of tourism. In Barcelona, this place is La Rambla. Packed with souvenir shops and over-priced restaurants, this street is nothing exciting. It is the most famous street in the city though, and it is certainly worth seeing for yourself. It is always lively, full of street performers and other locals trying to impress the crowds in one way or another. At the top of the street is Placa Catalunya, one of the city’s biggest and best open squares. You will find great shopping opportunities just past this. Avoid coming to La Rambla to spend money, but be sure to take a look and see this famed street for yourself.

Camp Nou

The Catalan people love their football and no team is supported more in the region than FC Barcelona. Visiting Barcelona gives a great opportunity to see Europe’s largest stadium. With a capacity of just under 100,000 people, it is safe to say the Camp Nou is impressive. Of course, to see it in its full glory you need to watch a game there. Tickets can be bought in advance or at one of the many official club shops across the city. Prices can be expensive and tickets can also be sold out well in advance. An alternative to taking in a game is to go on a tour of the stadium. You will get to enter the dressing room and see the mass amount of trophies that the club has won. You also get a chance to go pitch-side and see the huge stadium from ground level.

La Catedral

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St.Eulalia opened in 1298. The cathedral sits right in the heart of the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona. The construction was formally completed in 1420. It has since been renovated to deal with a large number of tourists that visit every day. The Cathedral is hugely impressive both inside and out. Its sheer size, as well as the amazing detail in the architecture, make it an amazing sight to see. It is free to enter, so expect the possibility of a queue to get in. The rules of the cathedral must be respected at all times as it is quite a strict place to visit. This includes no phones in sight when visiting the Chapel of Lepanto. La Catedral is possibly the most impressive free sight available in the city.

To read about the Top Free Things to do in Barcelona, click here

Where To Eat

Barcelona has many great places to eat. For my recommendations on the best food in the city, click here

What To Avoid

Overusing Public Transport

One thing I loved about Barcelona was that the tourist areas of the city were highly concentrated. It would take just a few minutes walking to find yourself outside of these areas. By walking, you open up a completely different city to yourself. You will be walking through local neighbourhoods that you might not have known existed. If you insist on taking the metro or, even worse, a hop on-hop off bus everywhere you go, then you will miss this side of the city. For me, this was one of the best things about Barcelona. Getting my walking shoes on and exploring different, more local areas is the best way to truly appreciate any city.

Eating on La Rambla

Restaurants are there to serve tourists and tourists only. They will compete for your business with signs and even people outside trying to entice you in. The big problem is they know no matter how good or bad the meal is, you won’t be returning. This usually causes quality levels to drop. The best restaurants don’t need to get customers in off the street, avoid these at all costs.

Expecting English to be widely spoken

English is the most spoken language in the world. It can be comforting knowing that wherever you travel to, someone will know your native tongue. In certain countries and cities, almost everyone would have some working knowledge of the language. Barcelona is not one of these places. They speak Catalan or Spanish. Some do speak English, especially in highly concentrated tourist areas. Outside of that though, it can be hard to come by. Luckily, people are friendly for the most part. With a little patience, hand gestures and so on, you will get what you want or need.

Flaunting Personal Belongings

I hate to say it but it may be necessary, Barcelona is the pickpocket capital of the world. The city comes with a big reputation of having petty thieves working in the touristy areas. You don’t need to avoid these parts of the city, just keep yourself to yourself and have your wits about you. Don’t show the world that you are a tourist. Keep your personal belongings out of eyesight and be conscious of any suspicious activity around you. I never felt unsafe in Barcelona but I was warned a few times about the city’s problem with pickpockets.

Once you visit Barcelona, the city will take you. There will always be a voice in the back of your mind saying, “do it, go back”. You will know there is still more to see, plenty more to eat, as well as the yearning to be fully immersed by the city’s atmosphere once more. It is a special city. One that’s popularity is totally justified. Who wouldn’t want to be there? Never does the thought enter your mind, wishing to be someplace else. Instead, you are too busy moving at your own pace. Eating truly immense food and soaking in the culture, both of which are there in an abundance. This Barcelona guide will hopefully give you some insight into the city and what there is to do there.

To read more about Barcelona, including the best way to spend a weekend there, click here!!

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The Roaming Irishman

roamingirishman@gmail.com

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