Here is a map for the Barcelona public transportation metro system, this doesn’t even include the bus lines. Barcelona is a big city and the attractions aren’t that close, so get familiar with their public transport if you plan on traveling on a budget. You can buy tickets for public transport at any metro stop. I bought the 10 trip ticket, which worked well for five days between two people. It costs 10,20 Euro which saves money in the long run because a single trip ticket is 2,20 Euro. If you’d like to include airport transport as well, you can buy the Hola Barcelona card, but make sure you buy it through the official partner/site here.

What to Know About Each Type of Public Transport in Barcelona

• Metro – Most reliable and expansive, Completely air-conditioned, about 2 minutes per stop, each station provides tickets for all types of public transport, operates from 5:00 am to 12:00 am (midnight)
• Bus – Make sure you validate passes on board, wave down driver if no one else is at your stop
• Tram – Less widely used than the bus or metro but validate your tickets at little red machines outside each stop

Approximate Prices for Public Transport in Barcelona

• Single ticket: 2.40 Euro ($2.90 USD)
• Block of 10 ticket (Single zone): 11.35 Euro ($13.63 USD)
• Block of 10 ticket (2 zones): 22.40 Euro ($26.90 USD)
• Airport Metro: 4.60 Euro One-Way ($5.50 USD) or 10.40 Euro Round-trip ($12.50 USD)
• Hola BCN Card:
• 2 Days: 16.30 Euro ($19.57 USD)
• 3 Days: 23.70 Euro ($28.46 USD)
• 4 Days: 30.80 Euro ($37.00 USD)
• 5 Days: 38.00 Euro ($45.63 USD)

Other Useful Tips for Public Transport in Barcelona

• Validate your tickets while riding Barcelona public transportation! If not, you will be subject to a 200 Euro ($240 USD) fine!
• Don’t buy the Barcelona “Travel Passes” if they’re not worth it for you, most of the time they are not worth it. These passes are often endorsed by travel websites and highlight discounts/deals that you might not use. I believe buying the 10-trip pass is the best especially since it doesn’t put a time constraint on your public transport use.
• As with any city, keep bags and belongings close to you while riding public transport
• Use the Barcelona Metro App (TMB) or Google Maps on your phone to plan your transportation (Apple Store Links)

Remember if you would like to learn more about any of the places included in my 3-day itinerary for Barcelona, Spain, then you can visit my all-inclusive guide for free here!

The post The Best Public Transportation Tips for Barcelona, Spain appeared first on Nick's Travel Tips.

Currency used in Barcelona – Euro

Barcelona uses the Euro, which is currently exchanged at $1.20 USD for 1 Euro. So it’s not that much more expensive, but keep in mind that you’re always spending 10% more. This might not seem like a huge difference but a 40 euro meal turns into a $48 meal. Barcelona is about average or slightly above average in terms of spending costs. Look below for some of my best budget tips for Barcelona.

My Budget for Barcelona

• $118 USD one-way flight from Pisa to Barcelona
• $406 USD for a 5-night stay at an Airbnb (Late May)
• $40 USD for public transport tickets (Including airport transfer)
• $300 USD for food & drink
• $864 USD TOTAL for a 5-night stay in Barcelona & flight from Pisa airport

The Best Budget Tips & How to Spend Money in Barcelona

• One of my best budget tips for Barcelona is that you should plan on using lots of public transport because it’s a huge city
• Buy from the markets instead of sitting at restaurants to save some money and eat good, if not better food! (Remember to get cash for these markets)
• Pick and choose your activities wisely, most activities such as the Sagrada Familia & Park Guell will be slightly expensive but they balance out with free activities such as the National Palace and Ciutadella Park

Remember if you would like to learn more about any of the places included in my best budget tips for Barcelona, Spain, then you can visit my all-inclusive guide for free here!

The post The Best Budget & Spending Tips for Barcelona, Spain appeared first on Nick's Travel Tips.

Where to Stay in Barcelona

This map above labels the neighborhoods of Barcelona. In general, Gotico and the immediate neighborhoods around it, are the best places to stay in the city. It will be easy to navigate transportation from here and you’ll be close to plenty of important landmarks like the Barcelona Cathedral, Saint Jaume Square, and Bisbe Irurita Street.

Hotel/Airbnb Recommendations for Barcelona

The Airbnb I stayed in, Hosted by Hector & Lupe

Since I was usually traveling on a budget, I got used to things like private rooms in larger houses or bed & breakfasts. I found that Barcelona was one of the best cities for a private room because other options were expensive. However, keep in mind I was there in late May, close to primetime for tourists. Moreover, this Airbnb in a private bedroom was perfect. I had little contact with Hector and Lupe (even though I wouldn’t have minded because they were very nice!) Plus they have a nice dog named Gordo that you can play with if you like dogs!

Remember if you would like to learn more about any of the places included in this post about where to stay in Barcelona, Spain then you can visit my all-inclusive guide for free here!

The post Where to Stay & The Best Location in Barcelona, Spain appeared first on Nick's Travel Tips.

One of the Best & Most Unique Restaurants
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Spice BCN

Spice BCN is a South African restaurant in the area near Montjuic and the National Palace. This place serves a perfect lunch or dinner during your travels. I included this on my list for the best restaurants in Barcelona because it is such a unique hidden gem. Being from America, I had never tried South African cuisine but this place was unforgettable. It had amazing sauces, rice, and grilled meats. It’s also a nice break from the tapas if you’re getting sick of it.

Chain of the Best Tapas Restaurants, Barcelona
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Sensi

In the old town of Barcelona, there are three “Sensi” Restaurants. There’s Paz19, Gourmet, Mezzanine, and Bistro, all brought to you by Sensi. All of these restaurants are small and vary slightly in their menus and prices. Having been to Gourmet and Bistro, I can attest to their high-quality food and service. Order plenty of tapas and food you haven’t tried before with a glass of their delicious sangria!

Bodega Biarritz 1881

Founded in 2008, Bodega Biarritz is an amazing restaurant offering cheap and local eats. The space inside is tight and there’s usually a long wait outside, so prepare accordingly. It’s deemed the tourist capital of tapas, but for good reason. If you need a quick dinner, find any other local tapas spot. There’s also no reservations, but they serve you drinks while in line!

Remember if you would like to learn more about any of the places included in this post about the best restaurants in Barcelona, Spain then you can visit my all-inclusive guide for free here!

The post Where to Eat – The Best Restaurants in Barcelona, Spain appeared first on Nick's Travel Tips.

Top Thing to do in Barcelona
Sagrada Familia

Possibly the most intricate and unique cathedral in the world, The Sagrada Familia is worth every penny. You need to buy your tickets well ahead of time and make sure you buy them on the website for the cathedral and avoid third-party sellers. I strongly recommend you buy the ticket with the audioguide (25 Euros) since you can spend hours gazing at the beautiful architecture. Keep an eye on the progress of the construction of the church since it is over 100 years old set to be finished by 2026. It’s confusing when you first get there, make sure you take a look at both sides of the cathedral before your entrance time. One of the greatest works of architecture in the world makes the Sagrada Familia the top thing to do in Barcelona.

Park Guell

Park Guell offers beautiful views of the city with cool architecture that makes you feel like you’re in a fantasy world. Take the number 24 bus to get there from multiple stops around the city. This bus is a public transport line and it runs frequently. If you do decide to walk, expect at least a steep 10-minute uphill walk. Once you get to the ticket office, take a left and walk by the Gaudi House Museum, then you will see the main courtyard. I do not recommend buying tickets to the Gaudi House Museum unless you’re very interested. I’ve heard from others that it’s small and there’s not much information inside. Afterward, hop into the line for the Park about 15-20 minutes before your timeslot. After the paid entrance, you may walk around the rest of the park for free. I recommend going straight up the path up the hill, to the right of where the lines form. You will reach an observation area with benches with more beautiful views of the city.

Gaudi’s Houses

Gaudi’s designed houses scattered around Barcelona but they are mostly centrally located. One of the most well-known is pictured here, Casa Mila. I never bought a ticket because I did not think it was worth it (29 euro) and I didn’t have the time for it on my trip. However, all of the houses are extravagant to see. The other most famous one is Casa Batllo. This house is located down the road from Casa Mila. Take the extra few minutes to venture down Passeig de Gracia to observe these beautiful structures.

Mercado de la Boqueria

In a large public market on La Rambla, you will find cheap, delicious lunch here every day. Mercado de la Boqueria offers juice smoothies for 1 Euro (strawberry pictured here) amongst many other products. Vendors also sell empanadas, fresh meat, cheeses, fish, and fresh fruit. All of the vendors here spoke English and it was easy to communicate with them. Make sure you bring cash when you come here, but it’s a great experience. I recommend taking a walk around the entire market before buying anything to explore your options. Afterward, you should try as much as you can, especially things you might have never seen or tasted before.

Ciutadella Park

The Arc de Triomf was created as the main access gate for the Barcelona World Fair in 1888. Today, the long walkway leads you through the beautiful Ciutadella Park. This walk is full of performers and “vendors”. At the end of the walkway, you will cross the street into the first public space of Barcelona. Inside the park, there is a botanical garden, the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, plenty of statues, and a zoo at the very end. The park is well taken care of, but the trails are all dirt. If there is rain the day before or the day of, then make sure you dress accordingly.

National Palace

The National Palace sits upon the bottom of the hill of Montjuic. This area was built for another world exhibition in 1929 after 1888 was such a success. Today, the National Palace holds a museum for Catalan art. The walk up to this building is long and begins from a large roundabout. On some of the parts, there are escalators available. There is a food cart at the top with expensive and bad food if you’re desperate. Try to go here on a nice day so you can see the Magic Fountain in action. As a side note, I never went into the building but I’m sure it would be worth the money if you’re into art and architecture.

Olympic Park at Montjuic

Further up Montjuic, past the National Palace, stands the large grounds which were also built for the 1929 World Fair. These grounds were also used to host the 1992 Summer Olympics. Once you are up the hill there are 3 main parts of these grounds: the right side (pictured here), with views of the city and this alien-like communications tower; the middle with a stadium for track and field; the left side with the soccer stadium. I suggest using Google Maps your entire time here to make sure you’re going where you want. Everything is well maintained on these grounds but unless there’s an event going on, it will feel desolate. This was the coolest part about being here, was having this entire space to yourself. If you wanted to, you could lie down and read a book in the grass too.

Tibidabo

Tibidabo itself is a mountain overlooking Barcelona. At the summit is the church (Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) pictured here. There is an amusement park adjacent to the church. You can take the Funicular up to the mountain, then take bus111 up to the church or walk up to adore views on your way.

Remember if you would like to learn more about any of the places included in my Sights & Attractions for Barcelona, Spain, then you can visit my all-inclusive guide for free here!

The post What to Do – The Best Sights & Attractions of Barcelona, Spain appeared first on Nick's Travel Tips.

This will be a busy day, and you can choose which one of your days best suits this itinerary. However, I believe you should do them together because they’re all relatively close together in the large city of Barcelona. Also, it’s cool to see all of Gaudi’s work in one day because it compels you to compare his various styles. Make sure you buy your tickets in advance for both Park Guell & Sagrada Familia in this itinerary. Book one for the morning and one in the afternoon. I suggest doing Park Guell in the morning, then going to the Sagrada around sunset if possible. The inside of the cathedral is beautiful with light shining through but it’s also different after the sun goes down. At lunchtime, check out Passeig de Gracia to see some of Gaudi’s other houses and find a bite to eat.

Day 2: Ciutadella Park, National Palace & Olympic Park at Montjuic

The best part about this itinerary for Barcelona is that this day doesn’t require you to spend any money! All of these areas are public unless you wanted to go into the National Palace Museum or the zoo near Ciutadella Park. You can also choose how much time you spend in each of these areas because they’re all relatively large. Moreover, Ciutadella Park is a nice area to walk around like an everyday citizen. Make sure you’re careful when purchasing various items from vendors in this park. Afterward, venture to Montjuic, but make sure you go from the side with the rotary using either the H16 bus or red line metro. Stand at the base of the National Palace and stare up at its grandeur. It’s a steep climb up, but luckily there are some escalators to help you. Sit at the top to rest before walking further up Montjuic. Here, you will find a deserted Olympic Park, used for the 1992 Olympics. There are also several other parks and gardens in this area to explore if you have extra time.

Day 3: Tibidabo

Tibidabo is a large hill overlooking Barcelona with a majestic church and great amusement park. The amusement park is the perfect way to unwind on the last day of your itinerary for Barcelona. Start early and take the cable car up the mountain. Both the park and church are open from 11 am to 6 pm, so decide which one you’d like to do first. If the time’s right, the view of the city will be amazing during sunset.

Remember if you would like to learn more about any of the places included in my 3-day itinerary for Barcelona, Spain, then you can visit my all-inclusive guide for free here!

The post Your Unique 3-Day Itinerary for Barcelona, Spain appeared first on Nick's Travel Tips.