10 tips to enjoy Barcelona

Barca is a great place, just listen to Ed Sheeran’s ode to the Catalonia capital, or ask one of the many students studying there each semester. But, it can be intimidating…it’s a big city, a lot of area to cover, a lot of sites to see, a lot of tapas to eat, and above all you have to make it out as its nightlife is often #1 on the agenda. I have to admit it wasn’t my favorite place to visit, which is why I’ve rounded up these tips so fellow travelers (and hopefully me in the future) can learn from my mistakes and make the best of their time in Barca.

1. Go when it’s warm enough to enjoy the beach.

I didn’t realize Barcelona was such a beach town, since there’s so much else to do in the city. It made me wish I had gone later in the season, and taken advantage of the prime Mediterranean beach. If you’re near the beach, then you MUST get a bocadillo (sandwich) at Bo d Be. This is my one and only food recommendation for Barcelona, and literally everyone raves about it.

2. Stay at St. Christopher’s Inn…

…for a central location, a comfortable place to rest your head, spacious storage lockers, and hot front desk guys (how else do you evaluate a hostel stay!?).

3. Take public transportation.

Our hostel map quantified miles in the city using baguettes, and let me tell you I walked too many baguette lengths the two days I spent exploring the city. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, or utilize the front desk at your hostel for transportation advice. It will leave you less tired at the end of the day, and more willing to explore the city’s offerings after dark.

4. Don’t wait to shop on Sunday!!!!!!!!

Or you will miss out on all the Mango and Zara goodness!!!!!! This tip goes for many cities in Europe, who close their doors on Sundays (which is really admirable, I think). Seriously though, there is a Zara on almost every corner in Barcelona, and who doesn’t want to get in on that action?

5. Don’t feel the need to brush up on your high school Spanish.

I was pretty excited to go to a country where (I thought) I knew the language. But it turns out, Catalonian is pretttttttyyyyy different than Spanish. Also, ciao is a common way to say goodbye, but the first few times I thought the people assumed I was Italian (haha). This wasn’t a far stretch because I was jumbling every attempt at Spanish with the Italian I had just learned. I was so flattered until I googled and found out that no, they did not think I was Italian.

6. Schedule a visit to La Sagrada Familia for a decent time of day, when the sun will be shining.

Early in the morning isn’t a great time to book your reservation for a church visit in a city that’s known for its late-night nightlife. Make sure you go when the sun will be out, though, because the colors of the stained glass are absolutely b e a u t i f u l.

7. Buy a ticket for Parc Guell.

My friend and I decided to save the cost of the ticket and wander around the free area, but I wish we would’ve just waited in line and paid to go in. The free admission part of the park has beautiful landscape, but can’t compare to the one-of-a-kind mosaics we would’ve seen if we had gone in to the park with a ticket.

8. Go to La Boqueria Market hungry.

I loved this market! Although it can be crowded, the one euro juices are refreshing and there are so many food options to choose from, we took two laps around before we decided on something! Definitely make this a stop around lunch time on one of your days exploring the city.

9. Research tapa bars and be confident when you go.

The process of tapas was so intimidating to me for some reason. Most places have all of their offerings laid out on the bar. Once you sit down (and order sangria), you can choose what looks good, eat, then pay via the honor system. Tapas were the most amazing thing once we got the hang of it. So many delicious little eats.

10. Save the paella for another trip to Spain.

Paella is synonymous with Spain, but it’s really not as well known in the Catalonia area. If you do want to have it, expect to pay a little more than you would in other parts of Spain. Do eat at Bo de B, a bocadillo shop that may just be the most famous in Spain, for very good reason! Worth the wait in line.