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5. What can you visit for free?
Barcelona often hosts various events, and the city's museums hold weekly open days. Here are just a few that you can visit for free if you know when to come:
- Science Museum in Barcelona (CosmoCaixa) - on the first Monday of the month admission is free (on other days - €3.80).
- Center for Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (Centre De Cultura Contemporània De Barcelona) - every Sunday from 15:00 to 20:00 (on other days - €6-8).
- Picasso Museum in Barcelona (Picasso Museum) - every first Sunday of the month and every Sunday from 15:00 (standard ticket price - from €15).
- Palace Güell (Palau Güell) - the first Sunday of every month, as well as April 23 and May 8 (on other days you will have to pay from €12).
- Virreina Palace (Palacio de la Virreina), which today houses the Museum of Decorative Arts and hosts exhibitions of contemporary artists, has free admission every day.
6. Where can you experience the local flavor?
Many travelers and locals recommend attending flamenco evenings. You can view the schedule of performances on this website. Tickets should be purchased in advance, at least a week in advance, because the shows are very popular, and seats are already sold out on the day of the performances.
7. Where to try Catalan cuisine?
Let's move from spiritual food to worldly food! Perhaps it’s not worth mentioning that establishments in the tourist center of Barcelona are increasing their prices? They are especially overpriced in cafes and restaurants on the famous pedestrian street Rambla.
Almost every establishment has a so-called “menu del dia” - a menu of the day (like business lunches that are familiar to us). It runs from approximately 13:00 to 15:00 and includes first and second courses (your choice), as well as a drink and dessert. Such a set will cost you only €8-20, depending on the class of the restaurant.
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Barcelona is a city that breaks hearts at first sight. Charming, inspiring writers and artists, the Catalan capital fascinates with its architecture, Mediterranean climate and rhythm big city, where everything is possible.
So, you are going to Barcelona and looking forward to a magical vacation. We will help you navigate by sharing useful practical information.
Where to live
In Barcelona itself, unlike the beach towns of the coast, there are practically no all-inclusive hotels. A typical hotel in the city is a comfortable overnight stay with the opportunity to leave your keys at the reception and have breakfast without leaving the building. Therefore, if you are looking for home comfort and convenience, we recommend renting an apartment. Spending a holiday in an old house with a quaint layout, drinking coffee in a pastry shop on the corner, taking a closer look at the city is an opportunity to see a different Barcelona. Prices for apartments are comparable to hotel prices, from 50 euros to an abstract amount. The difference is that for this money you rent an apartment with a living room and several bedrooms, it is convenient to come with a group of friends or family. When considering offers in the old city, such as Born, Gotico or Raval, be prepared for noise outside your windows. Look on Google maps to see if your apartment is located next to a bar, restaurant or disco - this part of the city is bustling with life.
The cost of a pack of cigarettes starts from four and a half euros; you can buy cigarettes only at tobacco kiosks or from vending machines located in bars. If you want to save money and don’t want to rush around looking for a tobacco machine on your vacation, then bring cigarettes from your homeland, or better yet, strengthen your willpower and try not to smoke.
How to get out of the airport
How to feel like a bohemian just ten minutes from Rambla
Official page of Montserrat
Local website railway available in three languages https://www.fgc.cat/eng/bitllets_oci_turisme.asp
Estimated travel time is 1 hour.
And pickpockets. But actual physical theft is far from the only way to get into a tourist’s pocket. People and establishments that seem quite decent at first glance make money from inattention or ignorance. For some completely legal businesses, this brings up to 50% of the income per city guest.
Housing
Those tourists who consider themselves advanced travelers and look for an apartment on local sites such as Idealista or Loquo can fall for housing tricks. Fraudsters take advantage of the fact that some travelers are already accustomed to transferring money to online services in advance. They agree to book an apartment or house they like for an interested tourist, often even offering a discount; they just need to pay a deposit so that the property is available by the time of their vacation. Those who agree to transfer money to the account of such an enterprising “homeowner” should forget about them. Because after completing the transaction, the phone will stop responding and emails will remain unanswered.
An indignant tourist, of course, can go to the police, but who wants to spend their vacation time ensuring that justice is served in a foreign country?
This scheme is often tried with those who live in Barcelona for a long time and rent housing, or with tourists who travel light and are looking for accommodation upon arrival. After contacting you, you receive a letter by mail informing you that the owner of the apartment is in the UK, or Germany, or France, or any other European country. It is allegedly expensive for him to travel to show the client the apartment, therefore, in order to confirm his intention, the person must transfer a deposit. It is clear that if you do this, you will no longer see either the apartment or the money.
Nutrition
Barcelona restaurants have come up with the most ways to cash in on relaxed tourists. This is mainly done by establishments located in places with a special concentration of city guests, for example, on an avenue or near a temple. They generally don’t suffer particularly mentally when they sell from a shop nearby for 20 euros, although they bought it for 2, or again put tapas on the display window, left over from undernourished clients. But there are additional ways to make money from inattention.
Option one, when after ordering food, bread is placed on the client’s table or, in the case of choosing only drinks, popcorn. Any person who has been to restaurants assumes that this is a so-called “compliment” from the establishment, eats bread with the main dishes that he himself chose, and then it turns out that he also has to pay for it. Arguments in favor of the fact that the guest did not order bread do not work, because at least some part of the product has already been eaten.
The second option concerns a cafe with takeaway dishes. If you really buy them to eat elsewhere, you must pay according to the price tag indicated on the menu. But as soon as you sit down at one of the few tables that are also present in such establishments, another 30 to 50% is added to the bill. If you are indignant, the cafe staff will point to a sign hanging in a not very conspicuous place, which says that you have to pay exactly that much extra for food in the cafe. Visitors to several places on La Rambla may experience this.
The third method of legal deception also involves a sign with the same location. It describes that depending on the location of the table in the restaurant, prices vary. Most often this concerns the division of an establishment into indoor and outdoor parts. If you eat on the terrace or just at a table on the street, you pay 10-30% more. Of course, no one warns about this in advance either. And in the Wurst Frankfurt cafe on Concel de Cent street, which crosses the most luxurious Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona, the surcharge also applies to sitting on the second floor with more comfortable tables than on the first floor and a pleasant view from the window. It is approximately 10%.
There is a way to protect yourself from this - ask the waiter about the payment terms in any Barcelona establishment where you are going to eat. He cannot help but give information.
The shops
Large networks such as Dia or Consum usually do not deceive their customers, unless unintentionally. But there is another class of super-markets in Barcelona, they are called “pakiz” here because they are often owned by Pakistanis. These stores are open when all others are closed, for example at night or. There are many of them, both in residential areas and in tourist areas. The main type of semi-legal activity is the sale of goods without a price tag, which have a value depending on how much the seller likes you. A person unfamiliar with the real prices for products in such a store can become the happy owner of a can of Coca-Cola for 5 euros, although in fact it cannot cost more than 70 cents, or a chocolate bar at the same price tag, when in a regular store you will have to pay for it give 1 or 2 euros. You can bargain with the sellers of these stores, but success depends entirely on luck.
Finally, the staff of these retail outlets can familiarize their customers with another type of manipulation - changing the currencies of other countries. There are many coins similar to the Euro in size and weight. If a tourist does not have the habit of looking at money, or he simply does not check the change very carefully, or simply forgot what the euro looks like, he can bring the currencies of other countries as a souvenir from a trip to Spain.
Feedback
Surprisingly, a tourist can also try to deceive a Barcelona entertainment establishment. For example, the way that the local population teaches, if you make friends with them. The Icaria cinema nearby has many halls, the entrances to which are located in branched corridors, and tickets are checked only at the entrance. Therefore, after watching one film, you can go into the hall where they are showing another one, for which you did not pay, wait until everyone is seated and take the empty seats. If it's not sold out, no one will notice.
True, a ticket on ordinary days costs 8 euros, which you can actually go to at home for a couple of sessions.
Barcelona, despite all its mystery, ranks first in Europe in the number of pickpockets and various other scams among tourists. You need to be careful if you walk around the old city of Barcelona, in particular the Gothic Quarter, as well as the street so beloved by tourists La Rambla with adjacent narrow streets. Old city with its dark alleys, it is especially dangerous at night, when it is completely empty of tourists and police.
2. Telephone conversations in Barcelona
Mobile communications in Barcelona, as in Spain in general, are incredibly expensive. When you arrive in Barcelona, immediately connect to one of the local mobile operators ( "Amena", "TelefónicaMovistar", Vodafone, "Orange"). The connection can be made in the branded stores of these operators. For about 20 euros you can buy a cell phone with a built-in SIM card. Sending SMS messages will cost you much less than making calls themselves. It is better to top up your phone balance at the checkout counter in any grocery supermarket in Barcelona.
Fairly inexpensive look telephone communication in Spain - street pay phones that “eat” both coins and cards. One minute of conversation within Barcelona will cost 15 euro cents, a call to Russia costs a little more – 18 cents. Interesting feature street payphones is that they even accept incoming calls, the main thing here is to know the number.
Barcelona has an interesting metro layout, there are buses, and there are many taxis. A taxi in the capital of Catalonia is extremely in demand, so you don’t need to call it by phone, you just need to go out into the street and immediately catch it, there will be no problems with this. All taxi cars in Barcelona are painted the same black and yellow colors and have lights on the roof or in the corner of the windshield: if the green one is on, it means you can get into the car, if it is yellow, then it is usually considered that the car is occupied.
A large number of Barcelona residents move around the city by bicycles and scooters. This is extremely convenient due to the compact layout of the city and weather conditions, because rain in Barcelona is extremely rare. On the streets you can see dozens and hundreds of parked bicycles and scooters. Those who do not have their own bicycle can use a special bicycle rental service "Bicing". It works very simply: large parking stands with characteristic bicycles are installed on the streets of Barcelona. appearance and colors (red and white). To rent a bike, you must first register in the Bicing system and buy a card there. The use of bicycles is practically quite cheap and in some cases even free, but due to comparative competition from other tourist transport offers, this type of public transport, as bicing for tourists can be limited.
4. Accommodation in Barcelona
Renting a separate room is a very common and profitable way of living in Spain and Barcelona in particular. It is used in large numbers by visitors, students, migrants, young people who want to live separately from their parents, as well as people who do not have their own apartment. Housing prices vary greatly depending on the location of the apartment, nearby attractions, the number of residents in the apartment, etc. In the Old Town of Barcelona you can rent an extremely inexpensive room, but it is better not to live in this area, as it will be unsafe to return home late through the alleys of the old town.
I would like to point out some interesting facts about apartments in Barcelona. Many houses have a rather strange layout, which differs from the usual Russian houses, and you should not be surprised when you see windows directly from the room overlooking the staircase or a remote courtyard. In Spain, it is customary to build buildings with narrow and constantly shaded blind openings for ventilation, cool air flow, drying clothes, etc. In addition, in such apartments there is no heating system that is familiar to us; it is of no use there; in addition, finding at least a light blanket in a Spanish apartment during the hot season will be a difficult task: in the summer, Spaniards often sleep without them.
Barcelona is the largest tourist centre Europe, which is located on the coast Mediterranean Sea. But in order to fully enjoy beach holiday, it is best to take the train and travel a few minutes to the nearest small towns, for example Gava, Castelldefels or Sitges. The problem is that the beaches of Barcelona, despite being carefully cleaned and washed every night, are quite dirty, and the sea water also leaves much to be desired.
The most accessible beach in Barcelona is Barceloneta (metro station Barceloneta or Vila Olimpica). It is equipped with toilets, showers, rescue towers, and you can rent sun loungers. Same as in Russian Black Sea coast sellers of hot corn are walking around, Arabs are almost running along the beach of Barceloneta and offering mineral water, beer, cigarettes, hashish. When the opportunity arises, they can also steal things left unattended. Therefore you need to be careful. Asian masseuses will be happy to give you a massage.
Toilet opening hours are limited. In Barceloneta, both toilets and lifeguards are open until 19-00. Changing rooms, by the way, are not provided at all on the entire Barcelona coast. So don't be surprised if you don't find any changing rooms on one of the most crowded beaches in Barcelona.
6. Food
Spanish cuisine is extremely rich and incredibly tasty. Cafes and restaurants are located at every step, and the streets and squares of Barcelona, beloved by tourists, are simply overflowing with establishments where you can eat delicious food. But where there are tourists, there are high prices - this is the basic law of tourism and the tourism business. For those who do not want to overpay, we can advise you to look for good establishments within a 5-10 minute walk from such places. The most acceptable catering option in Barcelona is cafes owned by immigrants, for example, the Chinese. They prepare Spanish dishes no less tasty than the Spaniards themselves, and their cost is several times lower.
7. Language
The people in Barcelona are very friendly. Don't be surprised if even strangers greet you. If you need any help, for example, you don’t know how to get to the Sagrada Familia, you can very easily turn to any passerby. But keep in mind that not everyone in Barcelona owns English language. Those with whom you can speak English are young people or tourists like you. Therefore, before the trip, it is advisable to learn some basic phrases in Spanish.
The main language of Barcelona is Catalan. It is a cross between classical Spanish (Castilian) and French. In Barcelona it is considered polite to duplicate important information in both Catalan and Spanish, for example, phrases on signs in the subway.
8. Shopping
Shopping is a favorite pastime of most modern tourists. There are plenty of places to shop in Barcelona, and the shops are full of big discounts and sales. The largest shopping centers in Barcelona are CorteInglés, L`Illa, Maremagnum, BulevardRosa. There are many expensive boutiques on the streets of Gracia (Passeigde Gracia) and Rambla (La Rambla), and inexpensive shops are concentrated on Pelai Street, where students of the Central University of Barcelona like to go.
IN tourist places In Barcelona, you can see black young people who sell seemingly expensive handbags, but ask for very little for them. Fake handbags from well-known brands stand neatly on mats, and ropes are tied to the four corners of the mats, the ends of which are held tightly by the sellers in their hands. The trick is that when the police appear, these mats suddenly work into knots, which quickly fly away into the nearest gateway along with their cunning owner.
Barcelona's nightlife is very exciting and varied. In Spain, people from young (but not earlier than +16) to old love to walk and hang out. Moreover, according to an unwritten tradition, the weekend for the Spaniards begins on Thursday - already on Thursday evening, without waiting for official days off, people fill their favorite bars, cafes and pubs. Unlike our country, in Spain bars are considered a common meeting place for friends and acquaintances, who can meet there almost every day, even without calling in advance. There are countless such establishments in Barcelona: somewhere you can sit with friends at a table, somewhere you can stand at a table, and in some bars you can just take a drink, take it outside and stand chatting with your friends - this is what the predominant the majority of young people, who then very often return the empty glass to the bartender. It is bars and pubs that replace the Spanish klubeshniks that are familiar to Russians. Of course, there are plenty of discos with modern dance music, but they are not the only guarantee of a positive night out. Famous discos in Barcelona include LuzdeGas, CostaBreve, GetBack, Trauma, SalaBikini, SalaAppolo, Taboo and Pachá. Some clubs that are located in Puerto Olímpico are also popular among tourists - Opium and Catwalk, although it must be said that they are not the cleanest of establishments in terms of the contingent that visits them, and Spaniards are not very often seen there. The addresses of these, as well as numerous other establishments, can be easily found by entering the names of the clubs in the search bar of any search engine. The busiest days of the week in Barcelona during the warm season will be all days except Monday and Tuesday, although on these days you can also find clubbing in the city.
10. Currency
When planning a trip to Spain, it is best to buy euros in advance so as not to look for banks and exchange offices, accepting rubles. The most correct decision would be to open a foreign currency account in euros in one of the Russian banks and get a bank card for this account. Thus, the commission charged by Spanish ATMs for cash withdrawal operations will be small, and in some cases it may be non-existent.
If you have such a useful thing as a plastic card attached to a ruble account, then you can also use it to withdraw euro cash from any ATM in the city, but in this case, the amount of money issued will directly depend on the exchange rate of the euro against the ruble , which is installed by Spanish banks.
In Barcelona, and Catalonia in general, banks are divided into two types: savings banks (Caixa) and banks themselves (Banco). Each Caixa has a specific name: LaCaixa, CaixaTarragona, CaixaCatalunya, etc. The number of ATMs in Barcelona slightly exceeds the number of streets, and each of them, regardless of whether it belongs to a bank or a savings bank, can dispense cash cash anyone who wants it.
Barcelona on a Budget: Top 5 Sightseeing Tips - Notes for Tourists. Useful articles on “Subtleties of Tourism”.
Barcelona offers a wealth of events, attractions and entertainment that other cities can only dream of, from great nightlife to world-class famous monuments architecture. It’s no wonder why guests from all over the world come here every year.
However, do not forget that transport costs, entrance fees and food, as well as excursions in Barcelona can punch a hole in your budget even with the most modest expenses. For those who don't want to go over budget, there are always opportunities to explore the city's best attractions without spending your hard-earned savings.
In order to live in comfort and save on dinner at a restaurant, the first step is to rent an apartment in Barcelona. Whether you prefer a city center apartment, a beach apartment, a studio apartment or an apartment with two or more bedrooms, you will have access to a fully equipped kitchen, allowing you to prepare meals in the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Now that you've got your accommodations taken care of, it's time to explore the entertainment options available!
Barcelona beaches
In this day and age, there are still things that don't require any expense, like a day at the beach with friends and family. Those who are lucky enough to visit the city during the warm summer season should definitely go to the beach. Beautiful coastline Barcelona stretches over 4.5 km and is divided into various zones with entertainment for every taste. Do you prefer a relaxing holiday on the grounds of Mar Bella or try exciting aquatic species sports on the beach of Nova Icària, all this is available on the beaches of Barcelona. Best of all, access to them is free!
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Architecture
Even if you don't plan to explore Barcelona in detail, you should definitely take a walk around the city. Antoni Gaudí's world-famous buildings are a must-see, as are the grand Sagrada Familia and the colorful Casa Batlló.
Although the entrance fee to the greatest architectural gems may bite, there are always opportunities to enjoy these works without spending your last savings. Many companies offer museum discounts and skip-the-line access when you book online, so it doesn't hurt to do a little research before you go.
If the entrance fee is not within your budget, opt for the Modernism Route. Simply follow the tiles on the road marked with a red symbol and you will see some of Barcelona's most famous architecture. For detailed information for the route and user manual, visit the Ruta de Modernisme website.
Walking tours
To learn about the history and areas of the city, we recommend that you put on comfortable shoes and go outside. The ideal way to explore the city is on walking tours, led by experienced guides in a variety of languages. We recommend contacting Runner Bean Tours, which offers a variety of options walking tours with a guide in Barcelona for free!
Free entry to museums
Barcelona is home to some of Europe's best museums, making it an ideal place to expand your horizons. Although many museums have an entrance fee, they have open days on certain dates. For example, entering National Museum Arts of Catalonia (MNAC) is free on Saturdays from 15:00 to 20:00. The Picasso Museum is open to everyone on the first Sunday of the month. The Center for Contemporary Culture Barcelona (CCCB) offers free entry on the first Wednesday of the month and is also free for visitors under 16 years of age. Palau Robert, Fundació Joan Brossa and the Santo Monica Center host free temporary exhibitions that are also worth a visit.
Tapas and nightlife
Traditions in the Catalan capital are an integral part of culture. And although in northern regions In Spain, the custom of serving free snacks with drinks is not so common; in Barcelona there are several tapas bars that maintain this pleasant tradition. We recommend visiting Ambiente del Sur at C/ Viladomat, 85. Despite its small size, this tapas bar is always packed local residents, and tourists looking for a variety of snacks and drinks. Without a doubt, this is the ideal place to have a good meal without spending a lot of EUR.
It's hard to believe that in a city known for its violent nightlife and exclusive clubs, you will find something budget... but that's it! You can dance the night away for free in the best nightclubs, from the popular Opium Mar to the relaxed chill-out atmosphere of IceBarcelona. All you have to do is sign up for the club of your choice on their Facebook pages.
So, if you're planning a budget holiday in Barcelona, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the city without spending a penny. These tips will help you save money both on walks around the city and on a beach holiday.
