Barcelona Backpacker Guide
Barcelona is the most visited city in Spain, which means two things: everything is easy to reach, and everything near Las Ramblas is overpriced.
The trick is to stay slightly out of the centre, buy the right transport card, and book the famous buildings before you arrive.
Buy the right ticket
Single metro tickets are poor value. The T-casual card covers ten journeys and can be used across metro, bus and the urban rail network, working out at roughly half the single fare.
The airport metro line L9 Sud needs its own supplement, so check before you tap. The Aerobús is faster to Plaça Catalunya but costs more.
What you can see for nothing
A surprising amount of Barcelona is free if you plan around it. Museums across the city open their doors at no charge on the first Sunday of every month, and many again on Sunday afternoons.
- Bunkers del Carmel — the best free viewpoint in the city
- The upper, non-monumental zone of Park Güell
- Barceloneta and Bogatell beaches
- The Gothic Quarter, which is simply a walk
Where to sleep
Gràcia feels like a village that the city grew around — small squares, independent shops, and metro connections to everywhere. Poble Sec sits below Montjuïc and has the best cheap tapas street in the city.
El Raval is central and cheap but busy at all hours. The Gothic Quarter is the most convenient and the most expensive, and the one place where pickpocketing is a genuine daily risk.
Book these before you fly
Three things sell out consistently and cannot be fixed on arrival: Sagrada Família, the monumental zone of Park Güell, and Casa Batlló. Buy timed tickets online as soon as your dates are fixed.
