Helpful Tips when Travelling to BCN!

Do your research;

Research your holiday! So many times I come across first timers to the city who have not done any research on their destination at all. The result of this is quite a bit of time wasted getting around to see places, waiting in queues for things and eating and drinking in tourist traps! To make the best of your holiday and have great memories, research is definitely on the top of my list!

Booking in Advance;

Be it sightseeing, restaurants, museums or shows it will save you a lot of time and hassle to book things in advance. Barcelona is an extremely popular city break destination and as such the visitor numbers are growing every year. It makes sense to book in advance the things you want to see and do to avoid any disappointment when you arrive and know some of your itinerary before you get here.

Security;

As with any city, security is a thing you should be aware of and it would be silly to ignore that Barcelona has in certain tourist areas gangs of pickpockets and sneak thieves. I would recommend for women to carry an over the shoulder bag with a zip and keep this close to you when in crowded places and when sitting at a terrace or restaurant. Keeping a wallet in your front pocket or on a chain is a better idea than your back pockets, don’t leave your camera or phones on tables unattended at any time. The sneak thieves and pickpockets will often disguise themselves as someone distracting you asking for directions or something so just be mindful of your belongings at any time. I would avoid Las Ramblas late at night and be wary in stations and on the metro. That being said, personally I have not had any trouble in the many years I have been here but know of friends who have. Just be vigilant!

Transport;

Barcelona’s great public transport network helps you to get around and is very user friendly, especially for tourists! The metro and the bus are great ways to get around and cheap! You can buy tourist friendly tickets like the “Hola BCN” which are 2, 3, 4 and 5 days unlimited journeys on metro, bus (TMB) and the rest of Barcelona public transport — they are really great value for money. Alternatively you can buy a T10 ticket for €9.95 which has 10 journeys on it. The metro is open till midnight Sun-Thurs, 2am on a Fri and all night on a Saturday. Cheap as chips! More on other modes of transport here.

Food and Drink;

Don’t be afraid to try the local food and drinks! You will enjoy getting immersed in the local food and drink culture and it is absolutely blooming in Barcelona! From tapas to traditional Catalan dishes, fabulous food trucks and weekend markets, you will love it all. Theres nothing better than sitting on a “terazza” with some “patatas bravas” and a “vermut” or a “cerveza”!

Best Time of year to Visit;

I don’t personally think there is a bad time of year to visit Barcelona, but depending on what you want to do on holiday may depend on what time of year you choose to go. If you want to soak up the sun, chill out and enjoy the atmosphere then the spring and summer months would probably be better for you. If you prefer to be quite active and like value for money, then perhaps autumn and winter would be better in this case. You can find more details about the different seasons and what they have to offer here.

All photos by gemmareidphotography for heartBCN.