Barcelona: Seeing the Most

Taking a vacation can often be one of the most hectic experiences of your life. Not only is there the pre-trip planning including flights, hotel bookings, and packing suitcases, there is also the planning of the places you will be able to see in the amount of time you will be staying at your destination. To help make your trip planning a little easier, here are some tips to help you see the most in the city.

Pre-Trip Research

Before going on vacation you should always do some research. This research may differ depending on what type of traveler you are. If you are someone who likes to arrive at your destination and explore, then your research should delve simply into the must-see attractions that suit your interests. Then, when you arrive in Barcelona, you can do things at your own pace, exploring the city until you reach the sites you had previously chosen to visit.

For families, groups and those looking to see as many attractions as possible during their stay in the city, more consistent and in-depth research should be applied before arriving in Barcelona. Websites such as TripAdvisor or Barcelona Tourisme  should provide enough information to develop a great itinerary.

Related article: Discover arts in the streets of Barcelona

Planning Websites

TripAdvisor can provide hundreds of trustworthy reviews for almost any attraction, hotel or restaurant in any city you visit. Not only that, people who have visited the sites and venues often give you tips on what to do and what to avoid to make your visit more enjoyable. Spend some time browsing TripAdvisor and you will end up with a pretty good idea of what you should visit, where you should stay, and where you should eat. Just keep in mind, though, that just because someone had a bad experience at a particular site, that doesn’t mean that you will go through the same. Try to apply good judgment and sort out between the positive and negative comments about a place you may be interested in visiting.

If you want your information provided by professionals, then the Barcelona Tourisme will give you a much better understanding of the top attractions in Barcelona. The website is targeted specifically for Barcelona tourists, so it provides a much more detailed categorization of attractions based on specific themes and locations. They also offer information on how to move around Barcelona, ticket prices, schedules, etc, all of which are useful when you are going on a trip with other people and need things to work in an organized fashion.

Related article: Tips for an enjoyable couchsurfing experience in Barcelona

Our personal tips

Flights

If you want to make the most out of your trip to Barcelona, start by buying your airplane ticket with enough time in advance. The further from the date of departure you purchase the ticket, the cheaper it will be, leaving you with more spare money to spend when you actually arrive in the city. Use websites like Skyscanner and Kayak to compare the prices offered by a number of different airlines and create a price alert to help you find the perfect deal.

Accommodation

Hotel, hostel, apartment, Airbnb, or Couchsurfing? The choice of your accommodation depends on who you are traveling with. A family or senior visitors will be better suited renting rooms at a hotel or an apartment, to guarantee total comfort during their stay. Lone travelers, students and adventurers can find ways of saving money by going the Airbnb, hostel, or Couchsurfing route. Just make sure you do your research, especially if you are traveling alone. Choose a place which has plenty of references – don’t take any risks for the sake of saving a couple of bucks.

You should also choose the area you will stay in wisely. Take into consideration the attractions you want to see and the activities you want to take place in but also consider that you will want to have your rest when you finally retire for the day. Avoid staying too close to Las Ramblas and Plaza Catalunya, which are as noisy during the night as they are during the day.

Saving money

If you want to see the most but don’t want to spend too much, then there are a couple of ways to cut back on the costs. Go to the local grocery store and stock up on water and ingredients for sandwiches. This will both save you money on your meals and save you time because you can eat as you move from monument to monument. Another way to save is to invest in tickets that allow you to visit many attractions for discounted prices, like Articket BCN, and Barcelona Card.

Make a choice

Depending on the amount of time you have to spend in the city, you may feel like you have to rush to see everything mentioned in your guide. Consider your time and make a conscious choice: do you prefer to see a little bit of everything quickly or would you rather spend more time on the sites you consider more interesting and maybe skip some of the others? One thing is for sure: whenever you have the opportunity to buy the tickets to visit a certain site beforehand, you should do it. Time spent in lines to buy tickets is time that could be spent visiting other attractions. Make good use of the wifi at your chosen accommodation and get your tickets online.

Whatever choices you end up making, we are sure you will thoroughly enjoy your visit to Barcelona, one of the most vibrant cities in all of Europe.

Looking for an apartment in the city? ShBarcelona is the answer.