Helpful Tips to Visit Barcelona

Helpful Tips to Visit Barcelona

Being a first-time visitor, I really needed tips to visit Barcelona, but by chance or design, I just didn’t get time to read. After visiting, I realized that my trip could have been better in many ways.  If you are visiting Barcelona for the first time, here goes; my tips on how to visit Barcelona

1. I fell in love with the vivacious city and regretted to leave without seeing all the sights.To actually experience Barcelona, you need at least a week. We had three days and could barely visit all the tourist spots.
2. If you are on a budget, book an Airbnb, like we did and stay in the center of the city.
3. Do book your tickets online for the Hop on hop off bus tours or for any other sights. It would save you time, you could skip the queue and standing in the sun like we did for the cable car. Ticket to La Sagrada Família costs 14.80 Euros, Park Güell start at 7 Euros and for Casa Batllo is it 21.5 Euros.
4. Do your homework and mark the places you would really like to visit and then plan your trip accordingly.
5. You do not need to hunt for up-market hotels as there are many cafes on either side of La Ramble that serve Tapas and Sangria and the food is actually good.
6. Do not miss La Boqueria Market where vendors sell everything from locally grown fruits and vegetables to locally sourced meats and cheeses. Have fresh and healthy juices and fruits and taste the candies or macaroons. Buy fresh foods if you have a kitchen where you are staying and rustle up your own meal.
7. Beware of pickpockets and petty thieves. We were robbed off our bag. Carry your passports, credit cards, cash and other valuable in a sling bag, worn around the shoulder and preferably inside your shirt. Hang on to your cell phones and mobiles or else they may just disappear.
8. Watch the Magic Fountains of Montjuic light-music-and-fountains show, happening each night between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. free of charge.
9. Do not miss out the Flamenco show which we did due to wrong planning. Drive up the hill to Mount Montjuïc; enjoy the views that overlook the entire city. Order for a Tablao de Carmen dinner and watch the flamenco show.
10. Buy a transport pass that covers all your transportation needs before you arrive, like the Barcelona Card. This way you do not need to carry money to pay for tickets when you are travelling on the public transport in Barcelona and  there are less chances of you being robbed.
11. If you are a beach buff then carry all the essentials you need rather than get fleeced by the hawkers there.
12. If you really want to buy souvenirs or trinkets, then there don’t forget to bargain with the hawkers.

These helpful tips to visit Barcelona will surely make your trip better than mine was. Have a wonderful holiday