While planning my second trip to Edinburgh, I decided to add Barcelona to my itinerary. I’ve been to Spain but missed out on visiting Barcelona, so I figured this was the best time to visit. Even if that meant traveling alone.
I’m sharing how you can spend 48 hours in Barcelona, including where to eat and play.
Where to stay
Black Swan Hostel
Located not too far from Plaça de Catalunya, Black Swan is a great hostel to stay in and meet others. I shared a room with three girls and we all vibed with one another. I also met really cool people during our paella and sangria dinner the hostel hosted. Black Swan offers free activities including daily walking tours, cooking classes, and more.
Where to eat & play
La Rambla
An open-air mall including clothing, food, souvenir stores, and more. When walking around La Rambla, you’ll notice different side streets to venture off to. These streets have more shops to explore (hence why you often hear the name in plural form, Las Ramblas). I shopped at a few of my favorite clothing stores in Spain (e.g. Stradivarius and Pimkie) and got souvenirs.
Plaça Reial
A square adjacent to La Boqueria Market, I sat near the fountain and ate, enjoyed the weather, and people-watched.
Life of Gaudí Tour
Since the hostel provided free daily walking tours, I took their Gaudí tour. The guide wasn’t the greatest, he was clearly drunk from a bar crawl he guided the night before. I did, however, learn some important things.
The works of Gaudí that we visited:
- Palau Güell: Gaudí’s, and his families, residence in Barcelona.
- Casa Batlló: Also known as the “House of Bones” because of the skeletal design. Casa Batlló is located on the most expensive and fashionable street in Barcelona, Passeig de Gràcia; think stores like Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Chanel.
- Casa Milà: Also known as La Pedrera, this residential building is on the same street as Casa Batlló. Since people live in the residence, my guide explained that it wasn’t worth the entrance fee to go inside. This building was the last work designed by Gaudí for Barcelona. Once the building was completed, the apartments were rented out to families. And these families still reside there, four generations later. But, my guide says an insurance company now owns the building and won’t allow the next generation to stay. After the fourth generation passes away, that’ll be the end of their tenure.
- La Sagrada Familia: Probably Gaudí’s most famous work. This church has been under construction for more than a century and is projected to finish in 2030. Barcelona has continued to work on the church thanks in part to tourism and donations. There are three facades for the church being completed in sequence – The Nativity, Passion, and Glory Façade.
- Park Güell: A park built by Gaudí. You may want to book your ticket in advance to enter this park. While most of the park is free, you’d have to pay for some of the “picturesque” parts
100 Montaditos Urquinaona
A 5-minute walk from my hostel, 100 Montaditos Urquinaona serves small sandwiches, fries, sangria, and more.
La Boqueria Market
Also known as Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. La Boqueria Market is right off of La Rambla and offers a diverse range of goods. The market reminded me of Torvehallerne, Mercado de San Miguel, and Faneuil Hall. The only difference is La Boqueria Market isn’t enclosed like the other three markets. Vendors are everywhere you turn selling: fruit, seafood, meat, smoothies, nuts, candy, cheese, and more. This place is perfect if you can’t commit to a single dish, or if you need fresh food to cook for a meal.
Barcelona Travel Tips
Getting Around
Everything in Barcelona is accessible through their public transportation. If you’re going to be in Barcelona for a few days, I’d recommend getting a travel card. They’re available for 2, 3, 4, or 5 consecutive days and can be used unlimitedly on public transportation. If you’re not going to be there long or don’t see the point in the travel card, I’d recommend buying the T-10 card at the metro station. This card allows you to ride their public transportation 10 times.
If you don’t want to ride the public transportation system, you can take taxis for fairly cheap as well. There are taxis all over the city, so you won’t have any problems getting one. Since my hostel was close to Plaça de Catalunya, I didn’t need to use public transportation as frequently. I decided to walk to most of the local landmarks. You can also rent a bike if walking and using public transportation isn’t your forte.
Money
Barcelona, and Spain in general, is a relatively cheap country. Although Spain is part of the Euro Union (EU), which can be stronger than the USD at times, Spain’s economy is different than its EU counterparts. In Barcelona, you may potentially lose most of your money to entrance fees into the different works of Gaudí, which can be fairly pricey. For example, the basic entrance fee to La Pedrera is €20.50.
Safety
Barcelona is a relatively safe city, crime is very low. In retrospect, it’s a big city so be mindful of your surroundings like you would in other cities. The biggest thing to be aware of in Barcelona is pickpocketing. Barcelona is infamously known as the pickpocket capital of the world. I personally didn’t witness or experience pickpocketing while in Barcelona. But I did visit during its off-peak season, so the atmosphere is probably different during peak season. Also, I remained vigilant while I was there, making sure I was aware of my surroundings and my personal belongings.
Other tips:
- It’s fairly warm in Barcelona year-round, so you don’t have to wear a lot of layers.
- If you’re looking to get into the city from the airport, the Aerobus is a cheap and simple option. It’s a 45-minute ride to the city center. I ended up buying a return ticket for €10.20, a single ticket is €5.90. Also, the Aerobus runs every 5 minutes, so if you miss one another will come soon.
- While many people in Barcelona speak Spanish, the official language is actually Catalan.
