Ohhh so you wanna go to Barcelona huh? Great, let me give you the rundown.
GENERAL ADVICE (DO NOT SKIP THIS)
Best advice I can give is plan, plan, plan, and if you are on the fence about spending the extra 20 € on something you want to do, it’s worth it to spend it over here instead of your daily Dunkin’ back at home. If there is something you want to try, see, or experience, go for it. But, make sure you always carry cash and are smart with your money. Don’t spend it on dumb things like 15-euro drinks at a club or on a roof.
Their national language is Catalan. Don’t call them Spanish because they hate that. They are Catalans, Basques are Basques, and “Spanish” people are Castilians. For the few that don’t speak English, you can speak to them in Castellano (Spanish) and they will talk to you. But, if they speak English, they will respond to you in English, not Spanish because Spanish is also technically a foreign language and they would prefer to just speak English.
If you say ‘Barca’, locals will think you are talking about the soccer team. But please, don’t call Barcelona “Barce”, it's annoying and just makes you look like an American.
If you have Google Chrome, download Setup VPN so you can watch HBO and American sports for free because trust me, you will miss it when you are living there.
Get ready to see dogs everywhere throughout the streets! It’s pretty exciting, they're all so cute and there are definitely some unique breeds over there too.
Keep a journal/diary/blog while you’re here!!! Seriously such a good thing to do. I kept a detailed journal of literally everything we did on a daily basis and I couldn’t be happier that I did that. It might seem time consuming but I always just put notes in my phone of all the stuff we did/happened and then would write multiple entries when I finally had the time or on the plane on my way to other countries.
Stores DO NOT sell alcohol past 11! Get it before then. After 11 spanish men walk around and harass you with the word “cervesa? cervesa? cervesa? 1 euro cervesas”. You can buy the beer from them with caution if need be for a roady.
Keep your coins. They add up. I even brought a change purse from home.
If you want to buy something from the guys on the street, pay with cash at the exact amount.
Watch out for bike lanes.
SAFETY/PACKING
“What locations are the worst to look out for as far as safety and pickpocketing goes?” someone asks at orientation.
Me: *gets pen ready to write every location down*
The admissions lady: “You are unsafe when you feel unsafe, there's no one bad place, you'll just know.”
I remember laughing to myself because it was the least bit helpful answer. The truth to safety is just simple preparation though. This goes without saying, but Europe isn’t America! While the US has children that have access to assault rifles, Spain, as well as the rest of Europe, has a certain group of talented pickpockets that are extremely gifted. Barcelona especially, is the pickpocketing capital of the world. This is in part due to the economy being pretty bad in the rest of Spain, (Barcelona however does pretty well) so all the low life’s come here to pick off the tourists and rich.
Be paranoid and look into getting clothes that combat pickpocketers. These are pieces that are cute and most importantly, practical.
Jackets or really any clothing with pockets on the inside are everything. Even better is if it's reversible so you don't have to pack as much when traveling.
Women's Lululemon sleek city jacket -- inside pockets
Men's Lululemon jacket-- reversible and inside pockets!
Zadig handbag-- multiple pockets came in handy. Zadig and Voluntaire is a ‘cool’ brand in Europe (a lot of local girls wore their stuff). It is definitely not cheap but worth the investment to look the part in my opinion. I would put my phone in the zip part and then the top would fold down. Just an extra step that buys you more time to catch a pickpocketer if they try anything on you. Always zip your pockets and everything up!
Bandolier style phone case-- Know where your phone is at all times. A lot of girls wore these out so they wouldn't have to worry about an entire bag. The phone clips in and has a card holder that wraps around your neck so you can wear it like a crossbody or hold it. Anything that straps to you or around you is great.
Leave the designer at home. It makes you an easy target and we, Americans, are looking to blend in!
Ladies, bring some tampons-- they are different and not in a good way in Europe.
Bring any medicine you might need (Advil, vitamins, BC, etc.). They have pharmacies but the last thing you want to do is go on some adventure for a dupe Advil.
Dr. Martens Everyone brought them and they are pretty comfortable after you break them in. I also liked putting cards/money under my feet as it's hard for any pickpocketer to fit their hand down the high tongue.
Ziploc bags-- couldn’t find them anywhere in Spain when my Mom literally has a designated Ziploc drawer at home. Wouldn’t hurt to throw a few in the suitcase.
If you have room in your suitcase, bring a Brita or filtered water bottle. Tap water in Barcelona does not taste right and I would have to buy water bottles every day.
Given that Barcelona does not have dryers, some clothes would get ruined in the wash. Bring a mini sewing kit and invest in fabric softener if you are living there.
Change purse-- never used one until I got here. Bring it.
Outlet converter. Get the universal ones for when you travel. If you are staying for an extended period of time though, I suggest just buying the USB adapter (or the block as I call it) at an Apple store in Spain. Just do it.
Underpack. Leave so much space in your bags that even your Mom questions you.
SHOPPING
A lot of stores close up mid day for siestas so I never really would plan to shop. It's more of an, if it's open and the window looks cute I'll walk in. Spontaneous buys!!
Let me put you guys onto Beso Beach Bendito Beso-- my favorite perfume I found in a shop a few blocks down from the Brandy Mellvile store on Passeig de Gracia.
There are so many boutiques on every street that have great stuff. You are supporting local businesses and I also think it's cooler to say ‘oh ya it's from a tiny boutique in Barcelona (sorry you can't copy me!)
Zara is insane in Europe. Pullandbear, Mango, and Bershka are all great too but are major European clothing brands. I think its cooler to buy local but hey, that's me.
Flamingos Gallery-- there's great thrifting sandwiching this awesome spot. Vintage, fun, would go again.
Supreme Spain-- I came to this place thinking it was a real Supreme store. It's not. Don't fall for it.
I would buy a fanny pack in Barcelona if you end up needing one. They were nice to wear out to clubs. Make sure your valuables are on the front side of you obviously and not get the ‘snap in’ kind that comes undone in one click. Wear them with one end over shoulder wrapping across the body!
El chinos are your CVS’s.
TRANSPORTATION
Don’t be cute and try and walk home at 4am in Europe, save yourself from the south Philly experience.
FREE Now = Uber-- I liked it because it says price before you get in so they can’t spring some random price on you which could happen in a cab.
Cabs--
They will try to mess with you: I had an experience where my cab just drove around in circles (?) My friends got charged a bag fee going to the airport in a cab which should never happen.
Practice your Spanish with them. They have nowhere to be and are forced to listen to you.
Use public transportation wherever and whenever you can during acceptable hours, especially on trips. It doesn’t hurt to walk a little either.
Citymapper=Maps-- I liked it because it had the fastest route (including all modes of transportation) for every major city I went to. Especially helpful at the beginning when I was still trying to figure out the metro. Apple Maps doesn’t work great in Europe so use Google Maps.
Metro-- I took the metro to and from school everyday. Student passes really pay off but they come on paper so be extra mindful not to lose it. If you're studying in Barcelona it's called the Tres Mes Joven pass (T-JOVE). It costs like 130 € more or less for a 90 day pass and it will pay for itself in the first month because the metro is just hands down the best way to get around. If you are visiting, get a 10 ride pass for 10.20€.
!!!METRO PICKPOCKET ALERT!!! These losers will bump into you and take your shit, jam up against you on an escalator, or when doors of the metro car are opening. General rule for going anywhere in public: act like you know what you’re doing and keep your hands over your pocket or keep everything in a zipped-up space. They can undo straps and backpacks too so just be aware. Last rule of the metro: never take your phone out when the doors are opening because they will see it, snag it and run right as the doors are closing and that’ll just about do it for your phone.
THE THINGS TO DO
La Sagrada Familia: Top left pic. Most must-see in Barcelona. Comparable to seeing the Basilica in the Vatican but with less fanfare. It’s an absolute behemoth of a building and has taken over 100 years to build (supposed to be done in 2026).
Bunkers of Carmel: Best view in Barcelona, take the L2 up towards Vall D’Hebron and you can walk or if you are lazy take a cab. Take various alcohols, jamon, iberico and cheese and enjoy the sunset and near 360 views of all of Barcelona. FREE
Park Güell: Mad overrated because of construction but if you are white and of the girl variety, you should probably go. You will see a trend of seeing Antoni Gaudi’s name everywhere in BCN, he’s a legend and he designed this too. Mosaic tile benches, most famous pic in BCN and I look forward to seeing your various generic instas. 7€ entry fee. After Parc Guell, head up to Turó de les Tres Creus-- another great view of Barcelona.
Arc de Triomf: Cool massive Arc in between Sagrada and the water. Take a look on a nice day and compare it to the one in Paris, which is almost the same thing. FREE
Montjuïc: Translates to the Mountain of the Jews. Another great view and there is a castle up there and the Catalan National Art Museum which I actually recommend because you can pay an extra 2 € and go to the roof for an even better view. In addition, the Olympic Stadium from the 1992 Olympics, statue, and park are up there and was one of my favorite things to do. Take the purple L4 (and I think the green L3) to parallel and you can use the Montjuic extension in the Parallel stop to get up the mountain. SEMI-FREE
PlaÇa Catalunya/Passeig de Gràcia: City center, H&M shops every block plus other high-end Madison Ave-esq shopping. Good window shopping and you will certainly find yourself here a lot.
La Rambla: Most famous stretch of infrastructure in BCN. Very crowded and the same people who you would expect to be robbing you will come up and ask you if you want “Coffeeshop” (drugs). Don’t take the bait, if that’s your thing there are proper avenues in the form of weed clubs which you will probably find in the Gothic Quarter.
Gothic Quarter. Probably the most touristy part of BCN and it leads right to the water and the statue of Christopher Columbus. I found some cool thrift shops here. FREE
Mercado de La Boqueria: Best outdoor food market in Europe. Buy your groceries here, buy cups of jamon iberico, calamari, and octopus here, or buy fresh fruit and juices. Literally seafood will still be moving on the ice. Juice for 1 euro on the stands to the left when you walk in, not the middle stand. It can be overwhelming but a true spectacle of the amazing produce and seafood that Barcelona has to offer. Every foodie’s dream and just a great cultural experience too. Bottom two pics. FREE
Camp Nou: If you're lucky enough to go to a FC Barca game, do it. If you’re here over the summer it's unlikely. In which case do the Camp Nou Experience.
Flamenco Dancing: My Flamenco experience was in Seville (in the south of Spain). It was a super small and intimate 30 minute show. There is so much passion involved; I can’t say much more besides that you should go. In Barcelona, I was recommended to visit Los Tarantos, which I am sure is a similar experience to mine as I heard it was less touristy than most flamenco fare.
Hotel Casa Fuster: This is not on your average tour guide, but it's on mine! Look at top right pic. Built in 1908 Señor Fuster gifted this to his wife, with the underlying intention to make the city of Barcelona more beautiful. He hired the famous Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner and at the time it was considered the most expensive house in the Catalan capital due to the high quality materials such as marble. The hotel was renovated in 2004 but the history is preserved. Head up to the top floor for a breathtaking view of Passeig de Gràcia. Passeig de Gràcia, 132, 08008 Barcelona
Other Things That I Didn’t Do:
o Gaudi Houses
o Picasso Museum
o Montserrat (day trip kind of)
FOOD
The dairy here in general is insane. I never drank milk by itself on a regular basis at home or even liked yogurt for that matter but it is smooth and creamy goodness in Barcelona. Cheese: holy cow.
The mushrooms are so good. Again don’t know why but they are just bigger and more tasteful in Spain. I would buy these and a bunch of olives to snack on from La Boqeria. Weird Georgia moment, I know.
Take advantage of the local produce. It is so cheap and easy to eat when it's this fresh.
If they put bread on the table, feel free to say no thanks otherwise they charge you in most cases.
There is no such thing as fast food in Barcelona but there is McDonalds (more expensive than in America and beer is offered along with local eats like gazpacho and macaroons), Five Guys and a ton of KFCs if you are craving it. I like to compare these types of chains with how they are back home.
The Fresh Poke Aragó-- somewhat quick Hawaiian Poke that was good.
La Caravana-- My go-to Syrian restaurant. Some of the best hummus I have ever had. Super quick and cheap. Great falafels too (with great vegan sauces as an option). One of my favorite restaurants all around honestly.
If you have to, use Glovo to have meals delivered. Just like Uber Eats or DoorDash but they deliver anything from flowers to paper to medicine.
I am not promoting this but if you need a bag of Cheetos, I am not going to question you. The store is called Taste of America. We can keep it a secret but there's an upcharge. €10 for a box of cereal.
Be careful with allergies or as a vegetarian-- I lived with both. “sin carne”= no meat. Be super patient though-- my roommate would say this and seem like they understood and then it was covered in ham. Ask for “vegetal” or “vegetariana” if you’re vegetarian.
CactusCat Bar-- vegans love this spot with all-day breakfast. Try mint fresh juice. 4.9 stars. Shall I say more?
DINING
Tapas and Paella are the local cuisine but don't shy away from Italian, tacos or any other food genre. Make sure you get yourself some Jamon Iberico (it’s amazing!) When in doubt, use eater.com in the city you are in. They didn’t lead me to a bad or even average meal. They also have a top 38 list in almost every major city if you google it. Here were my most impressionable restaurants:
BRUNCH
Milk: Best brunch I had in BCN and I didn’t even go until the second to last day. They have a hangover recovery brunch until 4 pm and it's to die for. Down in the gothic quarter.
Brunch and Cake: Again, calling all females!! Go here for brunch, it’s all girly with the presentation and the pictures came out perfect. In all honesty, a great place to get brunch.
LUNCH AND DINNER
Arepamundi: Ok so yeah sorry I’m not starting out with a Spanish place, sue me. But, this place changed my whole abroad experience in so many ways. Arepas are Venezuelan Sandwiches sorts. They are made from a bread that’s kind of a mix of corn tortillas and pita bread. Each Arepa is 3-5 € and it will fill you up on its own. Carmelo, the Venezuelan guy with the bandana is super nice. Get an Arepa, get some tequenos, or tres leches cake. It's good, clean, cheap South American food.
Da Greco: Pasta! Italian food that looks fancy but really isn’t. All the Barca players come here and have their own table. Beyonce even has a table upstairs. White truffle ravioli is insane and comes at a reasonable price of 14.80 €. Risotto made in a cheese wheel, also good. Come with a group and if you order different things, they bring an extra plate of everything for the table for free.
El Nacional: Interesting concept for a restaurant. Imagine a classic Spanish town plaza, with a restaurant in every corner like usual. But then, put a roof over it and make all restaurants different food that are owned by the same group. I went a few times and tried all the different places. Good food, right off of the Passeig de Gracia metro.
Bo de B: People lost their shit over this place. Rude Persian guy who makes sandwiches that are like gyros made on rustic bread. They were above average (I recommend their chicken), but you can only pay cash and the line was always insane. Again, kinda a trap but would feel bad leaving it off the list because so many people swear by it.
La Taqueria: Super local Mexican place that I went to get authentic tacos all the time. Noodle-armed Peyton Manning circa 2015 could hit Sagrada Familia with a football from its front door-- so it's close. Regardless, go get yourself some tacos.
NICER MEALS~FOR WHEN THE PARENTS COME~
Sensi Tapas/Sensi Gourmet: Make sure when you make a reservation that you go to the right one, both are very good and owned by the same group. Upscale tapas, kinda expensive.
Firebug: Owned by the same people that run Milk, great brunch, good tapa place for dinner, right in Tetuan Plaza near Sagrada Familia.
Can Sole: Down in Barceloneta, the fisherman’s district. Best Paella in Barcelona. I took my parents here, they literally specialize in Paella and their fresh seafood sharing appetizers are unreal. Here comes a time where you have to try new things, such as cuttlefish. Try it, it's fresh and amazing.
Roca Moo: If you know food, you’ve heard of the Roca brothers and El Cellar de Can Roca, the three starred Michelin heaven in Girona about an hour north of BCN. You won’t be able to eat there because you need to book 11 months in advance. That's what happens when you’re voted best restaurant in the world twice. But you’re in luck! If you want to drop 128 € per head in the wine list, take your parents to Roca Moo at Hotel OMM. The good news is that this is the Roca brother’s other restaurant. A true culinary experience that has a Michelin star itself.
Tickets: Similar deal to Roca Moo. It’s the younger brother of Ferran Adria, who’s restaurant El Bulli is widely considered the best restaurant of all time, winning best restaurant 5 times. Tickets is probably the undisputed top fine dining experience in all of BCN. A Top 12 restaurant in the world and Chef’s Table did an episode on it.
SWEETS/CAFES/SNACKY
Amorino: Favorite gelato place. They also have locations in other cities like Lisbon. They shave the gelato into a flower shape.. I heard the SPECULOOS flavor was fantastic but all the hazelnut, pistachio and fruit flavors were really good too.
Las Fritas: French Fries are my favorite food (sad but true so I was hurting until I found this place because Spain isn’t really known for their fries-- fat America is). This spot is on the walk to the beach.. amazing french fries with so many sauce options right off the Barceloneta metro stop. There's an aioli mayo looking one that is insane.
Mucci's: I never really drooled over any particular cafe but this location I liked because of the skateboarding I watched. I’d carry the coffee up Carrer dels Tallers towards Universitat station. Good thrifting along that street and once you get to the crossing, there's benches to watch even more skateboarders/people watch.
BARS
You will learn quickly that BCN is just a bangin’ time for going out but it's overwhelming, so my favorite places may not be yours, or maybe they will! I call it like I see it.
AMERICAN-ISH STYLE BARS
Dow Jones: Cool concept where the drink prices rise and fall based on how many are being bought. There is a pool table and I got to watch games there too. Bar is uptown which is nice.
George Payne: Fraternity boy central. It's always packed. The bar upstairs is cash only. There are pong tournaments on Monday’s so beware of hardo state school kids and their inflated egos. Two good things! 1 € Amstels weekday afternoons, and Blackout trays are good! Tons of alcohol for 20 €.
MY WEDNESDAY SPOTS
L'Ovella Negra (Marina location): There's two locations but I like this one better. They had a Super Bowl party here; It’s a massive space. Good place to watch soccer games, get beer and sangria towers. The food is great too. The place becomes crowded after 11pm but it's so big. Don’t walk home-- not the safest area at night. You know what they say: Don’t hate the place, hate the neighborhood?
D9: Same neighborhood as Ovella Negra so meh. More crowded and you can’t move around but always have a good time and good music. Along with L’Ovella, it’s a Wednesday spot. 5 € for 6 shots.
Hot Bar: Across the street from Sutton so it’s also a Wednesday spot. They have some weird deals on Aashi nights (explanation later) where you can pour your own drink, so you can just grab bottles and slam them if you feel like it. They also do this tequila shot game where if they flip a quarter and you guess the side right you get a free shot, if not you pay a euro for it.
The Room: Down by the 3 main clubs on the water, so use this place to pregame. 3 shots for 5€. Right next to the casino so if you want to lose some money after getting hammered, you’ve found your place.
SUPER LOCAL BARS ~FUN ONES NOT ON YOUR AVERAGE TOUR GUIDE~
Nevermind: To all my sk8ter friends-- come here. It is insane. Punky, grungy, fun. I felt out of place at first but everyone is so welcoming. There's a huge skate bowl at the location closer to the water, which is the one I always go to and recommend. Everyone sits in and around the bowl and it's such a vibe. Great prices and no entrance fee are a plus too. Please get out of your comfort zone and try this one, especially because Barcelona has such a big skateboard culture.
Espit Chupitos: Chupitos=shots. A couple locations so confirm with friends which one you are meeting at. There's like 1,000 different shots to choose from here. It's like a show watching them prepare the different ones… try the fancy fire shots.
Cactus Gin Bar: Best gin and tonics in town. A bit pricey but because they are known for their amazing gin. It is located in El Born which is an awesome neighborhood to eat and bar hop.
CLUBS
Oh jeez, this section. If you commit to going to a club you will be out until 5-6AM. That's a lock. Safety is the other thing: Being in a crowded, sweaty club and probably drunk is the perfect place to get everything stolen. What's worse is the pickpocketers are most likely drunk too so will be more aggressive than usual. Ladies: don’t walk around alone down by the beach at night after clubs. Just always buddy up or be with a guy friend. Also don’t buy open container drinks at the beach from sketchy guys selling.
Promoters: Kike Navarro and Aashi Ayan. Friend them on FB and they will add you to a massive group of like 3000 people and you will have a deal for a free cover and a bar every single night of the week. When you’re hammered and forgot to check the group, roll up anywhere and say Aashi or Kike and one of them will work and you will get in for free every time. It's pronounced KEE-KAY, short for Enrique.
BEACHFRONT FAMOUS CLUBS
Opium: Probably a top 2-3 club in all of Europe. Girls swinging from the ceiling, it's on the beach, getting a VIP table is fun for birthdays. It doesn’t disappoint. Enough from me on this subject, just go.
Shoku: Right next to Opium and the same idea. People would sometimes use this place to pregame Opium.
Pacho: Also right next to them, also same shit but I always picked Opium or Shoku
OTHER KNOWN CLUBS
Sutton: Wednesday spot. There is a guy who gets on top of the stage and plays his electric violin to EDM music. It's nuts. There are also a ton of concerts here. I got to see Hippie Sabotage in the front row. There's also fog machines… excuse me, fog cannons that shoot tiny shards of ice. Sounds painful but feels so nice.
Razzmatazz: Locals and chain smokers. Next to D9 and Ovella Negra. Each floor has a different vibe and music with this huge smokers deck inside. It's BCN’s answer to Kapital in Madrid. Multiple floors and if you are sober you get lost, let alone when you’re smashed. It’s nearly impossible to find out how to leave this place. Like a Catalan Hotel California, you pay a lot to get in, and you can never leave. 17 euro cover always, no promoters. Sometimes there is a 1-euro deal on Wednesdays with Aashi. Kind of rough area. Ladies: don't wear heels here.
CLOSING REMARKS
A big thank you to if you have made it this far. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have anything to add from your travels or need help planning your next trip. Check out my Instagram (@gtinzz) for the full highlight reel of pictures and videos.
Best of luck,
Georgia :)
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