Barcelona is amazing, but it’s also slammed with tourists, and those tourists do plenty of things that they really shouldn’t, like getting trapped in the ultra-touristy part of the city or obsessing about getting into some famous restaurants or thinking they can just queue up and buy a ticket for the Sagrada Familia. Oh no! But look, we get it. How would you know all this? Well, that’s where we got your back. We’re gonna give you the inside track on how to visit the city.
Today we’re gonna tell you 7 things that you shouldn’t do in Barcelona, some special tips for avoiding scams, plus we’re going to give you local transport tips, three non-touristy neighborhoods you need to visit, and an incredible restaurant recommendation. So you can visit Barcelona more like a local and less like a tourist.
Mistake 1: Don’t show up without tickets
The Sagrada Familia and the Park Güell are the two Barcelona attractions where you shouldn’t show up without a ticket booked in advance. Both attractions only allow access at pre-designated time slots.
The number of visitors is so large that the ticket office usually will have tickets for a time slot of 5 hours. Later, if it has any tickets for that day at all. Avoid the frustration of not getting to know two extraordinary places in Barcelona and book your tickets for the Sagrada family and the Park Güell in advance.
Note this thing: You should book the tickets a couple of weeks before for a hassle-free trip to Sagrada Familia.
Mistake 2: Don’t take taxis (Usually)
You’re here in Barcelona to experience and see the city, and the best way to do that is by walking. But if you don’t want to walk, you’ve got the metro and public transportation, and that’s super cheap and easy to get around.
It’s not that you shouldn’t ever take a taxi; in fact, we would probably recommend it a lot of times when you’re trying to get to places like a park. Well, that is a little bit further away.
Pro tip: When you’re here, there are specific Metro tickets that you need to know about. The best price to save money is what they call the “te casual“, for €2.40 for 10 rides. But the problem is you can only use it for one person; you can’t share it amongst your group. So if you do want to share, go for the family card, and you get eight rides for €10.
Mistake 3: Don’t get trapped in the Gothic Quarter
The Gothic Quarter is a must-visit; it’s full of mysterious winding medieval streets and hidden secrets. The Viceroy’s Palace, which is a 16th-century building, was built with stones from the old Jewish tombs that were found over at Montjuic from the cemetery. So you’ve got things like the Hebrew inscriptions here.
But just like the nearby historic Born neighborhood, too many tourists get stuck in this part of the city and never explore further afield.
So here are three less-visited neighborhoods you should check out in addition to the Gothic Quarter and the Born. First, you’ve got “Gracia“, which is just a 25-minute walk from the city center. It’s like its own little village within the city with laid-back rhythms and beautiful plazas. “El Poblenou”, which is just up the beach and is now becoming the tech and startup headquarters, but it still maintains its local vibes. Finally, “San Antonio“, which has a beautiful turn-of-the-century market and lots of great places to eat.
Mistake 4: Don’t forget you’re in Catalonia
There are so many different cultural traditions here. So the first thing is, to try to learn some basic Catalan language that will help you to explore like a local.
Please = Si us plau
Thank you = Gracies
The second one is to make sure you get to all the different festivals throughout the year. You can check out the August festival in the Gracia neighborhood.
The third is to try the local cuisine. Make sure that you get and try out maybe Escalivada, which is an amazing dish. It’s smoked vegetables, eggplant, red pepper, and onion grilled and usually served cold, sometimes with some goat.
Mistake 5: Visiting only La Boquería
La Boquería is Barcelona’s most famous market. The problem is that it stopped being a true local market many, many years ago. Overtourism transformed its character and kept locals away from it. Most stalls you will see at the market’s entrance and most bars are there for you, the tourist.
We are not saying you should not visit La Boquería, but if you like real markets where locals do their shopping, there are many in Barcelona, and some are truly pretty. You don’t have to leave the historic center to find the “Mercat de Santa Catarina” and the wonderful “Mercat de Sant Antoni“.
Mistake 6: Don’t miss a bodega wine experience
Our suggested destination is “La Vinoteca de Sant Antoni“. A bodega or wine shop was the place you went to fill up your wine bottles from the barrel and while you were waiting sip on a glass of the good stuff. That tradition is still alive and well in Catalonia with many wine shops having a tasting space, where you can order glasses of local wines and nibbles.
Tip: Buy cheap and cheerful “Barrel wine” at a bodega. At many Barcelona wine shops, you can still fill up your wine from the proverbial barrel. Bring any container and you’ll get a liter of wine for only a few Euros.
Mistake 7: Don’t fret the famous restaurants
Our suggested restaurant is “Maleducat“. This is not yet one of Barcelona’s famous restaurants. But this is a great alternative to exploring who the up-and-coming chefs are in the smaller neighborhoods. It’s a chef-owned and run restaurant.
Sometimes those big reservations are a little bit stressful, and there’s a lot of pressure on you to enjoy them. You can book your dining here, but remember to book at least 1 week before.
Mistake 8: Not spending enough time in Barcelona
The more days, the better. In addition to being a city with a lot of content, it has an incredible series of day trips, such as Girona, Montserrat, Tarragona, and Sitges. And to visit all these places you need time.
Mistake 9: Thinking Barcelona is always warm
Barcelona enjoys a Mediterranean climate and doesn’t suffer the extreme temperatures typical of the interior of Spain. During the summer months, it can get quite hot and humid, but snow is a rare event in winter.
However, you will be mistaken to think it’s never cold in Barcelona. Temperatures under 10 degrees Celsius are not rare during the winter months.
Mistake 10: Renting a car
Renting a car to drive around Barcelona is a huge mistake. You will have to study the traffic restrictions for private vehicles to understand where you can drive without being fined, you’ll have to leave your car in a paid car park that won’t be very cheap, and you may spend part of your holidays in endless traffic jams.
As we mentioned earlier, Barcelona’s public transport is excellent, but if you prefer the comfort of a private car, use taxis; it will be faster, more comfortable, and cheaper compared to a rented car.
Mistake 11: Eating at Las Ramblas
Most cities have their tourist traps. In Madrid, it’s the Plaza Mayor; in Barcelona, it’s the Ramblas. Eating at Las Ramblas is a huge mistake. You will get food of inferior quality and hugely inflated prices. For the price of a mediocre meal at Las Ramblas, you can eat at the wonderful “Fonda Espana” a few meters away.
Mistake 12: Throwing transport ticket away
Barcelona is one of the few large cities in Spain where paper tickets are still used to pay for public transport. The situation will change soon, but at the time being, paper tickets are still being used. When you use up the ticket, there’s nothing to do with it but throw it in the bin.
It’s just that some people do that before leaving the Metro station or getting off the bus, and if an inspector asks for your ticket after you’ve thrown it in the bin, it won’t do any good to cry; you’ll get a fine. So don’t throw the ticket away until you have left the metro station or got off the bus.
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