We tell you all you need to know on how to visit Barcelona with a small budget and have the best time ever in this great city.
The city of Barcelona is one of the most popular cities to visit in Europe. However, with popularity comes increased prices from coffees to hotels. The average price for a 4-star hotel could be as much as 200 Euros at peak times. So, how can you visit Barcelona with a small budget and spend as little as possible and enjoy the city? In this article, we will give some practical tips on saving money when traveling to this unique city.
Saving money is about knowledge. If you know how and where you can get your accommodation and meals as cheap as possible, you can start saving cash straight away. Most travelers that are on a tight budget will be prepared to have less, to save money. This means cheaper accommodation and eating out for less. Furthermore, planning what attractions you want to see in advance will help you plan how much you will spend, rather than turning up and paying at the door more than you expected.
Plan And Book Everything Well In Advance To Save Money
Booking flights well in advance will almost certainly get you the best prices. European travelers can get some great prices on budget airlines by booking more than 3 months ahead of departure. The same applies to hotels and accommodation, book these a few months before you intend to arrive in Barcelona. At this stage, the best thing you could do is research and even more research! Use the internet and check everything, flights, hotels, and weekend packages to see how each compares in price.
The best option for choosing an area to stay in Barcelona is around the La Rambla, Gothic Quarter or Placa Catalyuna. However, being in the heart of the city can be pricier, During many years of traveling to great cities, I have developed the “5 stop metro” formula to save money on hotels. This means looking at an area around 5 metro stops away from the city center, and selecting a hotel in this area.
The reason behind this thinking is that hotels are much cheaper a few stops away on the metro than in the main area of the city. Ideally, you would need a hotel very close to a metro station, with a direct line (no changing) straight in to the heart of the city’s main area. This could save you around 50 euros a night for a similar quality hotel compared to one on La Rambla or the Gothic Quarter.
If a hotel might be over budget, you could choose one of Barcelona’s many hostels. The cheapest hostels are with shared dorms and shared bathrooms. A better option would be a private room with a shared bathroom, this option is worth exploring. However, there are still many basic hostels cheap in price that offer rooms with private bathrooms. Again, it comes down to research and planning to find the best quality hostels at the lowest rates.
Try To Include Free Sights And Attractions To Visit In Barcelona
Barcelona has some great attractions to visit, unfortunately many of these can be costly to visit. The good news is, Barcelona also has some fantastic sights and attractions that are completely free to visit. Try to think ahead of which of Barcelona paid attractions you really want to visit. Take note of the entrance cost of each attraction and make a short list based on your budget. After visiting the paid attractions, use the rest of the time to visit some free sights in the city.
At first, it may be difficult to think of free tourist attractions in Barcelona. However, these free attractions are everywhere around the city and many are just as fun to visit as the paid ones. Such examples are Barceloneta Beach, just a few minutes walk from the Gothic Quarter. Just up from Barceloneta Beach, you will find the Ciudatella Park. This historic park features a large boating lake and fountains designed by Gaudí.
One of the most enjoyable of the free places to visit in Barcelona is the historic Gothic Quarter. Here you can explore narrow medieval streets and view the city’s Roman Wall and iconic cathedral. Close to the Gothic Quarter is La Rambla with its vibrant feel and street acrobats and entertainers. It is along La Rambla that you can enter La Boqueria market, a historic market popular with visitors to Barcelona.
Choose Where You Can Eat Out At A Reasonable Price
The first thing to do when you want to eat out in Barcelona is to stay away from tourist areas. Large squares, busy streets and crowded alleys will all be pricier to eat out. Try some popular restaurants and tapas bars around more residential areas where the locals live. These will be considerably cheaper, however always make sure you have checked prices before ordering.
A cheap option for the younger crown is the usual fast food restaurants. KFC, McDonald’s and Burger King all have apps full of offers. You can download these from Google Playstore, make sure you get the Spanish versions for use in Spain. Using these apps, you can get such offers as a Big Mac and small fries for just 2.50 Euros and combo menus for two people. The offers vary, but are perfect to eat out at the lowest price possible. If you are in a group of 3–5 people, a family pizza from Telepizza could be a cheap option, and they also deliver.
If You Plan To Travel Around The City, Get A Travel Card
If you plan to move around the city, we highly recommend you get a Hola Barcelona travel card. You can select the number of days that you will need the travel card for unlimited travel. This includes free travel on the metro, buses, trains, and trams and even includes getting to the airport. If you only plan to go in and out of the center, it may not be worth getting. However, if you plan to travel around Barcelona a lot, this is a must-have option.
