Barcelona City Survival Guide
Mobile World Congress, 2018
Ah, Barcelona! It’s true we have the sun, the sea, the mountains, great weather and world class events like Mobile World Congress, Cine Europe, Barcelona Video Tech and an unbelievable number of start-up conferences.
This guide, updated in February 2023, will help you make the most of your visit to the city whether you are coming here for a trade fair or event, or just visiting for fun. It sums up our recommendations about planning your visit, navigating the city, staying sane and not getting ripped off. It's not a glitzy or trendy guide, merely a practical one. Here’s what we recommend.
Top Tips for Travel to & from the Airport
There’s the Aerobús of course…
Mostly everyone knows about the Aerobús, the airport bus that will will pick you up from El Prat Barcelona Airport (Terminals 1 and 2) and take you to the city center. It has five stops in total: Plaça Espanya, Gran Via-Urgell, Plaça Universidad, and finally Plaça Catalunya (it leaves you off in front of the department store, El Corte Inglés). It costs 5-6 € one way and about 10 € for a return. And yes, it´s a great deal, compared to travel costs in and out of airports like Heathrow, Gatwick or JFK.
But what if you are trying to get to the Fira?
A little further down from the Aerobus at the airport, is another set of bus stops, the last one of which is for Bus 46. It also connects the airport to the city center, and goes as far as Plaça España. This route has many more stops which just may be an advantage if your hotel or Airbnb is not in the middle of the main tourist areas. It costs just €2.20 (tap your debit/credit card to enter). As there are more stops on this route: it will leave you off directly in front of the Fira!
Have you noticed I did not mention taking a taxi or Uber? Uber does not operate in Spain. Taxi union very strong. Need I say more?
Get a travel pass
If you are going to be using the Metro and buses (which you should), you should buy the T-Casual ticket which is a single-person timed ticket for 10 journeys on any means of transport within the integrated system, for the number of zones purchased (maximum charge 6 zones). It is very convenient! The ticket machines are in multiple languages, so they are very easy to figure out. (No need to go for one of those tricky tourist ticket offers that set out to confuse you, just buy a T-Casual (and know that formerly it was called a T-10.) This save you lots on taxis and it will be a whole lot faster, too! More info here on the ATM website.
The Transport T-Casual card will further reduce your costs. By the way remember you CANNOT use the TMB card on the Aerobús. One note, you would have to go to Terminal 2, at the Renfe station, in order to buy a T-Casual at the airport. So I recommend taking the bus out of the airport first, and then finding a metro station to buy your T-Casual Card. You can also purchase through the app (see below), but then you have to go through the sign-up process.
And don’t forget the TMB Transport App
Look for:
TMB App (Metro Bus Barcelona) on the Apple App Store and Google Play. that´s easy to use, is available in English, and has super helpful features like “Where am I?” You can also follow-along the bus / metro route to see where you are exactly so you don’t get lost.
Coming on Vacation?
Barcelona is almost always crowded, especially in the city center around Plaça Catalunya and La Rambla, Barcelona's most famous promenade. Tourism more than quadrupled between 2010 and 2018, when there were 30 million visitors to the city. Even with less post-pandemic, that’s still quite a lot.
Plan your movements around the city
Located in the dead center of town, La Rambla is adjacent to the main central metro stop, Plaça Catalunya (Catalonia Square). You'll recognize Plaça Catalunya immediately because it's filled with pigeons and rip-off artists. Watch your pockets.
You can’t walk 2 meters down La Rambla without 10 people crossing your path. Note that if you are planning a holiday here, August is high season and unfortunately La Rambla is not what it once was some years ago. It was once very pleasant. Not so much anymore.
Of course, if you leave yourself some free time, you're going to want to visit all the famous sights, such as the Gaudí buildings, the Gothic Quarter, El Borne. Enjoy, just be aware that there are going to be plenty of people milling around, just like you.
Choose carefully where you stay
You might want to think twice about staying directly in the old city center. You might also think twice about choosing an older, cheaper hotel or unrenovated AirBNB. You might find yourself in the company of cockroaches the size of Canada. Hopefully that won´t happen to you.
The weather does vary - especially in winter
It is true that we enjoy, for the most part, the weather is really great in Barcelona. Our summers can be diabolically hot, though, and usually winter is fairly mild, too. But the winter weather can be quite variable.
During the 2018 Mobile World Congress it actually snowed. I talked to visitors who had brought shorts and had plans to go to the beach. It was grim!
Bring a mid-weight jacket from November to March. And for the reverse, be aware how absolutely brutal the heat can be in the midday during summer, from 12 to 5pm. (Note that most businesses close between 2 and 5pm partly for this reason, and partly so they can go have lunch themselves!)
Plan ahead for visiting touristic spots!
Sagrada Familia, Janet Greco 2015
Planning to visit La Sagrada Familia? Book it online first, else you'll be in line for three hours - especially in summer. Book ahead (go do it now) and pick the date and time you want to go. Simple! Also for Park Güell, Gaudi´s famous park, note that 2d maps don´t fully convey the 3d reality of the city. Park Güell sits upon a small mountain. Accessing it from the nearest metro (Vallcarca), you will find a hillside of escalators leading you up. But you still have to go walk even further. The park is huge. (Also, you have to pay to see the best bits.) So, go, it's great. Just don't go at 12 noon in the hot July sun or you will certainly fry and die if you’re not aware it is situated on top of a hill.
Get out of the city
If you are traveling from afar, try to leave yourself some time to properly visit the region. The comments here mostly relate to those coming for a vacation.
For a short excursion, and for only few bucks, in a conveniently comfortable air-conditioned bus, you can get to seaside towns like Sitges in about an hour. It’s home to the annual Sitges Film Festival, held every October in this lovely seaside town.
It’s got a very Mediterranean feel, a bit like the south of France. You can stroll around, have lunch, go to the beach, and then hop back on the bus to Barcelona. It makes a great day trip! The fare is around 5 Euros, and there are several bus stops within the city center. There are several other excursions you can do from that bus service, too.
Alternatively, Sant Cugat, is a nearby, classy suburb of Barcelona accessible by train from Plaça Catalunya in just 30 minutes.
Look for the "FGC" line (the Ferrocarrils de Catalunya - one of several distinct rail lines) and take any "S" train. In Sant Cugat you'll find a great Thursday morning market, tons of shopping and restaurants, and an amazing cathedral / monastery. Definitely less hustle and bustle there, and it is more green for sure than the center of the city. Don’t forget to buy a train ticket for 2 zones (and you can also use the T-Casual)!
You also have a number of other excursions as options. If you have a car one nice day trip is Vic (the Saturday market is amazing, it dates back to Medieval times, and so does the one in Sant Cugat).
For more extended excursions by car, I recommend anywhere in the La Garrotxa region, near Girona (and don´t misss Besalú). La Garrotxa is a 90 minute drive north of Barcelona. If you must, go visit the Salvador Dalí museum in Figueres which is nearby. But I'd recommend a better use of your time is a visit to the Costa Brava, for example, the seaside town of Tossa de Mar.
You can find a list of easy day-trips by car here. Other suggestions include the mystical mountain that is Montserrat or the funfair at Tibidabo which offers spectacular views taking in all of the city.
Eat your big meal of the day at lunchtime (like the locals)
Everyone in Catalonia eats lunch at 2pm – so get out of the Fira, take a walk, and use Google Maps to locate the nearest restaurants and see our restaurant list (below).
If you are looking for the best value keep a look out for restaurants that offer a menú del día (menu of the day). The menú del día is usually a three-course meal, and usually wine or beer will be included.
A typical menu at a normal restaurant is about 14-20 Euros, and you will eat very well. Bear in mind that the menú del día prices are much higher at the weekend and on holidays (that's just what they do here). You can check out our suggestions below, but you won’t find anything trendy on our list. (We are pretty sure you are going to find those places on your own!) If you are a foodie and are sucked in by all the blogs touting the latest spots, go for it and be sure to bring your expense account.
The list below covers some solid Catalan restaurants that offer a menú del día unless otherwise indicated.
The ultimate foodie experience – and alternatives
La Boqueria
If you are a foodie, you will almost certainly want to hit the food market, Mercat de la Boquería, located about half-way down La Rambla. It is a must-see spot for tourists (cue: pickpockets). Bring your camera, watch your wallet, and soak it all in. Eating there is not for the faint of heart especially if you are not Spanish-speaking. It will be very crowded and it won’t be cheap, but if you can manage to squeeze in, and overcome the language challenges, you will eat really, really, well here.
La Boqueria
Tip, for La Boquería, if you fancy one of those colorful fruit drinks you´ll see on ice as you enter, inside the market. Go a little bit further into the market, and you will find that they are actually cheaper there. They jack up the prices at the entrance!
For a better "Rambla" experience, you might want to check out La Rambla de Poble Nou - located on the other side of town, in the tech heart of the city. This Rambla has a more traditional and leisurely feel. There are a couple of really good restaurants here, too, like Minyam or Koh.
You can also head out to markets like Mercat del Ninot or Mercat de Sant Antoni for a less chaotic but no less excellent food experience (links are below).
The Restaurant List
Close to the Fira:
Salad Market - Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, at Plaça Cerdá, a 12 minute walk from the Fira in the direction of the city center, located at a large roundabout Plaça d’Ildefons Cerdà. Eat well for about 12 E.
Goiko - Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 129, located next to Salad Market (see directions above. Hamburger restaurant.
Aloha Poké - C. de Parcerisa, 48, also in the same location, about 12 minutes from the Fira.
By Metro: Barcelona City Center
Mercat de La Boquería - La Rambla (Metro Liceu) (No menú del día. Not for the faint of heart.)
Restaurante O'Tubo, Carrer del Comte d'Urgell, 148 (Metro Hospital Clinic) Menú del dia approx 14 E, weekends the price is higher
Restaurante El Cargolet, Carrer de la Diputació, 77 (Metro Urgell) Menú del dia approx 14 E, weekends the price is higher.
Amaltea, Carrer Diputació 164 (Vegetarian) (Metro Urgell) Menú del dia approx 14 E, weekends the price is higher-
La Bella Napoli, Carrer Vilarroel 102 (Metro Urgell) - authentic Italian pizzas
Pastisseria Cusachs, Carrer Bailén 223 (Bakery that serves paella on Thursdays! – 12.00 E menu) (Metro Joanic) Menú del dia approx 11.50 E, weekends the price is higher
La Macchina, 47 Carrer Escudellers (Pasta Bar) (Metro Drassanes) (about 12 E or less, all in, for a plate of pasta).
Can Kenji, Carrer Rosselló 325 (Japanese) (Metro Verdaguer)
Poble Nou District
Minyam, Carrer de Pujades, 187, 08005 Barcelona (Metro Poble Nou)
Koh, Carrer de Pujades, 133, 08005 Barcelona (Asian) (Metro Llacuna)
Sarría Sant Gervasi
Filipe on the move at Restaurant Sehari
Restaurant Sehari - Pg. de la Bonanova, 26, 08022 Barcelona (Filipe will hand you the menu, ask if you’re hungry, propose today’s best dishes (which you should agree to at once!), at which point he’ll swipe the menu back and you’ll eat very well! Excellent, totally classic Catalan restaurant.
Alternative Food Markets
Mercat del Ninot, Carrer de Mallorca, 133, 08036 Barcelona
Mercat Sant Antoni, Carrer Comte d'Urgell, 1, 08011 Barcelona
Costa Brava (by car)
Restaurante Santa Marta, Carrer Francesc Aromir, 2, 17320 Tossa de Mar, Girona
Restaurante Sehari
Enjoy your Visit to Barcelona
You may have noticed that our guide not 100% strictly business. Welcome to the Mediterranean! We hope you get something useful from these tips, have great success in all your business dealings, and have some fun too. This is how we roll here!
If you have some suggestions or note any errors, be sure to get in touch and let us know. We do our best to keep this guide updated.
Last Updated: February 2023