Everybody Was Wrong About Barcelona: Tips for Enjoying Your First Visit
For years, I felt ambivalent about visiting Barcelona.
Fellow travel bloggers didn't seem that into it. Friends told me they weren't all that impressed. And then there was also the constant “you'll get robbed” warning that came up ANY time I heard or read anything about the city.
Barcelona seemed daunting and not that appealing; I was in no rush to visit for years.
But then suddenly I found myself with nearly two weeks of free time to spend in Spain.
I honestly contemplated skipping Barcelona altogether and splitting my time between Seville, Granada, and Cordoba in the south instead. But the draw of Gaudi architecture and cheaper flights between Bucharest (where I'd be flying from) and Barcelona than anywhere else swayed me. I decided to spend a couple days in Barcelona after all.
And I'm SO FREAKING GLAD I did.
Because, as it turns out, everybody was wrong about Barcelona.
Yes, Barcelona is a large city. Yes, there are some very touristy parts. And yes, like in any large city, tourists are often targets for pickpockets and scam artists. But, honestly? I didn't once feel unsafe in Barcelona – and the touristy parts didn't really turn me off at all.
In fact, I LOVED Barcelona.
Though, as I found out as soon as I started professing my love for Barcelona on social media, apparently I'm not alone. Clearly I was just talking/listening to the wrong “everybody”s before.
After spending a total of 4 days in Barcelona, I brainstormed some theories about what contributed to me liking Barcelona so much.
And here are some tips I came up with to ensure that you, too, love your first visit to Barcelona.
Tips for visiting Barcelona, Spain (and actually loving it)
1. Go at the right time of year
I went to Barcelona in late April/early May – before the tourists crowds and summer heat really set in. The weather was warm but not too hot like it can be mid-summer. And there WERE some lines at the major tourist attractions, but once inside things didn't feel too crowded.
I think the time of year definitely can make a difference when it comes to visiting Barcelona and enjoying it. Generally the shoulder seasons in Barcelona are April-early June and September-October, when you'll find comfortable temperatures and fewer tourists.
2. Mix touristy with less-touristy adventures
I couldn't go to Barcelona and NOT see the Sagrada Familia or Barri Gotic or Park Guell, and wouldn't recommend that you skip them, either. The “top sites” in Barcelona really are recommended for a reason – they're all pretty awesome (especially the Gaudi architecture).
But if you JUST focus on Gaudi houses and La Rambla, I guarantee that you'll get overloaded on tourist crowds.
Barcelona isn't a place where you're ever going to get completely away from people, but there definitely are places you can go that are less touristy.
For example:
- Instead of eating along touristy (and expensive) Passeig de Gracia, head one parallel street over to Rambla de Catalunya. It's actually the upper part of La Rambla and has the same wide pedestrian section filled with tapas places in the middle, but it's way less crowded and the prices are much more reasonable.
- After you've had your fill of jam-packed Barri Gotic, head to the nearby El Born neighborhood. It has the same narrow streets and Barcelona character, but you'll find few tourists wandering around.
- Take a walk to the beach via the Barceloneta neighborhood. This beachy part of town feels completely different than the center of the city!
3. Get a transport card
On my first day in Barcelona, I bought an Hola BCN! card from a metro station, which covers unlimited rides on all public transport in Barcelona (metro, bus, tram, regional train – even the metro from the airport!). You can buy these cards for either 2, 3, 4, or 5 consecutive days and then never have to worry about paying for public transport.
If you plan to travel a lot around Barcelona, this will likely save you money! Plus, it means never having to pull out your wallet in a metro station.
4. Stay in a good location
I'm definitely of the belief that good accommodation in a good neighborhood can make or break an experience in a new city. I was lucky enough to have some great accommodations in a nice Barcelona neighborhood. I stayed in an apartment rental in the Eixample neighborhood – close enough to everything, but away from all the crowds.
The apartment had a great terrace with a view out over Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and was within a 5-minute walk from a metro stop and quite a few restaurants/cafes.
Other good neighborhoods in Barcelona include El Born, Gràcia, and El Raval.
5. Book things in advance
Even though I visited before the start of high season in Barcelona, I still discovered that most of the popular sites (like Sagrada Familia and basically all the other Gaudi sites) were extremely busy at all times of day.
Just like everywhere else these days, you need to pre-book tickets for all the top sites online. Sometimes well, well in advance.
6. Build in time to wander
Lastly, allow yourself some time to just wander in Barcelona.
I made very few plans before arriving, meaning I could be slightly more spontaneous. (It also meant I could keep circling back to my favorite Gaudi buildings to take way too many photos, but that's beside the point.)
Barcelona is a big city, and it's MUCH more than just Barri Gotic and Passeig de Gracia. I think it's much more enjoyable when you do a little further wandering.
Like I said earlier, I ended up LOVING Barcelona. It's a city I will definitely go back to again, and hopefully enjoy just as much a second time around.
Everybody that told me it was “meh” and dangerous was wrong. I found it to be a beautiful city – and I didn't feel like it was any more dangerous than any other large city I've been to in Europe.
But, of course, you probably shouldn't listen to me, either. Instead, go to Barcelona and see for yourself!
What's YOUR take on Barcelona? Love it? Hate it? Never been?
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Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
I visited Barcelona for the first time in May too. I was there for the second week of the month and had many of the experiences you described above. It truly is a wonderful city and I fell in love with it too!
Glad to hear it, Jodie! It’s such a beautiful city.
I never really thought about Barcelona…it has not managed to fall in my bucket-list, but what I see and read here is amazing! The city looks so colorful and pretty! Love your cute little terrace..I’m sure you had a great time blogging from that lovely corner!
I didn’t want to leave that terrace! It was such a nice spot to have a coffee and check emails in the morning. 🙂
And yes, I thought Barcelona was beautiful!
I keep hearing the same things about Rome & Naples: crowded, touristy, and overrun with pickpockets. I’m headed there anyway in a few weeks. I hope I am as pleasantly surprised as you were in Barcelona (which looks beautiful, btw).
I can’t say anything about Naples since I haven’t been there, but I think Rome is one of those must-visit places in Europe, regardless of how touristy parts of it can be. Just be aware of your things and you’ll be fine!
Yes! I wholeheartedly agree. I LOVE Barcelona. I have been twice and the first time was meh (10 years ago). But, I wanted to give it a second try and I just went back in January 2015 and absolutely fell in love. In fact, I could even see myself living there someday. It’s totally my kind of city!
I feel like maybe the city has changed in the past few years. I absolutely loved it, too and will definitely be going back!
I was in Barcelona in January, and it was fabulous! I found great ice cream, a sweet Armenian restaurant and cool alleyways that were fun to explore.
Glad you had the time to check it out too!
Awesome, glad to hear you enjoyed it so much!
Really good information! I’m heading to Barcelona this fall (November) for work and, while I’m looking forward to visiting for the first time, I’ve also heard not so great things. I guess that’s why I haven’t visited yet despite multiple trips to other parts of Spain. I agree that it will be much nicer during the off season like most of Europe, and look forward to following some of your advice to make the most out of my time there!
The off-season will definitely be better – hopefully some of these tips prove useful for you! I’ll be interested to see what you think – Barcelona has a bit of a reputation in Europe, but I think either it’s changed, or that rumor has just been going around for so long that everyone believes it.
Have been several times and Barca is probably my favorite city in the world, because of the fantastic mix of food, culture, architecture, weather, beaches, etc. Like any great city, there are reasons why there are so many tourists. Because it’s an amazing place! I live in Santa Monica, California and I love to inhabit a place where people from all over the world come to vacation.
Yes, touristy places are usually so touristy for a (good) reason!
I’m not a big fan of Barcelona to be honest! My first visit there, back in 2005, was a disaster for couple of reasons but I still gave it a second chance and this time it was better. But still I prefer other places in Spain. Barcelona is definitely beautiful but too many tourists around kind of ruin it for me
To each their own, Kami! At least you gave it a second try. 🙂
We are just wrapping up our family’s eight month trip around the world and we stayed in Barcelona in March. We LOVED Barcelona. It’s so beautiful and really doesn’t feel that large. It was a lovely oasis, with it’s parrots and palm trees, after chilly Paris and Prague. I never felt worried about pick pockets, they’re everywhere, in most cities (like Paris and Prague, Rome etc.) So glad you loved it and wrote this post. It’s a beautiful city and I loved seeing your photos. We plan to be back as soon as the Sagrada Familia is finished. 🙂
Glad to hear you loved it, too! And yes, I agree that I felt like the “danger factor” was on par with like Paris or Rome. Bottom line: be aware and pay attention in ANY big city in Europe.
As for going back when the Sagrada Familia is finished… haha, you might be waiting a while!
I haven’t been to Barcelona yet, but I’m going to Spain in the fall and I’m debating on whether or not I should go to Barcelona (only there for a week, and I fly in and out of Madrid). This is definitely pushing me toward the go to Barcelona side, personally I’ve always thought the city looked pretty cool.
If you think you’ll have time, I would say go for it! Maybe split your time between Barcelona and Madrid. You can take the train between the two – the high-speed AVE should get you there in a couple hours!
I haven’t been to Barcelona, but I highly recommend the south of Spain if you’re trying to decide. I love the charming white villages (Ronda and others) in the south and if this is your only trip to Spain, it’s a travesty to miss the Alhambra in Granada (stay in the Moorish section if you do make it there.) There is also a wonderful day trip to beautiful, medieval Toledo, which isn’t far from Madrid. I’ve been to Spain twice. Studied in Salamanca for a summer in college, long ago. Seville is my favorite city in that country (so far.) I do need to visit Barcelona though. I’d love to see Gaudi’s architecture. I had a friend who was robbed there, but I won’t let that stop me. Have fun wherever you go!
Don’t worry – I went to southern Spain, too! Spent 4 days in Seville and also visited Granada and the Alhambra. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the Barcelona love! I love Barcelona too! Great tips to go in the off-season. We went for Thanksgiving, stayed in an apartment, and felt like we had the city to ourselves. One thing that really surprised me was the food! I didn’t expect to love the food so much! Glad you mentioned El Born, great neighborhood! I didn’t realize either that you could book timed tickets ahead of time. Great advice!
I think the off-season really is the way to go!
Funny, most people I read all love Barcelona!
We went just for one night pre-cruise a couple of years ago with a fairly open mind to it and absolutely loved the little that we saw!
Dying to get back there for a proper visit as we only really got to experience La Rambla (and some of the little streets around it) plus the marina area.
You’ll definitely have to go back someday, Penny!
I’ve been to Barcelona twice now, and because it’s such a large and diverse city, I managed to come away with different experiences and memories each time. It’s definitely one of my favourite European cities 🙂 I must admit, I wasn’t aware you can purchase timed tickets online. What a great idea!
It will probably rank up there are one of my favorite cities in Europe now, too – totally not what I was expecting! And yes, the timed tickets are genius!
I took my first trip to Barcelona last April and I absolutely LOVED it. Those other “everybodys” were terribly mistaken! Lol
Haha, maybe the key is going in April!
I almost had the opposite experience! I visited before I started blogging, and all of my friends and acquaintences seemed to love the city! Sadly, I just found it “okay.” That said, it was the last stop in a super whirlwind trip and I was exhausted, so I should probably give the city another go!
Aww well you should probably give it another chance! (Though, there’s of course nothing wrong with not liking a city that others love – it’s happened to me before!)