What should I do before going to Barcelona
For someone who is planning to visit Spain, Barcelona is a great place to start. It is also the most famous Spanish city. Before visiting, I definitely recommend watching a few Youtube videos on how to navigate the subway system. When my boyfriend and I spent 4 days there, it saved us a lot of time traveling back and forth from where we were staying and the places we wanted to visit. . It is a great, big city and it can get overwhelming so I also recommend ranking the things you definitely want to see because there is a high chance you may not be able to hit everything you want to during your time there. While you are ranking your top choices, do a quick Google search and find whether you can purchase tickets in advance. A lot of really popular attractions like the Sagrada Familia Cathedral and Park Guell sell out SUPER FAST. So think ahead and get those tickets as soon as possible.
Getting from the airport to your hotel/Airbnb
My boyfriend and I landed in Barcelona at midnight and planned to take an Uber or Bolt to our hotel, however there is a law in Barcelona and most cities in Europe that you must wait half an hour from attempting to order an Uber until you can actually get one. I am not sure why that’s the case, but my best guess is that it allows for Taxis to get more business. We weren’t able to get any rides because they also weren’t able to enter the airport. However, the great thing is that most cities in Europe offer an airport shuttle service that can cost between $5-$7. So we took the Airport bus to the closest stop to our hotel and ordered a Bolt from the stop to our hotel.
What did I do?
I had 3 days and nights in Barcelona, and unfortunately I did not take the time to properly research the things I really wanted to visit. I was there to enjoy my time with my boyfriend, but if I were to go back and change some things I definitely would’ve followed a few travel blogs to see some of the things available to see. That way I could have explored as much of the city as possible. On the first day, we headed to the beach to take a 2 hour long catamaran through the mediterranean ocean. On the walk from our hotel we were surprised to find that there was a protest happening that closed a majority of the roads. It was a beautiful sunny day and the catamaran was accompanied by a guitarist and saxophone player. Although I did get a little seasick, it was worth the $17.
Next to the bay is a mall beneath the famous Barcelona cable car. We walked the pier and found a few vendors selling little trinkets and bags. I went into the mall to take out some cash and bought myself a nice purse. We did a little window shopping and made our way into the Gothic quarters and took a few pictures of the cathedrals. We also stumbled through numerous art and vintage stores. Grabbed a quick lunch and took the subway to the Sagrada Familia. It was sold out for the day so we decided to end the day there and head home to purchase tickets for the next available time.
The second day was to our dismay very rainy. So we took a rain drenched walk to the Gothic Quarters and entered a few cathedrals that offered student discounts. We also purchased tickets to a Moma modern museum and Picasso museum to escape the rain. When the rain settled we got Paella at a local restaurant and headed back for a much needed siesta.
The day after, we attempted to enter Park Guell and after walking up a very steep hill we found that the park was closed for the entire day because tickets were sold out. We took our losses and walked back toward our hotel and got some sushi! While studying abroad in Sevilla was great, the Asian food selection was not the best. But the asian food in Barcelona was soooo good. We walked a little bit away and took the subway back to our hotel to recharge before we made the trek to the Sagrada familia and took a tour.
Overall, great city. I definitely want to go back to visit with a week or two. There are also some cities near Barcelona worth checking out. The Sagrada Familia cathedral is expected to be done in a few years so maybe I'll go and visit then!