Do’s and Don’ts for visiting Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the most popular city destinations in Europe.  There are several reasons for that factor: the exquisite Mediterranean cuisines, wine, the culture, the fantastic nightlife, the warm climate, the list is endless.   The city is not flawless and with everywhere in the world, you need to follow certain protocols in order to avoid falling into the tourist traps.

I’ve formed a fun list of solutions to ensure that you have a fantastic time when you visit the city.  As well as things to avoid ensuring that you relish Barcelona the way every tourist should on their vacation.

Las Ramblas

Three things to Do

•  Ensure that you reserve your accommodation in advance.  During the months of February, there are conferences such as Mobile conferences which hotels charge up to ten times the normal rate.  There is an abundance of hotels in the city, so you’ll be spoilt for choice, the key thing is to make sure that you are not arriving during a peak season period.
• Take caution and do not become one of the thousands of victims to pickpockets.  Ensure that if anyone asks you for directions you make it clear that you don’t know the answer.  Also, when getting on the metro ensure that if someone is blocking the doors, you get on another carriage or wait for another metro.  They run frequently, therefore missing one will cause a five-minute deal at best.
• Barcelona houses the finest cuisines and wines especially Cava in Spain.  Therefore, do not be afraid to try something new, most of the food is served as tapas.  This means small portions which can be shared and are a great way of sampling different types of cuisines.

La Perdrera at Night

Three things to avoid

• Book a flight which involves arriving at Girona and believing that this is in the heart of Barcelona.  There are frequent bus rides from the airport, with the growing number of low-cost flights into the airport.  The important thing is to check which airport you will be arriving at, so that you‘re prepared if you arrive at Girona.
• Shopping in the large mall.  Barcelona has a vast number of boutiques on smaller streets outside of the main city streets.  You can pick up clothes and better prices if you shop around, especially in the main touristic areas such as on Las Ramblas.
• Walking the streets holding a bottle of beer or wine.  The police will fine you if you are openly walking the streets holding alcohol.  The fine can be as much as six hundred euros for non-residents.
  

  Camp Nou at Night