Barcelona was our first European city and it’s a great one to start with! The city is a top European hotspot and is full of everything! It has beautiful Spanish buildings, amazing streets, and delicious foods!
Whether you love the mountains, beaches, or cities, it’s got it all and should definitely be on your bucket list!
How we got there!
As part of our first European adventure, we didn’t have a lot of experience in the game, but we were able to snag round-trip tickets out of LA for $267. We, of course, had to get ourselves to LA but it was all part of our first big trip and we certainly carry its memories with us.
It was really this trip that helped us realize how inexpensive travel can be and how easy it can be to find these flights.
What we did!
We’ve learned a lot since our first trips. One of those is the importance of booking experiences in advance. We, unfortunately, missed out on some opportunities because of this.
We did a ton of walking and exploring and were able to see a lot of the city and what it has to offer. A couple of points of interest:
- La Sagrada Familia – A huge, amazing, and unfinished basilica. This huge temple has been under construction since 1882! It’s really cool to see and it’s a must if you’re in the city. Make sure to get tickets in advance or you’ll be like us and unable to go inside.
- Park Guell – Like many European cities, there is art everywhere. Barcelona is no different, and it’s filled with art from many famous artists. Park Guell is essentially a park of art by the famous sculptor Antoni Gaudi. It’s extremely unique and is worth the visit. It also gives you a great view of the city and ocean.
- Gothic Quarters – The gothic regions of Europe are always worth the visit! Barcelona is filled with gothic buildings and cathedrals. A short walk will put you on the steps of some incredible buildings!
- La Rambla – One of the most popular streets in Spain, La Rambla has everything. It’s a mixed pot of tourists and locals with food and vendors. The atmosphere is happy and vibrant and it’s a beautiful street to walk down!
- Camp Nou – The stadium of Barcelona FC. We weren’t able to go inside but it’s really cool to see. The soccer stadiums in Europe are huge! It’s worth a step out of town if you have the time to do so.
There’s so much to see and do in a large city like Barcelona. We weren’t as prepared as we should’ve been, but as I said above, we’ve learned a lot since our first trip to Europe.
Where we stayed!
I don’t know if we learned a lesson or not with this hotel, but it definitely hasn’t been at the top of our lists. The location is perfect and the building itself is actually really nice, but the walls were so thin. It didn’t help that there was construction right outside our window. If you’re looking for a good location for a good price, then check it out!
Transportation
We used a mix of buses, metros, and our feet. Everything is pretty walkable so that was our main mode. Second to that was the metro. We zipped all over the city and it made it super easy to get to some of the outskirts and points of interest.
Where we ate!
We’re a little behind on getting this updated, and we also now take much better notes, but there is delicious food everywhere! A lot of our food was found on La Rambla. It was close to the hotel and it has lots to offer!
We did find a hidden restaurant though that was amazing! Ziryab Fusion Tapas Bar is excellent! Tapas are small plates or appetizers and are famous in Spain. Ziryab is a great place for authentic Tapas and for a good feel of the Spanish atmosphere. Check it out if you’re there and looking for food.
Gluten-Free in Spain
Laynie wasn’t actually gluten-free when we went to Barcelona. Because of this, we have no experience with their food. Having been to many European cities, they’re great with gluten-free. They’re always very helpful and often have better options than you’d find in the U.S.
What we learned!
Even though Spain is Spanish, they don’t actually speak it as the main language in Barcelona. The city sits in the Catalonian region of Spain so they speak Catalonian. It was quite a surprise for us and we assumed Spanish would be spoken. Thankfully they do speak Spanish but it’s definitely an interesting twist.
Barcelona is an extremely popular and busy city. It’s humongous and always packed full of people.
There are lots of peddlers and scammers on the street so always keep your wits about and tell people no when they try to hand you stuff.
It is known as one of the skateboard capitals of the world.
It’s a great city with lots to do, so don’t overlook it on your next European adventure!