The Best Barcelona Travel Tips From Our Readers

Before you get on the elevator up the Sagrada Familia, you should know: the only way down is the stairs. This time on Hack Your City, we got your tips on Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, Spain. There’s some disagreement over just how tourist-friendly the area is; like many popular destinations, there’s some pushback from the locals. So behave respectfully and learn some phrases in Catalan (not Spanish) ” speaking the language charms locals everywhere. Now let’s look at the best tips of the week.

Eat and Drink

• “If you’re there over a whole weekend, start thinking about your Sunday now! Especially, where you’re going to eat. The Catalans have managed to preserve the idea of Sunday as a day to spend with your family so outside of the main museums, the town is closed all day. If a restaurant takes bookings, it’s probably already booked out! And if it doesn’t, you can expect to queue.” ” PooJavelin

• “Rekons Urgell has really really great empanadas, and lots of different varieties.” ” bartoloscopy

• “Get some good chocolate churros. La Pallaresa Xocolateria Xurreria is very good.” ” M-B

• “I found a place in the old town called Spritz that just makes Aperol spritz cocktails to go. Not authentic Catalan cocktails by any means, but delicious nonetheless.” ” HappyInParaguay

• “Be prepared to have lunch at 3pm and dinner at 10pm. Portions are immense and Catalans really take time to enjoy where they are. You can enjoy shopping until 9pm or even 10pm in some places.” ” ted92

• “Get tapas at Bar jai-ca in Barceloneta, then walk around the block and get anything from the bakery Forn Balboa. Maybe the best croissant i have ever had.” ” axleisms

See and Do

• “If you really want that European “˜superclub’ experience, hit up Razzmatazz. This place is more like a compound than a club, spread over five huge rooms that cater to different genres of music. They also bring in really awesome feature artists. But, fair warning: the doors don’t open until after 2am. and things didn’t even get busy until after 3am.” ” MustardTiger

• “Sagrada Familia is worth it, but be warned the elevators in the steeples only take passengers up. Be prepared for a lot of stone stairs on the way down.” ” HappyInParaguay

• “While the Bunkers offer breathtaking 360 views, try the hill at Turó del Carmel. Views are the same or even better, and it’s just a fifteen minutes walk from the Bunkers but unknown to tourists and locals: you will probably be completely alone.” ” casanovaeduard

• “There’s a thriving English language comedy scene. Check out Hush Hush Comedy‘s (generally) twice monthly shows featuring local and touring comedians. And there are other shows and open mics, too.” ” JordanBeck

• “Make sure you buy your adult beverages at the convenience store close by Barceloneta Beach, as it is much cheaper than buying it at the beach restaurants.” ” ATLien18

• “Underrated? The Museum of Modern Art. No one goes and it’s insanely beautiful.” ” serrini

• “Park Güell entry is free after dusk, wait until the evening and save some money. Also bring your hiking shoes and trek up the hill behind the park for some gorgeous views of the city.” ” FloridaMan

• “If you’re in any way photographically inclined, hook yourself up with Foto Ruta; I got a Getty-published guide who took me through the city to places I never would have gone alone, and saw things that absolutely set my shot(s) apart from any I’ve taken before or since. In fact, I have some of those shots hanging in my house I’m so proud of them.” ” brianjgeraghty

• “I love the archaeology museum. Not a lot in English, but some great artifacts and easy to get by if you know Spanish.” ” MoonJewel

• “Monument to Columbus, 60m tall, probably the best panoramic view in the city. Costs about $9. And it’s not very popular (comparatively), which means that you’re going to get great photos and nobody will be in your way.” ” mfusion

• Ride Medieval Landscapes. We rode horses through the Spanish countryside to different medieval towns. Did it with no prior horseback experience. David, the host, was super knowledgable and patient and a great cook. The day trip includes a bus ride, pickup from the station, and lunch after the ride. It was an amazing experience & his manor was beautiful. Relaxing by the pool with lunch after the ride was the perfect way to top it off.” ” LP22

• “Go to the Picasso museum in the Gothic quarter and then go to the nearby Cat Bar for good beer and vegan food.” ” overthejamesnj

• “There’s a cactus garden in Mont Juïc; how high do you have to be to propose funding for a garden exclusively dedicated to cacti?” ” Barkcelona

Get Around

• “Renting a scooter from vesping.com with a preprogrammed GPS that had multiple tours of the city ” e.g. the Gaudi tour, the beach tour, the mountain tour. We originally had it for just a few hours, but we called back and rented it for the whole day because we were having so much fun. It was far more enjoyable than a tourist bus.” ” Philabeemer

• “As an American, if you want to rent a car or a scooter, you need an international driving permit. AAA will sell you one. Some rental places won’t require you to have it, but if you get pulled over, the cops will. Cooltra is another great scooter rental company. I rented a Peugeot 150 and rode it around the city on my own for a few hours. Had a blast.” ” sinisterblogger

• “Locals hate Airbnbs. If you stay in one, don’t broadcast, and certainly don’t sell out your host to their neighbours by being loud, obnoxious, and disrespectful.” ” Barkcelona

• “The pickpockets were absolutely laughable to us. Perhaps it’s because we’ve travelled a bit, but they were completely inept and obvious ” even my 15yo could see them a mile away. Perhaps it’s cause they were drunk more often than not. Be careful mostly around Pl. Catalunya and those subway stops. They’re definitely PRESENT, they exist, they try. They just suck.” ” AllenaT

Get Out of Town

• “Dalí spent his last ten years personally curating [the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres], so it’s much, much more than your standard museum.” ” Samantha

• “Take the high speed train about 30 min to Girona, $US12.50 ($17) one way. Best to go during the week when there are more commuter trains. Girona is a great historical town that has a much more laid back feel than Barcelona. Lots of medieval architecture; it’s easy to wander in the Old Quarter and feel like you are in a completely different time period. There is a medieval wall that surrounds the old town that you can walk around with spectacular views. Bonus: Many famous scenes from Game Of Thrones were filmed in Girona.” ” LDec

• “Visit one of the many beaches on the coast. Even though you can go to the beach in the city itself, there’s so many other ones to choose from that are not only super accessible by train, but give you a chance to see some cool resort towns. My personal recommendation would be Stiges.” ” MustardTiger

That’s it for Barcelona! Read more tips in the original thread or leave your own tips below.