Don’t do this in Barcelona! Mistakes tourists make.
(Do Something Else Instead)
Hello travelers! How are you?
If you are coming to Barcelona for the first time, or not…
Well, there are things you will probably do, that you shouldn’t do. In order to save money or just to do things properly as a local would do, so pay attention to the following things, DON’T DO THEM, DO SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD:
And subscribe to my Youtube channel, this is something that in fact YOU HAVE TO DO. LET’S GO!
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Do not eat at Ramblas or Passeig de Gracia.
These 2 streets are super charming, I’m sure you would feel like stopping the pace here, sitting down, enjoying a glass of wine, but this is not the place, guys. THIS IS GONNA BE TWICE OR THREE TIMES THE PRICE you would pay if you go somewhere else. Is it worthy? Well up to you. But instead you can go for lunch or dinner or something to drink to other areas nearby. Download my Barcelona Offline Travel Guide App and check what to eat in each neighbourhood, what dishes to try and which are the best bars. Also skip the international food chains and try tiny local places.
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Do not eat at these restaurants
If you are hungry, if you are in a hurry, you just want to eat, skip these places where you can see “pictures of what you are going to eat”. These places are not the best option at all. Again, check my Barcelona Offline Travel Guide App, and try a good local place.
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Do not go to a restaurant without making a reservation
In Barcelona, most good restaurants work by reservation. So do not show up without one. Once you know where to eat, I would recommend you to call them and make a reservation. Sometimes they will say, we don’t take reservations, you just have to show up. If this is the case, then go early, if not, book a slot.
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Do not queue in Barcelona
GUYS, STOP QUEUING. This is something from the past. Just go online, pick a date, pick a time and pay with credit card. Also, DO NOT BUY YOUR TICKETS AT RANDOM WEBSITES, make sure you are buying at the official websites or through my website ok? If you buy in other websites, maybe they are scams, or if they aren’t, prices would be a bit more expensive. In my website, you will buy at the exact same price, I just earn a commission from every purchase, that the owner of the attraction pays to me, not you travelers 🙂
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Do not get around in Barcelona by car
It’s so uncomfortable, there’s a lot of traffic jam, there are no free parkings, you can’t enter the old city, don’t do this. Use public transportation, it works perfectly and it’s super easy, believe me. Help yourself with Google Maps. The buses are very easy to use, as they show you the stops in the screens. And for the metro, here you got Download Barcelona Metro Map
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Do not use the touristic bus on short stays
If you are in Barcelona for just 1 day or even 2, the hop on hop off bus tour goes slow, it’s like going by car and there’s traffic jam. If you come for a day, you will see everything from the bus, you will not have time to get off. If you get off, you will miss a lot of things from the bus. So I would do it, in case I have more days to explore, like seeing everything from the bus to have an idea of what Barcelona looks like, and having some days to explore all the things that I want to see. Also these buses, won’t take you to Park Güell or Tibidabo. They stopped far away from them. Go instead by public transportation. If you have only a few days in Barcelona and if you love walking, exploring, and shopping at your own pace.
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Do not go to Park Güell by metro
Don’t do this! It’s far away, it’s a hilly road, it’s so much better if you go by public buses (24 or v19) or by taxi. Watch my video about how to get to Park Güell!
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Do not lose sight of your belongings in Barcelona
Maybe from where you come from, like Asia for instance, you are not worried about your wallet, your passport, your bag, your phone, because there are no pickpockets in your city. Well here in Barcelona, if you don’t take care of them, they will be gone. Without even realising it. Suddenly you will look for your phone, and it won’t be there anymore. Make sure you don’t use your back & front pockets, put your bags right in front of you, and pay special attention at the metro or in crowded places, pickpockets are almost invisible.
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Do not hail a taxi cab from the street
Most common apps to get a taxi in Barcelona are: Free Now, Bolt, Cabify and Uber now. In case you want to make sure the driver is not riding you around whole Barcelona to charge you more money, use an app and enjoy a safe trip.
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Do not go everywhere by taxi
You don’t need to. If you are afraid of getting lost, it’s super easy to use Barcelona metro or the bus. I would recommend you to use Google maps and this is gonna be more cheaper. Again, check and Download Barcelona Metro Map
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Make sure you are coming to El Prat Airport
NOT GIRONA AIRPORT NOR REUS AIRPORT. These 2 are indeed very far away, like 2 hours away by car. Unless you get a super good deal, to flight to those airports, take in consideration, how much you will spend to get to Barcelona, afterwards.
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Do not come to Barcelona without DATA, ROAMING or a local SIM CARD.
If you download my Barcelona OFFLINE Travel Guide app, you can get everywhere without internet. But keep in mind that we don’t use text messages here, we only use WhatsApp. And also I’m sure, you will need Google maps every now and then to get around. Specially in the old city which is a labyrinth! You better have internet!
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Don’t go to Andorra for the day.
There is even this tour that says, 3 countries in just 1 day, will you even have time to see something? For sure not. And by the end of the day, you will be absolutely exhausted. If you want to visit France or Andorra, those are 3 hours away from Barcelona. What can you see in just one day? Why don’t you just go on a day trip to Montserrat, Sitges, Tarragona or Girona? Those are super easy to get to by public transport, just 1 hour away AND SO MUCH TO DO THERE.
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Do not stay in Raval area
It’s really nice during the day, I even have a video about it, check it out here my video about El Raval neighborhood, but please do not book your hotel in this area, unless it’s right next to Plaça Catalunya or Plaça Universitat. Don’t go to Raval late at night, just for dinner, because the area is not quite safe. You have also Eixample neighborhood as an alternative to be near Plaça Catalunya, the heart of Barcelona.
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Do not drink alcohol in the streets of Barcelona
Instead go to a bar. The fines are high! Glass & bottles in public areas, are forbidden as well.
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Don’t go by bus if you have a dog
Unless you take a pet carrier with you. Instead use the metro and make sure your dog wears a muzzle and a non-extendable leash.
