How to: BARCELONA

A city thriving on culture and stunning architecture. In two minutes you can become immersed in a thriving crowd after turning a corner from the serene streets. Beautiful balconies, stunning sunsets and a nightlife to die for, Barcelona is the place to be in 2019.











HOTEL:

Hotel Lloret Ramblas.

A stunning hotel right in the heart of the city at the top of La Rambla, this place has top service and beautiful  rooms with balconies overlooking either the beautiful side street or the hustle and bustle of La Rambla making any of their rooms into a room with a view. Boy, what a view!

For only €80 a night, you can stay in a luxurious room and receive FREE breakfast, WiFi and dinner by booking through their website.


FLIGHTS:

EasyJet are a great budget airline that treat their customers right. They fly to Barcelona for as little as £14 each way and the flights are comfortable and efficient. Check skyscanner to compare with other airlines and check you’re getting the right deal for you and remember, cheapest isn’t always best.

TRAVEL:

Traveling around the city isn’t complicated. You can take the metro, bus or cab. The metro is probably the quickest and you can find metro stations on most main streets, but we found traveling by bus (where we couldn’t walk) the best, as you can still see so much of the city unlike being underground without paying astonishing taxi prices. The bus is a fixed fee €2.20 per passenger so no matter where you stop off at, you’re paying the same as everyone else.

When it comes to traveling from the airport, the best way to get into the city is to use the Aerobus outside your terminal. At only €5.90 a ticket, you will be in the heart of Barcelona in just under half an hour. Not bad!

BUDGET:

As a couple, we spent around €100 euros a day on 3 meals, a lot of alcohol and sightseeing, which is a pretty good budget! The city itself is cheap but if you get to the main square, Plaça de Catalunya and Las Ramblas you’re looking at paying €15.00 for one main dish! This isn’t always a bad thing but it can rack up. Try going to the small places to eat that you’d never usually have tried. Most sights are free, but a ticket to Park Guell and entrance to La Sagrada Familia will need to be accounted for.

FOOD & DRINK:

Again, it's best to stick to the smaller, back street restaurants and bars where you're going to get more authentic and less tourist pleasing food. We had our first meal on La Rambla when we got into the city as we had no energy to walk around and find another place and, although it was a great meal and the best Paella I'd tasted, the price really put me off eating on the main strip.

Check out Pim Pam burger, Bacoa, Nevermind and Lovella Negra Ramblas for some great food and drink at decent prices!

SIGHTS:

There is a Spanish Arc de Triomf, similar in shape and intricacy to the Parisian Arc but this one is a stunning burnt red and stands at the end of a row of palm trees, adding a tropical vibe to any view of it. La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished church designed by famous artist Gaudí. The cranes have even become a part of the view! The beach is also spectacular, along with Park Guell and Bunker del Carmen, the spot to see Barcelona’s best views from.

WHEN DO I VISIT?

I recommend visiting between mid March and mid September before the temperatures start to drop of the Winter. In March it starts picking up to around 18 degrees and at its hottest it can reach 25 degrees  making it not too hot, not too cold. A perfect, mild getaway.

MY THOUGHTS:

9/10, I would recommend Barcelona to anyone looking for a luxurious but affordable city break. It’s quirky and has so much character, the buildings are stylish and some of the balconies you see are like no other. If you do it right and really immerse yourself in the city you can have one of the best city breaks you'll have.

Until next time...

G