We’ve made it to the third stop on our European jaunt! Be sure to check out my London and Paris posts if you missed them! Barcelona was Michael’s favorite city on our trip and it was tied with another city (yet to come!) for my fave. We loved everything about the city. The people, the food, the culture, the beach, the city, the cheap wine … 😉 I’m already looking forward to making it back to Spain someday soon!
Similar to my Paris post, I strung together a few of my Insta Stories into a video that captures a good piece of our time spent in Barcelona – The video is linked at the bottom of the post. 🙂
From Paris, we flew on European low-cost carrier, Transavia, to Barcelona. Two recommendations when flying these type of carriers:
- Download the carrier’s App and be sure to check-in and download your boarding pass prior to arriving at the airport (they charge you extra for having to print your boarding pass at the airport);
- If you have a backpack/purse with you plus a normal American size carry on bag (I had the Bigger Away with me) be sure to purchase a ticket for one checked bag and one hand bag (aka backpack/purse) prior to your flight – then, upon arrival at the airport, CHECK the carry on bag. This is the cheapest way that we found to travel. What NOT to do: Do not bring your rolling carry-on bag to the gate with you. If your bag won’t fit in the overhead bin, the low-cost carriers will force you to check it AND charge you around $50 for having to check the bag.
Where We Stayed
Similar to London and Paris, we stayed in an Airbnb in Barcelona, this one! I LOVED our apartment. It was spacious, clean, nicely decorated, in a perfect location, and had a balcony! It was in walking distance to tons of great restaurants and bars and there was a train station right down the street! Our host, Julia, was wonderful. She greeted us upon arrival and provided recommendations to a few of her favorite restaurants. I highly recommend her Airbnb! (Don’t forget, you can use this link to get $40 off of your first Airbnb stay!)
We used the train to get around Barcelona. As in the other cities, we didn’t take any Ubers or cabs while in the city. The train even goes to and from the airport! It’s an easy way to save a ton of cash!
Again, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the number one travel accessory that I HIGHLY recommend purchasing if you’re traveling abroad is this power converter + adapter! It’s amazing. You need both because the converter is used to convert the voltage from their usage to what your electronic device is programed to use – this is why most ladies’ hair straighteners melt when they just use a power adapter and not a converter too! My straightener worked perfectly. The converter has three outlets and SIX USB ports – AMAZING! We called it our command center when everything was plugged up into it. 🙂
What to Do
My favorite thing about Barcelona is that you can spend a day doing touristy activities if that’s your thing or you can head straight to the beach and spend all day sipping sangria and people watching if that’s more your style. Michael and I love the beach and really enjoy experiencing a new city through it’s food, so that’s pretty much what we did in Barcelona!
The first day we arrived in the city, we spent the entire afternoon at a beach hut drinking the most delicious sangria I’ve ever tasted! It was the most relaxing day!
On our second day in the city, we spent the morning doing a few touristy things like visiting Sagrada Familia, a Catholic Church designed by Gaudí in the late 1800s – It has been under construction since then and is still not complete! It is a sight to see! We didn’t tour the inside, but it’s definitely on my list for the next trip!
We strolled through the Gothic Quarter where you can see tons of buildings designed by Gaudí and walked down La Rambla, a main street in the city – It’s tree lined and filled with restaurants and shops.
We stopped for a quick lunch before spending the rest of the day at the beach. What can I say, we’re beach people!
Where to Eat
Coffee/Breakfast:
- Skye Coffee Co. – We spent an entire morning here upon arrival into the city. Our Airbnb wasn’t quite ready yet, and we both were itching to spend some time catching up on a few things on our laptops. This space is REALLY cool. It’s a huge, open warehouse that has a coffee truck parked against one wall. The rest of the room is open with huge community type tables. The wifi was strong and so was the coffee!
- Satan’s Coffee – There are a couple of locations around the city. The one we stopped in was close to our Airbnb – it was the perfect spot to pop in for a quick morning latte and a bite to eat before heading out to explore.
Lunch:
- Taco Alto Born – I LOVED this taco shop! The interior is super cute, and the tacos and guacamole really hit the spot! It’s a sit-down restaurant, but you order at the front counter. So it’s definitely great for lunch or a casual dinner.
- L’Òstia – If you’re looking for a traditional Spanish meal near the beach, this is the place to go! The tapas are a plenty, but this spot is known for its paella. We opted for the seafood paella of the day, and it did not disappoint!
Dinner:
- Vinitus – Michael and I’s favorite restaurant in Barcelona! Our neighbor here in D.C. recommended it to us, and he was so spot on. The vibe, the food, and the wine were all outstanding. The patatas bravas were the best I’ve ever had and the Rioja wine (at $4 a glass) was so divine!
- Ciudad Condal – This place is a bit crazy … it’s a SUPER popular tapas restaurant. The space is massive, so although it ALWAYS looks crowded, the line seemed to move pretty quickly. In Barcelona, people tend to eat dinner a lot later, I’d say from about 9pm to 11pm. So if you’re planning on hitting up this popular spot, your best bet is to arrive between 6pm-8pm. We waited for about 30 minutes around 8:30pm. It was worth the wait! Again, the highlight of the meal for me was the wine. The red wine in Barcelona is sooooo good and so inexpensive.
Next up, Berlin! The first and only place that we stayed in a hotel … Stay tuned for that recap coming soon!
Things to Know:
- Use the train. (You’ll save SO much money!)
- Purchase this converter + adapter set (You need both! Saved me!)
- Take advantage of the awesome Airbnb properties!
- I never felt unsafe for one minute – just be an alert traveler, that’s the best you can do! Always go. 🙂
ICYMI:
- What I Packed for Two Weeks In Europe – In Only a Carry On
- Travel Toiletry Necessities – What I Packed for Two Weeks in Europe
- 48 Hours in London
- 36 Hours in Paris
Michael made a video too! You can check out his VLOG here.
