Alex's Experience in Barcelona, Spain

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What do you think about living in Barcelona? Do you recommend it? What is it like?

I am living in Barcelona for university, this is my second year studying here, and it seems like an amazing city to me. I must admit that, especially during the first year, I found it quite difficult to 'find myself' in this city and not get lost in the madness of it all, as Barcelona is enormous. Although, I have to say that Google Maps helped me quite a bit with finding where I was going and where I shouldn't have been going. When you have spent a little bit more time here, it's easy to get around the city, and, besides, the metro lines are pretty self-explanatory and is well-signposted. What I like the most about Barcelona is that there are lots of things that you can do, and the best thing is that you have Barceloneta beach close-by. And, you can even go to the mountains, like Tibidabo, for example, and experience their beautiful views.

What surprised me the most upon arrival there was that the majority of Catalonians say 'thank you' using the French "merci" instead of the Catalan "gracies", which is what is also said in Valencia. When you have spent a bit of time living there, it's like a tag that sticks to you, and now, I always say it instead of "gracias".

Another word that surprised me quite a bit is that, here, they say "farra" to refer to a party ("fiesta" in Spanish), and when people meet up in someone's apartment to drink with friends, they call it "copeo".

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What is student life like in Barcelona?

It will really depend on the area where you live, but, in general, there is quite a decent student atmosphere. This is especially apparent when they hold the faculty parties in La Avinguda Diagonal; for example, the 'Biofarra' party (Faculty of Biosciences) is good.

The difficult thing about Barcelona is, with it being such a big city, it's somewhat complicated for you to live close to your classmates... but anyway, you can always get lucky. Besides, I recommend that you live a student flat because you get to share experiences with others, and if they are people that you don't go to class with, even better; getting to know a large number of people is very important when it comes to living in a new city where you don't know anyone.

From my personal experience of student life in Barcelona, I have to say that it's quite common to stay in student flats with your friends for what they call "copeo". In this way, you hang out with quite a lot of people in one place and get to know them much better.

How much does it cost to live in Barcelona?

I live in a student flat, and I won't deny that living in Barcelona isn't cheap. But, for students in general, it's relatively easy to find a job to earn a little bit of extra money. Rent prices for flats are around 300€ to 500€ per person a month in shared flats, and if you want a one person flat for yourself, it will only end up being more expensive. It will also very much depend on the area where you search, as it's not the same thing to live in Sarrià, Vila de Gràcia, or Esquerra Eixample as it is in Sants, Clot, or La Marina... it's cheaper to rent a flat in the latter neighbourhoods.

When it comes to searching for a flat, factor in whether you are going to look for something close to or far from your university faculty, as the metro isn't necessarily cheap either. So, even if you choose a flat that's much further away from your faculty because it's cheaper, in reality you'll end up spending more money travelling to and from it by metro every day. A good option for saving money is to search for somewhere in the middle and get a bicycle card so that you can use the Barcelona City Council bike sharing scheme. It's very practical and is the best way to get around Barcelona if you don't have a car, as there are bicycle lanes pretty much all over the city.

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Was it difficult for you to find accommodation in Barcelona? Can you give any advice?

Finding a good flat in Barcelona, as well as it being reasonably priced, is somewhat complicated, but it's not impossible. The important thing is to start searching for a flat as early as possible, as, thanks to the large number of students that Barcelona has, the cheapest flats are the most in-demand. Don't search in areas that have huge, busy thoroughfares or ones with good views, as they are usually more expensive - anything and everything you can save now, the easier it will be further down the line. It's better to search for something in a side street or in a smaller neighbourhood with less traffic. But, you always have to take into account that the place you choose isn't too far from transport links (bus, metro, tram, bikes), as these are really important when it comes to getting around the city.

What is the food like in Spain? What are your favourite dishes?

Food in Barcelona is delicious, and you can eat anything and everything - the variety is somewhat incredible. If you like sushi, there are a couple of places that are really good. If you don't fancy cooking, don't worry, there are lots of restaurants that will deliver to you at a reasonable price. Personally, I love burgers, and the restaurant where they make the best burgers, in my opinion, is at Timesburg, situated next to Hospital Clínic in l'Esquerra Eixample. Here, you can order up to 1kg worth of French fries and try lots of different types of burgers, and the prices range between 7€ and 12€.

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Which places do you recommend visiting in Barcelona?

Barcelona is an incredible city, although, at times, it's somewhat overwhelming due to the amount of people there are. So, if you want to be somewhere calmer and lay down on the grass, you can go to the Parc de la Ciutadella, where people go to play sports, play with their families, and sunbathe... and then go to see the beautiful Arc de Trionf.

There are lots of places to see, like: the Bunkers del Carmel, with amazing views where you can see almost all of the city from above; the Plaza Espanya; las Ramblas (here, you have to be careful that no one steals from you as there are lots of pickpockets, especially in la Rambla Catalunya); la Boqueria, this is where the city's best chefs go to buy their produce; the Sagrada Familia; Montjuic; the Gothic Quarter; the Passeig de Gracia, where you will see the most luxurious shops in the city; and, Camp Nou. Also, if you are from Barcelona, I recommend that you go to Canaletes; although the fountain is quite small, the atmosphere is fantastic.

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And eating out in Barcelona? Can you mention your favourite places?

There are lots of restaurants in Barcelona where fantastic food is served. Personally, I especially love the places in l'Esquerra Eixample in the Aribau area. I recommend that you avoid going out to eat in the really touristy areas, like Las Ramblas, as the food is nothing special and it's usually more expensive (as it is targeted towards unknowing tourists) - there are much better restaurants in other parts of the city.

Which places do you recommend for nightlife in Barcelona?

There is a lot of variety when it comes to nightlife in Barcelona; it's usually more foreigners than locals that go out in Villa Olímpica, but there are places of every type and you will find clubs like Pacha, Opium, Shoko, and Catwalk, etc. At these nightclubs, the style of music is usually more chart/commercial/house, although, in Pacha, there is also another little room that just plays reggaeton music. Also, I know that at Opium - I'm not sure if it's the case in any other club - you can eat your evening meal on the terrace there. Although it is somewhat expensive to do so, you then do have free entry all night to the club itself.

Then, on Carrer de Aribau, you'll find Costa Breve, Shoho, Bling Bling, and Sutton... Don't be surprised if one time you see a 'superstar' at a Barcelona club like Sutton or Pacha: in my case, one Sunday I saw Neymar and his friends in Pacha.

As you can see, there is a huge variety of nightclubs in Barcelona, but if, in the end, you get bored of what this city has to offer, you can always go to Hospitalet de Llobregat or to Mataró. These are two places that have good nightclubs that, despite being far from the city centre, are easy to get to by train or by metro.

I can assure you that in Barcelona you can go out from Monday to Sunday and have a good time irrespective of the day. Mind you, it's recommendable that you pay attention to the times that will be the cheapest to go to the clubs, as the amount you pay for entry depends on the time you enter. In some nightclubs, there is free entry before a certain time, so it's really important to look online beforehand and save yourself some money.

I hope that my experience in Barcelona will help you in some way, and I recommend that you go there because you will have a great time; and, besides, the people are incredible.

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