Planning a perfect weekend in Barcelona

A perfect weekend in Barcelona

I used to live in Barcelona for a few months thanks to the Erasmus exchange program. I was fortunate enough to score a paid internship in addition to an Erasmus scholarship (which is very rare) in a local English school, where I was able to improve my English, learn some Spanish, put my two years of theory that I learned at the university into practice, and, last but not least, explore this amazing city.

Barcelona is definitely one of the most unique cities I have ever been to, and I am glad I chose it for my Erasmus exchange. At first, I was divided between Barcelona and Madrid, and I almost went to Madrid, but then I got an offer from that school in Barcelona, which was paid, and the internship in Madrid would be unpaid, and that was my main reason to choose Barcelona. Barcelona also has the sea and Madrid does not, which was another factor in choosing Barcelona over Madrid.

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Barcelona is full of colourful gems - such as this part of Park Guell, full of coloured mosaic tiles.

During my Erasmus exchange in Barcelona, I have visited all the must - see, touristy spots, and also a lot of hidden gems, popular among locals, that tourists often skip due to the lack of time, or simply because they do not know about them. And this is why I have decided to write this guide to Barcelona. One weekend is not nearly enough to explore this amazing city, but it can give you a glimpse of the most important sights that Barcelona has to offer, and hopefully you will return to Barcelona and give this city all the attention it deserves.

When I was writing this trip plan, I planned an arrival on a Friday evening. Saturday and Sunday are dedicated to exploring the city, and the departure is on Monday morning (or late on Saturday).

Getting to Barcelona

The easiest, and most likely also the cheapest way to get to Barcelona is, of course, flying there. Low cost carriers, such as EasyJet and Ryanair sometimes have ticket sales that allow you to fly to Barcelona for as low as forty Euros, and we are talking about a return flight here!

Last time I went to Barcelona, I flew there from Venice with Ryanair, and the return ticket really cost me only forty - something Euros. Of course flights there will not always be that cheap, especially around major holidays, and keep in mind that you will also have to pay for any luggage that is bigger than a backpack when flying with a low cost airline. And at this point I would like to again mention the benefits of packing light - saving a lot of money on plane tickets.

Getting around Barcelona

Barcelona has an excellent, and cheap, public transportation system. Seriously, do not even think of renting a car there. Public transportation is faster, cheaper, and probably safer. And you will not have to worry about finding a parking spot. Oh, and you can sample all these cocktails and beers without having to select a designated driver to drive everybody home.

There are two means of public transport in Barcelona - the metro and buses. The metro covers most of the city, and it is fast. Meanwhile, if you choose to ride a bus, you can actually see the city around you. To be honest, the best way to get somewhere in Barcelona, if you do not feel like walking a lot, is to combine bus and metro. Take the metro towards the location you want to get to, and then take the bus for the rest of the way.

Like I already mentioned, public transportation is cheap in Barcelona, and you can make even cheaper by purchasing day or multi - day passes, which include unlimited rides on both metro and buses. And you can buy yourself some drinks with that saved money.

Depending on the day of the week, public transportation in Barcelona stops operating at a certain time of the night. If you need to get somewhere late at night (for example home from a bar), you can take advantage on cheap taxis via Uber, Lyft or MyTaxi. They are much cheaper than regular taxis, and you can hail them with a mobile app. Uber and Lyft often offer discount codes for first-time users, so your first few rides can be almost free.

Best areas to stay in

Barcelona is a fairly big city, but the downtown is surprisingly walkable. If you want to walk at least a few miles a day, at least. Regardless on where you are staying, there will be either a bus or a metro station close to wherever you are. I do have two favourite areas to stay in Barcelona - close to Placa d’Espanya and close to the famous Las Ramblas. Both places are usually super crowded, but by staying there, you will be close to the action all the time.

You will find that the cheapest places to stay in Barcelona are either hostels or AirBnbs, and, to be honest, I like AirBnbs much much more. They are more personal, and you do not have to share a small space with like ten other people, and they are usually not much more expensive than a hostel.

How much does everything cost?

Barcelona is not the cheapest city you can travel to, but this is one of the reasons I am writing this guide - to help you make your stay as cheap as possible.

When doing my research, I found out that the cheapest hostel in the city costs as little as fifteen Euros per person, but for that price, you will have to share a room with other people. To be more precise, if the hostel is full, there will be fifteen more people in your room. But hey, it is cheap and all you need is a place to crash for the night. Moderate AirBnb prices usually range from twenty to sixty Euros per night if you are a solo traveller. If you are travelling with someone else, it will be cheaper.

Average meals will cost you between ten and thirty Euros, and you definitely should not skip trying tapas at several different places. Of course, tapas are expensive - we are talking about at least five Euros for a few bites of food, but they are delicious, and they are a vital part of your Barcelona experience.

The cost of the drinks depend on how fancy the place is. A beer can cost you anywhere between one and five Euros, and cocktail prices range from five to twenty Euros. If you want to drink on a budget in Barcelona, do your research. There are some places that serve decent cocktails for a good price. And, sometimes a fancy and expensive place does not necessarily mean that your drink will be good.

Sipping a cocktail at the famous Barceloneta beach. Since this is a popular area, a mojito this size cost fifteen Euros. It was strong and (almost) worth the price.

And, last but not least, public transport ticket prices. Like I already mentioned, if you are planning on using a public transport more than a few times during your vacation in Barcelona, it makes sense to purchase on of the multi - day tickets. It will save you a lot of money (and time, too).

A two day unlimited public transport ticket in Barcelona will only cost you fifteen Euros. Keep in mind that a single ride costs around two Euros. See, it makes sense to buy the card. The three day unlimited public transport ticket costs twenty two Euros and again, this is a good deal. The four day unlimited public transport ticket costs twenty nine Euros, and the five day unlimited public transport ticket costs thirty five Euros.

Apparently, you can get a ten percent discount by purchasing these tickets online, and I wish I knew that before my several trips to Barcelona. Well, ten percent off might not seem much, but it adds up quickly.

One thing that I really do not like about public transport cards in Barcelona, is that they are made out of paper, and therefore they are super easy to lose or destroy. When I lived in Lisbon, I got a plastic public transportation card, and I think that was much better. Well, just keep it in your wallet and try not to bend it too much, and you should be fine.

Day one - arrival

Your first day in Barcelona (well, the remaining of it) will consist of getting from the airport towards your accommodation, and getting some rest for two full days of exploring that await you. You do not have to pay for a taxi from the airport - Barcelona offers an airport shuttle that stops in several most popular places in the city. You can either purchase the tickets online or on the bus. Yes, you guessed it, purchasing the airport shuttle bus tickets online will save you a couple of Euros.

If the place you are staying at, is close to an airport shuttle bus stop, you can just walk there, or you can take the metro, and make that multi day public transportation card, while you are at it. The ticket machines are situated at every metro station, and all you have to do is choose the amount of days, and pay for your card.

Once you settle into the place and unpack your stuff, you can take a stroll to the nearby grocery store to get some snacks, or simply walk around and feel the vibe of Barcelona at night.

Day two - Saturday

Start you day by heading towards Placa d’Espanya and grabbing a breakfast (and by breakfast, I mean pastries and coffee), admiring the two tall Venetian towers in the centre of the square and walking up the steps to the fascinating art museum. The view from there is the second best in Barcelona, in my opinion.

After you are done with your breakfast and admiring the view, you can head back to the Placa d’Espanya. Here, you can also check out the Las Arenas shopping center, which used to be a bull fighting ring in the past. Yes, do not forget you are in Spain!

After that, you can take a stroll towards the La Barceloneta beach (which you will explore the next day) and admire many quirky shops and bars on your side. Eventually, you can take a little detour and check out the giant cat statue, which is perfect for some cool pictures. When walking around Barcelona, do not forget to look up every once in a while - you will notice some cute balconies on old houses.

The giant cat statue from close by. It looks like the cat has a body of a beaver, which makes the statue a little disturbing. But I love cats, so I had to take plenty of pictures of this statue.

After seeing the cat statue, you can return to the main street and keep walking. You will soon reach Placa de Catalunya and the famous Las Ramblas. But before you stroll down the Las Ramblas, take a walk in the opposite directions to see two of Gaudi’s masterpieces - Casa Batllo and Casa Mila. You can take a tour of the interior of both of them, but the entrance fees are not very wallet friendly, and the lines to enter are usually too long to bother. Well, if you have more than two days, I would strongly encourage to tour at least Casa Batllo.

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Casa Batllo from the outside. You can catch a glimpse of the fabulous interior through one of the windows.

Then, it is time to stroll down Las Ramblas. My advice is the following: stroll the length of Las Ramblas on the right side, then stroll back towards Placa de Catalunya on the left side, and finally, stroll back down in the middle. This way, you will cover every side and every single souvenir shop.

Yes, Las Ramblas are filled with souvenir shops, and I would strongly suggest you to check every single one of them out. You will not be disappointed. Las Ramblas are full of pickpockets, so if I were you, I would invest into a money belt - they are basically invisible under your clothes, and they will give you peace of mind.

Las Ramblas should also be a great place to grab some lunch at. They are filled with restaurants that range from cheap to moderately expensive. A dish I would recommend you to try, is the paella, which is basically rice with different types of meat, or even vegetables. Paellas usually come in big portions, and one paella can easily feed three people. Also, there is no better place to try a traditional Spanish drink, sangria, than in Barcelona. Expect to pay ten Euros or more for a glass, but trust me, it is worth it!

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Trying out two different types of paella in one of the restaurants on La Rambla.

After lunch, you can explore some side streets of Las Ramblas. Each one of them holds some hidden secrets. For example, one of them opens up into a beautiful Plaza Real, which is a perfect place to sit down and just watch people go by. Then, head towards Barrio Gotico, or Gothic Quarter, which will leave you impressed. I loved taking pictures of different buildings in the Gothic Quarter, and the Gothic Cathedral is one of the sights you simply cannot skip while in Barcelona.

When you are done exploring the Gothic Quarter, you can head back towards your hostel, hotel, AirBnb, or wherever you are staying, to rest and put on some proper nightlife outfits. Why?

Because the Saturday will also be dedicated to exploring some of the Barcelona’s most popular nightlife spots, which is, by the way, amazing. My favourite places for clubbing there were clubs Opium, Razzmatazz, Eclipse, Pacha and Otto Zutz. Each one of these nightclubs has a specific charm, and I cannot pick just one that is the best. If you manage to get yourself on one of the many guest lists, your entrance will be free, and you might even get a drink on the house.

By the way, who said you have to try just one nightclub? Most of the Barcelona’s most popular nightclubs are situated close to each other, which is perfect for club hopping.

Day three - Sunday

This day is dedicated to two of the most important (and famous) sights in Barcelona - Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. Both were created by Gaudi, and both are a must - see, even if they are full of tourists. Well, sometimes it is good to see touristy stuff as well.

Sagrada Familia and Park Guell are situated quite far away from each other, so you might want to consider taking public transportation in between them.

Sagrada Familia is a breathtaking cathedral, and they have been building it for years, and as majestic as it looks at the moment, it is not finished yet! I heard it was supposed to be finished in 2025, and I cannot wait to see the final result. Sagrada Familia is majestic even on the outside, but seeing its interior is a must - do as well. I would strongly advise you to purchase a ticket online, where you can also select a time slot of your visit. Before entering Sagrada Familia, grab some breakfast in one of many small restaurants that surround Sagrada Familia. The farther you venture, the cheaper your breakfast will be.

Once you enter Sagrada Familia, prepare to feel very small and humble. You cannot possibly imagine how big the interior is just by looking at the exterior. You can also visit one of the Sagrada Familia’s several towers, but, from my own experience I can tell you that it is not really worth it. Once you exit the cathedral, walk all around it. This is how you will get a feeling of its enormous size, and also admire some of the impressive details on its walls.

Then, you can head toward the Park Guell. The park is divided into two parts. You can visit the first part for free, but as you probably guessed, the most beautiful part requires a ticket. And it only costs eleven Euros, so do not skip it! Park Guell, just like the Sagrada Familia, also sells timed entrance tickets, and the views of Barcelona from Park Guell are simply majestic. Yes, Park Guell is situated on the big hill, and it will be a real workout to get up there.

The part of Park Guell that is open to the public, consists of several nice hiking trails, and each one offers some unique views of Barcelona below you. And to reach the part of the park that you have to pay for, you will have to walk for approximately fifteen minutes.

A view of Barcelona in the distance from Park Guell.

The private part of Park Guell consists of some pretty impressive architectural elements with a lot of colourful tiles. Do not forget to take a picture with Lizzie the Lizard. The replica of the lizard’s statue is also a very popular souvenir that you will see in every single gift shop around town.

By the time you are done exploring Park Guell, you will probably be hungry. You can take a metro towards Barceloneta, which is a beautiful beach, and have lunch there in one of many restaurants that overlook the water.

For dessert, consider stopping at a shaved ice cream shop, called EyesCream. Why such a name? Because they will put edible googly eyes on your ice cream! They have some pretty inventive flavours, and you can also choose from a variety of toppings.

After having the necessary ice cream fix, take a walk along the beautiful Barceloneta beach, and take some photos of the majestic Hotel W. People say it represents a sail, but it reminds me of a shark fin more than of a sail. When walking along the Barceloneta beach, you will probably notice several sand sculpting artists. Their works of art are pretty impressive, but most of them will not let you take pictures of the sculptures. Why, remains a mystery to me, but on the other hand, you really do not need to have a picture of everything that you saw on your vacation.

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The Barceloneta beach with its signature Hotel W in the distance.

If you have some time left, and you are a die hard football fan, head towards the famous Camp Nou stadium. You can get a glimpse of its size even on the outside, or you can take a tour of it and also see it from the inside.

At sunset, head towards Placa d’Espanya, which is where you started your exploration the day before. You will be able to watch the ‘performance’ of the so - called Magic fountain of Montjuic, which is simply spectacular.

The Magic fountain of Montjuic is basically a light - music - water show, and it appears like the water is dancing to the rhythm of the music. For a spectacular conclusion of your Barcelona weekend trip head to Bunkers del Carmel (also called Turo de la Rovira) for a 360 degree view of Barcelona at sunset. Thank me later.

Day four - departure

After getting over the fact that you sadly have to leave Barcelona today, board the airport shuttle again and promise yourself you will be back to Barcelona really soon. I know you are probably a seasoned traveller since you are reading this, but I will say it anyway: make sure you arrive to the airport in time - depending on the time of the day, there might be a lot of traffic on the way to the airport, and also, lines at security checkpoint can be irritatingly long sometimes.

A few words for the end…

I have been to almost thirty countries so far, and Barcelona is still my favourite city I have ever visited. It has a special charm, and I want to visit it again and again. And regardless on how much time you have there, you will discover some hidden gems, and leave with some amazing memories.

Have you ever celebrated the Gay Pride in Barcelona? Check out our blog post to learn more about the Gay Pride Day!

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