Back in early September I took a weekend trip to Barcelona, Spain with a friend. Here’s everything I did, minus a few things (I’ve chosen to leave the food out because everyone has their own preference).
Traveling There and Back
My friend and I took a bus to and from Barcelona. We used the company Alsa and round trip tickets were $76 USD. Leaving from Valencia was a breeze. The bus left exactly at 6 am, and we found it with ease. Returning was another story. The bus was late, there wasn’t a specific departure lane listed on our ticket, and there was no display board informing us where the bus was going to be. But we did get on, so it wasn’t horrific.
The Lodging
My friend and I decided to stay at a hotel. Her dad had previous knowledge of the area and suggested El Jardi. It was only a little pricier than the hostels – hostels for that weekend were around 80 euro and the hotel was 115 euro per night – so I was okay with the extra expense. It was in the heart of the city, next to all the main attractions. And being as this would be my first overnight trip without family, I was more swayed to stay in a hotel than a hostel (I had never roomed in a hostel so I was a little intimidated).
Although I had difficulty booking through their website, so that wasn’t great. But once we were there, all was good. If I were to stay in Barcelona again for a weekend, I would likely do a hostel in the future and book it more than a week in advance so the hostel prices aren’t jacked up. But if you’re going with a special someone and you want a little extra privacy, this is the hotel to stay at!
Traveling to the Hotel
We ended up taking a taxi to the center of town. It was around 30 euros, so split between two people made the price not so terrible. Initially the plan was to take the metro into town, as there is a stop that goes from the airport (where we got dropped off) into town. But we were unable to find it… We could have looked harder, but it was a bit overwhelming and the taxis were right by us.
The Spots
My friend and I went to a plethora of spots. We wanted to make the most out of the trip. But beware, the expenses start adding up.
Disclaimer: many of the places had time slots you were supposed select when purchasing your ticket. None of the places actually checked the time slot selected, so if you’re running behind or you’re early, don’t worry!
FRIDAY
We started the trip with food first! We needed energy. Once fed, we went to El Mural del Beso and energized ourselves with more caffeine (at least I did). While walking to the hotel, we stumbled upon a flea market. It was great to look at the wares and it wasn’t horrifically crowded. They also took apple pay which is amazing! Some of the vendors spoke English, but as I am trying to improve my Spanish, I just conversed with them in Spanish.
Then we dropped off our belongings at our room (check-in was at 2 pm). The first stop, once the load was off our backs, was to go to the Picasso Museum. It was 7 euros for tickets for people under 25. I’d rate it a solid 6 out of 10. If you’re crunched on time, skip it. But it is fairly cheap and does have some nice artworks.
I was mainly inspired to go because it was supposed to be free (on its website it says it has free afternoon admissions on certain days) but alas, we had to pay.
Then we went to Palau de la Música Catalana. And it was ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. The building itself was a work of art. I need to go back for a concert in the future. It’s a must.
We rounded off our night with a long walk through the city and some food.
SATURDAY
We started the morning with coffee, a must. Then we walked to Casa Vicens Gaudí, which was about a 20 minute walk. Tickets were 16 euros, and the house was beautiful.
Then we walked an additional 30 minutes to Park Güell. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the park, but, according to many people, it is a big must-see. A ticket to enter is 10 euros.
Next we went to the Sagrada Familia. We were a little too late to get tickets to enter the building, so we opted to go to the international church service that is hosted on Saturdays at 8 pm for free. It was a nice church service, and I enjoyed translating what was being said.
To round off the night, we decided to go to a club! We went to Opium and entrance was around 20 euros, which included a drink. Unlike the Spaniards, we went home before the club closed so we could enjoy the next day (I need at least eight hours to function happily).
SUNDAY
We started the day with, you already know, coffee! Then we walked to Palau Güell. It was a 9 euro entrance fee for students. Another beautiful creation by Gaudí.
Then we walked for about 40 minutes to Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. The website said it closed at 5 pm, but that day they were closing at 3 pm. So we only had thirty minutes to enjoy. We got admission to the building for 2 euros. I definitely need to go back to enjoy the artwork in the future.
After that, we waved down a taxi and went back to the airport. Another 30 euro fare was payed, and then we just waited for the bus to arrive. We we back in Valencia by 10 pm.