Barcelona is a dream destination for many tourists that offers a mild and warm climate, best beaches, several recreational areas, and historical monuments, including eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia and situated on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is also known as the second most populous municipality of Spain.
If you are planning to visit Barcelona for the first time, then you must know some insights about its city life for tourists. You should be aware of the best time to visit, how to travel around, how to connect with locals and some basic etiquettes that need to be followed as a tourist. Knowing these things beforehand will help you to stay in sync with the lifestyle of the city. Hence, in this article, we have come with all the things you need to know before visiting Barcelona.
Barcelona is flooded with tourists throughout the year because of the unique festivals, different tourist attractions, Christmas markets, and many such things. The seasons of Barcelona add a fascinating charm to the tourist attractions, which makes this place irresistible to tourists.
You can visit Barcelona from May to June as the weather is mild and summery during this time. Also, there are many festivals planned during these months, which attract tourists across the globe. There are frequent showers in April which may ruin your plan; hence avoid going in this month. You can visit Barcelona in September or October, as the weather becomes warm and suitable for wandering around. The winter in Barcelona is mild, as compared to other Spanish destinations.
Best time to visit:
Ways to get around Barcelona:
It is recommended that you look for accommodation close to your planned tourist destinations https://holidaynomad.com/europe/best-areas-to-stay-in-barcelona/ . This will make it feasible for you to cover the city by walking. You can visit the neighborhoods of Barcelona like Ravel and Gothic Quarter on foot. Besides, the city has an extensive public transport system which makes commuting easier.
There are eight metro lines, an urban rail network, tram lines, and FGC. For all of these public transports, you can avail passes as per your needs. You can purchase the T-10 card that works for ten trips or day passes for 2, 3, 4, or 5 days. Many travelers recommend buying the Hola Barcelona card that offers unlimited rides for 48, 72, 96, or 120 hours on FGC, buses, and metro. The FGC and metro close at midnight on weekdays and run all night on Friday and Saturday.
Barcelona offers many great things, but one major problem that tourists face is pickpocketing. It does not happen with everyone, but most of the tourists had experienced this situation before. Hence, it is advisable to keep all your bags and purses close to you. You can always keep a hand on the bags to ensure no one touches it.
The thieves are professional snatchers, and they trick the people by asking silly questions or putting a trap. That is why you always have to be careful and keep an eye if anyone is trying to follow you. Pickpocketing can happen anywhere, be it in public transport, hotel, or while walking on the streets. Thus, whenever you visit Barcelona, take care of your belongings and prefer to keep unnecessary things at your hotel.
Take care of your belongings:
Ways to greet someone:
You will see family and friends greeting each other with a hello and goodbye kiss. But this way of greeting is used only for closed ones. So, while you are meeting someone for the first time or greeting a stranger, a simple ‘hola’ is sufficient to acknowledge them. People are aware that most of the tourists visit Barcelona, and hence they accept short and simple greetings, unlike elaborative polite phrases.
You can learn short greetings such as ‘thank you,’ ‘pleasure to meet you,’ or basic questions that help you while exploring the city. Remember that people in Barcelona speak majorly in Catalan rather than Spanish. Hence, find the phrases or greetings in the Catalan language and learn more of them.
You should note that the majority of the shops and restaurants are closed on Sundays in Barcelona. So, if you want to buy anything or taste the popular dishes, do it on the weekdays. Although some places are open, they are filled with tourists. Thus, plan your trip accordingly and don’t keep your shopping plans for Sundays. Instead, cover any nearby tourist attractions on this day.
Don’t reserve your shopping plans for Sundays:
Be smart with your clothing choice:
People in Barcelona follow casual clothing, but make sure that you don’t give a clue for being a tourist by dressing overly. You should dress smartly and explore the town without showing too much excitement on your face. This is to avoid being a target of pickpockets who especially trap the tourists.
You can add scarves, ankle boots, shoes, blazers, smart casuals, and jackets in your travel bag. Moreover, it is advisable not to wear the bathing suit or flip flops off the beach as it gives a sign of an out-of-towner. Ladies should avoid wearing high heels as the cobblestone streets would make the movements uncomfortable.
Conclusion:
It is essential to be a smart traveler to fit in perfectly with the Barcelona lifestyle. You should plan your trip well in advance to avoid any issues on your trip.
