Barcelona is one of the biggest cities in Spain with incredible architecture that attract a lot of visitors every year. There is so much to see and do in Barcelona that it often feels like that even a lifetime is not enough to explore everything here. That being said, in this modern era of jet-setting millennials, Barcelona can be the city where one can just unwind and relax for a bit. Though the city had a bit of negativity around it due to the high petty crime rate, over the past few years it has come down considerably as the authorities have become more vigilant.
Here are a few tips for those visiting Barcelona –
- Attractions – Please make sure to purchase the Gaudi sites’ (La Sagrada Família, Park Güell, or La Pedrera at Casa Milà) tickets online in advance. There is a restriction on the number of people allowed to enter the churches on any given day and hour. An online ticket ensures that you get to visit the inside of these beautiful structures (within the mentioned hours on your ticket) that had put Barcelona on the world tourist map.
- Getting used to Barcelona – Spaniards are very well known for their afternoon siestas and don’t be surprised if you do not find stores and establishments open between 2 and 4. Although these days most stores in tourist areas can be found operating during those hours, a little stroll towards the interiors can be quite an eye-opener. The siesta makes sense for a fact that temperatures in Spain can hover around 40 degrees during summer.
- Food – Some of the most amazing Spanish food can be found in Barcelona. Being a cosmopolitan city, almost all sorts of cuisines can be found here and that too cooked to perfection. Spanish people are very proud of their food and wine; they take pride in their food and they love to feed others. Please be mentally prepared to eat a late dinner as most restaurants open around 8 in the evening and service continues even past midnight. Spaniards love to drink and that is why they prefer late dinner usually after 9 pm. Please make sure that your body gets used to the idea of late dinners.
- Commuting – Although there is a very good network of metro rail within the city and the suburbs, it can get really daunting during peak hours. The alternate way of haggling with a local taxi is not ideal as there’s always a language barrier. There’s a huge difference between speaking Spanish and Catalan (which is spoken in Barcelona). An unnerving way to get around this issue is to rely on a reliable transfer service such as KiwiTaxi which makes sure that you are not ripped off while in a foreign country. KiwiTaxi offers round the clock service in Barcelona as the metro services on most routes discontinue post midnight.
