Let’s spend 4 days in the beautiful Barcelona.
✈️ How to get from the airport to the city center ?
Of course, you can take a taxi. If you prefer a cheaper option, there is a bus outside the airport, the A1, which costs about €6.50 per trip and takes you to the main tourist areas of Barcelona. For an even cheaper option, you can use public transportation. Take the L9 or the Rodalies. There are automatic ticket machines at the entrance where you can buy tickets for 1, 2, 3, 4, or even 5 days of unlimited use on buses, metro, Rodalies, and trams. We purchased a 4-day pass for about €33 and didn’t regret it. The validity period starts when you first use your ticket. Public transportation works really well in Barcelona, and you can easily get wherever you want using it.
🏠 Accomodation
Ours was located at Passeig des Gracia métro station, which was super convenient, there’s multiple metro line stops there and it’s a good area, with a lot a shops and restaurants. Bases on my experience that was a pretty safe area.
Day 01 • Arc de triomf y parque de la ciutadella • Walking tour in the old town and Gothic district
Our first activity was a walking tour of the city, which I always do when visiting a new place, and I’ve never been disappointed. I typically find free tours that operate on a tips-only basis. The guides are usually enthusiastic locals with extensive knowledge about their city. It’s also a great chance to discover charming streets and get tips on where to eat, drink, and socialize. I strongly suggest starting your visit to a new city with a walking tour.
Day 02 • Monserrat y Casa Vincens
• Montserrat : Only 1h away from Barcelona. 🤩
To make our life easier, we simply went to the tourism office and booked directly our train tickets with them (about 40€/pers) that included returns train tickets, returns cable car, unlimited use of both Funicular and the entrance to the interactive museum.
We choose to go pretty early in the morning, to get one of the first cable car to go up there. So enjoyed the views and atmosphere a while and then decided to go for a small walk, using the San Juan cable car to get up top. 🥾 If you like hikes it’s also a good spot.
Then we visited the interactive museum in the afternoon. It’s p
retty small, which makes it really fast to visit, but if you’re not into religious history this museum might not be for you.
• Casa Vicens : We headed back to Barcelona in the early afternoon and went to visit Casa Vicens, one of Gaudí’s designs.
It’s an interesting house, a beautiful project by the famous architect Gaudí. You’ll enjoy some intriguing decoration choices, and the visit also provides information about life in Barcelona at that time. (We didn’t book in advance, but I still recommend you do if you want to ensure you can visit.) The tour takes about 1 to 1.5 hours, and you can scan a QR code at the entrance to access an audio guide on your phone.
Days 03 • Bunkers del Carmen • Sagrada Familia • Montjuïc Area and the Botanic Garden.
(Optional): If you’re a sunrise lover, wake up really early to enjoy the sunrise view and a walk. I wanted to visit the famous Bunkers del Carmel, but it was closed off with big gates. However, there is a pathway around it that still offers some good viewpoints of the city. You can also take a morning walk in El Parque del Guinardó, which is enjoyable during the warmer seasons.
• Breakfast near Sagrada Familia: We didn’t visit the inside of this site. The lines and crowds were unappealing. The surrondings are still enjoyable though. If you still want to visit I strongly suggest to book in advance and to plan your visit.
• Strolling at Montjuïc and the Botanic Garden: The garden is quite small but still provides a nice break from the bustling city (Plus it was free). Montjuïc also offers a great view of the city.
Day 04 • Park Güell • Seaside Barceloneta
• Park Güell Visit (🚨Book in advance): It’s really nice. I went there three times, and for this visit, I booked a guided tour. It didn’t disappoint me. I learned some really interesting facts about the park, including why it was constructed and how it was built. Plus, after the tour, you can remain inside the park as long as it is open.
• Seaside in Barceloneta: The beaches in Barcelona are not the most beautiful I’ve seen, but the fresh breeze is quite enjoyable when the weather gets really hot. And what’s better to end this trip, than enjoying a glass of sangria on the Barcelona’s beach with friends ? 🍷
For sneak pick, you can check my instagram : from_france_to_everywhere 📸
From France to everywhere 