In this “Travel SMART” series of articles we discuss real-world travel plans for exploring popular locations in a cost-effective manner. SMART evaluates the Staying options, Mobility, Attractions, ROI (Return-On-Investment) and Transport options for planning the trip. This article focuses on travel plan based from Barcelona, Spain.
Transport options – Most foreign travelers arrive in Barcelona via Barcelona El-Prat Airport (BCN) located southwest of the city near the Mediterranean sea. It is well connected to most major cities around the world with dozens of daily direct flights from New York, Atlanta, London, Paris, Rome and locations in the middle east. The airport is well organized with Public Transit (Metro) connection to central Barcelona (direct train to Plaza Catalonia) and rental car desks within the airport.
You can also reach Barcelona via fast trains connected to Barcelona-Sants Train Station, which has daily service from Milan, Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Seville and other major cities in France, Spain and Italy. Renting a car from here is a smart option for cheaper price than the airport and especially if you are taking road trips north of Barcelona, avoiding the busy city center and traveling all the way to Southern France or beyond.
The Barcelona cruise port is one of the largest and busiest in Europe and conveniently located just few miles from Plaza Catalonia. Many cruise lines offer day excursions to see the city’s top attractions when docked in Barcelona.
Staying options – Barcelona attractions are well connected via public transit like Bus and Train and its large walkable street paths. We took advantage of this by staying at the HCC Hotel St. Moritz near Gracia street in the Eixampler district. This location is within walking distance of Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas, Plaza Catalonia, Casa Milla and 2 blocks from the metro. It also offered many great eateries nearby like the ‘food court’ like chain ‘El Nacional’ where you can try out many restaurants and delicious cuisine. For a scenic ocean view location with malls, night clubs, beach and marina nearby, you can opt for a bit more expensive Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona in the Diagonal district. You can book here as an HGV or Hilton Honors members via the App or inquire directly with the facility online for renting a room. We rented a compact sports car (Mercedes-Benz A180) from the train station, allowing us to explore historic locations north of the city like Figueres (Salavdor Dali museum), Girona and even Southern France with the French Border a 3-hour drive north.
Mobility – Majority of attractions in Barcelona are well connected from the airport or regional train lines by metro through the central hub, Plaza Catalonia (Plac’a Catalunya) or Barcelona-Sants station, and then a short walk to the destination. While you can take a Taxi or call an Uber to move around Barcelona, do keep in mind that taxis can be expensive due to the layout and busy streets in the city. It is lot easier to use the Bus or efficient metro to reach most attractions. For nearby out of town locations, you can also connect to nearby cities and villages like Castelldefels, Girona, Figueres, Cadaques or Montserrat via regional trains or short drive under 2 hours.
One easy mobility option is the Barcelona Card that allows access to all major attractions at discount rate and discounted access to Hop-on Hop-off buses to tour the city and also offers cheaper card options like Hola Barcelona to save on city transport cost.
Attractions – The most popular attractions in Barcelona are all accessible via the mobility options described above. These areas follows.
- The Sagrada Familia – World’s tallest Catholic Church is a must-see attraction. Reservation is highly recommended due to long lines.
- La Pedrera (Casa Mila) – This beautiful house is a Gaudi masterpiece in central Barcelona.
- Casa Battllo – Another beautiful Gaudi masterpiece in central Barcelona that also offers evening light shows.
- Park Guell & Gaudi Experience – Located a few miles from central Barcelona, this unique garden and architecture also showcase Gaudi’s vision and also offers an immersive experience.
- Montjuic Castle, Park & Cable Car – The Montjuic castle overlooks the cruise port, harbor and marina and is part of the sprawling Montjuic district that includes arena, city park and cable car ride.
- Camp Nou – Home of the world famous Barcelona FC futbol club.
- Montserrat – Located outside the city, this historic church on a mountain is accessible via many guided day trips from the city or by driving and self-guided tour.
- Cruise Port & Marina – Located near Montjuic and Columbus Monument, this location is popular with tourists for its famous bars, restaurants, marina and hotels.
- Old City – The old city is home to Barcelona Cathedral, historic streets and is located right next to the city central hub of Plaza Catalonia and the main street – Las Ramblas. Due to high volume of tourists in this area be mindful of your belongings when exploring this part of town.
ROI (Return On Investment) – Some important factors when evaluating Barcelona are the mobility options and common sense safety practices. We found the following steps in our travel plan for using Barcelona as a base yielded a high ROI!
- Rent a car from the Barcelona airport or Barcelona-Sants train station if planning to take road trips outside the city. Otherwise, public transportation and Google Map is sufficient for exploring most attractions.
- Use a credit card online or in Barcelona for your purchases that avoids international fees.
- When exploring central Barcelona, keep your belongings at a safe place and avoid too much crowd when possible. High crowd concentration typically occurs in Plaza Catalonia, Las Ramblas, Outside Sagrada Familia and busy central districts area. Use small travel handbags and phone wallets and secure your phone with a neck-chain or belt-lock. Avoid responding to strangers and panhandlers in these areas. Rest of the city attractions around Parc Guell, Camp Nou, Montjuic are relatively safe and tourist friendly.
- Save on meals by choosing a hotel with free breakfast options. For example, Hilton Hotel chains have free breakfast for Hilton Honors members (free program with a downloadable app). Staying near central Barcelona can give you better variety and choices for meals, shopping and transport.
- Save on Overall transport cost by using a combination of public transport coming to and moving around Barcelona and using a rental car for trips outside the city when having 2 or more people ton a trip. Having the rental car allowed us to visit Girona, Figueres, locations in Pyrenes mountains and Southern France within 3 hours of drive from the city.
Enjoy the vlog below to learn about Sagrada Familia, the most famous landmark in Barcelona!