And the food and wine? Don’t even get me started on how much I love it!

But no place is perfect. That’s just not how life works. There’s a difficult side to even the sweetest destination. We’ve talked about a few of the negative aspects of Barcelona before, but I believe that the most annoying aspect of Barcelona is the petty theft and occasionally more aggressive forms of robbery that take place.

However, don’t let these minor safety issues discourage you from visiting this wonderful city. Instead, keep safe with these Barcelona safety tips.

Barcelona safety tips to follow for your next vacation

By following these Barcelona safety tips, you can have a better chance of avoiding any risky situations.

1. Watch your luggage

I’ve never seen it happen, but I’ve heard of luggage thieves on the AEROBÚS, the bus that connects downtown Barcelona to the airport. You don’t necessarily need to sit with your bag between your legs, and in some cases that may be seen as impolite, especially if the bus is very full. The AEROBÚS has a luggage rack; you should store big bags there.

My advice is to sit as close to the luggage rack as possible so that you can keep an eye on your belongings. Of course, laptop bags, purses and cameras should all go in your lap, not on the rack.

2. Keep purses close

Never place your purse on the floor in a public place. If you are in a restaurant, your purse should be on your lap, not strung across the back of your chair. I’ve seen multiple robberies where a purse was slung over a chair or placed in an empty chair. The thief comes by your table running, snatches the purse and keeps going. You are too flabbergasted to react, plus you have a mouthful of patatas bravas, making it difficult to sound the alarm. You may try to run after him, but he’s faster, knows shortcuts and is long gone in seconds.

I did see this exact scenario go down in an outdoor eatery once. The victim screamed and three men jumped up from a neighboring table to run after the thief, eventually catching him and returning the purse. She was lucky. You might not have three track stars lunching beside you.

3. Be alert when shopping

You should keep an eye on your purse in clothing shops, too. For example, if you take off your jacket and purse in order to try on something without going into the dressing room, you’ll want to make sure that your purse is nestled snugly between your feet, not left unattended on a chair or on the floor. Thieves lurk in shops looking for an opportunity to snag a bag.

4. Choose the right neighborhood

Some areas of the city are safer than others, especially at night. The safest zones are those with few tourists because crime follows the jet-lagged, unaccustomed traveler. The safest areas are L’Eixample and Gràcia. The least safe are El Raval and the Gothic Quarter.

This does not mean that you shouldn’t stay in El Raval or the Gothic Quarter. In fact, they are both vibrant hoods with some of the city’s top nightlife and restaurants. But if you choose to stay in these areas, you need to keep your wits about you or travel with friends.

Related: Is it safe to stay in the Gothic Quarter?

Avoid carrying around large amounts of cash in Barcelona. Photo: Images Money

5. Be careful with cash

It’s best to take money out of an ATM in the middle of the day when lots of people are about. Avoid withdrawing large sums at night from desolate ATMs when no one is around. Also, avoid carrying lots of cash. Instead, leave most of your euros in the safe in your hotel room, and carry only what you need for the day. You will want to have some cash on hand because not all shops and restaurants in Barcelona accept credit cards.

Keep your bag in front of you like this rider on the Metro. Photo: Mathieu Marquer

6. Be aware of pickpockets on the Metro

Unfortunately, many a trusting tourist gets robbed on the Metro. The worst scenario is a packed car when everyone is squished up against everyone else. It’s hard to know in this situation if the tug you feel is a thief opening your bag or just the guy next to you trying to breathe in the cramped space. Keep your purse in your hands or held against your body and keep your wallet in your front pocket. If it’s really crowded, keep your hand on it.

Be aware when getting on or off the Metro. One trick thieves like to play is to grab a bag and hop off, just as the doors snap shut. They have your bag and all of your credit cards on the outside of the Metro, and you’re stuck inside. By the time you get to the next stop and find a police officer, the thief has enjoyed lunch on your Visa.

Another thing to keep in mind about the Metro is where and when you ride it. Late at night avoid the fringe lines. You will be fine at night on all lines in the city center, and there are usually many other revelers around. However, it does get a little wild on Fridays and Saturdays after midnight. Expect teens and college kids sipping booze, smoking joints and cigarettes, and singing off-key in a joyful haze. Mind you, none of this is legal (apart from the singing), but that hasn’t stopped anyone.

7. Bring a buddy to the beach

The beach is best with a buddy. If you go alone, you won’t have anyone to look after your stuff while you swim. On a crowded day at the beach, ask the closest trustworthy-looking person to keep an eye on your things while you go for a dip. While you are sitting on the sand observing the waves, musing about the previous night’s wild Metro ride, make sure your bag and belongings are in front of you. Visitors make the mistake of setting their bag to their back, which makes an easy invitation for purse-snatchers.

Related: Best affordable hotels near the beach in Barcelona

In addition, be wary of someone who comes up and starts making small talk. Your first reaction should be to locate your bag, camera, belongings, etc. Thieves often work in twos: One distracts you with small talk while the other makes off with your stuff. The thief will keep you occupied until his friend is safely away, and then he will say his goodbyes.

8. Stick to the well-lit streets at night

El Raval and the Gothic Quarter are both fun ‘hoods to spend a night out on the town. Bars, clubs, pubs and concert halls abound in both areas. However, El Raval can be dangerous for women alone, especially down side streets. I’ve known many women who have been harassed in El Raval, and quite a few others who have been robbed in the neighborhood. You are better off if you go out with a group of people, or at least with a friend. Stick to well-lit streets with lots of traffic.

In the Gothic Quarter the same rule about sticking to well-lit areas applies. Another consideration in the Gothic Quarter is just how confusing its winding lanes can be. It is easy to get lost in this ‘hood, particularly in the dark after a few glasses of wine. Be aware of your surroundings, look for street signs and keep an eye out for suspicious characters.

9. Carry a copy of your passport

Make a copy of your passport and carry the photocopy around with you. Leave your passport, one of your credit cards, and extra cash in the safe in your hotel room. Remember that in some stores, like FNAC, you will need your physical passport in order to make a purchase with a credit card — but this is the exception, not the rule.

10. Armed robbery is very unusual but can happen

Most crime in Barcelona is of the petty theft variety. Muggings are rare. Guns are not common in Spain, and being held up at gunpoint is not at all common. However, it would be incorrect to assume that violent robbery does not happen. A friend of mine, who lived in El Born, was robbed violently twice in the course of six months. Understandably, these incidents upset him so much that he moved away from El Born. (And, of course, I have other friends who live in El Born, and nothing has ever happened to them.)

The thing is, El Born is a touristy area. There are many hotels and holiday apartments scattered around the ‘hood, and robbers know this. Both of the times my friend was robbed, it was near his house on a side-street in El Born at night. The first time, a man with a broken bottle approached my friend and demanded his wallet. He gave him what he had and the thief disappeared.

The second time, my friend had just returned from a long road trip to France. He had his luggage all about him on the street and had set down his laptop bag to look for his keys. He was standing right in front of his apartment. The thief came over with a knife, took his laptop bag, and then ran off as my friend screamed. It’s hard to say why my friend was a target, but I think it is probably because he looked like he was an unsuspecting tourist arriving late to a vacation rental.

These stories are infrequent, but that does not mean that they can’t happen. I think if someone comes up to you with a broken-off bottle and a deranged look in their eyes, the best thing to do is fork over your money. After all, you stowed your back-up cash safely away in the safe in your hotel room.

Remember: Barcelona is not dangerous

Despite my friend’s grim story, it’s important to stress that Barcelona is not a dangerous place. Let me just state that again: Barcelona is NOT dangerous.

Rife with petty theft, perhaps. Rife with kidnappers and gun-wielding drug lords, no. Plus, there are always lots of people about in downtown Barcelona. Safety comes in numbers. I feel much safer in Barcelona at 2 a.m. than I would in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, at the same time.

To have a trip free of pickpocketing and harassment, pay attention to where you are and where your belongings are at all times. Be vigilant and, at the end of your trip, you’ll leave town with both beautiful memories… and all your credit cards in your wallet.

Your Barcelona safety tips?

Have a tip about how to stay safe in Barcelona? Share with us in the comments section below!

The post Barcelona: 10 tips for staying safe when visiting appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The city’s most famous drag, La Rambla, divides the Gothic Quarter and El Raval. If you stand at the top of La Rambla and look down towards the sea, the Gothic Quarter is on your left and El Raval is on your right.

Because it’s so popular with tourists, the Gothic Quarter (known locally as “Barri Gòtic”) can be a challenge to explore on a budget. Fortunately, we have some tips below to keep your spending in check!

Get around on foot

The only way to really explore the Gothic Quarter is by walking. Though the Metro stops Jaume I, Pl. Catalunya, Liceu and Urquinaona will put you at the perimeter of the neighborhood, much of the Gothic Quarter is closed to car traffic, making it a haven for pedestrians who are ogling the cathedral’s gargoyles or stopping to window shop.

Make sure to get a good, detailed map of the area as it can be very confusing to find your way from point to point without any direction. But that’s part of the fun! While the Eixample is laid out in a simple grid pattern, the Gothic Quarter is a mess of winding alleyways and dead ends. Getting lost in the Gothic Quarter is common even for the locals, so don’t worry too much if you get turned around.

Barcelona Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter dates back to the 1300s. Photo: Catalan Art

What to see

While the neighborhood demands to simply be wandered, there are a number of sights you shouldn’t miss. These include:

• The Barcelona Cathedral and the plaza just in front of it are both required visits. You will have to pay a small fee (€3) to enter the cathedral unless you go for mass, but it’s also fascinating to walk around its huge outside perimeter and admire the architecture.

• Seek out Pl. Sant Felip Neri near the cathedral for a respite from the Gothic Quarter’s bustle. The plaza has a sad history (look for evidence of the bombing during the civil war on the plaza’s walls) but it’s currently one of the prettiest spots in the city to have a coffee or just sit and listen to the trickling fountain.

• Roman sites: Visiting the numerous Roman sites scattered throughout the Gothic Quarter is free and interesting. Get information and a map showing where each site is located from the tourist information office in Pl. Catalunya.

• More ancient history: If you want to dive deeper into Barcelona’s Roman era then seek out the MUHBA (Barcelona City History Museum) on Plaça del Rei, which holds artifacts from the 1st century BC to the early Middle Ages (€7).

• La Rambla: Of course, you should take a stroll along La Rambla, which lines the western edge of the Gothic Quarter all the way down to the port. Check out the flower stands, human statues, and opera house as you walk. (Related: Is the Rambla a tourist trap? Not necessarily.)

• Plaça Reial is also a lively square worth your time, surrounded by restaurants, bars and once-glamorous apartments. Some good jazz clubs and live music venues are found around Plaça Reial, too.

• Organized tour: If you feel like splurging, book the Secrets and Legends Tour with Ciempies. This is the best tour I’ve been on in Barcelona, and maybe in my entire life. The tour focuses on the history of the Gothic area as well as local tales passed down from generation to generation.

• Nightlife savings: You can also save money on shows when buying tickets in advance. Jamboree sells tickets online for slightly less than at the door. Atrapalo also has daily deals on concerts, shows, food, tours, and classes in the city.

Finding affordable food & drink

Because the Gothic Quarter is so popular with tourists, some restauranteurs feel they can charge more and serve substandard eats. Skip these places. You’ll know them by the photos of their dishes taped up next to a menu that has been translated into 10 languages.

Luckily, there are still some wonderful, old-timey bars and traditional restaurants sit near the more touristy places. These include:

• For cheap breakfast or lunch options, try El Mos (Carrer Comtal, 12), a cafe serving a wide array of pastries, plus sandwiches and simple daily specials. You can eat a meal at El Mos for about €6.

• Another inexpensive choice is Buenas Migas, which serves salads, focaccia, pastries, cakes and breakfast items such as freshly-squeezed OJ and yogurt with granola.

• For beers and cocktails try Ginger (Carrer de la Palma de Sant Just, 1) or Polaroid (Carrer dels Còdols, 29) which draws a young crowd.

Related: 4 local dishes to try when visiting Barcelona | Favorite bars (including Gothic Quarter)

Supermarket savings: You can cut down on what you spend on food by buying some of your meals at the supermarket. Carrefour and El Corte Inglés have large selections of pre-made dishes (pasta salad, roasted chicken, sandwiches) plus all the snack and drink options you’d expect from a European supermarket. Try getting breakfast and lunch from Carrefour and then going out for dinner and drinks. (Here are some picnic tips for Barcelona.)

More restaurant advice: We have much more to say on the subject of saving on Barcelona’s restaurant and bars. Check out these articles for more tips.

Best budget hotels in the Gothic Quarter

If you choose to stay in the Gothic Quarter, you’ll save bucks on transportation, as you’ll be within walking distance from just about everything, including the beach, Gaudí sights, shopping, restaurants and the major train and bus stations. Cheapos will love the convenient location.

Check out all of our accommodations in Barri Gòtic, and take note of this stand out:

Hostal Levante: This friendly stay offers an unbeatable location at great prices. All of the accommodations are spic-and-span, and a few rooms have balconies overlooking the cobblestoned streets. Doubles from under $100.

The post Cheapo Guide: Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Furthermore, the busiest attractions in Barcelona can get incredibly overcrowded depending on when you visit. The beauty of the Gothic Quarter, the majesty of the Sagrada Familia, and the quirkiness of Park Güell just don’t have the same appeal when you’re just trying to keep your sanity.

But we can help. Before you run away back to your hotel, don’t give up. Follow these tips to enjoy Barcelona to its fullest — even at its most visited sites.

La Rambla

You absolutely should stroll La Rambla once. But once is probably enough. It swarms with visitors and therefore also with pickpockets. Avoid gambling on La Rambla, which seems obvious, but tourists are frequently suckered into street games which they will never win.

Admire the human statues (they will want a tip, especially if you take a photo), pop into La Boqueria Market, check out the flower stands, and then move off La Rambla to have lunch or dinner. Avoid buying souvenirs on La Rambla, as you are sure to find the same thing somewhere else at half the price.

Related: Is La Rambla a tourist trap? Read our take

Sometimes just getting beyond the entrance can be the biggest challenge at Park Güell. Photo: Slim Ficky

Park Güell

There are two aspects of a trip to Park Güell that are difficult: getting there and finding something to eat.

Getting to the park takes some time, but it’s not rocket science and is well worth the effort. If you take the metro to the park, remember that you will have to walk uphill to reach its gates. It’s not a bad walk, but you may not want to do it in the middle of the day when it’s 90 degrees outside. There is also a bus that will take you right to the gate, and this is an easier option. Plan 30 minutes to an hour to get up to the park, and maybe a little less to get back to the city center. Here is our full guide to visiting the park.

Once you are at the park, there is little in the way of cafes and restaurants. Pack a lunch or at the very least take a bottle of water. The park is expansive, so allow yourself plenty of time to walk the grounds and visit the museum. Though Park Güell was once free to visit, those days are over; see more on purchasing tickets here.

It’s easy to get lost amid the old architecture and streams of tourists in the Gothic Quarter. Photo: Michael C.

The Gothic Quarter

Welcome to the heart and soul of the city and one of the most interesting areas when it comes to history and shopping. Strolling the Gothic Quarter (“Barri Gotic”) is a must to see fragments of Roman architecture and medieval homes, and to hear your heels click across cobblestone streets. However, wandering around the Gothic Quarter can also mean battling crowds of tourists and locals, dodging pickpockets, and paying too much for meals.

The area around the city’s cathedral is often mobbed with tourists in the summer. To avoid the crowds, visit in the early morning or during low season. Tour groups tend to stick to the main streets in the Gothic Quarter, so if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can always duck down an alleyway where you’ll often find yourself alone with the cobblestones and dangling laundry. But take note: At night you’ll want to avoid these same charming side-streets, because pickpockets are known to lurk along them. Again, in the daytime it’s fine, but at night stay on main streets (also because you’re less likely to get lost!).

There are wonderful restaurants tucked into the Gothic Quarter’s many nooks and crannies. There are also numerous eateries that cater exclusively to tourists and charge a pretty penny. It’s hard to tell which is which, but generally the restaurants around Plaça Reial and along Carrer Ferran are for visitors, not locals, and you’ll have to shell out more for your tapas. There also plenty of affordable hotels in the Gothic Quarter, so you can also make this neighborhood your home base during your trip.

La Sagrada Familia is an incredible experience, worth braving the long lines. Photo: Antonio T.

La Sagrada Família

Don’t waste your valuable vacation time waiting in the endless ticket line at La Sagrada Família. Instead, get your tickets ahead of time online and walk right past the poor souls in the endless queue. La Sagrada Família is well worth the €15 it costs to get in (unless you attend a service for free), so splurge on this one even if you’re on a budget.

After touring the basilica, search out lunch in a local spot a few blocks away from the tourist hype. Most of the restaurants around the site are geared toward separating tourists from their euros. However, La Sagrada Família is also a thriving neighborhood with lots of authentic offerings available for those who sniff them out. One excellent tapas and wine bar in the ‘hood is Casa Mariol.

Related: Tips for visiting Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia

Slip down a quiet alley to escape the crowds and discover a different side of Barcelona. Photo: mrcl

Final Tip: Wander off the beaten tourist path

Critics say that Barcelona is becoming more and more soulless, because the city government has sold out to easy money, creating a metropolis that is more for tourists than residents. In some cases, this is true, but overall the sentiment is incorrect. Those who have come away from the city with this limited impression did not venture too far off La Rambla. While your experience in Barcelona could be akin to a trip to Disneyland, you also have the opportunity to make it a profound encounter with Catalan culture.

If you prefer the latter, make sure to spice up your time at heavily visited monuments with trips to secluded plazas, up-and-coming ‘hoods (Poble Sec, Poblenou), and traditional eateries that draw a local clientele. (Check out this list of off-the-beaten path hotels to sleep closer to the locals.)

Take a chance and venture out of the tourist zone, and you’ll discover a city that’s unlike any other.

The post How to survive Barcelona’s top 4 attractions appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

There are several budget hotels to choose from in Barcelona, whether you are looking to stay near the sea, the charming Gothic Quarter or close to the world-famous cathedral designed by Gaudi.

Here are our top hotel picks near three of the city’s must-see landmarks.

La Sagrada Família

This one is on everyone’s list, and if it’s not on yours, then it should be. The whimsical basilica is awesome in the real sense of the word, and even though it’s incomplete, it manages to dazzle and surprise visitors of all ages. For about a year I lived right next to the church. It was a treat to see the Gaudí building, with its organic forms and climbing spires, at different times of the day—in the morning when the sun moved across its elaborate façade, in the afternoon when school children played in the park in front of it, and at night when the perimeter was crowd-free and the moon shown down upon it giving it an even more magical effect.

Related: Tips for getting the most out of your visit to Sagrada Familia

If you, too, want to experience La Sagrada Família from many angles while walking to the metro, buying bread, or stepping out for tapas, then book one of the following hotels.

Eddy Rooms
$74 and up

This 19-room pension is furnished with antiques in an area of the city that is close to everything without being in the hustle and noise. Shopping bargains are found nearby on Girona street.

The elegant stairway in Hostal Girona. Photo: Michael Shade

Hostal Girona
$63 and up

This small hostal is located in a beautiful old building with an intricate floral façade. The building is in a local, residential area which is safe and quiet.

Enjoy the beach in Barcelona when you book a hotel just a short walk away. Photo: Stuart Pinfold

The Mediterranean

The sea is Barcelona’s big swimming pool from May to October, and a darn fine place to go for a walk or sit in the sun year-round. Whenever I’m asked why I prefer to live in Barcelona, as opposed to Madrid, my answer is always ‘the sea.’ Madrid is wonderful for so many reasons, but living next to the Med, well, it’s pretty special. Some of the best seafood in the city is found along the waterside, and when the weather is warm the beach buzzes with sunbathers, paddle boarders, hopeful surfers, vendors of all kinds (massage, coconut slices, water, beer, doughnuts?), rollerbladers, plus locals and tourists strolling the boardwalk.

Catalonia’s history museum is down by the seaside in an ancient shipping warehouse. If you want to get an idea of how Catalonia was formed, and why there is a call for independence among many Catalans now, then stroll through this well curated museum (all displays in English in addition to Spanish and Catalan).

Check these hotels for rooms within walking distance from the coastline.

Hotel del Mar
$95 and up

Located on the border between the seaside ‘hood of La Barceloneta and La Ribera, this is a great location especially if you like sunshine and nightlife.

Park Hotel offers modern rooms very close to the seaside. Photo: Courtesy of the hotel

Park Hotel
$107 and up

An elegant hotel with vintage touches, this property is located in a lively area right across from the train station. It also has a nice bar with a street terrace and is only a ten minute stroll to the waterfront.

A scene from the Gothic Quarter. Photo: Eric Goodwin

The Cathedral and Gothic Quarter

Mammoth worn stones from the Roman era mix with newer bricks around every corner in Barcelona’s most charming ‘hood. As an American from the western United States, it’s the Gothic Quarter that has always enchanted me the most, probably because there aren’t many Roman pillars and medieval palaces where I come from. Iron street-lamps cast their golden beams along twisting alleyways where obscure bars buzz seven nights a week. Gargoyles and other creatures watch from their perches atop the cathedral as visitors rotate their maps and buskers serenade the night.

While pickpockets and getting lost can be an issue in the Gothic Quarter, it is one of the most romantic areas to be in, with plenty of food and shopping close at hand.

Try one of these budget hotels to stay in the oldest part of Barcelona.

Hostel Itaca
$76 and up

This is a true backpacker hostel located right next to the cathedral in a very hip part of the neighborhood. They also have double private rooms if you don’t want to share.

Hostal Fernando offers a perfect central location. Photo: EuroCheapo

Hostel Fernando
$50 and up

Conveniently situated right off La Rambla, this means it’s very easy to find—even at night after a bottle of Spanish red wine.

So what will it be? The tall towers of the swooping, psychedelic Sagrada Família? The gentle waves of the Mediterranean Sea? Or the puzzling side-streets of the Gothic Quarter? A stay in any of these areas will put you close to the source that gives Barcelona its intoxicating buzz.

The post Barcelona: Affordable hotels near top attractions appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

The name says it all at the affordable and highly-rated Hostal Centric. Photo: Regina W Bryan

Save on taxi and transit fare

If you stay out of the center, then public transportation and taxis will be a ball and chain. You won’t be able to stay out past the metro’s closing time (weekdays 12 AM, Fridays 2 AM) without having to pay for a taxi to take you back to your far-away hotel, and that will cost you everything you saved booking there in the first place.

There’s also the money spent, however small, on public transportation. If you stay in Barcelona’s downtown, you’ll easily be able to walk to most sights and not have to take the metro or bus. This can save you between €10-30—plenty of money for a few extra vermouths.

Safety in numbers

Secondly, depending on what ‘hood it is, it could be a little uncomfortable late at night. In general, Barcelona is not a dangerous city. Still, it’s best to avoid solo evening rides into questionable ‘hoods if you can. You never know. Staying in more populated, busier areas is always safer, because there are people around. This especially applies to women travelers.

Hostal Noya is a cozy pick that’s easy to reach and cheap to boot. Photo: EuroCheapo

2 affordable hotel picks in the city center

Finally, downtown hotels and hostels are usually a bit more spendy, but there are always bargains to be had. Look for deep discounts at these three cheapo picks:

Hostal Centric
L’Eixample: Calle Casanova 13
Read Review

Thanks to great prices in a prime location, this clean and bright hotel appeals to 20-something backpackers and more conservative travelers alike. Doubles around $100.

Hostal Fernando
Read Review

With 60 dorm beds and 40 private rooms, this perfectly located gem in the Gothic Quarter has it all including a helpful staff, free breakfast (for private room guests) and a fun atmosphere with a cafe and bar on the property. Double or twin rooms from $100.

A booking at any of these three options will put you where the real action is—within walking distance of Barcelona’s best eateries, bars, sights, nightclubs and museums. For more Barcelona tips, read our Barcelona hotel overview.

The post Cheapo Barcelona tip: Book a hotel in the city center to save time, money and stress appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.