Travel | Barcelona on a Budget - 4 Things To Avoid

Barcelona is one of those cities that has the potential to be super cheap, if you know what you're doing. There are a lot of tourist traps and money saving secrets that can save you a pretty penny if you're out in the Catalan capital. I thought I'd compile a little list of my top money saving tips in Barcelona, so keep scrolling to find out how not to blow the budget! 

• Eating in restaurants in super touristy areas - places like Las Ramblas or Rambla de Poblenou are full of touters looking to pounce on tourists. Head away from the throng of tourists and walk about 20 minutes into Raval or Gotico to find a nice local cafeteria where you can get a 3-course meal for around €12. 
• Paying for Museums - A lot of Barcelona’s museums are free at certain times or on certain days of the week. You may have to queue but you can save yourself a lot of money if you do a little research. If you happen to be in Barcelona on the first Sunday of the month, you can take your pick of the city’s amazing museums, if not a quick google search will alert you to free entry times of the most popular museums. For those of you that are searching for a more alternative cultural experience, a lot of the smaller contemporary art museums are either free or have relatively low entry fees. 
• Buying a metro pass - this one isn’t a blanket restriction. I would highly recommend getting a T-10, which gives you 10 rides on the bus, metro and some light rail (ferrocarril) trains. However, anything more than a T-10 is a waste of money. Barcelona’s beautiful climate and relatively small size makes walking a very viable mode of transport. Most places in Barcelona can be reached by a short walk (I’m talking 20-30 minutes at most), plus it’s a great way to see some of Barna’s beautiful architecture and intriguing street art. On this same note, I’d recommend limiting your taxi usage, the public transport system is pretty good here, you can get to and from the airport with a T-10
• Buying drinks in clubs - these drinks often cost upwards of €10 euros. For some that may not be extortionate but when you compare it to the fact that a litre of decent gin costs €7 in the supermarket, it kind of puts it all into perspective. Have a good old fashioned pre-drinks session, or if you’re more adventurous you can participate in una bottellón for a more authentic (and somewhat illicit) experience

Do you have any other money saving travel tips? Comment below or tweet me your answer! 

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Martha