Before you Travel

Bookings needed & things you can prepare in advance to make the most of your time once in Barcelona

Tickets & activities you NEED to book in advance


You can't miss the following highlights and you have to book them online to avoid huge queues or to guarantee availability.

The first tickets you MUST book are the ones of La Sagrada Familia, the iconic monument of Gaudí. There are several options, I recommend the tower access ticket, pick Nativity tower. If there’s availability I recommend to go at 9am or as early as possible.

Sagrada Familia tickets

Casa Milà tickets

For this day in Barcelona, the 1st thing you HAVE TO do is book the tickets of Park Güell, one of the most gorgeous parks in the world. Following this Barcelona itinerary, you should book them for the morning, as early as possible (Opening at 8am in summer and 8:30 in winter) to avoid crowds.

Park Güell tickets

Finally, most of you will also visit Casa Batlló, the amazing house of Gaudí. Again you NEED to book them in advance. Following my routes you should book them around 2h15 later than your Sagrada Familia tickets.

Other great options to visit it are the summer night shows & visits.

Casa Batlló tickets

Pick your Transfers & Transport Cards


Barcelona airport is an extremely busy airport, booking your transfer earlier will avoid you stress and huge queues. The 2 Options I recommend are:

The easiest option (and affordable compared to other cities) is to use a private transport. Obviously you can take taxis on both terminals (around 30 - 40€). However, for more or less the same price I recommend a private transfer (36€) to avoid long queues at your arrival and possible dishonest taxi drivers. Perfect to reach your hotel without stress. Groups of 4 can enjoy it for a similar price to the shuttle bus.

Private Airport Pickup

The most common option is the Aerobus ( Shuttle Bus ). Perfect for solo travelers or couples with a tight budget. It takes 35 min approx. to reach the city center and it costs 5,9€. Save 15% by booking the return ticket.

Aerobus tickets

Once in the city, to move around there are several options, we recommend 3 of them that are sold by the Official Barcelona Tourism Office

 

Public Transport, the most common and cheapest option. HolaBcn card gives you access to unlimited rides and there’s a 5% discount if you book online.

HolaBCN! Transport Card

For those who don’t like the metro, they will prefer a more comfy & panoramic option: Hop on Hop Off Buses. I recommend the  Barcelona Bus Turistic, they have 3 very complete lines and you can change between them.

Hop on Hop Off Bus tickets

Finally, for those who want to make the most of their time and experience the local side, I recommend to rent a scooter. You’ll be able to visit more and to reach unspoilt areas.

You need to book as they sell out fast. Besides here you have a 10% online discount.

Scooter rental

Other recommended arrangements


If food is an important part of your trip, I recommend you to book your restaurants in advance, the good places are always full. If you need help with that check the Restaurants Bookings service:

For Foodies

Book your Restaurants

Contact one of our Local Heroes, explain the kind of restau…

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Book your tours, guides & activities: Any Gaudí / Old Town / Tapas tour, Private Guide or Flamenco show sells out fast. Try to do your research and book before you go. Have a look at our Love Your Trip selection, we have the best services and experiences in town.

If you need advice to choose your activity or you’re looking for something specific, send me a message.

Curated Experiences & Tours

Have you just started to plan your trip? Too many things to decide? Too long do it all by yourself? Special needs or wishes? Then, you should plan your trip with a local to get tailored travel plans & advices.

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