Visiting Gaudi’s houses is a must when visiting Barcelona since they are symbols of this beautiful city. The two most famous houses are Casa Batllo and Casa Mila. However, you might not have the time or budget to see them both. So in this blog post I’ll share my opinion on the Casa Batllo vs Casa Mila debate. This should give you all the facts to decide which one to visit. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
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Overall recommendation
If you can only see one Gaudí house I think Casa Batllo is a better choice. That’s my personal preference and I’ll explain why.
The architecture of Casa Batlló is more impressive. The house is colorful and beautifully adorned with marble and stained glass and it has more intricate details. Casa Mila feels unfinished and that’s because it is.
The architect Antoni Gaudi had constant disagreements with the Mila family and he couldn’t execute his full vision. The house was finished by someone else because of this.
At Casa Battlo you can visit the whole building. That’s unlike Casa Mila where you can see just certain portions of it.
Casa Mila is still the living quarters of 3 older ladies whose families negotiated a rent contract with the same price rent for 3 generations. Sidenote, but how amazing is that though? What a smart family they had.
Besides being a residential building, Casa Mila also has event spaces. Both the residential apartments and the event spaces are not open to the public.
Besides seeing the actual house you can also experience innovative immersive exhibits throughout Casa Battlo. You won’t find this at Casa Mila.
Ticket prices are similar for the two Antoni Gaudí houses, but you get a better bang for your buck at Casa Battlo since there are more things to see.
Casa Batlló
Casa Batlló is more beautiful than La Pedrera as it has bright colors, a unique facade with eye-catching tiles and bone-like balconies and stained glass windows. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Casa Batllo is a smaller building than Casa Mila, but Gaudi’s work is more impressive here. It is one of the top examples of Catalan Modernism and architectural innovation.
You start the tour on the ground floor and end it on the terrace of Casa Batlló. On the main floor you can see the large stained glass windows and you can look down at Passeig de Gràcia.
Then you keep going up the carved wooden staircase to visit all the floors. Every detail in this house (same with La Pedrera) has been so well thought out: from the shape of the doorknobs on wooden doors to how the ventilation towers work.
These houses are great examples of a nice blend of architectural design and functional design. They are not just beautiful, but they are practical as well.
The rooftop of Casa Batlló is beautiful, but less impressive than the one at Casa Mila. It doesn’t have those unique sculptures that give Casa Mila so much soul.
From the terrace you have to go down using stairs. But even this experience is a top one. They adorned the walls of the staircase with silver chains and this creates a very cool vibe.
Then, once you’re on the ground floor, before they let you out you will watch videos projected on all the walls. I think this exhibit is a recent addition. I’m not going to lie, it was a bit much. My head was spinning when I left that room.
But regardless, I had a great overall experience at Casa Batllo and I highly recommend you visit.
La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
La Pedrera, which translates to stone quarry, has a spectacular rooftop. You get a very nice view of Barcelona. And it has lots of sculptures that showcase Gaudi’s genius.
The most famous sculptures on the roof terrace are the so-called warriors or soldiers. They are Gaudi’s creations and have an anthropomorphic shape and legend says that they protect La Pedrera.
I think the terrace of La Pedrera makes this Gaudi house worth visiting. The stone facade and the other parts of the building you can visit are great, but not as impressive.
If you decide to visit Casa Mila you should know that, depending on the season, they offer either a sunrise tour at 8am, 1 hour before it opens for regular visitors, or a night time tour. You’ll be able to explore the place with a guide and no crowds.
My group had only about 10 people, so it’s really not crowded at all at that time. They offer this sunrise tour in English, Japanese, Korean and Chinese.
If you like to take instagrammable pictures, know that during this tour you will have about 15-20 minutes on the rooftop terrace so you can take all the pictures and videos you want. With no people!
If waking up early is not your thing, though, you can opt for a regular visit. While the difference in ticket prices for the two options is not that big, ticket prices for the main attractions in Barcelona are steep. Around 30 euros or more. I was surprised when I saw these prices. Barcelona is definitely one of the most expensive destinations in Europe when it comes to entrance fees for attractions.
Overall, Casa Mila has a larger space, but you can’t visit it all and it’s not as impressive as Casa Battlo.
FAQs about Barcelona
What is the best time to visit Barcelona?
I went in early November and it was perfect. The weather is still pretty warm, but there are less tourists compared to the peak summer months. May could also be a great option.
I tend to avoid Europe summer travel because it gets so hot and there are so many tourists everywhere that it takes away from the experience for me. I’d rather wait a few months and go in the fall so I can properly enjoy the destinations I’m visiting.
The weather in Barcelona gets very hot and humid during the summer months, so it can be very uncomfortable to spend the entire day outside, exploring. August is usually vacation month for most European countries, including Spain, so many restaurants and shops will be closed.
How can I get around Barcelona?
Barcelona is a very walkable city and it has a great subway system with stations near all major attractions in case your hotel is further away from the city center. There are a few ticket options for public transportation
Single tickets
These are tickets that are valid for one trip. If you won’t travel a lot by metro or bus, they can be a great option. Otherwise, it makes more sense to go with a T Casual pass.
T Casual
This is a pass that’s valid for 10 trips on any metro, bus, and the airport train. It’s a great option if you are in Barcelona for a few days and will use public transportation a few times.
Hola Barcelona Travel Card
This is a card that can be valid for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days. It offers unlimited trips on public transportation, including the metro to and from the airport. It’s perfect if you know you’ll use public transportation a lot during your trip.
How can I get to the city center from the Barcelona airport?
Train
You can take the RENFE train from Terminal 2. There are trains leaving every 30 minutes. If you land at Terminal 1 there is a shuttle bus that can take you to Terminal 2 to catch the train.
You can get off at Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gràcia or Clot and you can transfer to the metro at all 3 stops. You can pay for the train using the T casual card.
Bus
You can take Aerobus which will take you to Plaça España or Plaça de Catalunya in about 45 minutes. You can take this bus from both terminals T1 and T2 and the price is the same. There are buses that leave every 5-10 minutes.
Another option is to take bus 46 which will take you to the city center. Bus Line 46 operates from 05:30 am to 11:50 pm. You can pay for this bus using the T casual card, unlike the Aerobus. It will take a little longer to reach the city center if you opt for bus 46, but it has the advantage of being able to pay with the T casual card.
There is also a night bus. Night Bus N17 runs from 09:55 pm to 04:50 am every 15 minutes.
Metro
You can take the L9 metro to get to the city center. It has a stop at both Terminal 1 and 2. The airport metro ticket is included in Hola Barcelona Travel Pass.
Taxi / uber
This is the most convenient option since it leaves you right in front of your hotel. Alternatively you can also schedule a private transfer.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Nomad eSIM (use code IOAN43TM for 25% off your first purchase). You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Is Barcelona safe for a solo female traveler?
I saw so many posts on social media about Barcelona being full of pick pockets. On top of that, everyone I met in Barcelona on my first day there warned me to always keep an eye out on my cell phone as there are a lot of thieves and they operate so smoothly that you can’t even tell you are being robbed.
Suffice to say I was a little scared. However, I never had any problems in Barcelona. I took the subway, I visited all the popular spots, and I took pictures and videos with my phone and tripod and nothing happened. I also didn’t see any pickpockets or people getting robbed.
Maybe I was just lucky. Maybe the situation is a bit exaggerated. I don’t know what to say. I think that as long as you’re on high alert, as you should be anytime you travel solo, you’ll be fine.
Do I need cash for my trip to Barcelona?
I didn’t use cash at all when I visited, I paid for everything with a credit card. But it’s always recommended to carry some cash with you so you can tip tour guides or buy souvenirs or something else from small mom-and-pop shops who don’t accept credit cards.
Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the airport instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.
Do I have to tip in Barcelona?
Tipping is not mandatory, but it is highly encouraged. I usually leave 1-2 euros as tip when I eat out. They highly appreciate it when you do this.
Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?
I highly recommend you book all the tickets online in advance of your trip. Barcelona is a very popular destination so it’s very likely that tickets will sell out. Especially if you visit during the summer months. Booking in advance will give you peace of mind.
Do people speak English in Barcelona?
Yes, they do. Barcelona attracts a lot of visitors each year and, as you can imagine, not all tourists speak Spanish. I still recommend you learn a few words in Spanish ahead of your trip though. I do this for every country I visit.
What Spanish words do I need to learn before my trip?
- Hola = hello
- Adiós = goodbye
- Gracias = thank you
- De nada = you’re welcome
- Sí = yes
- No = no
- Encantado/a = Nice to meet you
- Tarjeta = credit card
- Hablas inglés? = Do you speak English?
- Me puedes ayudar? = Can you help me?
- Dónde está el baño? = Where is the bathroom?
- No entiendo = I do not understand
- Puedes tomarme una foto? = Can you take a picture of me?
Do you recommend Barcelona as a solo destination?
I do recommend Barcelona as a destination for solo female travelers. There are so many things to do, the weather is great all year round, and the food is delicious.
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Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and is now back in Romania. She fell in love with traveling when she was little and used to visit her aunt in Vienna. Then in high school she was able to visit Siberia, Turkmenistan, Istanbul, and Tokyo through chemistry competitions. As an adult she started to travel solo once she turned 30 and visited 20+ countries so far. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator with an audience of 75K+ people on Instagram. She loves to share travel recommendations and tips.