Barcelona is probably the most famous tourist destination in Spain. That’s because it offers incredible historic buildings by Antoni Gaudí, incredible spots for panoramic views, beautiful beaches, and tapas bars. In this blog post I will share the best neighborhood to stay in Barcelona for first-time visitors, as well as the best hotels. 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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- Flights
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- Europe train tickets
- Europe bus tickets
- Activities, tours, and day trips
- eSIM for international data
Eixample District
The Eixample District is the perfect place to stay in the heart of Barcelona because a lot of attractions are within walking distance. Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (or La Pedrera), and La Sagrada Familia are all in this neighborhood.
Plus, you’ll find plenty of restaurants, shops, and museums here as well. Eixample is a pretty large neighborhood, so you can pick a hotel as close or as far away from the Gaudi masterpieces such that it matches your budget.
Seventy Barcelona
Seventy Barcelona is a 4-star hotel located on a tree-lined street full of shopping options. It has spacious rooms and a breathtaking rooftop terrace and pool. They also have a restaurant on-site, a cocktail bar with live music, and a spa.
It has a great location, great amenities, great reviews. In addition, it’s not as expensive as other hotels in Barcelona.
Hotel Condes de Barcelona
Hotel Condes de Barcelona is a charming 4-star hotel located on Passeig de Gracia, the avenue that is home to both Casa Battlo and Casa Mila.
The hotel is located in a 19th century building with wall-size windows, a rooftop terrace and pool, a gym, and a sauna. This hotel has incredible reviews and it’s a great choice to spend a few nights in Barcelona.
Gothic Quarter
Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter or Barri Gòtic is one of the best areas of Barcelona. It has narrow streets, medieval architecture, lively bars, great restaurants and popular attractions such as the Barcelona Cathedral or the Palau de la Musica Catalana.
It’s a great neighborhood that is part of the old city and preserves that charm from many years ago. It even gives you a small-town feel. It’s one of the best neighborhoods to pick if you want to experience the more historical part of Barcelona.
Hotel Catalonia Catedral
As the name suggests, Hotel Catalonia Catedral is located in a building that’s just 328 feet away from Barcelona Cathedral. So you’ll be in the heart of the Gothic Quarter if you choose to stay here.
It is a 4-star hotel that has a rooftop pool and bar, a lounge area with sun beds, and a restaurant with an outdoor terrace. The reviews are amazing, so if you want to stay in the Gothic Quarter this hotel is a great choice.
Hotel 1898
Another great choice in this area is Hotel 1898. It’s a 4-star hotel located right on La Rambla in a restored 19th century building. It has a rooftop pool and terrace two coffee shops and a library.
It blends modern decor with old school charm and it provides a quiet oasis to rest after exploring even though it’s on Las Ramblas.
Kimpton Vividora Barcelona
Kimpton Vividora is a 5-star luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Barcelona. Every aspect of this hotel is very well thought out such that they received awards for their design and decor.
They have a rooftop terrace with great views of the Barcelona Cathedral. There is also a rooftop bar where you can relax with a drink while you enjoy the views.
They also have multiple restaurants on-site, a gym, a spa, and yoga classes. They also organize visits to a winery near Barcelona so you can see how that delicious Spanish wine gets made (and sample it). You can visit the winery in a sidecar, a 4×4, or a boat.
It’s definitely a fancy hotel that offers fancy experiences for its guests. If you want a bit of a more luxurious stay, Kimpton Vividora could be a great option.
Plaça Catalunya
Placa Catalunya is a central square at the North end of Las Ramblas. It is a beautiful plaza with sculptures, fountains, and green spaces. And it is a short walk from main attractions such as Mercat de la Boqueria, Picasso Museum, Sant Antoni Market or even Barceloneta Beach.
You can think of Placa Catalunya as the neighborhood in between Eixample and the Gothic Quarter. No matter which of these three charming neighborhoods you end up picking, you will be in a central location and in close proximity to many attractions.
Hotel Catalonia Rambles
Hotel Catalonia Rambles is a chic 4-star hotel in the Placa Catalunya area. It has a spa, a pool, and an on-site restaurant. The rooms are spacious considering the prime location of the hotel. The staff is attentive, and the location is top notch.
45 Times Barcelona Hotel
45 Times Barcelona Hotel is a 4-star hotel that boasts some of the most incredible views of the city from its rooftop terrace. It also has a rooftop pool to go with those views.
The rooms also have great views, especially if you choose the Tower Suite. There is a restaurant on-site and a rooftop bar. And if you want to work out while in Barcelona you can do so at their gym.
Hotel Catalonia Passeig de Gràcia
Hotel Catalonia Passeig de Gràcia is a short walk from the Gaudi houses. It is a 4-star hotel that offers an outdoor pool and terrace, a gym, and all the other amenities you would expect from a hotel in a great location.
The service is top notch and the hotel has great reviews. It can be a great choice for your Barcelona trip.
FAQs about Barcelona
What should I eat in Barcelona?
Seafood paella
Paella is a rice dished that originated in Valencia and it’s probably the most famous Spanish dish. Barcelona also has some amazing paella since they are pretty close to Valencia.
While there are different types of paella, the seafood one is probably the most famous. That’s what I tried. It had shrimp, calamari, and mussels. The rice was flavored with saffron.
I am not a huge fan of rice, but the combination with seafood and that flavored broth was really good. I really enjoyed it. You can try paella at Alegoria Restaurant.
Octopus (or any seafood dish)
Since Barcelona is a sea city, the seafood here is always fresh and delicious. You should try any seafood dish you like, you can’t go wrong with anything.
I loved the octopus with mashed potatoes at El Tastet de l’Artur. So simple and delicious. The restaurant has a few tables outside if you want to dine with a view. However, be aware that they will charge you 1 euro if you opt to eat outside.
Tapas
I love trying a lot of dishes, so I love the concept of tapas where you get a smaller portion of a dish. Every time I go to Spain I try to have tapas at least once.
In Barcelona I went to Cerveceria Catalana and I highly recommend it. It’s centrally located, they have an extensive menu, and they are very fast with service (unlike a lot of places in Europe).
The restaurant is usually packed, so I suggest you make a reservation. Since I traveled solo, they squeezed me in at the bar area even though I didn’t make a reservation ahead of time.
I ordered the mixed fish, a burrata and tomato salad, and also some croquetas. Gotta try everything! The dishes were really good and you could tell they use high quality ingredients and everything is fresh.
Crema catalana
Crema catalana is a similar dessert to creme brulee. The main difference is that creme brulee is a vanilla custard made with heavy whipping cream baked in water bath, while crema catalana is a vanilla custard made with milk.
Crema catalana is lighter and it can also be flavored with lemon zest or cinnamon. A must try if you visit Barcelona. I tried it at Cerveceria Catalana and it did not disappoint.
Torrijas
Torrijas is a Spanish style French toast. It can be served as dessert or for brunch and it’s very popular for Easter and the week before Easter. Torrijas can be made from bread that’s dipped either in milk flavored with vanilla, or in wine. Then the slices of bread are dipped in egg and pan fried. Once it’s cooked torrijas are usually topped with cinnamon sugar.
While regular torrijas are good, you want to try torrija cremada at Cerveceria Catalana. It’s like a French toast and a crema catalana had a baby. The bread is soft, there is plenty of cream, and it has a burnt sugar crust on top. This was my favorite dessert I tried in Barcelona. So good!
Cafe con leche and some little croissants
Coffee in Spain is outstanding. It’s strong, the coffee beans are high quality and they use the perfect ratio of coffee to milk. I always order a cafe con leche. So good!
In Barcelona there are a lot of coffee shop chains, as well as neighborhood cafes. My favorite chain was 365. They have locations all over Barcelona.
You should order some of the little croissants to eat with your coffee. I call them little croissants because they are literally two bites. At 365 they have two kinds: milk chocolate and white chocolate. Not only are they dipped in chocolate, but they have cream inside too. So delicious!
If you want to try additional flavors of these mini croissants go to Manolo Bakes. They are a Spanish chain that focuses on these croissants called Manolitos. They are delicious and come in all sorts of flavors such as: Biscoff, lemon pie, pistachio, salted caramel, and chocolate crunch.
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 transport:
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. You can buy them at any metro station.
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 during your stay.
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 Airalo. 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.