Discover in this article our tips on how to plan a trip to Barcelona on a budget. We’ve compiled a list of travel advice to help you make the most of your trip to this beautiful city in Spain.
1. How to save on tickets to paid attractions in Barcelona?
Barcelona is a city full of attractions to visit, both free and paid. But the tip here is that you can save (and save) on the attractions that do cost some money.
We’ve traveled all over the world and found a great company that offers all the main guided tours in Barcelona at very good prices. On our last few trips, it was precisely this Barcelona Tickets website that we used. Take a look for yourself.
As well as being one of the biggest ticket sellers in the world, this site is very secure. You can buy all your tickets in one place. It’s worth noting that it’s always cheaper to buy in advance, online, to avoid queues and to avoid wasting your travel time.
Main tickets sold for Barcelona:
- Skip-the-line guided tour of the Sagrada Familia
- Casa Batlló ticket
- Free tour of Gaudí and modernist Barcelona
- La Pedrera ticket
- Guided tour of Park Güell
- Free tour of Park Güell
- Spotify Camp Nou ticket
- Montjuïc cable car
2. How to save money on travel insurance in Barcelona?
It’s worth remembering that in order to enter Spain and anywhere else in Europe, you must have International Travel Insurance. It will cover you against any unforeseen circumstances and possible travel expenses for hospitals and even lost luggage.
To do this, we recommend that you use this incredible travel insurance price comparison tool. All you have to do is enter your destination and the number of days you’ll be staying. In just a few seconds, it compares quotes from the biggest and best insurance companies in the world.
You’ll find incredible prices from reliable companies with great insurance. And once you’ve done your research, you can take out a policy in less than 5 minutes, with no bureaucracy.
3. How to save money on car rental in Barcelona?
This tip is very interesting for those who want more convenience and savings when traveling between tourist attractions in Barcelona and other nearby cities. The later you book, the fewer cars will be available and the higher the prices will be. Not to mention the risk of not getting the model you want.
So take a look at the tips below and make the most of it.
Book your car in advance
Make your reservation online as soon as possible, because another tip on how to plan a trip to Barcelona on a budget, and get a cheap car, is to book as far in advance as possible and online. The earlier you book, the cheaper you’ll pay. It’s well worth it and you’ll save a lot with promotions, paying much less than renting a car on the spot.
Don’t rent a GPS in Barcelona
Another good tip is not to rent a car with a GPS, as it costs a lot per day. Instead, you can buy a good chip, like the one we listed above, unblocked for international calls and with unlimited Internet. That way, you’ll be able to use the map and location apps with your own cell phone.
Use this incredible price comparator
There are some car rental price comparators in Barcelona (and throughout Spain) that are sensational and search all the main car rental companies there, finding the best prices and excellent deals. We recommend one that you can use by going to the website and entering the date of your trip. It then searches for all the best car rental companies in Barcelona.
If you want to do the search, click here on Car Rental Comparator. In just a few seconds, you’ll have all the options for renting a car in Barcelona from the best companies on your screen, and you can choose the cheapest one. You really will save a lot.
More tips: prefer larger and reliable rental companies, such as Europcar, Budget and Avis. Take out basic insurance when booking, which is super important and is usually included in the price. But don’t fall for the companies who, when you pick up the car, try to push extra insurance that isn’t worth it.
4. How to save money with a transfer service in Barcelona?
If you’re not going to hire a car, another great way to get from the airport to the hotel, and vice versa, is by transfer. It’s cheaper than a cab, it’s much safer and you don’t have to wait in queues and risk wasting time looking for one. With a transfer, you book and pay for everything in advance.
And using a transfer is very practical: when you land at the airport in your destination country, there will already be a driver waiting for you. They usually carry a little sign with your name on it for easy identification.
The main advantage of using a transfer in Barcelona is that when you leave the airport you can be sure that you’ll have reliable transportation to take you to your hotel. This way you don’t have to pay more with variable taxi fares, for example.
We have a reliable website to find the best transfer prices in all destinations in Barcelona. It gives you the price, the journey time and all the information. We found it much cheaper than taking a cab from the airport and everything was always very quick and easy. It’s very worthwhile if you’re not going to rent a car. It’s also an excellent place to buy the tickets and tours in Spain.
5. How to save money on train travel in Barcelona?
Trains are a very common way of getting around Europe. Not only are they great, they’re fast, comfortable and save you time and money compared to air travel.
If you’re interested in using it, we recommend that you do some research beforehand on this European Train Finder to find the best ticket prices. We always make our reservations there, because as well as having the best prices, their search engine is good, easy and the most reliable in the world for train reservations.
Just click on the link above and you’ll be redirected. The site is very simple to use and there are always offers of cheaper tickets available.
6. How to save on accommodation in Barcelona?
Accommodation is also one of the most expensive items on a trip, but the good thing is that you can save money by researching and booking well in advance!
To find the best hotels in the best areas of Barcelona, our tip is to use this Barcelona Hotel Finder. We always use it because it’s the largest hotel booking site in the world, super reliable and safe. What’s more, it has the opinions of tourists who have already stayed in the hotels, which helps a lot when evaluating each one.
7. How to save on Internet in Barcelona?
The best way to have Internet available in another country is through travel chips, which are pre-paid chips that work from local telephone networks, in this case those in Barcelona. You pay for the chip and you can use the Internet during your trip, with quality at a much lower price.
In short, using your international roaming abroad is usually the worst option and ends up being much more expensive. And sometimes, in order to use the Wi-Fi, most hotels charge a very expensive daily fee and you can only use your cell phone inside the hotel.
For this reason, and many others, what most people do to travel cheaply to Barcelona, and which is very worthwhile, is to buy an prepaid SIM card. We always use this Mobile Chip. It’s electronic (eSIM), you install it instantly and you can use your cell phone’s internet anywhere in the world.
8. How to save money on shopping using Tax Free in Barcelona?
Tax Free is in almost every country in Europe, and in Barcelona too. This system allows all tourists to get back a good part of the taxes paid on purchases.
One tip is to always check if there is a sign saying that the store has Tax Free, or ask. But beware: there is a minimum value of 90.16 euros for you to be entitled to Tax Free on your purchases. Services such as hotels and cabs don’t offer Tax Free.
So when you make a purchase with an excess amount, the clerk will ask you if you want Tax Free. Then he will ask for your passport, fill in a form and give you an envelope with the invoice and the form. Then all you have to do is collect all the envelopes during your trip and, at the airport, go to the counter and get the whole amount back in cash.