A Barcelona expert answers your burning travel questions


Barcelona has always ranked high for our traveler community at any time of year (just look at the hundreds of questions in our travel forum). And it’s no wonder why: The Catalan city has the perfect blend of beautiful beaches, forward-thinking architecture, standout local dishes, and a late-night energy that’s simply contagious—you may have heard dinner typically gets going around 9pm. We tapped one of our knowledgeable destination experts, BGJ-DC, to answer your most pressing questions about travel to the area.




TRIPADVISOR: "I want to see some of Barcelona’s most popular sights (Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, Casa Batlló). What's the best way to avoid waiting in lines?"
BGJ-DC: Your best bet—especially at Parc Güell, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà, and Museu Picasso—is to buy timed tickets on each official website in advance (all such tickets avoid lines). You can usually buy tickets to the four places above a few days in advance. Sagrada Familia no longer sells tickets on-site, meaning you have to buy them online in advance. It can sell out faster than the others (often a week or more out), and if you want a live guided tour (highly recommended) or to climb one of the towers (not so much), you should start tracking the official website at least a couple of weeks before your visit. I love visiting Sagrada Familia in the afternoon to see the light stream through the stained glass of the western wall.
Another highlight is the Palau de la Música Catalana, which offers guided tours that can be booked either online or at the ticket office (best to book these a day in advance as well). Don’t forget there are major attractions that don’t typically have lines: the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau (for me, one of the three most beautiful and interesting Modernist sites in the city), Palau Güell, Tibidabo, MNAC, Fundació Joan Miró, Museu Frederic Marès, MoCo, the cathedral, Santa Maria del Mar, Temple of Augustus, and Pedralbes Monastery are all places where you can usually just walk up.
Note: all links in this article have been provided by Tripadvisor. For links to the official websites recommended by BGJ-DC, see HERE.
TRIPADVISOR: “I’m a major foodie. Mercado de La Boqueria is famous, but are there other nice markets that are more under-the-radar? I’m all ears for restaurant recs too.”

BGJ-DC: Barcelona is a wonderful food city. You can find tapas, paellas, seafood, and some of the most innovative and creative cooking in the world. La Boqueria has become more of a tourist attraction than a typical market; you should still see it, but get there early before it is overrun. There are low-key fresh food markets like Mercat Santa Caterina in the Old City, just across Via Laietana from the cathedral (stop at Bar Joan at the back), Mercat de la Concepcio in the Right Eixample, Mercat del Ninot in the Left Eixample, and Mercat de la Llibertat in Gracia.
A few of my favorite tapas spots are Casa Alfonso, a traditional Catalan deli with excellent jamón ibérico and fried, crispy, paper-thin eggplant chips with goat cheese and honey; Tapeo Born, with a standout fideuà and a Catalan cream foam dessert; and Mont Bar for Michelin-starred tapas. I also love Can Majo above Barceloneta beach for paella and seafood.
If you want a seriously over-the-top meal, you can’t do better than Disfrutar. But reservations are tough. Consider Lasarte and Cocina Hermanos Torres as very worthy alternatives.
BGJ-DC’s picks for sweet treats and desserts
TRIPADVISOR: “I love strolling around new cities. Besides Las Ramblas, what other streets are worth walking down?”
BGJ-DC: Frankly, Las Ramblas isn’t one of my favorite streets, although it has beautiful stretches. It can be mobbed, full of tourist traps, and have a honky-tonk feel with its living statutes, particularly at the lower end. That said, if you want to do it, go early in the morning, before it gets too crowded.
For Modernist architecture, I love walking on the Rambla de Catalunya in the Eixample and Passeig de Gràcia, which can also be packed but has wonderful architecture and high-end shops. There’s also the relatively short Passeig del Born from Santa Maria del Mar to the Born Cultural Center.
In the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter), stroll down Portal de l’Àngel and Carrer dels Arcs from Placa de Catalunya to the cathedral, along Banys Nous and Avinyo towards Port Vell, along Carrer de la Tapineria around the Roman wall. And don’t forget some of the beautiful plaças in the Barri Gotic, including Plaça Sant Felip Neri, Plaça Reial, and Plaça del Rei.
TRIPADVISOR: “What are a few spots where you can get panoramic views of the city?”

BGJ-DC: One of my go-to views is from Gastro Mercat on the ninth floor of El Corte Inglés department store. It stretches from Montjuic all the way around to Sagrada Familia and provides an intimate look at Eixample. The Old Port Cable Car (aka Aeri del Port, Teleferico del Barcelona, Transbordador Aeri del Port) is a historic ride with spectacular views over the harbor and city. Tip: Consider riding down from Montjuic, if the beach end is too crowded. And the views from Montjuic Castle and the terrace of MNAC are top-notch.
Two of my favorite hotel rooftop bars are at Casa Fuster (also a major Modernist monument), which peers down Passeig de Gràcia, and the chill-out space atop Hotel Ohla, with a great view of the Barri Gotic.
TRIPADVISOR: “I’m going to be in Barcelona for two weeks, so I’d like to take a fun day trip or weekend away. Do you have any ideas?”

BGJ-DC: There’s the seafront Tarragona with interesting Roman sites, a lovely cathedral, walkable walls, and an archeological museum. It can be reached easily in 80 minutes by train from Passeig de Gràcia.
Girona is another nearby city that can be reached by train in 75 minutes from Passeig de Gràcia or by fast train in 40 minutes from Sants. It has a pretty riverside, walkable medieval walls, and a Jewish history museum.
Sitges is about 40 minutes by train from Passeig de Gràcia. It’s a pleasant beachside city with art galore (see: Museu del Cau Ferrat and Museu de Maricel) as well as a brilliant Carnaval. Montserrat is a spectacular geological formation with an important (if less than spectacular) monastery, a small art museum, and good hiking. It can be reached by FGC train from Plaça d’Espanya station, coupled with either a cable car or the rack railway to the monastery.
BGJ-DC’s picks for overnights near Barcelona
I TRIPADVISOR: “I’ve heard about the Gothic Quarter, but would love to explore underrated neighborhoods too. I love to pop into independent shops, visit galleries, etc.”
BGJ-DC: The right (northeast) side of the Old City—across Via Laietana from the Barri Gotic, including Sant Pere, Santa Caterina, and La Ribera (El Born)—is one of my favorite areas due to its major sights, winding streets, tasty food, and boutiques. L'Antiga Esquerra de l’Eixample (particularly between Rambla de Catalunya and Carrer d’Enric Granados) is also excellent for exploring, with a lot of beautiful architecture, shops, restaurants, and galleries. Gracia is another quieter neighborhood that is worth seeing and is a favorite of many. Consider going a bit farther afield too El Poblenou. It is an up-and-coming area with a lovely ramblas, shops, and restaurants.
TRIPADVISOR: “I’m traveling with a group of friends and we’re all beach bums. Which platjas should we go to in the city?”

BGJ-DC: My favorite city beaches are the adjacent Platja Bogatell and Platja de la Nova Icaria. They are less crowded than Barceloneta and Sant Sebastià but are still very convenient to reach. Both Bogatell and Nova Icaria have full services (including sunbeds and umbrellas for a rather high price, and on-beach xiringuitos serving food and drink). But Bogatell has cleaner water and two of my favorite paella restaurants (Can Fisher and Xiringuito Escriba) just above the beach.