How to make the most of a long weekend in Catalunya

Welcome to Barcelona

This laid-back city is brimming with interesting things to do, from interesting museums through to achingly-cool cocktail bars and everything in between. 

Fabled for its art and its architecture, Barcelona also boasts one of Europe’s best restaurant scenes, great shopping and multiple pretty places to relax across coastline and parkland. 

One of Barcelona’s most famous sons, you’ll of course find the fingerprints of Antoni Gaudi scattered throughout the city; no more so than in the magnificent Sagrada Familia. 



Perfect for a long weekend break, getting to Barcelona couldn’t be easier. 

Getting around

Getting to Rome 

Rome’s principal airport is Fiumicinio, which is less than a 2.5-hour flight from London (Stanstead) and less than 3-hours from Edinburgh. 

Getting to the city centre from the airport 

The Leonardo Express – Rome’s dedicated airport train – leaves every 15 minutes from the airport and takes 30 minutes to reach Termini Station in the city centre. Tickets cost €14 – you can save a fiver and catch a bus, but it’ll take you twice as long to arrive. 

Getting around Rome 

Rome’s a very well-connected city, so you’ve got plenty of options here. You can get around using: 

• Rome’s Metro: fast, reliable and runs from 05:30 until 23:30 every day. 
• Bus: Rome has over 350 different bus lines, so you can get anywhere and everywhere by bus. 
• Hop-on hop-off buses: As you might expect, there are hop-on hop-off buses here too! We love these – they’re a great way to get your bearings and have a bit of a taster of the city before diving deeper into specific areas, all while enjoying some patchy historical commentary! 
• Moped: When in Rome, as they say! You can hire electric mopeds from Bici Baci and zip around the Roman way. 
• Walk! Rome’s such a walkable city. Plus walking gives plenty of opportunity to meander down pretty cobblestone streets, dipping into a café for a cappuccino and a pastry as you make your way to the next historic activity! 

Where to stay

1. Yurbhan Passage Hotel & Spa: located in the heart of cool Eixample, this trendy boutique hotel is a remarkable oasis in the midst of it all. Surprisingly quiet for such a central and buzzy location, you have the best of both world’s – being walking distance to large parts of the city while having somewhere calm to return to after a day of exploring! 
2. The Hoxton: situated close to the beach in Poblenou, this hotel manages to feel a whole lot smaller than it is. Design is naturally super cool; the vibe classically Barcelona. You’ll be amongst cool locals here just as much as other tourists, which tells you all you need to know. 
3. El Palace Hotel: A stunning hotel located on the Grand Via and decked out in classic Baroque opulence with a ever-so-slightly North African air; it’s impossible not to feel extremely comfortable here.The restaurant is headed up by Rafa Zafra, the former head chef of El Bulli – the Barcelona institution that won the coveted World’s Best Restaurant an exceptional 5 times 
4. Hotel Casa Sagnier: 130 years old, this homely hotel is a testament to the architectural works of Enric Sagnier i Villavecchia. Small and boutique, this hotel is a perfect little bolthole in Eixample – the perfect base from which to explore! 
5. Catalonia Catedral: Set in a traditional Modernist building, this comfy hotel has everything you need for a city break rest stop, including a rooftop terrace with pool, stylish rooms and a Mediterranean restaurant. Its biggest strength is also its biggest (potential) drawback – it’s by far the most well located for sightseeing, in the Barrio Gotico (Barcelona’s oldest neighbourhood). This means lots of gorgeous medieval streets and easy walking, but also LOTS of other tourists, particularly in peak season. 
6. Wittmore Hotel: For those seeking that hidden-gem vibe, this is the only place to stay. Smuggled away down an innocuous-looking, dead-end street in the Gothic Quarter, the Wittmore feels every inch the place for those ‘in the know’. The vibe is a remarkable combination of retro, refined and trendy (it’s Barcelona after all!). Its rooftop terrace also has exceptional 360 degree views across the city.  

What to do in Barcelona

As in many cities around Europe, Barcelona offers its own tourist pass: the Barcelona Card. This card comes in two different types. The standard card will get you queue-jump access to museums and sights including the Picasso Museum, as well as unlimited free public transport (limited to TMB metros and FGC trains, butincludes airport trains!). The standard card costs €39. 

The ‘All-In’ card gets you fully unlimited public transport for up to 3 days, as well as queue-jump access to a wider range of sites including Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, which aren’t included in the standard card.  You’ll also get ancillary benefits like discounts on certain restaurants, bike rental and other attractions. This one costs €124.50. 

Given the huge jump in price, we tend to recommend just getting the standard card. Unless you’re planning a tonne of museum and attraction visits, the increased cost for the ‘All-In’ card isn’t likely to be worth it. 

The usual suspects

1. Sagrada Familia: probably top of almost everyone’s Barcelona to-do list. The unfinished masterpiece stands imperiously above the rest of the city, and has been under construction since 1882. For the best experience, we highly recommend booking onto a guided tour. These sell out far in advance, especially in the summer – so booking well ahead of time is strongly advised! 
2. Casa Batllo: You absolutely cannot miss Casa Batllo – in all senses of the phrase. This extraordinary building sticks out like a sore thumb with its organic architectural style. It’s impossible to walk past, and you wouldn’t want to, anyway. This immersive museum showcases in the most vivid way the genius of a Barcelona icon, the architect Antoni Gaudi. 
3. Park Guell: Yes it’s on everyone’s Barcelona list, and yes you definitely must go! This surreal landscape is the brainchild than none other than Antoni Gaudi. A favourite with locals and tourists alike, the combination of green space, vibrant, colourful architecture and stunning views over the whole of the city and out to sea make it an unmissable destination. 
4. Picasso Museum: Holding the world’s largest collection of Picasso works (over 4,000!), this is an essential experience for all art-lovers. Charting Picasso’s entire career, as you progress through the museum you’ll see Picasso’s development as an artist unfold in front of you. 
5. MNAC: You can’t fail to notice this beautiful, imposing building sitting impressively on the north side of Montjuic hill facing the Plaça d’Espanya, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (mercifully shortened to MNAC) is home to Catalonia’s most important art collection – containing Roman murals as well as a litany of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque works. Come along in the evening (21:30) to see the stunning light show at the Magic Fountain outside! 
6. La Rambla: No trip to Barcelona would be official without an amble down La Rambla. Stretching from the beach up to the Plaça de Catalunya, this street is the heartbeat of Barcelona’s lively spirit. There are lots of side streets to dip down leading to cafes, restaurants and traditional dessert shops if the buzz gets too much. Here you’ll also find, about halfway down, the Mercat de la Boqueria – Barcelona’s iconic market. This bustling marketplace is a must-visit for food lovers, with vibrant stalls in a rainbow of colours boasting classic Catalan fare alongside global cuisines. 

Other top picks

1. Chill out in Montjuic: This green hill to the south of the city offers brilliant views of Barcelona, as well as a beautiful spot to chill out in the sunshine. Spend half a day meandering from the Venetian Towers, past the MNAC and through the pretty Botanical Gardens and up Montjuic hill to the castle buildings at the top of the hill.   
2. Stroll through the Gothic Quarter: As a must-do for all visitors to Barcelona, this probably should be in the section above! Rich with history, interesting architecture and filled with traditional chocolate shops and bakeries, it’s very easy (and enjoyable!) to lose yourself in a stroll around. Make sure to see the Cathedral, City Hall, the Generalitat palaces and the beautiful Bisbe Bridge. 
3. Hang out with the cool crowd: One of the most avant-garde areas of Barcelona, grab dinner or some drinks in stylish El Born and bask in the atmosphere of the city’s coolest area. 
4. Hit the beach: Perfect for unwinding after time spent ticking off sights, Playa de Barceloneta is the city’s most popular beach, perfect for families. With it’s lovely new marina development, there’s plenty to do in between sunbathing stints, with a number of modern bars and restaurants hugging the coastline. 
5. Head to the city’s green oasis: if you’d prefer green grass and palm trees to the seaside, pack a picnic and head to Parc de la Ciutadella – Barcelona’s green lung. 
6. It's a long way (2hours) north of the city, but, if you have a car, head to elBulli1846 - the museum that now sits on the site of the former 5x 'Best Restaurant in the World' is a huge exhibition dedicated to the art and science of incredible food

Where to eat in Barcelona

As one might expect from such a cosmopolitan and contemporary city, Barcelona's food scene is full of creative restaurants serving a huge range of cuisines. Of course, you'll find brilliant tapas here, along with lots of superb Mediterranean fare.

1. Can Paixano (La Xampanyeria): An unmissable experience, make sure you come here (at least) once! Some of the best tapas in the city. Need we say more? 
2. Tickets: We’d be remiss not to mention Tickets – a Barcelona dining institution. Appropriately, trying to get a table booking at Tickets is about as difficult as getting Taylor Swift tickets. If you’re able to, though, you’ll be blown away.   
3. El Quim de la Boqueria: located right in the heart of the Mercat de la Boqueria, this is the possibly the best breakfast you’ll get in the entire city. You may well have to wait a while here; trust us, it’s worth it. 
4. El Xampanyet: Another one that’s hugely popular, but deserving of its fame. The welcome is always warm, the food is always fantastic. 
5. Bodega Biarritz 1881: A classic, rustic Catalan tapas restaurant. It’s very cosy so getting a table can be tricky, but if you’re able to it’s well worth it. The intimate, low-light vibe is perfect for a romantic dinner setting for couples. 
6. Disfrutar: A special occasion option – Disfrutar is the brainchild of three El Bulli alumni chefs. Focussing on Meditteranean cuisine with innovative, creative flourishes, this is a very special restaurant indeed. As you’d expect from a team that won the coveted ‘World’s Best Restaurant’ title 5 times, then. 
7. Ca L’Agut: Despite Barcelona’s epic choice of restaurants boasting cuisines from across the world, it’s essential to visit one very traditional Catalan restaurant during your stay here. Ca L’Agut is that place. It’s been running forever, without chasing trends; just excellent Catalan cuisine every time. The lunch menu in particular is an absolute steal for the quality of the food, too! 

General Tips

• Do you need to tip in Barcelona? The usual European rules apply here. It’s not customary or expected; locals when tipping will typically leave €1-2 or 10%. For exceptional service, round the bill up to the nearest €5-10. 
• Bring comfortable shoes! Good practice for most European city breaks - prepare to do a lot of walking as you navigate Barcelona’s many attractions. 
• Book ahead: sadly for the spontaneous types, the time of rocking up to Sagrada Familia on the day is long gone. You’ll need to book well in advance[LINK TO GYG], particularly if you’re trying to play calendar Tetris and squeeze in as much as possible!   
• Be aware. Barcelona is a wonderful, cosmopolitan city – but, like all big cities, you should keep your wits about you especially after dark. Pickpocketing and bag snatching can be a problem here, particularly in areas such as El Raval. Stay aware of your surroundings and you’ll be fine, though. 
• Be sensitive to culture. To the difference between Spanish and Catalan culture. Not only does this stop you making cultural fuax pas, but it’s worth remembering as most of the ‘typically Spanish’ attractions in Barcelona (Flamenco dancing etc) will be entirely tourist traps; not authentic displays of Catalan culture.  

Final thoughts

Barcelona is a wonderful city - vibrant, cool and buzzy. With lovely weather throughout the year, it's a brilliant place to visit year-round. With so much to see and do here, it really is a city for everyone.