Pickpocketing is common in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter; keep valuables in secured pockets and avoid open backpack pockets.
What travellers report
We read hundreds of comments on Reddit (r/barcelona, r/spain, r/travel, r/solotravel) and kept the points that several people repeat. These are travellers' opinions, not official information. Each tip links to its source thread.
A user reported a hand luggage bag was taken at Terminal 1 Vueling self check-in; keep passports on your person and never leave bags unattended.
Public transport is glorious compared to other big cities in Europe; you have choices: train, subway, tram, bus, or bike.
A user witnessed a pickpocketing in the passport control line past security at BCN; stay alert even after security.
In tourist areas, be aware of overcharging, hidden fees, and wrong change; always check the bill and card machine.
Wearing a camera around your neck makes you a target for pickpockets; keep valuables in hard-to-reach places.
Consider taking the train from Barcelona to Paris (about 6.5 hours) instead of flying to avoid baggage fees and airport transfers.
It is better not to walk alone at very early morning or late night.
Take public transportation, which is convenient and safe.
Bicing membership is useful for grabbing a bike anytime in Barcelona.
A user reported paying 75 euro per night for 4 nights in a Barcelona hostel, then 30 euro for an extra night; prices were higher due to F1 and Primavera.
You can get post-exposure prophylaxis at a clinic in Barcelona; the first 7 days portion was free.
Claim compensation for delayed flights; you may get around 250 euros.
Never eat paella at a place with pictures of it on the menu or huge signs advertising it.
Good paella is typically only served for the lunch time meal, not in the evenings.
A user had a bag with passports stolen at Barcelona airport before check-in; airport police found the thief before he left the airport.
A Catalan speaker from Barcelona notes that what visitors may think is Spanish in Barcelona is often Catalan, a different language.
A user reported Barcelona hostels are super expensive, with Primavera music festival hiking prices further.
Razzmatazz is recommended for dancing.
Harlem Jazz Club is recommended for amazing live music and a chill bar scene.
Madame George is recommended for cocktails.
La Boqueria is a must-visit market.
El Nacional is an amazing food venue with four different restaurants in one, in a former factory.
Bunkers del Carmel offers the best free view of the city.
Spend a full day in Park Ciutadella.
Stay at Hostel One's in Madrid and Barcelona; you can't go wrong.
Any of the top-rated hostels on HostelWorld will be fine.
Drug dealers are everywhere in the Gothic Quarter; whatever they're pushing is trash/fake.
If you have enough time, spend a day hiking in the surrounding area of Barcelona.
A user says Barcelona is best for foodies, architecture and history nerds, but beaches are only above mediocre.
T-jove public transport card is inexpensive and nice for travel in Barcelona.
Avoid visiting Seville during July and August because it is extremely hot.
Avoid looking like a tourist: don't be oblivious, don't leave bags unattended, and be mindful of your surroundings.
T-Jove and T-Usual travel cards will revert to original prices in 2025 as Spain scraps public transport subsidies, effectively doubling fares.
Avoid booking separate flights where the shorter segment comes first, as delays can cause you to miss connections and lose money.
A user recommends 3-4 nights in Barcelona; they suggest 2 nights plus a 6-hour train may have hurt enjoyment.
Do not rent from Enter Coliving Barcelona. Access codes changed multiple times, unable to access room. Security deposit not returned after eight months. Staff arrived unannounced and demanded access to room. Responses rude and dismissive.
A user says theft has made its way to the airport, which is chaotic and opportunistic.
For paella, better options are La Gambeta or 7 Portes.
Barcelona has excellent public transport, better than many major cities like New York or Chicago.
Solid rubber tires are dangerous, especially in wet weather. Red paint on many bike paths turns into an ice rink when wet. Be very careful while cycling, especially if using Bicing.
Barcelona has one of the best transport systems in Europe and it's pretty cheap.
Check reviews: if most of the good reviews are in English, the restaurant is probably bad; if most are in Catalan or Spanish, the place is good.
Most restaurants are not tourist traps; some of the best food can be found there.
Outside: 10/10, free tip-based tour from hostel was perfect and detailed. Inside: 6/10, price outrageous at 30 euros (25 without guide), tour just 30 minutes, doesn't justify price. Official tour sucks and basic; free tour was 10x better.
7/10, mostly early works, no iconic triangles, but still really good. Museum itself annoying because no description to any painting.
Be suspicious of places open too early for things to actually be fresh. Got food poisoning from a pastry at 7 AM.
10/10, Pena Palace great, castle beautiful, forest even more beautiful. Skip tour inside house if too crowded; not worth standing in line for 2 hours. Cold there, wear long clothes and not flip flops/shorts.
8/10, very good and unique museum, great animals inspired art and exhibits. Closes at 2PM and open later, so time your visit well.
10/10, best view of Lisbon, amazing skyline.
Go get some yummy tapas, drink outside, and at night go out and meet fun cool people.
A user says Barcelona is seedy, scam-heavy, more expensive than Madrid, and smells bad, while Madrid is cleaner and more authentic.
The underground museum portion shows Gaudi's thought process on how he brainstormed the structure, which made me appreciate it more.
Use public transport in Barcelona; you don't need taxis or Ubers to get around.
Bike tours of 10+ people should be banned as they are not safe and often include kids who ignore rules.
Barcelona is not known for wonderful beaches; if you want nice beaches, go elsewhere in Spain.
Bar Raspall in Gracia offers a caña and a tapa for 2.80€ (reported by a user).
The interior light filtering through stained glass windows is difficult to capture in photos and is a highlight of the visit.
A user describes beggars, scammers and street salespeople as more numerous and aggressive in Europe, especially France, than in Australia.
If a bar advertises a price, take a photo of the offer to show to the bartender to avoid misunderstandings.
If you don't buy online, you might wait in line for 5 hours.
If they served you the paella in less than 20 minutes, it's frozen; 20 minutes is the minimum to cook the rice.
A user says pickpockets operate on Las Ramblas and other crowded tourist spots, thieves steal on beaches while you swim, and phones can be grabbed from tables.
A user says Barcelona is infamous for thieves and requires caution and common sense.
Can Paixano is a favorite place for food in Barcelona, confirmed by a local.
A user reports paying 4 euro for a coffee in Barcelona.
In markets, fresh squeezed juice is half the price of near tourist attractions and tastier.
Find a place selling horchata de chufa.
A man was stabbed to death near my place a week ago after acting over a robbery, which is why people don't react to robberies.
A user says the center of Barcelona is feeling increasingly like a theme park due to chains.
In 5 months, never pickpocketed. Even though it happens a lot, it's not inevitable.
Overhyped. There's a smaller better market not far away.
Way too hot and incredibly crowded. Spent a summer there and never again.
Fast and reliable public transport in Barcelona. Transit very effective to get around Lisbon. Mostly shared taxis in Barcelona, but one bus ride was fine.
Booked Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Casa Battlo around a week in advance, then planned itinerary around that.
Night walking tour of the Gothic Quarter recommended.
Casa Batllo is a residence designed by Gaudi worth visiting.
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya has a great collection and is housed in a beautiful palace at the top of a hill inset with waterfalls.
Avoid restaurants with 'PAELLADOR' on the menu or slogan; it's a franchise that supplies frozen paellas.
Use a small hip/sling pack worn across your chest to keep valuables secure; it's common among locals and tourists.
A 30-day ticket for zone 1 is sufficient for most tourists and cheaper than other options.
The airport is in zone 4, but counts as zone 1 if you take the TMB bus (the red one, not the blue one) from Pl. Espanya or the Metro with a T-Mes or T-Trimestral/Jove card.
La Rambla in Barcelona is notorious for pickpockets; keep your phone out of view on the streets.
Most pro places that serve good paella need to be booked in advance because a paella takes time to cook.
Report to Oficina de Habitatge. Send a burofax demanding deposit and after 30 days report. Use a lawyer or ChatGPT to write a legal letter and burofax; companies get scared when law gets involved. Also give a Google review explaining they're breaking the law.
People don't help during crimes because they fear ending up dead or paying the criminal a fee.
Coliving companies charge 700€+ per room (reported by a user). Avoid colivings in Barcelona; they are a trap and sole purpose is to make money. Look outside the cities for good options like Wonder House or Casa Pardal.
Walking all of Barcelona in 4 days results in 40k steps per day and the biggest feet and ankle pain; not recommended.
Go to Park Guell before sunrise to get in for free, avoid lines, and watch the sunrise over the city.
Book the Sagrada Familia in advance to avoid long lines; crowds are swarms.
Keep tabs on your pockets at La Boqueria; lots of pickpockets around.
Day trips to Tarragona (Roman ruins) and Montserrat are accessible by public transit.
Go to Carrer de Blai for pintxos restaurants; you take a plate, select items, and pay by counting sticks (usually 1-2 Euros each). Blai 9 is the best one on the street.
Bicing is owned by the city but operations and maintenance contracted out to private companies. Write a letter to the city hall highlighting the problem.
Highly recommend booking the wine day tour.
The Dali Theatre-Museum in Girona is phenomenal and worth a full-day trip from Barcelona if you are an art lover.
Protect yourself from the sun when visiting Spain.
Montserrat has stunning views and a great hike; bring sunscreen.
Add to itinerary for a break from Sagrada Familia madness. Literally down the road and at times wandering around all alone.
Buy tickets online to avoid a line that can be hours long; the normal line to buy tickets is literally hours long.
Instead of waiting in line, visit Park Guell and Montserrat; they are amazing.
If there at end of September, Correfoc is one of the coolest things ever.
Most tapas dishes are around €1–3 each, making it easy to order a few plates with a drink.
Renting a bike in Seville's old town is not ideal because it is a maze of narrow one-way streets.
Jardí Botànic Marimurtra in Blanes is a couple hours drive from Barcelona and worth combining with a visit to Tossa de Mar.
Rupit is about an hour and a half from Barcelona city and you can climb the belltower for €2.
The Salt de Sallent waterfall is about a 30-minute walk from Rupit; the path can get very muddy after rain.
A 3-day Barcelona trip can include Sagrada Familia, Museum of Catalonia, Poble Espanyol, Montjuic area, Montjuic Castle, Camp Nou, Park Guell, Carmel del Bunker, La Boqueria, and Gothic Quarter.
Parking Pizza is recommended for truffle pizza and lemonade.
A user reported being pickpocketed in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter at around 10:30 PM while walking to a rental.
The beach in Barcelona is clean and well maintained, with staff picking up litter from the beach and sea.
Many tourist sites in Barcelona are in close proximity and are free to view or ask for a small donation.
High-speed rail in Spain is incredibly convenient and allows seeing half the country in half the time.
Skip Tarragona and Costa Brava in the wintertime as it is off-season, though it is quiet.
A 9-day itinerary can cover Barcelona, Montserrat, Valencia, Granada, Ronda, Seville, Madrid, Toledo, and Zaragoza.
Attending an FC Barcelona game at Camp Nou is a goal for many visitors, but tickets can be cancelled.
A user recommends Barcelona as very user-friendly and great for anyone.
A user met a stranger at a crowded bar by asking to share a table, then explored the city together for three days.
A user joined a random outdoor salsa group in a square in Barcelona.
A user spent 2 nights in Barcelona as part of a 34-day Spain/France/Italy trip.
A user stayed in a Barcelona hostel and extended their stay.
Split up your cards and keep some back at the hostel to avoid losing all credit cards if pickpocketed.
Kabul Party Hostel near La Rambla is a party hostel with a bar that opens at 6 pm and a rooftop terrace.
AeroBus round-trip ticket from Barcelona airport to Placa Catalunya costs $12 (reported by a user).
Patatas de Sultan sells 1€ fries, and Circus Pizza sells Margherita slices for 2.70€ (reported by a user).
Bars with 'Bodega' or 'Rincón' in the name are usually cheaper; cheap beer is 2€ for 33cl, bravas 3.50€, pan con tomate 2€ (reported by a user).
The R1 line of Renfe in Barcelona is often overcrowded, with short trains, broken air conditioning, and delays.
Sagrada Familia costs 26 EUR, Castell Montjuic 12 EUR, Metropolitan Cathedral 14 EUR, Park Guell 18 EUR, Casa Mila 29 EUR.
If you lose your wallet, the police may contact you if someone turns it in; they tracked me down through my work email.