Barcelona Sights - One Of The Greatest Things to Do in Barcelona !

There are an endlessly fascinating amount of Barcelona sights that will appeal to people with a whole range of passions and interests. There are so moany ways to experience Barcelona sights ranging from simple walking tours to Segway tours and even more. Whatever floats your boat, there are almost certainly tours in Barcelona that can help you indulge in your interests. Stuck for ideas on what to do in Barcelona? Check out our guide to some of the best tours in Barcelona which range from the unusual to the 'little bit different' to the outright cool specifically handpicked by us! Enjoy!

Bicycle tours

Not the most riveting tour on the list, but nonetheless a really nice way to see Barcelona sights. Most of the tours tend to last around 3 to 4 hours and their are plenty of companies who offer bike tours around the city. Surprisingly, you cover a lot of the city in such a short time and bike tours prove to be a lot more relaxing than you'd expect (less strenuous than walking tours for sure!). Tours on average cost around the 20 Euro mark which is good value for what you get (as with everything it does depend on the company!). Our favourite bike tour in the city is with the aptly named Barcelona Bike Tours or 'Un Cotxe Menys-Bicicletes' (as they're known in Catalan), who offer bike tours all year round (everyday from 11am to 4.30pm) at Plaça Jaume. The company offers a daily tour in English for anyone to join but also offers tours for groups (private and for businesses) which can be delivered in a variety of languages and tailored individually to the group. Being one of the organisations instrumental in transforming Barcelona into the bicycle haven that it is today, their commitment to making their city more environmentally friendly is obvious and they are also a founding member of the Associació BiciTours Barcelona. Even today, they play an active role in the tourist scene in Barcelona and continue to promote cycling initiatives in the city.

Go Car Tours

For someone who is not from the most tourist orientated city, this is one tour that most certainly surprised me when I came to Barcelona! In a nutshell, Go Car Tours are small yellow open-top cars with a built in navigation system which talks to you and teaches you about the Barcelona sights as you drive past them. The Go Cars don't just offer a standardised tour and are not remote controlled. You actually drive them yourself! The tours offer a variety of themed tours from a Camp Nou tour, Olympic Barcelona, Barcelona Highlights and an All Day Tour to name but a few. The tours are also available in a range of languages and also offer tours for individuals and groups. Prices start at around 19 Euros per hour, but they also offer regular promotions too. The only thing prerequisites are that you have a full driving licence. Give it a go!

Cooking Tours

There is simply no better souvenir to take back home with you than knowing how to cook typical food from the place where you've visited. It's a gift that will not only impress your friends and family, but will also remind you of your trip forevermore. Thankfully, you're in Barcelona, which is renowned for it's culinary offerings. If you're a cooking amateur there are some top quality cooking schools in Barcelona who typically offer a really great selection of classes to unlock the inner chef within you and get you acquainted with just how amazing Spanish cuisine really is! One such school is Barcelona Cooking located on the Ramblas. Taught by professional chefs, a variety of classes are on offer from a half day cooking class with the option of getting a tour of the Mercat de la Boqueria, a tapas class, a tour of some of the best Spanish/Catalan food shops in Barcelona and more. They also offer customised classes for corporate events and groups. Even better is the fact that all the ingredients are local and organic and support the producers, so you'll have the opportunity to taste and create authentic Spanish/Catalan food. As a guide, a half day class costs around 78 Euros. ¡Buen Provecho!

Barcelona by..........speedboat!

Once in the middle of Barcelona, it's easy to forget that you're near the sea. But an excellent way to not forget is to hop on a speedboat and tour the length of the coastline and take in the skyline of the city. Although you won't hit the big sights, it's still a pretty cool way to see the city. Xmax Speed Boat Tours offers these tours and each tour takes around 50 minutes starting at Port Vell up through the Port Olimpic and to the Port Forum where they spin around and come back. Prices are 12.50 Euros and less for children and run only from April/May to November For something a little more slower paced, Las Golondrinas offers slower paced boat tours along the Barcelona coast. They are undeniably the experts in boat tours in Barcelona and have been involved in Barcelona boat tours since 1888 and explores the history and sights of the Barcelona coast. They offer two different tours - one of the Port Vell area and a 1 hour, 30 minute tour which covers 18 miles of coastline and gives you amazing views of some Barcelona sights! Prices are around 12/14 Euros depending on the tour you take and tours start from the Colom Statue at the bottom of the Ramblas or at Port Forum. Naturally, some trips cannot take place due to the weather so it's worthwhile checking beforehand!

Hot air balloon tours

Ok, this isn't technically in Barcelona and you probably won't see any Barcelona sights but this is still an amazing thing to do while you're here! Ballooning offer a number of trips even including some which even cross the Pyrenees mountains into France! But a trip in a hot air balloon comes at a price - an average of 150 Euros per person! If you're out to impress and money is no object, then this is a perfect way to see the Catalan countryside surrounding Barcelona.

And the list goes on!

These are just the tip of the iceberg on what to do in Barcelona in terms of tours. There are tours for almost any interest. A great company who offer tours tailored to almost any theme are My Favourite Tours. You may just think twice about taking a walking tour now! Have you been on any tours in Barcelona or experienced a really unique way of seeing the city? A Spiderman web-swinging style tour would be pretty cool! If you're coming to Barcelona, then you may want to check out our short term apartments page which offer you a different experience of staying in Barcelona and are usually better value than hotels.
Thanks for reading! - Chris

A Taste of Home - A British Haven in Barcelona!

Being an international city and having a huge expat community, Barcelona has no shortage of shops, restaurants and other amenities to serve the various nationalities living particularly those from the US, Latin American and various countries in Europe to name but a few. But what about us Brits? Is there a 'British Barcelona?' Thankfully, amongst the grid-like streets of the Eixample is a very special shop who specialise in all things British. Aptly named 'A Taste of Home', this is a shop to visit for any Brit living here in Barcelona either for Erasmus or for those here living more long term. Intrigued to find out what treasures are inside? Read our exclusive interview with the owner below!

The Interview

A Taste of Home has been serving the people of Barcelona since 2008 and was started by Inge Barker, an expat from the UK. She also owns another branch of the shop in Sitges which has been open for 11 years. This shop is the real deal and that's not just my opinion. In 2011, A Taste of Home was awarded the accolade of 'Commended British Shop in the World' as part of the 'Best of British Awards' which are sponsored by the Telegraph (newspaper) and John Lewis (one of the biggest retailers in the UK).  Upon walking in, your British blogger here found the staff busy showing some new customers around, but I managed to grab a couple of minutes to ask some questions...... Suitelife - Hi Inge. I really like your shop! Could you briefly tell me a bit about 'A Taste of Home'? Inge - Of course! I started the shop mainly because there isn't really anywhere else in Barcelona that serves the specifically British products. A lot of the small shops and supermarkets offer some basic stuff such as teabags, but nothing compared to what we offer here. SuiteLife - Yes, I noticed that too. It's quite nice to see something which is actually British for a change! Inge - Thanks! We do lots of different things. Obviously, we sell specifically British products such as Marmite, Cadbury's chocolate, different brands of English tea, jams, pies and loads more. We also sell books, greeting cards and do a lot of fundraising for charities particularly animal charities. The vast majority of things we sell are British but we also have food from other countries too notably ingredients for making Indian food as well as some American and Dutch products too. Naturally, we can't provide everything, but we are happy to take requests. If you come in for something and we don't have it, you can go on our Facebook page to request it and we'll do our best to get it for you!
SuiteLife - Wow! Sounds really good and I'm pretty sure I'll be making use of that! Inge - We've also recently started the IPTV service which lets people from the UK who live here in Spain access British channels legally. For years now, we've been using the Freesat channels. This has changed lately and could be really expensive for people who want to continue to access British TV this way which is why we've started offering the IPTV service which streams to your TV from the Internet. We are the sole distributor of this in Catalonia and it's completely legal! You get all the main channels plus even more. It's a great deal. SuiteLife - One thing I definitely miss about the UK is British TV. How much does this service cost? Inge - It costs about 30 Euros per month, but if you sign up for it via our Facebook page, then we will give you a discount on this.
SuiteLife - Excellent. What would you say are your most popular products here, at "A Taste of Home"? Inge - Our baking section is really popular and we sell a lot of British cookbooks too! SuiteLife - Do you get a lot of British people coming to the shop? Inge - Yes, we get a fair amount of people who have heard about us and like to come to see just how British we are. It's fair to say, that people are left pleasantly surprised by the sheer variety we have. We also get a lot of Spanish people come into the shop too and they are pretty curious to see what we're about. SuiteLife - I can vouch for that! Before we round the interview up, is there any advice you'd have for any aspiring Brits reading this? Inge - Check out our Facebook page. We have a lot going on such as competitions and offers. We also publish recipes too! Don't forget that you can also get exclusive discounts and can request those home comforts too. SuiteLife - Thanks a lot for your time!

This is amazing! Where is this gem of a shop!?

Intrigued? You can find A Taste of Home on Carrer Floridablanca 78 in Eixample. You can get there on L1 Rocafort near Plaça Espanya (I'd recommend taking the C/Calabria exit, it's quicker!). The best way to get in touch with them is on their Facebook page or by calling 933 251 797. They're open from 10am - 9pm on Monday through to Saturday, so there's plenty of time to rush and get a box of tea when the worse happens! Looking for more shops for expats living in Barcelona? We've got a list of some of the best in the city for you to check out! Thanks, Chris

Barcelona Night Bus

It's always great to not have to fuss about the time while you're out in Barcelona partying, and Barcelona night buses are here to simplify your life. The night buses are easy to figure out. You can check their routes as well as their hours right at the bus stops (look for the blue board). If you live further away or out of the city, the night bus can be a real savior when the metro is closed and your wallet can't withstand a more expensive taxi ride. Barcelona night bus runs from 10.30pm to 5.00am (depends on the lines). You can recognize them easily thanks to the ‘N’ before the number on the bus. They all pass through plaza Catalunya and this is really convenient if you want to end up partying the night away and not having to worry about how you'll get your tired drunken body home at the end of the evening. The price for Barcelona night bus' tickets is pretty reasonable and is the same as any other bus or metro ride: 2€ for one ticket or 9.25€ for 10 tickets. Their website is also available in English and they seem to be keeping up with the times! You can now download ipad/mobile apps which are hugely helpful for determining routes and times based on your current position. Website in English For the more courageous, there is an other way to move during the night: Bicing. It's working 24h a day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. During the week, you can't use it from 2am to 5am. Click here to get  more information about Cycling in Barcelona.

Barcelona Night Bus: Airport Destination and Other Routes

Every 20 minutes, a Barcelona night bus (N17) takes off to Barcelona airport (El Prat de Llobregat). You can catch it in plaza Catalunya near Ronda de la Universitat street. Obviously, the N17  bus is also going from the airport to plaza Catalunya. The price is the same as other Barcelona Night Bus and this is cheaper than the Aerobus which costs 5.30€. If you want to buy a T-10 ticket you can't buy it in the bus, so you should buy it before hand, in a metro station for example. The night bus goes to many other locations, mostly areas just outside of the city like San Cugat, San Just, Espluges, and even as far as Castelldefels and Santa Caloma. Even if you live up in the zona alta of Barcelona (Sarria/Sant Gervasi) the night bus can be useful for you. What about you? Do you have any tricks for moving during the night in Barcelona ? Cheers, Hugo

SuiteLife's Top 10 Barcelona Apps for your mobile

Coming to Barcelona with a smart phone in hand, your thinking, is there any Barcelona apps I need to make my life easier in this dynamic city? If you ever questioned that yourself, Suite Life has the answer you’re looking for. These 10 necessary Barcelona apps will be categorized by transportation, city guides, sports and shops. All of them are available for both iOS and Android operated phones.  To download the app, simply scan or click on the relevant QR code.

Transportation apps Barcelona

Whether you arrive to Barcelona by train, ship or airplane: the first question will always be: how to get to places? Grab your internet- connected smartphone and let the transportation mobile apps Barcelona do the rest for you.

TMB – Barcelona apps for Metro and other public transports

This is the official mobile app from TMB, the main public transport management company in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It provides information about metro, bus lines and stops around the city’s urban area. You can track any bus or metro stations around you with GPS. The most important feature is real-time search for travel directions from place to place by metro and bus. Each route will have estimated time of arrival, means of transport and designated station so you can plan the journey easily.
Small tip: check for service alert to see any change or cancellation of the lines. TMB apps Barcelona is available in English, Spanish and Catalan [caption id="attachment_43637" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Andoid[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43638" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption]

Renfe ticket

This is also official app created by Renfe, a middle and long distance train operator in Spain. The app also provides users with route planning, time table, and schedule change, however for middle and long distance trains, which is useful when you want to travel to Barcelona’s suburbs or other cities in Spain. Moreover you can conveniently buy your train ticket directly through your phone and show it to train conductor without having to print it out. The option of change or cancelation is also available within this app
Available languages at the moment are English and Spanish [caption id="attachment_43649" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43648" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Android[/caption]

Bicing

Bicing is the bicycle sharing system in Barcelona introduced to help daily users cover the small and medium distance commutes within the city in a greener way. The main purpose of bicing app Barcelona is to give bicing users real-time information about station maps, which station is close to your location and number of available bikes at that time.
Although the available language is only Spanish and Catalan it is still easy to use for non-Spanish speaking users, with friendly interface and mostly graphic icons. My personal tips for you when using this app is to hit the refresh button frequently, as the number of bike in each station can change very fast, especially during rush hours. Once I was coming to get a bike, the mobile app showed only 2 bikes left at that station. When I arrived, I desperately watched a guy who arrived just a few seconds earlier than me took the last one. [caption id="attachment_43657" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Android[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43658" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption]

Local guide

Tripadvisor BCN

Fans of traveling probably know about Tripadvisor already. But do you know about their city guide app? Basically its purpose is to provide users with vast information about attractions, hotels, bars restaurants etc. of the specific city, just like its website, but in offline mode and there are only specific numbers of cities available. Luckily Barcelona is included. Tripadvisor’s city guide Barcelona app is one of the best city guide app in Barcelona. In my opinion it is the best.
The app is totally in English and very easy to use. You can either find the place by categories like Food & drink, Hotels, Attractions, and Shopping etc. or use the interactive map to locate yourself and find points of interest around you. Moreover you can find and book a tour around the city in Tickets/tours section. However the feature I find most useful is the offline self-guided tour, where you will find the direction to and read the general info of the most famous places in Barcelona, on your own and it’s totally free! As I mentioned above, this app is awesome and there are many other useful functions like check-in, review and so on, but I will leave it for you to explore on your own! [caption id="attachment_43662" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Android[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43663" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption]

BCN visual

You might wonder how Barcelona looked centuries ago. Check out this cool app. BCN Visual contains many photos of buildings and street in Barcelona decades or centuries ago. Each photo has its own description and is marked on the app’s interactive map.
The coolest feature IMO is Augmented Reality mode. Once arrived at the photo’s destination you can use Augmented Reality mode to “scan” the area and check for example how a building or a street has changed over time. Here are some of my results, the quality's not so good as it was taken by phone camera and i'm not a professional photographer, but it's fun to try out :)



[caption id="attachment_43729" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Andoid[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43730" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption]

Ibeach

This app will let you enjoy the beautiful beaches in Barcelona even more. Ibeach offers list of beaches in Barcelona and allover Spain. After you choose one particular beach, iBeach will display information about temperature, waves, wind and other weather indicators. One thing I find very useful is the jellyfish alert function. When you come to the beach and see jellyfish you can put an alert to warn people, and other users would do the same so you can know. You wouldn’t want to go to the beach full of those squishy venomous animals, would you?
Besides that, in each beach you can find nearby restaurants/bars/supermarkets in case you need some refreshment during hot days, or some activities to do, or nearby public toilets and medical services. At the moment the restaurant lists isn’t complete, but developers are cooperating with local business and hopefully it will be filled up soon. [caption id="attachment_43680" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Android[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43681" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption] Also like swimming pool? Here you go

Sports

FCB World

If you are football fan or FC Barcelona in particular then you won’t want to miss this app. With this app you can get the latest results and league tables, view the player profiles and stats or the club’s history etc. Furthermore you can follow the match live with the photos and videos, when you cannot go to the stadium or watch it on TV.
This official app of Fútbol Club Barcelona is your direct communication channel with the club and the place to find all the latest information, photos, videos, news, live match commentaries, tweets, interactive games and other innovative services, all related to your favourite players. ~Description on Google Play~ [caption id="attachment_43683" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Android[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43684" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption]

Barcelona Corre

One of the best sport activities you can do in this magnificent city is running. Barcelona Corre offers you 23 exciting routes around Barcelona. Each route has its own information about length, terrain differences, difficulty and so on.
When you first logged in the app will ask your age, height and weight for the profile. It is said that everyone who finishes all 23 route will be rewarded with a digital medals. I really doubt my possibility to do that, but if you want to try and find out, I would love to see those “medals” in comments section! [caption id="attachment_43687" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43686" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Android[/caption] In case you need sport apparels and equipment, check out these stores.

Grocery shopping

In this section I will mention only the Barcelona mobile apps of grocery stores as they are pretty darn important. Beside Spanish fashion and apparel brands like ZARA or Bershka and their apps are already well known, it would be insignificant to bring up here. In case you are totally new here and don’t know yet about grocery stores in Barcelona, my advice is to check out these tips first

Folletos Carrefour

Folletos Carrefour provides its users current offers and brochures of all Carrefour supermarkets. Within those interactive brochures, you will be able to see each item’ details, image, price; share to friends or add to your shopping list. It is especially useful when your Spanish is not good enough to ask the staff where each items is located. Instead show them your shopping list and save time for both sides.
This app also offer interactive map to help you find nearest store by distance and by type of stores. The app is only available in Spanish, but with comprehensive pictures and symbols, good chance to learn Spanish then. [caption id="attachment_43706" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Android[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43707" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption]

Dia

Another big grocery chain in Barcelona is Dia. Their app's feature is pretty similar to the above Folletos Carrefour, but it requires you to login. In return it offers management of your discount coupons.
[caption id="attachment_43709" align="alignleft" width="200"]
For Android[/caption] [caption id="attachment_43710" align="alignright" width="200"]
For iOS[/caption] More  Barcelona mobile apps by the City Council can be found here. If you have other interesting Barcelona apps feel free to introduce it to us in comment Peace! T.Vu

Going for tapas in Barcelona and in Spain in general is a very popular way of sharing your late lunch or dinner with your friends.

Did you know that you can enjoy your free tapas in Barcelona ?

If you love finding free stuff as much as us, and you happen to be a Barcelona tapas lover too, you must read our blog on the Top 10 free things to do in Barcelona and checkout what else is free in Barcelona. For the real Barcelona tapas freaks, there is a great blog about Best tapas bars and restaurants and about Cerveceria Catalana: the best tapas restaurant in Barcelona. What is really awesome though, are all the free tapas in Barcelona and food you can find in certain bars, and all you need to do is order a drink! We give you a it of a laundry list of where to find succulent, and FREE, food in Barcelona.

Atrapatapa

With every drink here you get some free, and breathtaking, home-made Barcelona tapas, which makes this bar very popular. You can have a beer with a tapa for 1,20€, a glass of cava with a tapa for 1,95€, a glas of vine with a tapa for 1,50€ or just the tapa itself for 1€. Carrer del Comte d'Urgell, 77 08011 Barcelona

Ambiente del sur

The tradition of free tapas comes originally from Andalucía so this bar just gives you what it promises. The feeling of the south – the feeling of Andalucía. You can have a beer and a tapa for 1,80€. The chef offers you delicious paella on Tuesday, sardinas on Thursday and the famous tortilla de patatas the rest of the week. Carrer de Viladomat, 85 08015 Barcelona

Els tres

Enjoy your beer and a tapa for 1,60€ in the Eixample. Carrer de Muntaner, 55 08011 Barcelona

Ca'l Chusco

This little traditional bar in Barceloneta serves free tapas with every drink. Carrer de l'Almirall Aixada, 5 08003 Barcelona

Bagoa

Find the best jamón Serano in the city! And get a plate of olives or potatoes with every drink you order. Plaça del Doctor Letamendi Barcelona

Petit Jet Lag

You will find this place just in the heart of Gotico. It´s not a typical tapas-for-free bar, but you can enjoy a free buffet of Italian and Spanish food for 6€ every Thursday from 8 p.m. Carrer de la Dagueria, 12 08002 Barcelona

Caramba

If you want to have nice tapas to accompany your beer go to this bar on Monday. Carrer de la Cera, 57 08001 Barcelona

Mingus

Mingus doesn´t have just splendid Barcelona tapas, it has great wine and very friendly service too. As a warm tapa you can get “trinxat”, tortilla de patata or pizza. Carrer de la Comtessa de Sobradiel, 9 08002 Barcelona

DeDues

Great place to have fun on the first and the second Tuesday of the month. The first Tuesday there are always concerts to see and on the second thematic parties to attend. They have great cocktails and different tapas for free according to the day of week. Carrer del Torrent de l'Olla, 89 08012 Barcelona

El Moll de Rebaix

If you head down to Barceloneta don´t miss this little place. The owners are two brothers, Paco and Christian, and their fish with rice and famous “montaditos” attracts various types of guests. Carrer del Baluart, 84 08003 Barcelona

Cassette

Tapas for free are served just on Monday and Friday, but the huge menu of gin-tonic cocktails stays put all week long. If you are a gin lover don´t worry if you come a different day, you will admire this place. Carrer de l'Est, 11 08001 Barcelona

Raco del Pelat

If you are around Poble Sec on Monday or Friday evening, be sure to visit the bar Raco del Pelat. Another offer that makes this place special are the breakfast sandwiches for 0,90€. Carrer de Piquer, 12 08004 Barcelona

Marino

Again in Poble Sec, for 1,75€ you will get a beer and small tastings of their delicious specialties such as shrimp with dried tomato or tuna marinated with cheese. Carrer de Margarit, 54 08004 Barcelona

Cocktailbar Incognito

This modern bar with some funky tunes is perfect to enjoy music, cocktails and some small tapas to peck away at. Carrer Fusina, 6 08003 Barcelona

Club Solo

Another cool bar we have been to and have enjoyed their tapas for free while we were preparing ourselves for a big night out. For some reason, there isn´t any information about the free tapas in this bar on the bar´s web pages, but you know what? Check it out and let us know! It's on the Passatge de la Concepció, 7, 08008 Barcelona Did we forget to mention any bars with free tapas in Barcelona that you know of? Then let us know! Sharka "like the animal"

TOP 10 Barcelona Tips Before Departure !

Barcelona, a beautiful city with palmtrees everywhere, fresh sea air, a music on the streets, the smell of paella, incredible clubs... hmmm.... But it has something more. If you don't know Spanish and you don't know much about the city, Barcelona will slap you a couple times, before you settle down. I have selected the TOP 10 things you should be aware of before moving to Barcelona.

# 1 Cheap Train from the Airport

If you fly to Barcelona El Prat Airport, the cheapest way to get to the centre of the city is to use the train for € 2.

# 2 See the Flat Before Renting It

It's a cliche, isn't it? :) But it's a must. If you have never been in Barcelona/Spain, you will be VERY surprised. No, seriously. It's incredible how people can live in the 21st century in the EU. Don't rent anything before you see the flat.

# 3 Flatmates

If there are any, see them all too!

# 4 Go to See Flats During the Day

A lot of flats in Barcelona are spacey, sunny, and have beautiful views. But some of them can be very small and dark. If you are sun lover like I am, you should definitely see the flat during the day. I used to live in such a dark room in Barceloneta that even though I had exterior window, it wasn't possible to see almost anything with daylight and I had to use a light and a lamp.

# 5 The Utilities (water, gas, electricity, community, internet)

Make sure that the price is final. In Barcelona, it can easily be the case that you will have to pay for a second month for your room, for example, $400 instead of $350, because the owner "thought" that you were aware about an increase in price, because of utilities, "Gastos" en castellano.

# 6 The Contract

Alright, this is my favorite part. If you are moving to Barcelona to rent a flat you sign a contract with the owner of the flat. If you come here to rent a room you will soon discover that often there are no official contracts to sign with owner or the person who re-rents you the room. It's simply illegal to re-rent a room here, but nevertheless many people do it anyway. How to make it here then?? You just have to trust the person who rents you the room. :) Awesome, isn't it? Usually, you have to pay one month deposit (or two). So I wish you GOOD LUCK, because you will need it! And that is why so many foreigners end up with bad experiences here. Like I did. People try so many times to persuade me "We don't do any contracts here in Spain, no no" "Oh, I will give you the deposit back, sure!" or "I live just 2 minutes from here with my kids, I would never take your money" etc. People are can be tricky here, so what to do then? Sign a contract, but written on a computer and signed by hand. Don't sign a contract written by hand, because in case of problems, the local police will not consider it as a relevant agreement. Don't forget to include all detailed information including number of ID, passport or NIE in the contract.

# 7 Don't Shop in Small Stores in Centre

Try to avoid the small shops in central districts such as the Gotico or el Born.  The prices of products are two or three times higher than usual. As an example, a bottle of water (1,5 l) can cost 0,40€ in the supermarket , but in those shops it can be priced around 1,30€ ! So wherever you are in Barcelona, ask somebody, where a "normal" supermarket is check our blog How to find a cheap Barcelona supermarket and the best Spanish food.

# 8 Ask the Price before a Purchase

If you buy anything, anywhere in Barcelona, and the price is unclear, ask! It's very strange for me too, because I feel stupid asking for each item "Cuanto cuesta?", but it's crucial. It happened to me in a bar a week ago. I have been there a couple times ago and I knew, that a glass of wine costs 2,50€. However, the bartender tried to persuade me that it cost 5€. It's not just in bars, but it can happen in a lot of places.  So, pay attention, Mr(s). Foreigner!

# 9 Buy a Metro Ticket for 10 Fares

When I came here and was desperately looking for a flat so I didn't pay attention just how much money I wasted using the metro. I didn't know the city, thus I used the metro all the time. 1 individual fare costs 2€, but 10 fares are for 9,80€! That's a difference! ;)

# 10 Don't Use Transportation

If you don't really have to, don't use any transportation, because just walking through this city is great -it's incredibly beautiful!
So, follow these tips when moving to Barcelona and your beginnings in Barcelona will be much smoother :) Enjoy it here

Your definite guide on restaurants to enjoy Barcelona Brunch

We have already written about the fine Barcelona brunch spots Picnic Barcelona and Milk. These places are just amazing on a weekend fraught with the hangover blues. We're going to tell you about some other fish in the proverbial brunch sea in case you wanna try something new!

Dostrece

There isn´t anything like sleeping late on Saturday and chilling out in a nice bar. One of those is the Bar Dostrece on carrer Carme 40. Get the Combo Dostrece if you come with your friend. For 19 €, you both get tasty pancakes with strawberries, eggs benedict or a salad and a glass of bellini. Nothing says “good morning sunshine, you drank a bit yesterday, didn´t you!?” like a tall cocktail with proseco and a peach juice.

Dunnes

What about an Irish Barcelona Brunch? Let me suggest … Crispy bacon, Irish sausages, fried eggs, baked beans, grilled tomato grilled mushrooms, toast and butter… Go to Dunnes Barcelona on Via Laietanna, 19 and bring some tissues with, because you will cry of joy and happiness.

Marmalade

Brunch in Barcelona Marmalade is good... dammmmn good. We're not talking about the sweet jelly you spread on croissant, but about a place that is run by the same guys who brought us Barcelona Milk Bar. You can get a brunch menu every Saturday and Sunday and here the Barcelona brunch doesn´t mean a coffee with croissants. You have some 11 options starting with the Very Berry Banana Smoothie, through the Eggs Benedict and Tortilla Ranchera finishing with Penny Lane Pancakes. You can find this place at Riera Alta 4-6.

Federal café

Last, but not least we recommend you this top place on carrer Parlament 39. You will love it when the weather is nice, because you can enjoy your awesome brunch on a terrace or at one of the big open windows. By the way, their burgers are just splendid as you can read in Benny's blog: hunt for the best hamburger in Barcelona. If you are new in town, really love brunches and like to hang out with other people while eating, you can join a Meetup Group devoted to brunch. What´s better than meeting some friendly breakfast lovers with your table full of pancakes, jam, eggs, bacon, spread bread, juice, coffee, fruit and a cake on the top. Is there another Barcelona brunch in Barcelona that we didn´t mention? Let us know! Have a tasty weekend! Sharka “like the animal” By the way, if you are interested in another food you should try in Barcelona read this post.

Top 5 Barcelona Pickpockets Scams and Street Scams

We, here at SuiteLife, are proud of our sweet home Barcelona. We love to share the beauty and enjoyment of the city with as many people as we can. We are always excited to hear from new Barcelona transplants and tourists alike. As we have mentioned in previous blogs, like 5 True Stories to Help You Avoid Pickpockets, this city is the pickpocket capital of Europe, so it is important to watch out for Barcelona pickpockets scams and Barcelona street scams, while you are reveling in the exquisiteness around you. Our last blog, Barcelona Crime part 1 discussed the top 5 locations to watch out for pickpockets, now we are going to give you more info about Barcelona street scams and what to watch out for. Here are the top 5 Barcelona street scams.

1. The Tourist Trap ~

Over 5 million people visit Barcelona each year. This can create a lot of congestion for streets and walkways in well known spots like Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia, Plaza Catalonia, and the beach as well. It is fairly easy to spot tourists in the city, and Barcelona pickpockets know this. They will often times dress as tourists, carry a map, have the camera, the whole nine yards. In this disguise, the thief will enter into a crowd of tourists pretending to take pictures and enjoying the scenes as well. After infiltrating the group, they will enter as many pockets as they can, pilfering anything they can get their hands on. Just because you are in a group, do not think you are safe. Barcelona Pickpockets go after groups because there is usually more confusion and less attention in crowds. Always watch your belongings, no matter where you are or who you are with. Another trick involves a thief pretending to be a tourist who has just been robbed themselves. They will ask for help and ask for money. Do not give any money! While enjoying your day in Barcelona, you may be approached by another tourist asking for directions. This person will throw their map in your face asking for help in locating a famous location. During the time you try to help them, you will be swindled by the “tourist’s” partner. The “tourist” is nothing but a distraction to allow their partner to steal your belongings without your knowledge. This is another trick that tries to use people’s kindness against them. Remember that you are a tourist or a visitor, you shouldn’t know where these things are either. Politely excuse yourself from the situation and move on. These are only a few examples of the tourist trap. Just remember you should be the one asking for directions, and if people are asking you for help and are being relatively pushy about it, they are most often trying to rob you.

2. The Pigeon Pickpocket ~

Okay, no one likes to get bird poo on their jackets or their shirts. Besides being gross, it leaves stains. To go even further, no one is ever happy when they get a ketchup, coffee, or wine stain either. The point is that we will always stop what we are doing to try to clean the mess. Here lies another Barcelona street scam. A thief will secretly squirt you with a substance and stop you to point out you have bird mess on you, or someone will “accidentally” spill ketchup or wine on you. Next they will offer to clean the mess. They will help you take your jacket off to better reach the stain. In this moment, they will either slip their hand in the pocket while they help you take the jacket off, or simply run off with it. Tip for this trap, never let people help you with something you can do yourself. There is no reason to take your jacket off, and there is no reason to let someone help you do this. Politely refuse the “assistance” and continue moving until you can deal with the “mess” in a comfortable setting such as a bathroom sink.

3. Flowers for Fools ~

I'm sure you have seen these guys plenty of times already. The men and women that enter the restaurants and bars trying to sell flowers to couples and drunks. They are actually Barcelona pickpockets: they will place a flower on the table and try to offer the flower to you only then to demand money for this unsolicited gift. When you reach for your money they will try to “help” you get the appropriate amount from your wallet. If the flower seller is not able to reach for any wanted money themselves, they will try to sell this single flower at an outrageous price such as 10 Euros.  Do not buy individual flowers or other items from people on the street. If you were not thinking about purchasing something, you probably don’t want it to begin with. Keep your money in your purse or pocket where it belongs.

4. The Friendly Fiend ~

The over friendly drunk may in fact be Barcelona pickpockets. This trick has plenty of variations but they all have the same theory, if the thief can get close enough and actually touch you then they can steal from you as well. Some famous methods to this trick include the over friendly dancer in the club, the football foot dance, or the lost tourist. All of these tactics involve thieves inside of bars and clubs or outside along the street. When tired drunk patrons begin their exodus from the clubs, they find jovial youth wanting to chat and wanting to play. Often this group of youth will try to play games with the drunk, want to hug, dance the football dance, or put their arms around your shoulder and say they will help you home. This should be something we had learned as children, do not let strangers on the street touch you. They will try to trip you with the soccer dance, or they will try to make you jump. In any of these situations, you give them access to your body and in
doing so, it is incredibly easy for them to grab what they please.

5. The Bump and Bolt ~

This trick is designed for high traffic locations. Basically as you try to move through a crowded street or metro car, it is common to be bumped or pushed by people. Barcelona pickpockets use this; they will work in pairs, while you are bumped by one person another from a different position will use the distraction to enter your purse or pockets. Children and older women use this strategy in groups in an effort to disorient you and make you feel flustered. While you are bumped by one person, another bolts with your belongings. Do your best to avoid crowded places, and if you are in the middle of the metro or a crowd on Las Ramblas, always keep your hand over your purse or your pockets. It is common to be bumped into when in a crowded area, however the common person does their best to avoid any contact to begin with. Be wary of anyone who is willing to come into contact with you. I hope you are not scared. I hope you do not think that Barcelona is dangerous. Being aware of your surroundings and of the people around you will save you a lot of stress. It may seem like paranoia, but it is just smart to be wary of strangers wanting to touch you, especially when you are not in your familiar settings. Do what you can to avoid being a target by Barcelona pickpockets. Keep all valuables hidden, or better yet keep them at home. Do not take large amounts of money with you, keep your purse or camera bag closed and secured around your body, do not stop to talk with strangers in highly congested traffic areas, and most important do not let strangers touch you. Use some common sense and be a bit cautious, you can help keep yourself safe and keep your trip positive and memorable. Take care and be safe Brettsky Check out other SuitLife blogs about staying safe in Barcelona Barcelona Pickpockets Hit the Road

Barcelona Nightlife Has Never Been This Crazy!

Barcelona nightlife can be really crazy and intense where people party until the next day when the sun comes up again. But if you are looking for the hottest, craziest and most insane Barcelona nightlife activities, stop wasting your time and join Erasmus Barcelona to sign up for SHAZ’s Guest List that gives you great deals on clubbing in Barcelona and even free access to the best clubs in Barcelona. Erasmus Barcelona is Barcelona’s biggest International students community that organizes multiple social activities for exchange students in Barcelona, which also includes the number ONE activity of most students,  Nightlife in Barcelona. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, Erasmus Barcelona provides the opportunity for students to enter the best clubs in Barcelona from Monday to Sunday where you can meet many students with the same interests as you.

Best Clubs in Barcelona with Shaz’s Guest List

Barcelona is a culturally enriched city where people enjoy tons of activities during the day, but as the sun goes down, the city transforms into a hub of nonstop partying at the most exotic bars and clubs in town. Whatever the night of the week it is, there’s always something going on when it comes to nightlife in Barcelona. Check below for guaranteed great nights out to the best clubs in Barcelona with SHAZ’s guest list.

Opium Mar

One of the best and biggest clubs in Barcelona located at Villa Olimpica area right at the sea shore. The club is known for its awesome terrace on the beach and its huge dance floor. A perfect place for those who love glamor and love to experience a VIP treatment. Several internationally famous DJ’s play here. With its great music and exotic dancers, Opium Mar gives everyone a guaranteed night to remember. Free entrance until 02:00 am with Shaz’s Guest List.

Sutton

The Sutton Club is one of the most fashionable clubs in Barcelona with a huge dance floor. It has designated VIP areas for its premium guests and the club has been visited by internationally known people such as Hollywood actor Nicholas Cage and Brazillian soccer stars Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The club is situated in a upscale part of the city (Diagonal/Tuset). Free entrance with Shaz’s Guest List until 02:30

Shoko

A popular club with a romantic and comfortable atmosphere with a beautiful terrace which opens towards the beach. Shoko is considered to be one of the best clubs in town by locals and tourists as it has a nice dance floor with great music playing. Free entrance with Shaz’s Guest List until 01:30 am

Sotavento

Sotavento is located alongside the beach, with a nice elegant Mediterranean atmosphere. The club has a huge terrace in front of the beach and 2 club areas where different music is played. The club has a nice restaurant where you can taste the specialties from the kitchen. One of the most popular places for university students as the club offers free dinner every once in a while for people on Shaz’s Guest List. Free entrance with Shaz’s Guest List until 02:30 am

Catwalk

Catwalk is a stylish club in Barcelona with two different dance floors. Mostly young people between the age of 18 and 25 are attracted to come and party at Catwalk. There are 2 dance floors with different music playing. Dance floor 1: House Dance floor 2: RnB, Hip Hop Free entrance with Shaz’s Gues List until 1:30 am.

Not Tired Yet?

It's guaranteed that plenty more nightlife in Barcelona will follow. So get involved with other exchange students by joining Shaz’s Erasmus Barcelona. To be on the Guest List Form:
Go to Barcelona Parties, click on parties / fiestas section above, choose a day and which club you want to go, and write your name + the number of friends with you in the Guest List form. Or like their facebook page  ‘’Barcelona Night Life’’ and you will receive invitations for upcoming events. The only thing you have to do here is to click on attending and write your name + No. of friends on event’s wall. - Alper

Gay Bars in Barcelona : Cheers !

Overlooked

A couple of days ago I couldn't find a thing to write about for the SuiteLife Gay Bible Series: From Behind The Rear. It is the worst feeling for a writer. So I did what any respectable person would've done...ask for help. My flatmate has been living for a while in Barcelona, so when I told him my problem, the light bulb on top of his head turned on and knew exactly what I needed. He took me to a gay bar located on Carrer de Villarroel. This bar is like no other I have been to so far - it is a hidden gem that can and have easily gone unnoticed on the gay radar. The bar is called People's Lounge. Here you'll never see twenty-something year old people loitering outside smoking cigarettes blocking the entrance, nor will you hear the music blaring.

Icons

A handsome bouncer held opened the door for us - which isn't unusual here in Barcelona but in this case was misleading to the kind of crowd I would find inside. The first thing that impressed me when we entered was the beautiful and tasteful decorations. The walls are cevored with movie posters of iconic Broadway musicals, films and their stars - a great  representation of that gay era and the foundation of ours; Victor Victoria, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Phantom of the Opera, Betty Davis, just to name a few. The dimmed lights gave the place a smokey-bar-from-the-1940s kind of look, especially since the only light source came from the chandeliers and shaded table lamps (yes, very old fashion but it added to the decor).  The only modern looking thing in the place was the firefly laser disco lights that illuminated those who sat on the couches on every corner of the place. The bar is a wooden island placed in the center, here a young bar tenders - ok - a hot bartender waltz around serving customers a wide range of cocktails and bevarages. Don't have fear of them running out of alcohol, they have over 30 brands of whisky and you can see them displayed above and around the bar. The most important icons (at least according to me) were the people there. The crowd at this gay bars in Barcelona is 50 and up and it was a breath of fresh air to be amoung them. Right away you can see how different their generation is to ours today perhaps this is because they were more, if not completely, restricted to be who they are. So it was an exciting experience to see them have fun and made me realize that I live in a time I shouldn't take for granted and should enjoy it while I'm still around. So I started with dancing. Why not? The music at People's Lounge range from Jazz and blues to all-time favorites from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. In the early hours some very special traditional Spanish and Flamenco music from Andalusia. Conclusion The down side of this bar (understandable knowing their niche is very small) is that drinks are more expensive here than any other gay bar in Barcelona. What would normally cost me 2.50, I had to pay double that amount at People Lounge. They are wi fi free zone with broadband wi fi access if you want to use your smartphone or laptop.  Add to all this a professional and friendly service from bilingual staff and you have the ideal place for an early cocktail, meet up with friends or make new ones. It is a definite guaranteed that you will have as much fun in this bar as in any other gay bar in Barcelona.