How to spend less money during a trip to Barcelona

[Tomchin]

I've already visited Barcelona 5 times, and all of those trips were rather costly (good hotel, taxis, good food, etc.). In the future I plan to travel to Barcelona more often, so I'll have to pay more attention to my budget How much do you guys usually spend when you're in Barcelona for 2 days (let's say arrival Saturday, departure Monday morning)?

1) Trip airport to hotel: Before I always did this by taxi (+- 30 euro). Are there shuttle buses from El Prat to Camp Nou, or otherwise, to a central place like Placa Catalunya (I prefer to avoid the metro for this traject; 'cause you're heavily packed with luggage then, and I've had some bad experiences with pickpocketers in the metro before). Price shuttle bus?

2) Lunch ("Menu del dia"): 10 euro (20 euro Sat + Sun)

3) Supermarket (some snacks, breakfast, drinks and fruit): 25 euro

3) Hotel: Previously I always stayed in places from 100 euro per night. Can you guys recommend some cheaper places? 50 euro per night should be possible in a hostel I think, so let's say 100 euro for 2 nights.

4) Metro: T-10 card (or is a 2-day card cheaper?): 10 euro

5) Dinner (bocadillo or pitta + drink): 5 euro (10 euro Sat + Sun)

6) Ticket game General: 35 euro (average of the games of category A, B, C, D)

7) Ticket flight Ryanair: 70 euro (including transport in Belgium to the airport)

So in total, I think 250 euro is about the minimum for a trip to Barcelona. Did I forget anything special?

 

[JonM]

1)You can take the Aerobus to either Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça d'Espanya or Plaça Universitat. It's 5 euros something.

3)Check out Hotel.com or Booking.com. You should be able to find decent rooms in simple hotels for around 50 euros.

 

[oz187]

If you are going for a weekend, why do you need a lot of luggage? You could just take a backpack?
There are buses from the airport into the city, 3-5 euros.
Youth hostels can be found for 10 euros a night. Cheapest hotels are around 40 euros a night. I never spend any time in my room except to sleep so hence why I choose to stay in youth hostels.

 

[XaviMessiGirl]

Wow, 250 euro already sounds so cheap to me For me to go, just the plane ticket alone would be 1000-1100 USD (so like 800+ euro). Then there are the expenses once you get there of course... hence why I still haven't been. But at least I have a friend there I can stay with, who can also most likely get me into Barca matches, so when I do go at least that part would be taken care of.

Hopefully I will get to go next year though, I have a job opportunity coming up this weekend and if I get it then I will definitely go.

 

[Tomchin]

Some of you guys will be attending the game against atletico, right? If you have some advice on "how to save money" during a trip to barcelona, please feel free to update this thread

 

[Tembbi]

I'm so horrible at saving money when traveling. I budget the rest of my life quite carefully so I guess I just want a true vacation when I go somewhere.

Pretty much anywhere I go it costs me flights + hotel (100 euros / night) + 100-150 euros on random expenses every day.

Not the advice you're looking for.

Edit: Anyway, I think the biggest ways of saving are to use public transportation and eating at workers' restaurants, nice paellas etc. Then of course one can choose their
hotel/hostel/flight prices etc. but that's another story. Another way of saving in food is to get a small apartemento and cook your own food.

 

[Theconomist]

You're lucky

Cheapest for me would be around 500 for a weekend.

 

[FCBarca]

Bus is cheap, and there are two different ones...An express which is €5 and I think the city buses are €2

Use the metro, get a multipass...Don't need to just hit a bocadillo, there's a great asian food place that's cheap over in the Gothic district, Wok to Walk

Lodging is always the big issue but I always found it better to avoid the tourist areas both for price and quiet...There are some pretty decent hostels as I recall from back in the day just off Las Ramblas and I'm sure for under 50

 

[FCBelfast8]

My trip in December was expensive, but being my first time, we done all the touristy things.

 

[Galning]

Just bought 6 tickets to games (Milan & Depor) + flight + hotel (5days) = 1100 euro.
Same trip about 2-3 years ago probably cost us triple the money.. Prices are very cheap at the moment, the only thing that stayed the same are the football tickets but that's normal I guess.
We're staying in the same hotel we stayed a few years ago and the price has been reduced by 75%. Incredible.

 

[Tomchin]

Just came back from Barcelona, spent about 1500 euros in 5 days, ugh Main costs were plane and hotel of course, who because of the peak tourist season were rather expensive (850 euro).

We've lived the good life there (lunch and dinner in restaurants, taxis instead of metro, lots of museums, lots of souvenirs), so can't really complain. Next year I'll probably go by car and stay in one of the neighbouring towns instead (Sitges or so), that will be a lot cheaper I hope