When I began planning and preparing for my first solo trip to Spain, I found it a little overwhelming at first. With some careful planning, I made all my travel arrangements and looked forward to my trip with abundant anticipation. I envisioned strolling the streets of Barcelona, consuming cava, and tasting tapas. I researched where to stay in Barcelona and chose the El Born/La Ribera neighborhood bordering the oldest neighborhood of Barcelona, the Gothic Quarter.
Now, I will share some of the planning I went through to make this trip happen as well as the pre-trip preparation. For tips on solo travel in general, read my article, 15 Tips for Solo Travel.
When I first begin planning for a solo trip, I always peruse the travel guide books available at the library. This way I can preview the books and find out which one, if any, I would like to bring with me on a trip. Sometimes I just bring one of the library books with me, but occasionally I prefer to have my own copy so I can write notes and mark it up.
You may also be interested in my post about getting around in Barcelona, including airport transportation.
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Best Barcelona Travel Guides
For Barcelona, I decided on the guide from Eyewitness Travel, Barcelona and Catalonia latest edition because it had great reviews plus a handy foldout map.
I found the National Geographic Walking Barcelona: The Best of the City guidebook while perusing the shelves at a local bookshop. Normally I would not bring two travel guides with me, but I enjoy walking, and Barcelona is a great walking city, so I decided to buy the book.
Movies and Documentaries
While searching the library shelves online, I also found a few documentaries about the great artists of Barcelona: Antonio Gaudi, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miro.
When preparing for a trip, I like to learn about the history and culture of the location I will be traveling to, and travel guides generally cover the basics. The documentaries I watch helped me learn a little more about the history and culture of Barcelona and Spain in general.
Watching movies written/directed by artists from the region I’m traveling to is one of my favorite methods of picking up some of the cultural nuances of a new place. I watched many Spanish movies when I was studying the language. One of my favorite directors is Pedro Almodóvar, and I’ve listed several of his films below.
15 of my favorite Spanish movies
- Todos sobre mi madre (All About My Mother)
- En la ciudad sin limites (In the City Without Limits)
- Volver
- Hable con ella (Talk to Her)
- La flor de mi secreto (The Flower of My Secret)
- Los abrazos rotos (Broken Embraces)
- La mala educacion (Bad Education)
- Carne tremula (Live Flesh)
- Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the Verge of Nervous Breakdown)
- Lucia y el sexo ( Sex and Lucia)
- Mariposa (Butterfly)
- El abuelo (The Grandfather)
- Mar adentro (The Sea Inside)
- Biutiful
- Sexo por compasion (Compassionate Sex)
I booked my airfare to Barcelona in January, and the flight cost me $1,020.90 total, including taxes, but I saved a bundle on my accommodations by booking shared accommodations with a family.
I stayed in the La Ribera neighborhood, which is adjacent to the Gothic Quarter and El Born district, so I did plenty of walking all around the neighborhoods. The metro was a couple blocks from my location, so it was convenient for visiting places like Montjuic, Magic Fountain, and Park Guell.
While searching AirBnB, I found a private room in a beautiful apartment for an affordable rate. It was cheaper than some of the hostels in Barcelona.
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Ask for Tips from friends and co-workers
I did some checking with friends and clients who have traveled to Barcelona before and received some tips based on their personal experiences.
FaceBook Groups
People post questions, trip reports, and just chat about travel in various Facebook groups. You’ll find tips about anything and everything travel related.
Quick Tips for Planning a Trip to Barcelona
- Library: review the travel guides available at your local library; also look for movies/documentaries
- Look up weather information for the time of year you will be visiting and plan your packing list accordingly
- Research accommodation options and book early for best availability
- Watch Spanish movies to learn more about the history and culture
- Search for travel blogs online, check out Pinterest, twitter, Facebook
- Visit Facebook groups to get info and advice from other travelers
- Ask friends and co-workers who have traveled to Barcelona to give you their personal tips
Preparing for my trip to Barcelona I also enjoyed a glass or two of Freixenet cava, the sparkling wine that is made in the wine country region of Penedès, less than an hour from Barcelona.
What are your tips for planning and preparing for a solo trip?
Have a great time in Barcelona! It’s a wonderful city and one of my favourites :)
Thank you Mayssam! I have a sneaky suspicion that Barcelona will be one of my favorite cities too :)
I’m so looking forward to checking out all the delicious food and seeing the modernisme architecture and just wandering the streets exploring the city!
Hi Susan! Hope you’re having a great trip in Spain! In fact I have family there in Barcelona. I’m soooooo jealous! Hehe.
Can’t wait to hear what your experience was.
Best wishes!
Nela
Hi Nela – thanks for visiting my blog! I LOVED Barcelona!!! I am back in Austin again. I stayed in La Ribera district and walked all over the city. The people were super friendly – I even had two impromptu walking tours with locals – so wonderful!
I loved hiking Monserrat, the amazing architecture – especially Gaudi, and Montjuic was fabulous – the parks, swimming pools, and the NMAC – Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya – is free on Saturday afternoons so that was a nice surprise. I ate delicious tapas and the coffee and croissants were delicious!
You can check out this post for more: 9 Days of Solo Travel in Barcelona – Highlights of my Trip
Cheers,
Susan
Hey Suzan, I found your blog as I was searching for info about travelling solo in Barcelona. This ll be my first solo trip. I am little sceptical though, because I don’t speak Spanish at all (I speak english). Do you think, this is going to be a problem?
Many people in Barcelona speak English, especially around the tourist attractions so you should not have a problem. The signage for the tourist sites are in English as well as Catalan and Spanish. Barcelona is such a popular city for tourists you will likely meet other English speakers during your visit. I found the local people of Barcelona to be extraordinarily helpful and friendly so I hope you find the same.
Cheers,
Susan
Hi Susan
I came across your site as I am planning a short break to Barcelona in September and will be travelling alone. The information you have provided is both informative and very helpful. Thank you for sharing.
Could you tell me how you found your accommodation ie was it as you expected? I am also thinking of using air bnb to find accommodation. Thanks again
Yes I did find the accommodation as expected. I did mention to the host that the bed was too soft but I did get used to it after a few days – they said they were planning to buy new mattresses soon. The place was very clean and the location was superb! I have had very good experiences booking through AirBnB so far. I always look for places with several reviews and lots of photos of the place so I have a good idea of what to expect. One other thing I look for within the reviews on AirBnB is good communication with the host. Hope you enjoy your trip to Barcelona – September should be a great time to visit!
Cheers,
Susan
Hi Susan, the information is very handy as I am currently planning on my solo trip to Barcelona. I would like to check if it is difficult to travel around via Metro? Can the local speak English? Do you feel safe walking down the streets?
Hi Irene, using the metro to get around Barcelona is easy. I have more information about getting around in Barcelona here
I have stayed in La Ribera and Gracia neighborhoods in Barcelona, and felt safe walking around by myself, day or night. For more info on La Ribera neighborhood click here
In Barcelona the locals speak Catalan and Spanish, and many speak English. It’s a good idea to learn a few of the basic phrases in the local language. I always like to bring a phrase book with me when I travel to a country that I don’t speak the language. You could use the App Duolingo to learn some Spanish.
Enjoy your travels to Barcelona!