How to Find Cheap Hotels In Barcelona, Spain

Located on the northeast coast of Spain, Barcelona is the country's second largest city. Since it hosted the Summer Olympics in 1992, Barcelona has become a major tourist destination. Known as a center for art, architecture and museums, Barcelona also offers visitors endless entertainment, fantastic restaurants and quality nightlife.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access

Get to Know Barcelona

1. Bring a phrasebook to Barcelona. Language is a big issue for the people of Barcelona. Natives speak Catalan or Spanish, and while some also speak English, there are no signs printed in it. Making an effort to converse in either Catalan (preferable) or Spanish will go a long way with people you encounter.

2. Visit in the springtime when the weather is most pleasant, averaging around 68 degrees F. Summer in Spain is very popular with tourists and cities like Barcelona can get overcrowded. Summer weather can also be very hot and sticky.

3. Bring lots of Euros, the primary currency in Spain. Barcelona is quite a wealthy city, and prices here tend to be on the expensive side.

Secure Transportation

4. Fly into El Prat, Barcelona's major airport, which serves domestic and international flights.

5. Get from the airport to the city center via train. It only takes about 15 minutes, and a single fare is only a few Euros. Buy a T-10 ticket for cheap fares. These tickets are good for 10 75-minute trips, and they considerably reduce the fare per trip.

6. Buy a ticket for the Bus Turistic to conveniently visit all of the popular tourist sites. One-day and two-day tickets are available, with two-day tickets being the better bargain.

Choose Accommodations in Barcelona

7. To book accommodations, contact Turisme de Barcelona at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources below).

8. Stay in a youth hostel in Ciutat Vella (Old Barcelona) for cheap accommodations close to the historic buildings, monuments and attractions of the city. You'll share a room, but rates are some of the lowest available.

9. Know that hostals in Barcelona are different than 'hostels.' Hostals are more like guest houses, and while they are typically cheaper than hotels, they are not as cheap as youth hostels.

10. Consider renting a cheap apartment as an alternative to hotel living. There are numerous legal apartment rental companies that cater to tourists and can help you find a cheap apartment in a safe area.

Tips & Warnings

• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00." All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.
• Don't look for cheap accommodations in Eixample, the modernist part of the city. Most of the expensive hotels are located here.