Barcelona on a Budget: A Budget Travel Guide

Barcelona is one of my absolute favorite cities to visit. It’s got everything you need: amazing food, cheap prices, and great views. It’s the perfect mix of Mediterranean-meets-Western Europe. As a budget travel hacker, I found plenty of opportunities to save money in Barcelona. 

Barcelona is not a place you have to use points and miles, but they certainly will get you far. Here’s my complete Budget Travel Guide to Barcelona on points:

Barcelona On A Budget: How To Save Money On Flights With Cash

Barcelona is one of the cheapest cities to fly into Europe from the United States with cash flights. Flights from most major US hubs into Barcelona regularly cost only $450 – and sometimes even less! 

I like to use Going and Thrifty Traveler to get flight deal alerts emailed right to me (you can save 10% by using KENDYL10 if you sign up for Thrifty Traveler). Most of the best flight deals are to and from major airport hubs. My advice to save money on flights to Barcelona is to take a positioning flight (get my free guide here!) and pay cash for your flight as taxes can be high even on the cheapest points and miles flight options when compared to the cash price.

You can use Flight Connections to find all the available direct flights into Barcelona. Then search through the results for cheap flights with the best positioning flight city.
Budget Travel Tip: If you are a light packer, skip checking a bag and take a carry-on only. I love the Allpa backpack service from Cotopaxi. They are high quality, sustainably sourced, and go on sale around major holidays. Plus you can stack cash back with Rakuten to score an even better deal.

Barcelona On A Budget: How To Save Money On Flights With Points 

If the cash price doesn’t make sense, you can fly with points! FlyingBlue points are a great option for finding opportunities to save money on flights to Barcelona, and the rest of Europe! 

Flying Blue has points redemptions for as little as 15,000 points (plus taxes) each way for an economy ticket. And if you have flexibility in your trip travel dates, wait for a Flying Blue Monthly Promo. You can score a deal on point redemptions for as little as 11,250 points (plus taxes) each way to save 25% more.

You can even transfer points from any of your major bank travel credit cards to Flying Blue. That means your American Express, Chase, Capital One, or Citi points can all be used to book these already discounted redemptions.
Budget Travel Tip: I use Travel Freely to easily manage all of my travel cards in one place. It shows me the best current card offers so I always know I’m getting the most points and miles possible.

How To Save Money On Hotels In Barcelona

Barcelona is one of my favorite places to utilize flexible points currencies, like IHG and Hilton points. But it is also an opportunity to pay cash as a points and miles earning opportunity. This is especially true if you can travel to Barcelona during the off-season (November to February), when you can get stellar deals with your points and miles.

Kimpton Vividora: 4th-Night Free Perk With Points

One of my favorite stays in Barcelona is the Kimpton Vividora. It’s in a great location right at the edge of the Gothic Quarter with a beautiful design, and great customer service. 

I especially love the free wine happy hour the hotel offers every day. It’s a great way to meet fellow travelers, and an opportunity to get recommendations and tips from local staff members, too!

The Kimpton is a part of IHG hotels, where you can use IHG points to book your stay. I love to utilize my IHG Premier card with Kimpton stays for the 4th-night free perk with points. This basically gives you a 25% discount on the number of points you need to book a redemption.

If you travel to the Kimpton Vividora off-season, you’ll likely find rooms for as few as 30,000 IHG points a night.

Hilton Alexandra Barcelona: Points Earning Opportunity + Free Perks

Though in more of the shopping district, the Alexandra Barcelona is a great hotel with a local feel. Many of the shops and restaurants around the hotel cater to a more local audience, making it a great location to try some stellar food.

I love to use my Hilton Aspire card card when staying at Hilton properties and pay cash for lower-end redemptions to earn. With cheap nightly rates, the Alexandra Barcelona is a great earning opportunity for 34 points per dollar spent with your Hilton Aspire. 

Plus, as a Diamond member you’ll receive free room upgrades, food and drink credits, and more perks well worth the cash you spend.

Boutique Hotels: Stack Your Savings With A Points Redemption Hack

There are a lot of amazing boutique hotel options in Barcelona. You can find some great properties in the Gothic Quarter on Hotels.com with a quality property running you as little at $70 a night.

For an easy budget travel hack, you can save on local boutique hotels through Hotels.com, purchasing with points for an easy stack. 

Travel Hack: You can make your miles go further if you stack your points with Hotels.com offers.

Barcelona On A Budget: Getting Around

If you are staying within the Gothic Quarter you’ll find a lot of area attractions within walking distance of your hotel. Barcelona is a place to wear quality walking shoes. It also has a pretty robust tram and metro system operating for attractions outside your walking center.

Bike tours are also a popular way to see large portions of the city. You can book this tour for just $30 a person on Viator, which is a super budget-friendly transportation option. 

You might also like: Five Easy Ways to Save Money in Barcelona!

Barcelona On A Budget: Things To Do In Barcelona

There is no shortage of things to do in Barcelona. You can return to the city again and again and still find new and interesting things to do and see. Here are some of my favorite free and cheap things to do in Barcelona:

Visit Sagrada Familia: Free Walking Tour

No trip to Barcelona is complete without a trip to Sagrada Familia. Save money and buy direct. You don’t need to purchase an in-person guided tour, as Sagrada offers a free app that brings you through a pretty good free self-guided walking tour.

Picasso Museum: Free At Select Times

The Picasso Museum is well worth a visit for art appreciators and those just interested in Picasso’s life alike. To save money at the museum, visit on Thursdays between 4-7pm or the first Sunday of the month for free. Just be sure to get your free ticket before the free hours begin.

Take A Tapas Tour: Worth Spending On

You can’t visit Barcelona without taking a tapas tour to truly appreciate the Catalan food and culture. I booked this tapas tour and I was so glad I did. It was a truly great evening going to a variety of local shops!

Take One Of The Many Free Walking Tours

There are plenty of free tours you can take in Barcelona (just be sure to tip your guide!). The Gothic Quarter tour is one of the most popular, and a great way to truly get lost with a local within the walls, but there are plenty of other highly rated tours to try.

How To Save Money On Food and Dining In Barcelona

Barcelona is a town that loves food, no doubt. Plenty of great places to eat exist within the city – and within a budget. I wrote a guide to The Best Cheap Eats in Barcelona! Be sure to check it out for all the best dining options. Here are some highlights:

Cañete

Likely one of my all time favorite eateries, Cañete is beloved by locals and tourists alike. (Be sure to get the clams in white wine sauce.) You’ll need a reservation to secure your table, so be sure to book early.

Sant Antonio Market

More local in experience and lower in prices than the more famous La Boqueria market, the Sant Antonio Market is a great place for a quick bite at an affordable price. Come enjoy a plate of tapas at a local counter, or pick up some produce, meats, and cheeses for your Airbnb stay.

El Drac de Sant Jordi

Pinchos are small bites that are a big part of life in Barcelona. Similar to tapas but usually served on bread; Pinchos are served with a skewer or toothpick (hence the name, Pinchos translates to spike in English) with flat pricing based on the stick color. Aside from the great (and cheap!) food, El Drac has great views of Basílica de Santa Maria.

The Good Burger

Certainly not the local cuisine, The Good Burger has a great selection of hamburgers at really affordable prices. And with a 2-for-1 special every Thursday, it’s worth a visit.

How To Save Money in Barcelona: Tips And Hacks

Barcelona has all the perks when it comes to a favorite travel destination: good local food, stunning views – and cheap prices! By using classic travel hacking tips you can save so much money on your trip to Barcelona without sacrificing one bit of an amazing experience. 

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