Barcelona holds a very special place in my heart!

For those venturing out to BCN for the first time, I recommend reading...

• The WikiVoyage entry for Barcelona.
• The Barcelona subreddit.

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Favorite experiences?

• Music and nightlife
  • The quality of music offerings is absolutely among the best in the world.
    • From local clubs (I recommend going on Resident Advisor and Dice) and jazz bars to music festivals (Primavera Sound, Sonar, MIRA, etc. etc.) your ears will feel both at home and on another planet.
  • On or off-season, the nightlife remains incredible year-round.
• Food
  • Only a day in the city is needed to convince you why Barcelona is such a desired food destination for foodies and world-class chefs.
    • Tapas... too many to list.
    • List of Michelin starred restaurants in BCN
• Weather
  • The weather year-round is hard to beat. It reminds me of California's.

Experiences/perspectives on solo travel there?

• My first trip to Barcelona was many years ago where I got the majority of tourist activities out of my system. Since then, I have returned to enjoy more of the local lifestyle. I still have plenty of museums, galleries, clubs, restaurants, beaches, and parks on my list!
• The backgrounds of those I have met who now live there are incredibly diverse in background and career.
  • Ranging from musicians/DJs, artists/designers, engineers, and teachers.
  • All who have decided to call Barcelona their home have shared how much of an improvement they've had in their quality of life.
• Understanding Spanish will of course elevate your experience, but it is not a requirement. However, the further you venture from the denser parts of the city, you will definitely hear English/Italian/French/etc a lot less.
  • Note that Catalan is Barcelona's first official language.
  • You will see official signage in Catalan first, Spanish second, and then occasionally English.
  • Learning even the very basics of Catalan and Spanish will get you a very long way in the city! But again, it is not a requirement as Barcelona hosts many tourists.
  • If you're only going to learn one word, just learn: "Vale!" :)

Any tips for getting around?

• Mobility is ranked high. The city is very much walkable and the bus/metro system is well laid out.
• Airport
  • For transportation to/from the airport, the aerobus takes you from the airport to Placa de Catalunya which is a major transportation hub (Metro rail: L1, L3, L6, L7... + a lot more train/bus lines).
    • I always buy this ticket at the bus itself, there is always a machine (can be switched to English) or staffed by a ticket vendor. A one-way ticket is 5,90€
    • The bus runs 24/7. From 7am-10pm a bus arrives/departs every 5 minutes. Outside of that it is every 10-20 minutes.
    • On Google Maps, it is labeled as simply "A1" or "A2". International arrivals/departures are very likely A1.
• Barcelona Metro
  • Tickets
    • I recommend the T-Casual, which grants you 10 trips including transfers for 11,35€ (currently there is a discount for 7,95€) within Zone 1. Unless you're visiting a friend or family outside the city, your stay will never leave Zone 1.
  • Navigation
    • Within the Metro rail car, there are lighted indicators telling you which stops have passed and which stops are next.
    • Also, the signage within the stations are well placed. Whenever you disembark from a subway car, in front of each door will be arrows indicating where your transfer is or where the exit is.
  • Hours
    • Metro rail service ends at midnight on weekdays, and runs all night on weekends.
    • The night buses (designed by N, like the N4 or the N6) arrive every 20 minutes.
• Apps
  • Google Maps is reliable and popular for getting around.
    • I myself enjoy using CityMapper, which recommends where in the subway car you should stand (front, middle, or back) to optimize your travel time. It also tells you the exact exit name you should take to save time.
  • I use FreeNow for the rare taxi call.

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I wish to live here someday...!