Barcelona on $80 a Day

Barcelona is one of the best-value big cities in Western Europe. It is far cheaper than London or Paris, the weather is warm for much of the year and some of its best pleasures, wandering the Gothic Quarter, swimming at the beach, watching the sunset from a hilltop, cost nothing. A menú del día, the fixed-price weekday lunch, turns the biggest meal of the day into a bargain, and the Metro is cheap and efficient. With a hostel bed, set lunches, tapas dinners and a couple of paid Gaudí visits, $80 a day is a realistic and enjoyable budget.

Barcelona has a large supply of hostels, many of them in beautifully converted buildings in the Gothic Quarter, El Born, the Eixample and Gràcia. A dorm bed typically costs about $28 to $45 a night, depending on the season, and the best include breakfast, free walking tours and a social atmosphere. Private rooms in hostels and budget hotels start at about $80 to $120. Staying slightly outside the old town, in Gràcia, Poble-sec or Sants, often saves money and gives you a quieter, more local base. Avoid Las Ramblas for accommodation, since it is noisy and attracts pickpockets.

Eating well in Barcelona on a budget is easy if you use the menú del día. Offered at lunchtime on weekdays by almost every neighborhood restaurant, it typically includes two courses, bread, a drink and dessert or coffee for about $12 to $16, and the portions are generous. Markets and bakeries are good for breakfast and snacks, and a few tapas and a drink at a local bar make a satisfying, inexpensive dinner. Avoid the restaurants on Las Ramblas and around the major sights, where prices are higher and quality is lower, and look for places filled with locals.

Barcelona's Metro and bus network is efficient, and most of the main sights are within walking distance of each other. If you plan to use public transport several times a day, a multi-journey ticket such as the T-casual, which gives ten rides at a discount, or the Hola Barcelona card, which allows unlimited travel for two to five days, is cheaper than buying single tickets. The Metro runs until late, and on Fridays and Saturdays it runs all night. The airport is connected by Metro line L9 Sud, which is far cheaper than a taxi, and the Aerobús is a good alternative.

At $80 a day you will stay in a hostel, eat set lunches and tapas, walk and use the Metro, and visit one or two paid attractions. You will still see the Sagrada Família from outside, the Gothic Quarter, the beach, Montjuïc and Gràcia, and you can add a Gaudí ticket or two. At $200 a day, you add a private hotel room, restaurant dinners and cocktails, entry to major attractions and day trips. The difference is comfort and convenience rather than access to the best of the city.

TMB App is the best tool for Barcelona's Metro and bus network, with real-time information and route planning, and Google Maps also works well. The Hola Barcelona card app lets you manage unlimited travel passes. Too Good To Go sells unsold food from bakeries and restaurants at a big discount, and Free Tour Barcelona and similar walking tours work on a tips basis. A contactless card or phone works almost everywhere, and an ATM withdrawal from a bank is cheaper than a currency exchange.