Trip to Barcelona

The list adapts to you

When you add it, the checklist asks a couple of questions and keeps only the items that fit your situation.

• Traveling with kids? NoYes

What's inside

1. Check passport validity and visa rules

   Spain is in Schengen: your passport must be valid 3+ months beyond departure. Check visa requirements for your nationality early.

2. Buy travel medical insurance

   Schengen visas require €30,000+ coverage, and an uninsured doctor visit hurts the wallet.

3. Book Sagrada Família and Park Güell ahead

   Tickets are online-only with timed slots and sell out 1–2 weeks ahead in season. There are no ticket offices to save you. Same for Casa Batlló and Casa Milà.

4. Sort out money: euro cash and cards

   Cards work everywhere; a bit of cash helps at La Boqueria market stalls. Skip airport exchange rates.

5. Make copies of your documents

   Photos of passport, visa and insurance in the cloud; paper copies separate from originals. If a bag is snatched, this saves the trip.

6. Pickpocket-proof yourself — risk #1

   La Rambla, the metro and the beach belong to Europe's best pickpockets. Zipped bag in front, nothing in back pockets, phone off the table, passport original in the hotel safe.

7. Never leave beach belongings unattended

   Barceloneta is beach thieves' office: one unattended minute in the water and the phone is gone. Swim in shifts or take a waterproof pouch into the sea.

8. Pick a transit pass: T-casual or Hola BCN

   T-casual gives 10 rides and suits a slower pace; Hola BCN is unlimited for 2–5 days. Single tickets are the priciest way around.

9. Broken-in walking shoes

   The Gothic Quarter, El Born and Gràcia are walking territory — 15–20k steps a day, plus Montjuïc and Tibidabo climbs.

10. Plan the Montjuïc funicular and cable car

    The funicular is included in a metro ticket; the cable car costs extra but delivers city-wide views. Up top: the castle, gardens and sunset.

11. Sync with the Spanish meal clock

    Lunch at 2 pm, dinner past 9 pm; before that it's counter tapas. Anywhere hawking paella at 6 pm is a tourist trap.

12. Know: tap water is safe but tastes odd

    It's safe, just chlorinated. A filter bottle or supermarket 5-liter jug fixes it for pennies.

13. Pack a compact first aid kit

    Painkiller, blister plasters, regular meds. Farmacias are everywhere, but much is prescription-only.

14. Sunscreen and sunglasses

    The sun is strong April to October, and sightseeing means hours outdoors.

15. Swimwear and a beach towel

    City beaches sit 15 minutes from the center; swim season runs June–September. Hotel towels can't leave the room — bring a light one.

16. A layer for the evening

    The sea breeze cools evenings even in summer; winter needs a proper jacket.

17. Chargers and a power bank

    Type C/F sockets — EU plugs fit; US/UK need an adapter. A power bank helps: navigation and photos kill the battery by lunch.

18. Set up an eSIM or local SIM

    An eSIM beats roaming; keep access to your bank's SMS codes from home.

19. Download offline maps

    GPS struggles in the Gothic Quarter's maze — an offline map with saved pins works even without signal.

20. Kids' documents Yes

    Each child needs their own passport (and visa where required). Birth certificate if surnames differ; check single-parent travel rules.

21. Plan kid stops: Aquarium, Tibidabo, CosmoCaixa Yes

    The port Aquarium, Tibidabo amusement park above the city and the CosmoCaixa science museum are the kid hits. Online tickets are cheaper and skip queues.

22. UV swim shirt and sun hat for the kid Yes

    Kids' skin burns in 15 minutes; a UPF shirt beats sunscreen. Barceloneta has playgrounds right on the sand.

23. Kids' first aid kit Yes

    Child-dose fever reducer, thermometer, plasters. Familiar meds beat explaining symptoms at a farmacia.

24. Snacks and entertainment for transit Yes

    Offline cartoons and familiar snacks save the flight and museum lines. El Born gelato is the local bribe currency.