Tourist Traps You Want To Avoid In Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona has grown drastically in how many of visitors it sees each year. Last year alone the city saw 32 million tourists. With many people flocking in, there is an increase in businesses trying to take advantage of tourists lack local knowledge. However, with the proper information, you don’t have to fall for the traps they set up for tourists. Barcelona is a fantastic place for a vacation or a travel expedition. However, as a first time visitor there are some common tourist traps in Barcelona to avoid.

Buying a ticket to Park Guell

Purchasing a ticket to Park Gueli is one of the tourist traps in Barcelona because you can get into the park for free. While Park Guell, also known as the place where an iconic scene from Cheetah Girls 2 was shot, is on every tourist to-do list I think there are better things to spend your money on.

What the website online didn’t tell me is that there is no need to purchase a ticket to get into the park. The park is free. The ticket is sit on the park bench designed by Gaudi, which is incredible but not worth paying for. It is a bench I can see perfectly from outside the entrance. Additionally, the park is overcrowded and you might not get a good picture anyway.

A bench in which I could see perfectly from outside the entrance. There are several other places much cheaper or free that have better views and aren’t as crowded, such as the bunkers. It is also far away from the city centre and it’s not worth the hour walk it takes to get there.

Park Guell is overly crowded, and no one really knows what they are looking at.

Purchasing Knock-Off Name brands on the street

Workers set up name brands such as Adidas or Michel Kors on the ground in hopes that visitors will be enticed into purchasing their product. Don’t be fooled these products are low quality with fake names indicating high quality slapped on them This is a common trick for large cities, even in America, but make no mistake those Addidas shoes will fall apart by next week.

Thinking sangria is a special drink in Spain

Sangria is basically just cheap wine, but tourists drink it up because it is marketed as the drink of Barcelona. There are many better acholic beverages I would recommend trying over the sangria that visitors seem to rave over.

Locating the local restaurants

If the restaurants advertise their menus with large pictures printed out the dining experience will be catered for tourists. The prices will be higher and the food lower quality. If you want to true Barcelonan experience avoid these restaurants altogether. If you walk around the streets for long enough you can find local cuisine that foodies will go crazy over.

This is the type of menu you should be looking for. It is even better if the whole thing is in Spanish!

Any store with “Barcelona” attire

Another one of the tourist traps in Barcelona I discovered is the junky tourist stores are located around every corner. Unfortunately, these tacky stores are pushing local businesses out of the city. This destroys the authentic local consumer experience in Barcelona, which I don’t think is worth a t-shirt with the words Barcelona splashed across it. The only thing I could ever justify buying at these stores is postcards. Everything else is cheaply made and I can’t recommend purchasing any of it.

Eating at restaurants with nice waiters

As crazy as it sounds, I was told that restaurants with rude waiters have the best food. This is what I was told my first day in Barcelona. Customer service is not a priority for locals. All they care about is if your food is the delicious savory dish it should be. If your waiters aren’t super friendly it is probably a local restaurant with delicious food.

Be prepared to wait a while at an authentic Spanish restaurant. As a collectivistic culture, they are much more relaxed about time. Even though I am not a time-oriented person I found the drastic culture difference frustrating. Yet, after my food is served an hour later I am okay with the wait.

Beware the pickpocketers

Yes, Barcelona is indeed the pickpocketer capital of Europe but that shouldn’t worry you. It should, however, make you very aware of your surroundings. Don’t set your bags down EVER. I would recommend wearing a bag you can sling over your shoulder. Several times I had locals and other visitors remind me that pickpocketing is so common.

The first was warned was when I stopped in Starbucks to use the bathroom and charge my phone. I left my phone at the table next to me, while I sat at another table with my friends. An employee of Starbucks came over to me and recommended I move my phone because someone might steal it. Even though it may sound intimidating if you keep track of your stuff and ignore those trying to take advantage of tourists you will be fine. If someone asks you if you want them to take a photo of you the answer should always be NO. They might be trying to steal your phone or camera. To take group photos, I would suggest the ultra-handy selfie stick.

In every heavy populated city around the world, people will try to take advantage of tourists. Hopefully, this helps you avoid some of the tourist traps in Barcelona.

Much love,

Morgan

Less or Morgan