Barcelona is great destination for backpackers: interesting sites and places to visit. However, another advantage of being a Barcelona Backpacker is that the city is well connected to nearby destinations so that those who stay at a Barcelona budget accommodation can make a cheap day trip with public transportation.
Our Hostel in Barcelona, one of those Barcelona budget accommodations, will share some cool destinations through the blog postings that Barcelona backpackers might want to visit: The destinations that you can visit with a single ticket that cost less than 10 euros for going and returning.
We begin with Sitges, a coastal town, 30 minutes away from Barcelona. Sitges has preserved important medieval references as well as others from the old fishing and farming town it once was, offering visitors a valuable architectural heritage. The narrow streets between white and low Mediterranean style houses offer a view that Barcelona backpackers will not find in the city center. Culturally speaking, its legacy is extraordinary; art is alive and traditions are upheld with a modern outlook.
Well mixed with the tradition, Sitges is also famous for updated events in Spain:
The International Film Festival, held in October, is a great chance to see top stars of Hollywood, watch great movies, or participate in free activities such as the zombie walk -free zombie make-up by professional makeup experts- through the streets of Sitges. Are you a Barcelona Backpacker that likes horror & fantasy films? Come!
Classic Car Rally, a Vintage Car Rally between Barcelona and Sitges, involving authentic cars from the early twentieth century.
Spring Flowers Festivals, Carnival, Gay festivals... The truth is, the town is full of local and international festivals and parties all year around. Check all of them at the Sitges Tourism Website
In sunny and hot summer season, you can visit the city in swim suite and have a refreshing bath in the beach, without having any plans to participate in the festivals. As all public beaches in Spain, the access to the beach is for free. Perfect for Barcelona Backpackers!
How to get there?
If you stay at our Hostel in Barcelona you can visit Sitges by train or by bus.
By train: Take a train at Clot-Arago, just 2 minutes away from our Hostel, for Sants Station. Trains depart to Sants station every 10 minutes and takes appx. 10 minutes to arrive to Sants. At Sants, buy a ticket go & return to Sitges -6€-, and take a R2 train to Sitges. Trains run every 20 minutes and it takes just 30 minutes to get to Sitges. (first train at 4:20am, last train at 10:19pm)
By bus: You can take a bus at Ronda Universitat, 33, close to Plaça Catalunya. (It´s 9 stops away from Clot station, by <L1 – red line>). The name of the bus company is MON BUS. Bus leaves once or twice every hour from Monday to Friday. For information about Saturday and Sunday buses timetable, as well as other information, check MON BUS website.
Stay at our Hostel in Barcelonaand visit the precious nearby destinations in one day!
The local festivities are one of the most interesting scenes you would expect when you are travelling as a backpacker in other cities. In April, you can come to our Hostel in Barcelona and become a romantic Barcelona backpacker with a regional celebration.
Many people count St. Valentine´s Day as the most romantic day of the year. However, in Barcelona, we have Sant Jordi, on 23rd of April. It is the day of the Catalan Patron Saint Jordi (St. George). We exchange red roses and books, instead of chocolates and candies.
Sant Jordi is known to have killed the dragon to save the people who have been suffering for centuries in the middle age. It is said that the blood that came out from the heart of the dragon has bloomed up into a red rose. With this legend behind, it has become a tradition in Catalunya, that men present red roses to women.
Since the 20th century, the day started being celebrated with books as well. It became such a huge success, even the UNESCO has declared the day the international day of books in 1996.
Are you backpacking in Barcelona during Sant Jordi? To feel the local vibe of the day, just come out to the street. Main roads like Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia, Rambla Catalunya are full of book stands and roses, with artists and musicians inspired with the theme of love. The main streets are only a few stops away by metro from our Hostel in Barcelona.
Almost all big and small bookshops in Barcelona come out to the street this day, so between the Spanish and catalan books, you will be able to find books in your language as well. Take a walk through the streets and you will find streets full of books in discounted price, and people walking down the street with hands full of roses. You will see how a day can be romantic without chocolates and cheesy love songs.
Be a romantic Barcelona backpacker by exchanging red roses and books with your backpacker friend. Come, chose your book and buy a rose from the street on Sant Jordi day. Enjoy a very special day while backpacking in Barcelona, you will remember it for long.
Good news for Barcelona backpackerswho don´t want to miss daily routines working out. At Urbany Hostel, Barcelona backpackers have access to gym and swimming pool for free.
With the same card key you'll get when you check-in, you'll be welcome to our Hostel in Barcelona's local fitness center, located only a few foot steps away from the hostel.
At the fitness zone, there are running machines, cycling machines and weight training facilities. Yoga, spinning, pilates and step classes are scheduled from morning till evening.
The swimming pool is 25 m long. Jacuzzi and sauna are also included in the service; all for free for Barcelona backpackers who stay with Urbany Hostel! Doesn´t matter how many times you enter, or how long you stay.
A light exercise after a healthy breakfast meal, also served for free, will energize your day up during your backpacking.
There are only a few things you might want to know before you visit our Hostel in Barcelona, only for your convenience. If you have any questions, feel free to contact our reception desk at any time.
* Take clean flip flops, bathing suit and towel to the pool and sauna (you can hire a towel at 2€ from the reception desk of Urbany Hostel in case you need one)
* Wear bathing cap in the pool
* Wear sport shoes for fitness and aerobics
* Take a shower before using facilities
* You may need 50 cents for the locker – is refundable
We are sure you guys have heard about Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi (the doctor) or Casey Stoner … indeed you have, they are all Moto GP drivers. Or maybe you know who Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton or the "Kaiser" -the great Schumacher, back again!- are .... F1 drivers, of course.
Even though their way of visiting Barcelona has probably nothing to do with ours -always looking for a Barcelona cheap accommodation- we think you may have a step into this Moto GP & F1 world for one day. Here’s the plan: visit the Circuit of Catalonia, also known as Circuit de Montmeló, just a few km away from our Hostel in Barcelona.
The Circuit of Montmeló, with a length of 4.727 m (2.937 miles), offers a guided tour to get to know the facilities in deep and show you how they organize the races, how they are controlled, how the mechanics work and they even allow access to restricted areas (open only to riders and their teams).
If you've already booked, check out if any of those races is to be held whenever you are staying in our Barcelona youth hostel.
If not, you will find other events and races at the Circuit of Montmeló along the year!
The Catalan Grand Prix Circuit (Circuit de Catalunya in Catalan), is located only 32 km away from our Hostel in Barcelona. So, how to get there? The easiest and shortest way is by train. You'll be in Montmelo in 23 minutes. Just take the train in Clot Station, just two minutes away from Hostel Barcelona youth hostel, and head Montmeló Station (Rodalies RENFE, line 2).
Contact Information:
Circuit de Montmeló
Official website: www.circuitcat.com - You'll find a website's english version
Address: Carretera a Granollers, KM 2, 08160 Montmelo, Spain
Phone: (34) 93 571 97 00
For Barcelona Backpackers and tourists information, when Barcelona citizens talk about the "city center", they are refering most of the time to Catalunya Square (Plaça de Catalunya in catalan). At Catalunya Square, Barcelona's most famous streets, such as Paseo de Gracia, Rambla de Catalunya and La Rambla begin and meet one to another.
La Rambla is basically a 1,2km tree-lined pedestrian street that connects the city center and Columbus statue at Port area, located between the Raval and the Gothic district.
Being surrounded by the most visited districts and being a famous street by itself, the Rambla, as many other touristic spots, is crowded by the concentrated visits of tourists almost all year around. The street artists´ performance, terraces from the nearby bars and restaurants, and stands alongside the pedestrian street on each side, make the walk in La Rambla always one tempo slower.
There is no special cost saving tip for Barcelona backpackers who are visiting La Rambla. Just take a good walk in your own pace, enjoy the sun and the liveliness of the city. However, our Hostel in Barcelona would like to share some tips to make your experience more practical and enjoyable.
Leave your important belongings in the in-room locker in the hostel. It is said the situation has gotten better recently, but still there are many pickpockets in La Rambla. Unless you just arrived in the city, there is no reason to show you are a Barcelona backpacker, possibly carrying important belongings with you.
Wear flat and comfy shoes. La Rambla, Gothic, and the Raval area is to be discovered by foot . You may be walking around all day.
But Barcelona backpackers can also explore La Rambla area by bicycle. You can rent a foldable bike from the reception of our Hostel in Barcelona! Daily rents are 15€, and rent by hours are also available. The city center is only 15 minutes away from Urbany Hostel.
Get also the map our Hostel in Barcelona provides at the moment of check-in, and you´d be able to find your way to La Rambla easily.
Lastly, another helpful tip for Barcelona budget accommodation travellers: don´t skip a healthy breakfast before you start a long day! Remember that our Hostel in Barcelona offers full breakfast, already included in the rate. It will help you to save money and to avoid having random meal from the street!
That´s it! Have a geat walk! Outside our Hostel in Barcelona, there are plenty of things to enjoy.
One of the biggest joys in backpacking is sending postcards to friends & family back home. As a Barcelona backpacker, you'll find plenty of beautiful postcards while you visit our city. But wait, if you can get the best shot of Barcelona, why you'd want to buy postcards?
Our Hostel in Barcelonawill share some spots you might like to visit, following the places that appear in the famous Woody Allen´s movie “Vicky, Christina, Barcelona” and more.
In this post, we recommend you to visit Tibidabo, the most beautiful Barcelona's amusement park, located on Collserola hill. With spectacular views, it does not only stand out for being the perfect viewpoint, also is well known for the lightings on church at night that became one of the famous landmarks of the city.
Tibidabo is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world that was also featured in the Woody Allen's film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Since you're coming to our Hostel in Barcelona, we suggest you to visit the same places and make your own memories as in the movies! Tibidabo is one of the most exciting places to have a tapa or a snack while overlooking the city. High up there at 512 meters, Barcelona does not look the same, you'll get a magical view with one of the most beautiful pictures of Barcelona that is possible, the perfect postcard to show back at home. This way you can save money in buying postcards and having the perfect day at the same time! This is the way Barcelona backpackers share their special moments at Barcelona with their beloved ones.
To get there from our Hostel in Barcelona is easy: Take the metro at Clot <L1 – red line> and make a transfer to <L7 – brown line>, to the “Av. Tibidabo” direction at Plaça Catalunya. You may catch the famous "Tramvia Blau" (blue streetcar, a funicular railway), built in 1901, from the Tibidabo station. The old funicular will bring you up to Tibidabo.
At the end of the day, when you return to your Hostel in Barcelona, you'll feel like you have spent your day on a cloud with a perfect urban landscape at your feet ... the most spectacular view of Barcelona.
