Barcelona on a Budget

People often think of a European vacation as an expensive undertaking, and of course they can be, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. In addition to natural beauty of mountains and beaches, Barcelona has many other free or almost free things to see and do on your visit. Barcelona on a budget can be just as enjoyable as a top shelf vacation.

Below, we’ll share some of our favorite ways to make the best of your visit to this wonderful city while keeping your ATM withdrawals to a minimum.

Museums: Many of Barcelona’s museums, such as MACBA, MNAC, CCCB, Fundació Joan Miró, Cosmo Caixa and Museu Marítim are free the first Sunday of every month.

At MACBA you can check out a display of contemporary art. MNAC is national art museum of Catalunya (where kids 15 and under and adults 65 and over get in free every day) and CCCB is the center of contemporary culture of Barcelona.

Fundació Joan Miró celebrates the contemporary art of the famous Barcelona resident and is located among the lovely gardens of Montjuic.

CosmoCaixa is the impressive science museum, which offers many interactive exhibits; while it is free the first Sunday of the month, the entrance fee is only €3 every other day.

Museu Marítim (MMB), which celebrates Barcelona’s rich maritime history, is located just inside Parc de la Ciutadella, so after enjoying the museum, you can take a stroll around the park.

Additionally, the Museu Picasso is free every Sunday and houses many of the artist’s famous works. The lines are usually long, though, so be prepared to wait a little while.

La Caixa Forum Barcelona – This space, which is funded by the La Caixa bank hosts free art exhibitions and concerts throughout the year. Part of this includes concerts and shows just for kids. The full, year round program can be found at www.obrasocial.lacaixa.es. The hours are Monday through Sunday 10am-8pm. Avenida Francesc Ferrer I Guardia, 6-8, take the Red L5 or Green L3 metro to the Espanya stop.

Films: During the summer, several locations throughout the city show outdoor films free of charge, just bring your blanket and some snacks! True, you may not understand everything if you don’t speak Spanish, but the experience is almost as important and fun than understanding the dialogue.

- Olokuti, a fair trade shop in the hip Gracia neighborhood has a secret garden behind its shop, where they show a film for free every Friday throughout the summer. Films start at 7pm, but get there early to get a good spot. 36 Astúries 08012 Barcelona, Green L3 metro to the Fontana stop.

- Castell de Montjuic, while not free, €5 to watch a film in this beautiful setting isn’t so much to ask. Sala Montjuic shows films on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays throughout the summer. The showings begin at 10pm, but the doors open at 8:30. The castle is located on the eastern side of Montjuic, closer to the sea. Get there via the Green L3 or Purple L2 metro lines to the Paral-lel stop.

- CCCB, mentioned above, the Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona shows free outdoor films throughout the month of August

Nightlife: Barcelona is known throughout the world as a great place to party, but you don’t have to drop a ton of cash to dance the night away.

- Lists: the hottest clubs like Shoko, Bikini and Opium usually cost around €15 just to enter, but if you get on a guest list you can get in for free, and there’s no requirement to buy an expensive drink once you’re inside. Check out barcelonaparties.com or join the Barcelona Nightlife group on Facebook. You can usually sign up for free entrance for groups of up to five to ten people.

- Promoters: there are also club and bar promoters handing out fliers and cards in all of the busy areas of the city. Often these are for a free drink or discounted entrance, but sometimes the promoters have lists under their names and if you mention them at the door you’ll get in for free. They can be annoying but sometimes it pays off to listen to their sales pitch for a minute or two.

- Port Olímpic: almost all of the bars and clubs along this strip have free entrance and many of them have promoters outside trying to lure passersby in with the offer of free drinks or shots. Since they are all free, you can make your way down the strip until you find the right fit.

Street Fairs and Festivals: Many of the Barcelona neighborhoods have celebrations where streets are blocked off and food, drink, clothing and jewelry vendors set up in the middle of the road. These often include free outdoor entertainment. Just wandering around taking in the sights, sounds and smells of these festivals can be a fun, free way to pass a few hours. Just do a search for Barcelona festivals and the month of your visit.

Many of Barcelona’s famous sights are also free to visit or at least to look at such as Font Magica (The Magic Fountain) at Montjuic, the gardens of Montjuic, Sagrada Familia (there’s a fee to enter, but the view from outside is impressive), Las Ramblas, Parc Guell and all of the city’s beaches. In this amazing city you are more than able to fill your days without emptying your wallet.