BARCELONA on a budget ~ all the student travel hacks you need

[Scroll down to the divide to see money saving hacks for travel in general, not just Barcelona]

I HAD to do a post on my holiday of course - did you even go on holiday if you don't bombard social media with photos and document it on your student blog...lol, I'm a living breathing cliche - however, I thought I might as well make it constructive. As much as I had the most amazing time I think a day by day guide would A) make me extremely sad that I'm not there anymore and B) make you all relive my daily Instagram stories AGAIN. Not that I apologise for the spam but I think you catch my drift...

This then, is everything I want to share with anyone who wants to travel and go on city breaks as a student. Maybe it's your first holiday without your family - this was mine - or you want to know how much you should plan in advance - heads up we planned NOTHING but we also just got very lucky - or, you're on a budget and don't know what's really worth spending your money on.

MUST DO'S:

The Sagrada Familia -

Firstly, I don't care how much people claim that Camp Nou is the heart of Barcelona, nuh uh. The Sagrada Familia is the one place you have to go. Quite literally the heart, as it's positioned in the centre of the city, this sanctuary isn't like anything I've seen before. I confess to not even knowing its name until we went but it is now one I won't forget. Cast aside any stereotypes you have about cathedrals, dark hallways and dull tours that over provide on information and trust me when I tell you that if you have even an ouch of creativity in you, you will be taken aback by how incredibly beautiful it is. Put aside some money to pay to go inside and you won't regret it.

Boat trips -

Never google 'Barcelona boat trip' unless you want to be bombarded with a thousand overpriced party boats, sailing hires and catamaran trips costing over 100 euros. Thankfully for you, Charlie and I spent a good few hours filtering through this and trekking to an office that didn't exist before we found exactly what we were looking for. A catamaran trip out to sea with live music played on board, nets to lie out and sunbathe on, an on board bar, and an hour and a half of heaven. The best part? It cost under 20 euros and a glass of prosseco or sangria (the classic) was only 3 euros. The dream.

Interested? Bet you are...here's the link just for you: Orsom Chill Out Sail

*Cute baby we met and perfect weather not included*

The Barcelona Bunkers -

If you want a good view of Barcelona for only 2 euros, I have it for you. These are the abandoned bunkers up in the hills with a 360 view of the city and the bus ticket to get there: 1.90. Thank me later. It's a tourist spot yes, but not in the commercial sense. People head up there at about 6 or 7pm onwards to catch the sunset but other than groups of friends and the drinks they've brought with them - it's untouched. That's another thing, drinking on the streets is illegal in Barcelona, but up here you can bring a bottle of wine (or cheap sangria as we did), find a spot and watch the sun set over this gorgeous city. It's also known as one of the most 'Instagrammable' spots in the city, so snap away...

Enjoy the Spanish coast...away from the city -

A lot of people go to Barcelona for the beach and city combination that seems so perfect. I doubt you'll be thinking of those perfect white beaches you've seen on Pinterest, however, when you have 3 square feet to yourselves and the sound of the waves is drowned out by sales men and water sports. Yes, it's family friendly, but if you want a more relaxing beach scene all you have to do is pick up the T2 trainline by the metro, heading out of the city, and 20 minutes later you'll reach Castelldefels. A small beach town full of apartments rather than hotels, it has a long, sandy, white beach with a single beach front bar and restaurant and all the space and peace you need. The sea is gorgeous and perfect for swimming in if you're not scared of it like me (too many buzzfeed articles on the deep and dark - I'll go in until I can't see my feet then I'm OUT) and the trains are every half an hour all day. Perfect.

Get Tapas and Paella, the authentic kind -

AVOID any food on Las Ramblas and ask wherever you're staying for a nearby tapas house. They'll know the best food and usually the best value too unless you're staying in a 5* hotel...in which case you can probably afford it anyway, lets be honest. Try something you've never had before. I had calamari and tried mussels for the first time (they're actually not bad at all) but you can't come here and not have a bit of patatas bravas.

---

STICKING TO THAT STUDENT BUDGET & TRAVEL HACKS FOR EUROPE -

HOSTELS -

No, they're not just for backpackers and no, they're not all dirty and noisy and full of people having sex in the bunk above you. We stayed at a hostel for 7 nights and yes, we were the originals of room 503 by day 4 but we met so many absolutely sound people. If by any chance any of you are reading this, cheers for making our holiday a right laugh, you won't be forgotten.

Make the most of your hostel deals!!! I cannot emphasise this enough. I have a feeling our hostel was better than most but this included all you can eat breakfast for 3.50, dinner and FREE beer for only 7 euros and my favourite of all which we used many a night...10 euros for AN OPEN BAR FOR TWO HOURS - and they're not stingy on the vodka doubles, or singles for that matter.

I know you all want to know, and a few people have already messaged me and asked, this is the one we stayed at. Love you Sant Jordi. We'll be back.

PRE DRINK LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT -

Barcelona is a city, so think city prices...and then add another 6 euros for one drink. Sometimes a little cheap sangria and an open bar that gets you sorted for the night will do - and save you a LOT of money for the rest of your holiday because 24 euros for two drinks isn't exactly your uni SU (miss you Cardiff).

THE TRAVEL PART -

I swear by Ryanair for cheap flights. Ours were £25 each way but do watch out for baggage fees and I'm going to be a major hypocrite and tell you to pack light!! I use kayak to find all my flights and try different airports - the difference between Manchester and Birmingham or Cardiff and Bristol is crazy!

Use the aerobus to get to and from airports AND DON'T LOSE YOUR TICKET or you have to buy another one (spoilers: I lost mine).

Walk as much as you can or use the bus/metro for long distances (the bus was 2 euros for a half an hour trip up into the hills but don't use the short distance ones as it's one set price). ON the other hand, also make a note of when the metro stops for the night...it's all fun and games hopping on a train to get down to the beach club but not so fun when you come out at 4am to find you have an hour and a half walk back to bed.

SAFETY -

A more boring but very important one. As much as your parents, older collegues will nag on about taking a bum bag and hiding all your belongings and not going into crowds...they are somewhat right. This DOESN'T mean though, that you have to avoid all tourist spots or wear a rucksack back to front and cling on for dear life. There are easy ways around it. 1) Cross body bags are your best friend. Throw it over your shoulder and no one can grab it and run. Make sure the bag bit is in front of you and you're good to go - if you can see it you're safe. 2) If you don't want to leave your passport or all your money at the hotel/hostel, take a running bum bag. It's super thin, comfy, you can fit a passport, money and a phone in there no problem and it can sit underneath your perfectly planned outfit without anyone being any the wiser. 3) HOLD ONTO YOUR PHONE (this one's for you Jordan). One of the girls we met got her phone stolen by a guy on a bike that came past and snatched it out of her hand. Once it's gone, it's gone.

SIGHT SEEING -

Have a quick google beforehand - often museums and attractions are free one day a week or have student deals and prices.

FOOD -

For Barcelona - never eat on Las Ramblas! It's overpriced and crowded. There's a smaller, similarly tree lined street full of restaurants and canopies to eat outside and I had some of the best pasta, sangria and tapas of my life there. It's called Rambla de Catalunya, again, thank me later. Travelling anywhere else? Ask where you're staying and they will tell you the best places. For breakfast, find a local bakery rather than a cafe or brunch place - it will be a lot cheaper anywhere in Europe.

DRINKS - YOU CAN BE A BIT BOUJEE

We desperately wanted to go to a rooftop bar but all the nice ones are the top floor of five star hotels which means, five star prices. However, if you're just after drinks you don't have to reserve a table and it's open to the public so why shouldn't two girls in a hostel get dressed up and go somewhere fancy for a few hours. I've done this in Paris and Barcelona and there is no reason why you can't. A glass of wine is usually the cheapest and it will come with some amazing views (and in this case complimentary popcorn - WIN). Here's the one we found called TERRACE ALAIRE, they even liked my instagram photo!

I hope this has helped anyone travelling on a budget this summer or anyone who's heading to Barcelona - you will have the BEST time, I promise you. Thanks for reading guys! Let me know if you liked this or any comments on my new website and blog design below.

Thanks!

Imogen