Travel Around Barcelona on a Budget: An International Student’s Guide

Barcelona is one of the cities in Spain that offers a ton of fun activities and entertainment, whether you are a visitor or a local. This also means that you would find some things in the city that wouldn’t cost you much of anything at all. 

If you are trying to enjoy your stay in Barcelona on a tight budget, we have a list of things you can do. 

See Vermut Musicals

Traditionally, vermouth, a fortified wine, is drunk after mass and before a late Sunday lunch, but they added something into the ingredient to make a relaxing weekend afternoon. Vermouth musicals can be found all over the town on Sundays and sometimes during Saturdays. 

Gran Bodega Saltó is a bar that offers vermouth musicals to their visitors, providing acoustic performances from inside and out. Vermouth musicals are always free, but a donation of a bottle of olive oil for charity is requested. 

Enjoy Street Art

The Raval district near Ramblas is a colorful hub for the city’s urban culture. All available surfaces can be used for art, stencils, flyers, murals, and stickers. You’ll be able to see many examples just by wandering the streets, plus, you can also join a tour like the Barcelona Street Style Tour.

The best time to visit is on Sunday because many canvases for the enthusiastic artists are down. Another place you can go is the barrio of Poblenou. They have many warehouses which are turned into fashionable lofts. 

Watch in an Open-Air Cinema

A fun tradition in the city is their open-air cinema. There are screenings on Montjuïc hill and Lliure a la Platja on the beach. Their programs have always been crowd-pleasers and are well accepted by both their visitors and locals.

The screening on Montjuïc hill costs €6, while the Lliure a la Platja is completely free. Foreign films have Spanish subtitles while Spanish films come with English subtitles, which makes it easier for everyone to enjoy.

If you aren’t a fan of beach movies you can watch films from Mecal. Mecal is the International Festival of Short Films and Animation in Barcelona and is screened outdoors all summer. The Screening in Poble Espanyol costs €6.50, while the rooftop of the Hotel Silken Diagonal is free.

Relax in Green Spaces

Barcelona is not a city where big parks are everywhere. This could be because the medieval walls which were then developed in the 19th century changed plans for the open areas. So locals and visitors would have to grab a bit of space whenever they can.

Ciutadella Park, just past the Born district, offers plenty of grass, shade, spectacular fountains, and modernist buildings. Parc de Cervantes rose garden in Pedralbes is a known green, yellow, orange, pink, and red gem that has nearly 250 varieties and quotes corners for people to rest.

Want to look for more fun things in Barcelona? See our list of must-see parks in Barcelona here at MSM Unify to learn more.