My budget for a week in Barcelona

I've wanted to go to Barcelona for a long time, but before the trip, I was most interested in one question: how much money do I really need for a week?I found completely different figures on the Internet – someone promised to meet almost a penny, and someone talked about such expenses, as if he was going not to Barcelona, but to buy an apartment with a sea view there. I wanted to find a middle ground: travel normally, eat delicious food, visit interesting places and at the same time not check the card balance after each glass of sangria.

That's why I decided to plan my budget at home. I must say right away: I did not set myself the task of traveling as cheaply as possible, because then I would have to look at the Sagrada Familia through the bus window and eat only sandwiches from the supermarket. I wanted to save money for the small pleasures that make the trip real: coffee in the morning, a nice dinner, ice cream during a walk, and some completely unnecessary souvenir that would remind me at home that I again don't know how to pass by tourist shops.

Flight is the first item of expenditure

I started looking for tickets in advance and first opened several websites at the same time. Ten minutes later, I already had so many tabs that I no longer understood where exactly I found a good option, and where I just looked at the ticket for a completely obscene amount. As a result, I chose a flight that was suitable for the price and immediately wrote it into the budget, so that later there would be no feeling that Barcelona began with a financial crime.

I have invested a small amount for the flight. Of course, the price strongly depends on dates, baggage, and how much to buy tickets in advance, so it's better to count this part of the budget separately and not focus on one specific amount.

Housing – I had to think a little bit here

It was more interesting with an apartment or a hotel. I didn't want to live somewhere on the edge of the city, so that I could spend half my time and energy on the road every evening, but I didn't want to overpay just for a beautiful photo of a balcony. That's why I looked not only at the price, but also at the location, transportation, reviews, and distance to the main places I was going to visit.

As a result, I got about 3,000 euros for seven nights. And here I finally realized one simple thing: sometimes a slightly more expensive apartment turns out to be more profitable if, thanks to its location, you can walk most of the week and not spend money on transportation.

Food is the very point where my budget started to get nervous.

At first, I wanted to put a very modest amount on the food, but then I remembered that I wasn't actually going to Barcelona to eat oatmeal in the room. In the morning there was coffee and something small, in the afternoon I could have a snack in a cafe or grab something at the market, and in the evening I already wanted to have a good dinner and try the local cuisine.

On average, I spent about 500 euros a day, although some days turned out to be cheaper, and some suddenly turned into a gastronomic holiday. The most dangerous phrase was "let's just have coffee," because after coffee there was usually a croissant, dessert, ice cream, and sometimes even dinner, which was not included in the original plan at all.

Transport

I decided not to complicate my life with transportation and looked in advance at which option would be more convenient for the week. In Barcelona, it is quite realistic to walk some of the routes, especially if you want not just to get from point A to point B, but to explore the city on the way.

I spent about 40 euros per week on the metro and other public transport. Sometimes I walked on purpose, even if the navigator showed a rather impressive distance, because it is during such walks that you can accidentally find a small square, a beautiful house or a cafe that was not on my route at all.

Museums, attractions, and small desires

This is where I decided not to skimp on everything. If I came to Barcelona, I wanted to see its famous places not only in photographs, so I allocated a separate amount in advance for entrance tickets and excursions.

I spent about 300 euros on the sights. Moreover, I planned part of the expenses in advance, and part appeared already on the spot according to the principle "when will I be here again?", which is a real enemy of any tourist budget.

And, of course, shopping

I honestly wasn't going to buy anything special. I had a very beautiful plan: to come, see the city, take photos and return home with the same amount of money that I left with. The plan lasted until about the first pretty shop.

As a result, I left about 150 euros for souvenirs and small purchases. Nothing grandiose, but it's these little things that lie at home and suddenly bring you back on a journey, even after a few months.

How much did my week in Barcelona cost in the end

If you add up the flight, accommodation, food, transportation, attractions and small purchases, my budget for the week turned out to be about 3,000 euros per person. At the same time, I didn't try to live as economically as possible, but I also didn't allow myself to have dinner every night in a restaurant overlooking the sea just for the sake of a beautiful photo.

The most important thing is that I have determined in advance the amount that I am ready to spend, and I have left a small reserve for unforeseen expenses. And this decision turned out to be very useful, because there is always something completely unexpected when traveling: a lost ticket, a sudden taxi, rain, which makes you have to buy an umbrella, or the dessert that you "just wanted to try."

As a result, I realized that a week in Barcelona is quite possible to organize for a different budget. You can significantly save on housing, eat easier, walk more and choose free entertainment, or you can add restaurants, excursions and beautiful places – and the amount will grow quite quickly. For me, the ideal option turned out to be when I knew my financial limit, but at the same time I did not feel like a person who came to Spain solely to count euros.

And do you know what the best part is? At the end of the week, I looked at my expenses and realized that Barcelona hadn't ruined me. But she left behind photos, the smell of coffee in the morning, evening walks, several completely unnecessary purchases, and a very persistent desire to come back one day and tell herself again.: "This time I'm definitely going to save money."