Sightseeing Passes

The Barcelona Card offers up to 50 per cent off the city’s main attractions, plus free travel on buses and the metro. It’s available for two to five days at all tourist offices and El Corte Inglés department stores. The Articket, which costs €20 and is valid for six months, provides free entry to seven art museums, including MNAC, MACBA and the Fundació Joan Miró. The tourist office on Plaça de Catalunya (see Tourist Information) sells it, as do the museums themselves.

Museums

Many museums offer free entry on the first Sunday of the month, including the Museu Picasso and MNAC. The tourist office has a list of all the free museum days. Most museums also offer a 30–50 per cent discount – or free admission – for people over 65.

Public Transport

The T-10 ticket permits 10 rides on metro, FGC and buses, but only lasts for 1 hour 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can purchase a two-, three-, four- or five-day pass, which provides unlimited travel on the same services. See Tickets & Passes.

Concerts & Opera

Enjoy rock-bottom prices for concerts and the opera (Sep–Jul) by buying seats with partial views – or no view at all. The Gran Teatre del Liceu sells cheap tickets for opera and classical recitals. The Palau de la Música Catalana has reduced price early-evening weekend shows twice a month. For general information on cultural events – and special deals – call or visit the Institut de Cultura in the Palau de la Virreina.

Gran Teatre del Liceu ticket office

• 93 485 99 00

Institut de Cultura

• 93 301 77 75

Eating

The most economical way to get a bite to eat is to pick up picnic goodies at one of the city’s food markets (see Most Fascinating Markets). The menú del dia (fixed lunch menu) offered from Monday to Friday at many restaurants is often very reasonable. Dining on the terrace can be more pricey than eating inside, where sitting at the bar is usually the cheapest option.

Fast Food

Bypass McDonald’s and Burger King and sample Spain’s cheaper fast food equivalents. Pans & Company and Bocatta are found all over town; both offer cheap meals, particularly if you eat between 10am and noon, and 4 and 7pm.

Drinking

Start out the night in your hotel with a bottle of Spanish wine from the supermarket. Then head to the Barri Gòtic or El Raval where there are plenty of cheap dive bars. Order a canya (tap beer) or a Spanish bottled beer, Estrella or San Miguel, which are usually cheaper than imported beers.

Hotels

Visit Barcelona during the low season, from October to April, and you’ll find cheaper hotel deals (and air fares). The same can be true in August when many Spanish businesses close. Enquire about any special deals when booking a room.

Hotel Bars

You don’t have to stay at the ritzy hotels to enjoy their luxurious environs. Most of the bars and cafés at the five-star hotels are open to the general public. Try the Hotel Arts, near the Port Olímpic, where you can sip a cocktail to the rippling tunes of classical piano.

Cinemas

Go to the cinema (see Top 10 Versi Original Cinemas) on el dia del espectador (often Monday or Wednesday) or for a matinée (usually before 2:30pm), when tickets are cheaper.