A good introduction to Barcelona, but... and other Barcelona, Spain Tourist Trap Tips

The famous, broad leafy boulevards of Las Ramblas are and aren’t a great place to get the feel for Barcelona. It’s a great place to grab a coffee and people-watch the throngs passing you buy, but when you realise that most are wide-eyed tourists like yourselves it kind-of looses its appeal a bit. The further you venture down the Ramblas to the Waterfront the more performance artists, street vendors, restaurants and kiosks you’ll find, but they are all predictably all geared heavily toward the tourist Euro. It’s a good introduction to the city to stroll the length of it as part of a morning, but I’d urge you to turn off into the Bari Gotic of L’Eixample once you’re all strolled-out to really begin to get the pulse of the city. Once the menus aren't automatically printed with english alongside big patronising pictures of the dishes, then you can generally tell you're heading in right direction.

You’ll hear it wherever you go, but the Ramblas is the main haven of the pickpockets. These warnings aren’t repeated ad infinitum for no reason, but as long as you keep your wits about you and are aware of your personal space and belongings at all times you’ll have no problems.

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