Travel tips
- Almost all of the major shopping closes on Sunday, except for in parts of the port and Barri Gothic. Many of the restaurants do as well so check ahead if you want to do a Sunday dinner somewhere.
- Speaking of restaurants, many don't open until 8:30 or 9 at the very earliest for dinner. If you want to eat earlier than that, Tapas may be a better option.
- You don't tip in cabs or restaurants, or really anywhere
- The subway is clean, easy to use, and cheap. It's a great choice if you're doing a lot of exploring, although cabs are plentiful as well.
- The Spanish are prone to mixing pork into everything. If you don't want pork, make sure you say so. Same principle applies if you want a no-meat meal overall.
- If you need wifi, Starbucks are plentiful in the major areas and the staff are trained to speak English. Make sure you ask for the wifi code on the receipt- they need to print a special one for you to get it.
- Barcelona is a very safe city on the whole, but the big issue is pick-pockets, particularly in the old city. It's best not to carry open purses or your phone in a conspicuous place. (Nick can tell you about his experience with this.)
- Random but true- Barcelona's got a lot of sushi restaurants, but they seem to like ruining good sushi with a heavy glob of Mayo. Go figure. (but also avoid.)