Ultimate Guide to Study Abroad in Barcelona

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I recently returned from studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain this past spring semester. It is one of my favorite cities I've ever been to for many reasons. The culinary experience is one of the best I’ve ever had the chance to taste, and I’ve traveled to many places prior to going abroad. From traditional Catalonian tapas to incredible Indian restaurants, there's something for everyone. Cool places like La Boqueria, which is a public market that provides a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and poultry, are scattered throughout the city as well.

Why Barcelona?

I chose to study abroad in Barcelona because I knew I wanted to be in a bustling city and Barcelona is huge in the best way. It is also right on the Mediterranean which means beaches! Although I wasn’t there long enough to go swimming in Barcelona beaches, I did go further south to swim in the Mediterranean while being right there. It is also a very historical city with settlements that date back to as far as 5000 BC. Not to mention the insane architecture that is found all around the city like The Sagrada Familia, Park Guell or Casa Mila.

Before you go - Student Visas, Housing, and Courses

When I decided that I was going to go abroad I didn’t know where to start. I first went to my school's study abroad office to talk to one of the Program Advisors about the different programs that were offered. I actually found ASA from a poster that was hung out on a bulletin board outside my school’s dining hall. I told my parents about it and they looked it up with me.

We saw that ASA offered to take my passport and get my visa for me for a low cost. My parents really liked that they offered to do the visa for students; being from Connecticut, I would have had to go into New York City during my school week to get my visa to go abroad. I also saw that they had a program in Barcelona and that was the place I was set on studying abroad in. And to top it all off, there was also an ASA office right outside of campus, so I was able to go in and talk face to face with a Program Advisor throughout the application process if I needed assistance.

When I decided I wanted to study abroad, at first I wanted to go with friends. I had talked to some of my girlfriends from my home university, but they all wanted to study in different places, and I was certain Barcelona was going to be the best choice for me. I decided I would just go alone to Barcelona and hopefully make friends with people in my program.

ASA offered apartment housing or living with a host family. I chose the apartment because while my sister had gone abroad a few years prior to me going and loved her host family, I felt I would be more comfortable in an apartment with my peers.

Along with choosing housing, I also had to select courses to take. Since I was going alone, I had no one to discuss classes with. I just chose classes based on which one sounded the most interesting to me from their title and course description. I ended up loving every one of my classes and also had friends from ASA in them. My home university was pass/fail grades for students who studied abroad, so it was nice not having to worry about a numerical value affecting my GPA for once, but this factor depends on your home university's grading systems.

Barcelona Bound

To get around Barcelona since it is a huge city, my friends and I would usually walk to the metro and take it to our destination or we would split a taxi. We all ended up buying a three-month train pass called “T Jove”, which costs around 100 euros. Since we knew we were in Barcelona for four months, it turned out to be the best investment too because we constantly used it. You can also purchase a 10-day pass for about 15 euros, which I did to begin with and then finally caved and bought the three-month pass. On our first day in Barcelona, our ASA Site Directors, Marta and Richard, showed us how to buy and use the trains which helped tremendously.

There is so much to see and do when studying abroad in Barcelona. Like hiking up to the Bunkers (formally called Bunkers del Carmel), now called El Turo de la Rovira. It’s this incredible 360 perspective view of all of Barcelona. And the best part is... it’s free! I highly suggest hiking up this hill to experience its epic views of Barcelona. The hike is easy, and my friends and I would bring bags of food to eat at the top while watching the sunset.

ASA Excursions

Academic Studies Abroad (ASA) provided me with so many experiences and opportunities to engage in Spanish culture. From watching traditional flamenco dancing in Seville, Spain to traveling to Montserrat, a multi-peaked mountain range, where we got to visit the famous monastery, ASA excursions were incredible. Even the smaller activities like walking around the Gothic quarter and getting to learn new things were awesome. Or when we visited Richards town to eat authentic Catalan food at this incredible restaurant. All of these trips were well thought out and executed; all of the ASA students learned so much from Marta and Richard.

Language

It is beneficial to learn a few phrases in the native language where you will be studying abroad because it will help you immerse yourself deeper into the culture and feel less like an outsider or visitor. You don't necessarily have to be fluent, but knowing the basics like “thank you,” “please,” “where can I find the bathroom,” etc. will really help you in the long run. Before I left for Spain, I downloaded an app called Duolingo. It's a free mobile or web app where you can learn 30+ languages with simple small lessons each day.

Many individuals who travel to Barcelona have the misconception that they only speak Spanish. While many natives do, their official two languages are Spanish and Catalan. Once you are in Barcelona for a few weeks or even a month you will probably pick up a lot of basic Spanish words and sentences. Learning Catalan is a little harder than learning Spanish since it is a language that is more similar to French and Italian than Spanish. I do recommend trying to learn a few basic words/phrases in Catalan as well though!

Packing Tips

Another thing I recommend is to pack light! You will buy many souvenirs or go shopping multiple times while being abroad. You’re going to want to bring home these souvenirs or presents you purchased for your friends, family or even yourself, and you won’t be able to do that if your luggage is already jam-packed. If it is full, then you may have to leave some stuff behind when returning back home and parting ways with special items from other countries is no easy task.

For luggage, I brought one large suitcase that I put under the plane (checked it) and I had two carry-ons— one backpack and another small carry on suitcase— that I put in the overhead bin. A common thing in European countries is to re-wear outfits in the same week, so don’t worry if you re-wear clothes — you will actually fit in more. I wore the same sweater three times a week and would layer it with cardigans to style it differently. Another tip is to pack clothes with solid colors so they can go with more things and you won’t get tired of them as easily as patterned clothes.

Packing lighter when traveling via plane during weekends and breaks is necessary since there’s a limited amount of room (on budget airlines especially) so checking a bag costs extra. I typically brought a backpack for weekend trips for efficiency purposes. You will want something that you don’t have to roll on the ground everywhere because you will usually be doing a lot of walking and cobblestones are everywhere in Europe.

Food, food and more food

I also recommend downloading the app Yelp. It’s an online directory that helps you find restaurants and cafes in whatever city you are in. Yelp helped me so much while being abroad when trying to choose from the endless establishments I could dine at in every city I went to. A planning tip that saves you time when traveling is to look up places to eat in the city you are going to because then you won’t have to take away from exploring the city to find somewhere to eat.

On the app you can put in the place you’re visiting and search restaurants in that city or town and then bookmark them, so once you get to that destination you won’t be searching aimlessly for places to eat, you will already have options available. You can also use the app for business as well and give reviews to places you have visited so others can see.

Favorite places to eat in Barcelona

Casa Lolea: If you are in the mood to try a bunch of different Spanish tapas then head over to Casa Lolea. It’s a tapas restaurant located in the Gothic Quarter that serves delicious unique small dishes that are mouth-watering good. I recommend calling ahead to make a reservation as they are always super busy. They also have the best burrata I’ve ever tasted. Locals and tourists come to this place because it’s worth it. It’s a great place to go for dinner with friends or family.

Chill Bar: Stumbled upon this gem on yelp when looking for somewhere inexpensive to eat. Located right by La Sagrada Familia, this Tapas/Gastropub is the perfect place to grab a quick bite or when you’re balling on a budget. You have to come here and get the Vietnamese burrito because it’s that good. The decor inside is super cool as well.

Bo de B: A Barcelona staple! You have to find time to go to this savory sandwich place. A former study abroad student back at my home university told me I had to go here at least once. I ended up going 10 times. It’s a Mediterranean sandwiches/wraps place that is authentic and inexpensive. For about 4 to 5 euros you get the biggest loaded sandwich that fills you for the rest of the day. It’s a grab and go type of place since it’s so tiny...and when I say tiny, I mean it has only about 6 chairs to sit down at. If you’re lucky and come when it’s not busy then take a seat but usually, you are better off grabbing your sandwich and heading to the beach to eat it.

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Firebug: Super cozy breakfast/brunch tapas bar. I noticed when my friends and I went that a lot of locals come here as well as many American students. This place is affordable and has the best fresh-squeezed orange juice I had while abroad. Get the shakshuka and a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice if you get the chance to go. Shakshuka is a delicious combination of eggs, tomatoes, and spices popular across the Middle East and North Africa. Even if you don’t get the shakshuka anything off their menu is heavenly.

*If you want to know more about my favorite restaurants follow my Yelp (https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=4be_EsjoZWEzugy0JgjuKA) where I’ve bookmarked the best places to eat in Barcelona from breakfast places to quick bites. I have also bookmarked all the places I visited in different cities/countries and the delicious places we got to eat at.

Living abroad- apartment life, grocery stores, nightlife, etc.

While living abroad, I lived in an apartment, and I loved every second of it. I had a few friends who also lived in apartments and others that lived in homestays, all who loved their arrangements just as much. All of us were either a train ride away or a few walking blocks from each other and we loved the different experiences we received from this. I loved living in an apartment because I didn’t know my roommates before going abroad, and while being abroad we became best friends! We had a beautiful view of La Sagrada Familia and an incredible balcony that we would hang out on.

We had many different grocery stores near us, but the main one my roommates and I would shop at was Keisy. Keisy was a typical Barcelona grocery store that had everything from produce to poultry to items you would usually see in a grocery store back home, except the size of these stores are much smaller. Remember to pack a reusable bag in your suitcase if you can since they don’t usually give you plastic or paper bags in the grocery stores. Like I just mentioned, the grocery stores are much smaller, so yes they do have most things you would find back home, such as pasta, similar snack foods, dairy products, etc., but there is less of a variety of options to choose from. While it is comforting to see grocery items you purchase back home, you should try new things from the Barcelona supermarkets and be open to the experiences of living in a new city and country.

Being in an apartment, my roommates and I would split a lot of dinner meals. We would cook our own breakfast and lunch since our class schedules were different, and we snacked for breakfast since we started to become accustomed to not having a large breakfast as Americans tend to have. We would decide on a recipe and then go to the store together and gather the ingredients needed and each person would pay for a certain amount of things so it would end up being cheaper. Typically, we would cook a lot of pasta with pesto sauces and prepare a big salad. Splitting the cost, I believe it came to about 3-4 euros each. Tip: Splitting home-cooked meals is a great way to save money while abroad.

For our nighttime activities, my friends and I would usually head to a venue called Ovella Negra, which means “black sheep,” before heading over to Razzmatazz. Ovella Negra is huge and has a good mix of locals and American students. One secret I uncovered is that they serve jumbo hot dogs, and they are indeed delicious! It’s important to note that there is a large Ovella Negra and a small one. The small one is located inside a cave-like building in the Gothic Quarter and serves all you can eat free popcorn.

When I was in Barcelona last spring, Uber was banned, so we always used taxis, walked, or took the train to get around the city. Finding a taxi outside of the clubs is super easy, as they will usually be lined up waiting for customers. Just like in America, you should ride in a taxi with another friend to be safe. When using taxis in Barcelona, I highly recommended learning your address in Spanish. Also, keep an eye out on the meter the taxi drivers have in front of them, because some drivers may try to upcharge your ride.

Location/travel

Barcelona is in an incredible location. You have Andorra, a small country located about 2 and a half hours away, which is known for its good ski slopes. There are also beautiful towns located on the seacoast, like Valencia and Tarragona. Traveling to Southern Spain is easier than you think with the options of a bullet train ride or a quick flight.

My friends and I first went to Girona, Spain— a city in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region known for its medieval architecture. It was a large group of us, it was about 10 of us who went for a day trip on the weekend to experience our first “mini” trip abroad. We took the train in and paid about 7 euros or so for the ticket. We got to go inside the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona and learn about its history, as well as take pictures of the famous steps where they filmed a scene for the HBO show Game of Thrones! We walked across the popular bridge called the Eiffel bridge, which was built by Gustave Eiffel just before the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Girona is a great mini-trip to do with friends or your family if they come to visit; it’s affordable and has a lot of history.

My friends and I visited Tarragona, a city in northeastern Spain known for its ancient Roman ruins. We first went in the wintertime to see the Roman Amphitheater. Then we went a second time on a warm spring day to hang out at the beach and swim in the water. Although the water was freezing, we made the most of it and the weather was in the 80s so it was a refreshing activity. I highly recommend visiting this beautiful city when it’s super warm out because the beaches are gorgeous!

I ended up traveling to six countries while abroad for four months, and I don’t regret one thing. I got to go to Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France and of course Spain. Although I did not get to check off every destination on my bucket list, I was lucky enough to visit some of the most beautiful places I thought I would never get the privilege to explore. It’s okay if you don’t get to go everywhere that’s on your bucket list— most people don’t. A lot of weekends that people had planned trips, my group of friends and I stayed in Barcelona, and we were content with that decision.

Not traveling every weekend saved us money and there was always something going on in the city. Traveling every weekend becomes very exhausting and sometimes just staying in Barcelona can be the best decision you make for yourself. I was there for four months and still didn’t get to see every part of Barcelona that I wanted to. Remember to enjoy and make the most of your host city, because you chose to study abroad there for a reason!

Studying abroad both indulged and expanded my curiosities. It taught me how to learn from others, but also to not always follow the precedent, and to create my own path and forge ahead. It not only changed my entire perception of the world but proved that the further you travel (physically and mentally) outside of your comfort zone, the more you will learn about yourself.

I cannot thank ASA enough for giving me the best abroad experience I could have ever imagined. I went abroad alone hoping to meet new people and create incredible memories and I got exactly that plus so much more!

My Site Directors, Marta and Richard, became like family to me and helped me with anything I needed. At one point during my time abroad I got a double ear infection and contacted Richard on what to do, and right away he set me up with a phone number to call to schedule a doctor’s appointment. If you needed anything or had any questions, Marta and Richard were always willing and available to answer them. They also gave us great recommendations on where to eat or what activities were going on in Barcelona that week. If something in the apartment needed to be fixed, we would tell them and that day a person would come in and fix it. They were so incredibly caring and became a family for me while abroad.

Studying abroad was the best decision I’ve made in my life so far. It allowed me to create so many connections with others and to have incredible experiences that staying at my home university for the semester wouldn’t have enabled me to have. My advice is if you are nervous about going, don’t be, because so many other students are in the same boat as you. I studied abroad alone, not knowing anyone who was going to Barcelona, and I ended up meeting my best friends. Have confidence in yourself and believe that you can do this. It’s not as scary as it seems and you will thank yourself once it’s over. This whole experience helps you grow as a person, traveler, communicator, independent being, food connoisseur, and world citizen. It helps you get out of your comfort zone and helps you learn to budget your expenses and your time. There are so many benefits of studying abroad, so if you’re thinking about it just do it — you won’t regret it.

By Leah Caracciolo

Learn more about study abroad in Barcelona

Ultimate Guide to Study Abroad in Barcelona