Before coming to Barcelona or while in town, be sure to check out a few insider tips:

1: Book Picasso Museum Tickets Online: If you want to see the Picasso Museum reserve tickets online in advance in order to avoid VERY long lineups. Many people don’t realize that you can do this, but come high season when the wait can be more than an hour, it proves to be extremely helpful.

2: Walk, Browse and stare: But DO NOT EAT on La Rambla: One of Europe’s most famous walkways and a Barcelona staple, La Rambla is a definite ‘must-see’. That being said if you’re hungry or want to grab a coffee or a bite to eat, turn the corner onto one of the many side streets and enjoy a croissant, cafe con leche or chocolate and churros for half the price.

3: Cafe Americano = American Style Coffee: If you want a regular sized coffee and can’t seem to figure out how to order it, all you have to say is Cafe Americano. If you just say Coffee or Cafe, you’ll get a shot of espresso. If you want the closest equivalent to a North American sized coffee, ask for an Americano (hot water with espresso).

4: Buy a T-10 Metro Pass: If you’re going to be in the city for a few days and plan on taking the metro or bus, buy a T-10 metro pass for just over 8 Euros. This gives you 10 trips at any point during your stay and is much more economical than buying one pass every time you get on. If you’re traveling in pairs or with other people you can use the same pass for everyone in the group.

5: Menu Del Dia: If you’re looking for a typical Spanish lunch and don’t want to spend a lot of money, everyday during lunch most restaurants have a Menu Del Dia which usually includes a three-course meal, drink, coffee and dessert from anywhere between 8-12 Euros. It’s a great deal so be sure to ask for the ‘Menu’ and not just the ‘Carta’ which is the menu a la carte and is more expensive.

A few cool places to check out the Gothic Quarter, include Milk Bar & Bistro, which features cheap and very large cocktails daily. Their strawberry Daiquiris at 5 Euros apiece, are delicious and go nicely with their American style chicken wings. Another small and very cool bar is Jet Lag, located right off of Plaza Sant Jus just up from the Jaume Metro stop. This is a tiny, two-story bar with an excellent international wine list and a variety of tapas. If you go on a Thursday you’ll get free food with your drinks. Continue strolling through the Plaza and you’ll stumble upon another courtyard right behind the Correos (Post Office). Can Fly, although primarily known as a lesbian bar, is open to everyone and has an awesome patio, ideal during the summer. The bar serves tasty tapas and happy hour specials, which vary depending on the time of year and the day.

If you want to stay in the Old City but venture out of the Gotico, walk across Via Laietana towards the Born and go to the No Name Cafe on Passeig Del Born. Every day at 8pm they serve an array of mouth watering FREE tapas – and all you have to do is buy a drink!

A few key viewpoints to note include:

Hotel 1898 Rooftop – Although the hotel itself is well known, the secret of its rooftop terrace has yet to be widely discovered. This is one of few Barcelona hotels where you can see 360-degree city views from the terrace. It’s pool, outdoor restaurant and bar provide for a fun, warm and relaxing ambiance, especially during the summer.

Tibidabo – Take a drive or the funicular (train) up to Tibidabo mountain and see the city from one of the highest points. Tibidabo itself is a nice place to walk around as its slightly removed from the city center which makes you feel like you’ve left town, even if only for a few hours.

Park Guell – Not only is Park Guell known for being one of Gaudi’s greatest creations, featuring the longest bench in the world, but it also has some of the best Barcelona panoramic views. It’s hard to get more romantic than being surrounded by a maze of mosaic tiles, vibrant colours and fairy-tale like creatures while casting your eyes upon a beautiful city.

Although the city has various bars throughout, many of the classics can be found between Plaza Urquinaona and into the Born and Gothic Quarters in the Old City.

St. Patty's Day in Barcelona at George Payne

A few notable ones to check out include:

George Payne – Situated in Plaza Urquinaona this two-story bar and restaurant has a front room with a few tables and comfy sofas and comes equipped with its own TV. If you manage to get there early enough this is a great place to watch sporting events in a quieter section of the pub. If you feel like being in the heart of the action, the large space on the main floor has plenty of room to stand and prop your drink on one of the wooden ledges along the walls.

The Fastnet - This is one of few Irish pubs in Barcelona that is actually Irish-owned. It’s a great place to watch tennis or football or just to have a few drinks on their outdoor terrace. It’s ideally situated along the main walkway to the beach, in a lively and very central area of town, on the edge of Barceloneta neighborhood. Fastnet also has hearty Irish breakfasts and is a fun place to relax if you’re on your own and feel like reading a paper with a cold Guinness at almost any hour of the day.

Flaherty’s- Part of a chain of Irish pubs, you can’t get livelier than this locale, especially during football season or if you’re lucky enough to be in town during a World Cup year. The bar has three big flat screen TV’s, a pool table and a large patio outside. If you want to get a seat, it’s best to go at least 1-2 hours early as the bar fills up very quickly with people holding tables for games well in advance. Their burgers are very popular and their lasagna and nachos aren’t too shabby either.

Caga Tio - Friendly Logs for Good Luck

Some notable markets to explore include:

Fira de Santa Llucia

Very easily, Barcelona’s most popular and classic Christmas market, it’s situated in the Gothic Quarter right in front of the Cathedral. The area is lined with rows of stalls selling trees, ornaments, gifts and plenty of original Catalan as well as Spanish Christmas paraphernalia. There is a section of the market called ‘Artesania’, which sells a variety of hand-made items including jewelry, toys and leather goods.

Mercat Gotic

Situated at the top of Portal De L’Angel shopping district, the Mercat Gotic is a small, antique market that is open year-round, however during the holidays it turns into a Christmas bizarre primarily selling ‘classic goodies’ such as postcards, ornaments, stamps and jewelry.

Mostra d’Artesans De La Ribera

As you walk into the Born neighborhood you’ll pass this small, boutique style market which sells slightly ‘classier’ and higher quality merchandise than some of Barcelona’s other, more rustic markets. It’s a great place to begin your holiday shopping as once you pass the stalls you can continue into the Born where there are plenty of quaint and charming stores with one of a kind items.

As Barcelona is known for its thriving culinary scene, it has a variety of quaint restaurants, perfect for dates and cozy dinners on the town.

A few places to check out include:

Montiel: Located in the Born, Montiel prides itself on serving the freshest food in a classy, yet unassuming ambiance. The walls are lined with brick providing for a very warm and intimate setting and with only a few tables on the main floor and another couple on the second, it’s big enough that it feels spacious, yet small enough in that it doesn’t feel impersonal. The staff are also extremely attentive and accommodating.

Pla: Pla invades your senses from the second you walk through the door. Dimly lit by candlelight, with a small staircase in the middle of the restaurant separating the two floors, Pla makes a strong, very inviting first impression. It’s so personal that when the waiters explain the menu and the daily specials, they pull up a chair and sit at the edge of your table as if they were part of the meal (don’t worry they leave quickly after you order). The restaurant is hidden in the Gothic Quarter, around the corner from Ginger Bar and up the street from the Jaume Metro. It’s one of the most romantic places you can frequent in Barcelona, with top quality food and an extensive, international wine list.

Salero: Modern and trendy, Salero is located in the Born and is ideal for those craving an intimate evening in a lively, yet peaceful atmosphere. The concrete floor is complemented by the warm décor hanging on the walls and the mix of Asian and Spanish cuisine provides for a concise yet diverse menu. This is an excellent date place, calm and relaxing and at times they even feature live music.

Kibuka: If you glance around this small, cozy restaurant in Gracia neighborhood during dinnertime, you’ll see mostly tables of ‘twos’, the majority of which are on dates. This is Barcelona’s best bet for a romantic Sushi evening – for two – but be sure to go early as they don’t take reservations and are ALWAYS full.

One romantic and fairly close weekend oasis is the small ski resort town of Baqueria Beret. Located in the heart of the Aran Valley, it’s a few hours drive (approx 3 hours) from Barcelona and whether or not you’re an avid skier or just want to be immersed in the ambiance of a quaint and slightly posh, ‘Aspen esq’ Mediterranean ski town, Baqueria Beret is an excellent choice. The resort itself is connected with two other major mountains, Beret and Bonaigua, thus offering plenty of ski and snowboard terrain catering to all levels.

If you’re not in the mood to hit the slopes however, as all ‘proper’ ski resorts, Baqueira Beret boasts a lively apres-ski scene. With a variety of pubs and wine bars scattered throughout, you can skip the skiing and roast your toes by the fire while sipping on Gluhwein and people watching as Catalonia’s finest stroll by. Once you’ve seen enough of Catalan’s high society, go for dinner in one of the town’s rustic and cozy restaurants and try the Aran Valley’s signature dishes which are heavily influenced by French cuisine; Olla Aranesa, Tarta Tatin and Caviar Nacarii are hugely popular in this region and absolutely delicious.

When it comes to places to stay, there are several affordable as well as more upscale accommodation options in Baqueria, with some hotels and apartments located directly on the hill so you can ski in and ski out.

If you’re looking for a winter weekend getaway, you don’t have to be a skier to enjoy all that Baqueria Beret has to offer. It’s also the perfect place to frequent in the summer, with golf courses, horse back riding, mounting climbing and hiking.

Here are a few of Barcelona’s best Italian restaurants to check out:

Made In Italy – This is a tiny, narrow restaurant in the Gothic Quarter, known for its charm and diverse menu inspired by Northern Italian cuisine. If you’re looking for an intimate evening in an assuming, yet very romantic setting, this is a great choice.

La Cucinemandarosso – It’s hard to get more Italian than La Cucinemandarosso. If you don’t know what you’re looking for, it’s almost impossible to find this Barcelona hole in the wall, close to Palau de La Musica in the Born. The restaurant is always packed and boasts some of the best pasta in the city as it’s owned and run by a team of feisty Italians. Their menu varies featuring different specials depending on the day with a few meat and fish dishes often thrown into the mostly Italian mix. This is an ideal place for dates, groups of friends and those craving delicious Italian food. Just be sure to reserve well in advance!

Little Italy – Slightly more mainstream, this is an elegant restaurant attracting Barcelona’s trendier crowd from the Born neighborhood. It’s usually full of businessmen and often resembles that of a New York restaurant with its live Jazz usually on Wednesday evenings. Even though it’s a bit more upscale, the atmosphere is still fun and genuine and the food is high quality at affordable prices.

One of the easiest places to get to from Barcelona, especially if you want to go there and back in just one day, is La Molina. Located roughly an hour and a half outside the city towards the Pyrenees, this small resort hosted the Snowboard World Championships in January 2011 and is home to plenty of international ski competitions year round; it also boasts an incredible 300 days of sunny blue skies and rarely gets cloudy! La Molina has a wide variety of hills catering to all levels and with its newly created half pipe and snow park it attracts freestyle experts and novices alike from across the country and around Europe. The best way to get to La Molina is via car, however there are trains that go from Barcelona as well as buses you just have to check the schedules.

If you’re willing to venture a little farther away, then Baqueira ski resort is an excellent option. About three hours outside of the city this is a huge mountain that connects with two others, Beret and Bonaigua providing for 78 runs, 1,922 hectares of skiable terrain and 33 lifts. Baqueira is to Spain what Vale and Aspen are to the United States. The town is quaint and filled with a classy, elegant crowd as it’s the winter vacation home to many ‘pijo (posh) Catalans’. It is however, a great place to take the family for a few days of quality skiing in a small ski town in Catalunya.

Venturing outside Barcelona and Spain, if you drive a bit more than three hours into the Pyrenees, you’ll enter the tiny country of Andorra; the smallest country in the world. Andorra is equipped with six huge ski stations; each boasting high quality infrastructures, state of the art equipment and plenty of hills catering to all levels. The resort attracts Europeans, especially from France and Spain since it’s nestled in between the two countries and is a great place to ski and shop since everything in Andorra is tax free!

A few to check out include:

Wok to Walk - This is the perfect place to grab some takeaway and enjoy a picnic on the beach or even on a park bench. Whether you’re in the mood for stir-fried veggies, noodles, tofu, meat or even seafood, Wok to Walk is one of Barcelona’s easiest and cheapest take away options. They do have seating available inside the restaurant, although there are only a few and the space is quite small.

 La Botiga – One of the most affordable restaurants for tapas, La Botiga is part of a chain with a few locations throughout the city. Their menu is diverse and if you’re in the mood for sharing tapas and even a few entrees, then this is a tasty and inexpensive lunch or dinner venue. Their tomato and tuna salad is only 4 Euros and is quite filling.

The Boqueria (at the back) – If you’re in the mood to walk while you eat and have a quick bite to tide you over until sitting down for a more hearty meal, the Boqueria, right off La Rambla, (while its worth visiting whether you’re hungry or not) is a great place for cheap sweets, nuts, vegetables, fresh fruit drinks and pretty much anything you might be craving. It’s key, however, that you shop at the stalls farther in, as the ones towards the front are pricier than the ones at the back.