Barcelona Spain! — A Frugal Father, A Pregnant Wife, and a 1500 Dollar Budget.

At the time, I was a father of 2, with one on the way. I was stationed in Rota, Spain, and I figured that the opportunity to visit famed European cities (at a reasonable cost), might not present itself later in life—especially if I kept making babies.

Thus, to my pregnant wife’s dismay (and excitement) we embarked on a trip to see the City of Counts—Barcelona, Spain!

Travel

Getting there was the first hurdle of course. This go-round, the price wasn’t the issue so much as comfort. As mentioned, we had a 3 year old, an 15 month old, and one fresh in the oven. This meant that technically, I only needed to book 3 airline seats (cha-ching), but it also meant that someone would need to hold my 15 month old for the entire flight. (Needless to say, that someone was me)

This wasn’t the biggest of deals, except for the fact that this particular particular baby had a fantastic digestive system, and he also loved to cry.

Luckily the commute time in total was only about 5 hours: 1.5 for the drive Rota to the airport in Seville Spain. And another 2-3 for the boarding and flight to Barcelona.

Our trip took place from Sep 1 2017 – Sep 6 2017 and cost the 4 of us $444.35 roundtrip for the flight.

Accommodation

Looking back, I should’ve spent the extra money to get a room in the city center, which is where we basically commuted daily for our excursions. But then again, my income 9 years ago was drastically different from how it is today. Thus, we elected for a humble AirBnb called Apartment Diputacion just a 10-20 minute metro ride from all of the city’s major attractions.

The Airbnb luckily featured a lift (albeit a tiny one) for our stroller needs. And we felt pretty safe in the area which featured fresh fruit bodegas on every corner. This area gave us a taste of the fast-paced metropolitan Barcelona whilst being a decent home base for our family.

For a five night stay in September 2017 we spent about $812.

Speaking of metros, Barcelone’s public transit system is one of the best we’ve ever experienced. Neither me nor my wife speak a real lick of spanish however, we were able to navigate this maze of a city with no issues at all.

Excursions

The wife was pregnant, but that didnt stop us from seeing as much as we could during our stay:

• Sagrada Familia — Top of the list for a reason ($39 per adult ticket)
• Las Ramblas — Fantastic street for street performers and local artisians (free fun)
• Park Guell — Awesome views of the city, opportunity for hiking, and amazing architecture. (Partially Free, 15-20 dollars to see all zones)
• L’Aquàrium de Barcelona — Huge ocean front aquarium centrally located near ciutadella Park and the Gothic Quarter. Combine all three for a cost effective family outing that gets the most out of your day. ($20 per adult ticket)

In total I spent around 250 bucks for my family and I to visit these attractions during our five day stay.

Summary

Barcelona, Spain is a city that every human should visit at least once in there lifetimes. If you do nothing else visit the Sagrada Familia, because only up close and inside can you appreciate how majestic the cathedral actually is.

The total cost of this trip which included sightseeing, moderate accommodations, and domestic traffic ended up costing about 2000, once public transit and food were accounted for. However, for a family of 4, I’d still consider this a very budget friendly adventure.

Thanks for reading.