Top 10 Places to Visit in Barcelona While Doing Business
Having fun while you are on a business trip!! Sounds great but this might make you wonder if it could be possible for you to have a great time while you are overseas, doing business. Actually, it is one of the best things about a business trip abroad – having the liberty to balance your work-time and fun-time while travelling for business purpose.
If you happen to have an upcoming business trip to Barcelona, with a bit of a careful planning from your side, you can easily save on airfare, accommodation and meals. The best part is that you can utilize the time you get in between meetings and use it to enjoy touring the hotspots of the city or just enjoy the vibrancy of the atmosphere.
Before getting to know the places that you can visit, it would be better to help you know how you can make the most out your visit for business and fun. Here are a few tips that will help you have a successful business meeting and have great fun at the same time.
1. Choose a business hotel near your event or meeting places and the tourist attractions
2. Choose a holiday package
3. Pack appropriately
4. Be prepared to address the customs and habits of business meetings
5. Know the purpose of your business lunch and dinner
As a business traveler you should first have a rule of the thumb – to allot a couple of extra days before or after your business trip to another country or a city that you are about to visit for the first time. But if you are like most of the business travelers with unpredictable suddenlies to travel to another country at very short notice, like a quick one-day trip for a conference at Barcelona, you can still enjoy your trip with a little bit of planning.
While you are in such situations, remember that you can still find some time to experience the local attractions. Barcelona is a great place that has so much to offer. Once you are there, you will be surprised to find how much you could experience even while moving around over a short break between your busy meetings.
You will need only two hours of your time to get a glimpse of the wonderful city of Barcelona. Here is a list of the stunning places that you can visit. The best part is that you will need only 2 hours. Here is a quick itinerary that will help you cover most of Barcelona’s best in just 2 hours.
1. Placa de Catalunya
Start touring from Placa de Catalunya. Whether you decide to take a break during the day or take a tour in the evening, begin your stroll from Placa de Catalunya. This is the central square that is famous for its incredible fountains and sculptures. It is filled with flocks of friendly pigeons roaming around.
This place is like an entry point for more interesting neighbourhoods around Barcelona. This is a wonderful place to begin your interesting journey around the city, especially while you have only a short time to visit places. You will need only fifteen minutes to enjoy the atmosphere of this place before heading out to the other places around Barcelona.
2. Las Ramblas
Next to the Placa de Catalunya, you have the Las Ramblas. It is only a short walk’s distance until you see a set of streets, uniformly aligned and bordered by trees. This is Las Ramblas. This is a perfect area to wander and it is specifically designed to facilitate pedestrians alone. This place boasts of awesome architecture.
One word of caution is not to eat at restaurants right on the sidewalk as the food would be quite expensive. Just hold on to your rumbling stomach if you are hungry and wait until you get to the next place, where you can have a feast. Las Ramblas will need only fifteen minutes of your time to take in the beautiful sights of the buildings.
3. Mercat de la Boqueria
Mercat de la Boqueria is a great place to snack. Whether or not you are hungry, the vibrant colours and the noisy crowds of this place are simply overwhelming and you can definitely not afford to miss it. This place is located next to Las Ramblas and it is a well-known place where the tourists and local people visit regularly to buy fresh fruits, seafood and Jamón ibérico – a Spanish staple. You can find small stands throughout the area. You can comfortably sit down to enjoy a hot and fresh local meal. You will need only thirty minutes to get the most out of this place.
4. Casa Milà
Casa Mila will take you by awe. Your time at Barcelona cannot get any better than this when you take a look at Antoni Gaudi’s marvellous buildings. Gaudi is Spain’s most renowned architect. He is very renowned for his creation – the Sagrada Familia church. But you may or may not be able to visit this church as it is quite far from where you would be spending your time. But you can still get a glimpse of other wonderful works at Casa Mila.
Hire a taxi and go to Casa Mila. One useful tip you should definitely consider is to get a ticket online in advance just so you wouldn’t have to wait in a lengthy queue to get in. You will need exactly thirty minutes here.
5. Hotel Majestic
Hotel Majestic is the ideal place in Barcelona where you can enjoy a soothing drink perched on the rooftop, viewing the beach. Just walk from Casa Milà and you will find Hotel Majestic. Go to the rooftop bar to enjoy a wonderful cocktail, some freshly brewed coffee, and to top it all, a stunning view of the beach. You will need roughly thirty minutes to spend here.
If you think you can spare some more time or if you manage to get a day to spend in Barcelona, you can go the places mentioned below to make your trip more valuable and interesting with a few hours of amazing shopping.
6. El Born
The El Born neighbourhood is a great place to shop. The backstreets of Barcelona are like treasure troves and El Born is one such area that has numerous boutiques and shops selling high-end home decor, clothing, fresh gourmet food and more. If you want to take a souvenir or buy some goodies for your folks back home, then this is the right place for you. You will need only an hour to shop around to find your favourites.
7. Joan Miró Museum
If you still have some time left or for some reason, your flight is delayed, you can visit the Joan Miro Museum. Barcelona accommodates several great museums and the Joan Miro museum is by far the best. The museum displays a wide collection of Miró’s paintings and sculptures. Hire a taxi to get here and also remember to book your ticket online before reaching the museum as this will save you a lot of time. It will take around an hour for you to have a wonderful time, gazing at some amazing works of art.
8. Cera 23
Have a scrumptious dinner at the Cera 23. This local restaurant offers some wonderful gourmet food. It is located just around a small alley near El Raval. The specialty of this place is that their food is exotically flavoursome as they use simple and fresh local ingredients.
Their foie gras ravioli with cream quince sauce and black squid-ink paella with saffron cream are must-try dishes that you don’t want to miss. Their amazing food combined with their excellent service makes it a very special place to end the day just the way you deserve. You will roughly need two hours here to have a relaxing, enriching dinner.
9. Luxury Car Drive
If you are ready for some adrenaline rush, drive a luxury supercar in Barcelona. Book a Ferrari and cruise the Barceloneta district, while passing by Park Ciutadella. Pass through the city’s colourful streets. Take a guide to help you navigate the route. You can upgrade your driving time if you have more time to spare.
10. Flamenco Show at Barcelona City Hall
If you love drama, then book your ticket online and go to the Flamenco show at the City Hall. The theatre hosts talented dancers who take you to the local scene, with authentic and punchy guitar solos and singing.
This two-hour itinerary with some additional places is a great way to spend a typical business trip as most businesspeople are left with only a 24 to 48 hour time period.
Barcelona is a wonderful city, where you can find time to visit some phenomenal places even if you have only one or two days to cover your business goals.