Crazy as it is, but there is an app for anything you could think of, and even for what you can’t! Especially when it comes to travel apps… Many of them can be very useful for visiting Barcelona, but it is hard to find the right ones in such a variety… I will make your life easier – check out this guide of the most necessary (free!) apps for your Barcelona getaway and get ready to download!
Getting around easy
Barcelona is generally a very walkable city and if you enjoy walking, most of the sights can be covered on foot. However, if you prefer to use transport, there are many means of transportation in the city, such as bus, metro, taxi, scooters, bikes and so on. To make it more convenient, here are a couple of very useful apps to get around Barcelona easy.
TMB
The official app of public transportation in Barcelona, featuring the bus and metro lines and stops in the city. Type in point A and B of your trip and the app will show you the ways to get there combining both metro and bus with walking as well as the approximate time of the travel.
My taxi
The fact that there is no Uber in Barcelona shouldn’t scare you. If you feel more comfortable with using a taxi or are in need to, you can do that with Europe’s largest licensed taxi app – My taxi. Download the app, connect your card or PayPal account to it and you won’t have to be worried about having the cash to pay (yes, it is still quite difficult to pay by credit card in a taxi normally). Book your ride in advance or whenever you need it, pay fast and secure and go!
Guides in your pocket
Barcelona is a city with rich culture no doubt and in order to learn the most and get the most of your visit, a guide is recommended. Thanks to these apps, you can have the best guide even if you are walking alone – they will be the guide in your pocket!
JiTT Smart City Guide
This guide is definitely a smart one – after you enter your starting point and your time availability it generates the perfect tour for you. It takes the time of day, opening times of all the places you will see and your preferred finish point into account. What is even better, you don’t need to follow the guide blindly, you can personalize it up – if you have already seen (or don’t want to see) some of the sights, simply delete them from the route and add the ones you prefer!
One more great thing about the app is that it works offline – create your route while you have an internet connection and once you do, you don’t need it anymore!
Barcelona Pocket Guide
The perfect app for when you just want to wander around without a plan, but still wish to learn about the sights you come across. Let the app access your location and have the audio guide recording describe the sights around you! No need to read any text or use internet connection – it’s a win-win!
Barcelona Ulmon
An app offering offline maps, tips & tricks for organizing your trip. You can customize the apps according to where you are staying, the places that you know you want to visit and so on. You can find loads of travel-related content, including places to eat, visit, see or stay at based on reviews of others. Use it and never run out of things to do or see!
Helping you culturize
The only way to immerse yourself in the Catalan capital’s culture is to go out there and try to see as much as possible! These apps are also guides in your pocket, but they are a bit more than that and offer something different and worth checking out!
Gaudí BCN
An app focused on the famous Catalan artist and symbol of Barcelona – Antoni Gaudí. Discover Gaudí’s Barcelona visiting his most famous buildings and listening to the audio guide (can be done offline). The content covers different chapters, each of which revolves around Antoni Gaudí and his art as well as practical information about the sights, such as opening times, prices and how to get there.
BCN Paisatge
Barcelona’s landscape, as translated from Catalan – an app which lets you discover the hidden architectural gems in the city! It features landmarks from the Medieval to Modernist times and introduces you to the hidden spots which show the character of Barcelona. Enter the starting and finishing point of your walk and discover the city in a not-so-popular way!
BCN Visual
If you are wondering how Barcelona looked like centuries ago, this is the app for you. Containing many photos from the past, the app allows you to see the old areas, streets or even certain buildings from the past.
Probably the best feature of the app is the Augmented Reality option – take a photo of a certain building or a street and see it in a split screen together with how that place used to look like years and years ago. You can find the places which have the photo of the past marked on the interactive map.
Having the perfect meals
There is no way to go hungry in Barcelona. Literally every corner has some sort of cafe, bakery, restaurant or any other place to have a meal in. If you have a problem finding and choosing the place to eat in or the one you dream of is quite far away and you would prefer to eat takeout without traveling the distance, these are the apps for you!
The Fork
The app with all the restaurants in Barcelona. Find a restaurant you like (there are so many in Barcelona, this might be a challenge) and book a table! Booking through the app will also give an up to 50% discount on the meal.
Glovo
A start-up based in Barcelona, Glovo is a delivery app, which allows you to order anything from anyone and have it delivered to you by a courier – glover – in less than 60 minutes. Use it for ordering takeout in restaurants and you won’t have to pick up the food yourself but have it delivered right to your doorstep!
These apps are only a drop in the vast ocean of travel apps, but they should do the trick and let you see the most, learn the most and enjoy the most in Barcelona!
