New Year’s Eve in Barcelona: The Perfect Party Itinerary

nye barcelonaWhat could be more special than heading off into the depths of mainland Europe for a New Year’s Eve celebration to remember? While you may be used to partying at your local or enjoying a gathering at home with some close friends and family, combining the festivities with a mini city break makes it even more spectacular – and with New Year’s Eve in Barcelona, you’d be in the right place to enjoy every single second of the festivities.

Head over to this multi-faceted city on the Catalan coastline in Spain and start your partying the cosmopolitan way. Rather than battling with the hordes of people around the city centre, opt to stay in one of the neighbourhoods that are a Metro ride away from the action. Poblenou provides a flawless fusion of history and modern influence and would be the ideal base; our Travelodge hotel in the Poblenou district is perfectly situated to ensure you can access the Metro as well as enjoy the eateries, bars and clubs on offer without losing yourself in the city’s streets (unless you want to!).

While everybody’s idea of the perfect party is very different, Barcelona’s nightlife will provide something that will help you to bring New Year in with a bang. Unlike some European cities, you won’t find huge firework displays littering the sky – instead, Barcelona provides a more ‘grown-up’ evening which can include a long, lingering meal followed by a good ol’ knees up in some of the local bars and clubs.

Spain has some interesting New year customs and in Barcelona at 12am sharp on the 1st January 2014, the church bells will ring 12 times. As they do, the tradition is to eat a grape, coinciding with each chime of the bells, as a symbol of good luck. While this may not be something you’re used to, if you want to really get into the spirit of things, do it!

When it comes to partying, Barcelona does things a little differently. Locals tend to enjoy a prolonged meal that can be enjoyed right up until midnight, revelling in the company of their loved ones. You could book into one of the many restaurants in the area with your travelling party to enjoy this custom – tables laden with plates of seafood and suckling piglets will make for a true New Year’s feast! Head to one of the renowned squares – Plaza Catalunya, Plaza Reial or Plaza Espanya and get involved! Arguably the top three restaurants in which to enjoy the festivities would be Els 4 Gats, El Pla or Casa Fuster – make sure you take into consideration the hike in costs due to the special New Year’s Eve menus – it’s totally worth the extra though! Alternatively, pull up a chair at a tapas bar – the festive atmosphere is sure to be amazing!

Once you’re suitably full and you’ve brought in the New Year, it’s time to party! While there are some fantastic clubs dotted across the city centre and beyond, Razzmatazz is just around the corner from our Travelodge Poblenou hotel, meaning you don’t have to go far to get back to your warm and cosy bed!

Razzmatazz is one of the most recommended clubs in Barcelona and for very good reason. With five rooms and open till late, you can guarantee an awesome atmosphere with a variety of music styles blasting from the speakers. Whether you’re a lover of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Dubstep, Techno or Electro, anything goes in Razzmatazz, and at €45 a ticket for NYE it won’t break the bank either. Choose to cut the meal short and head here to bring in the New Year and you will also be given the customary grapes (and a glass of bubbly) for your trouble!

Welcome the New Year with style in Barcelona – la nochevieja is an exciting time, wherever you are in the world. Out with the old, in with the new and look forward to a cracking 2014!