Another Pub Crawl Barcelona story…..

After a very mixed summer in England, which fluctuated between vaguely warm and pissing down with rain, we were very much looking forward to our August break in Barcelona. Myself, Tommy and Dean had been talking about a break to the city for a long time and the weekend had finally come! We flew in on a Thursday, dropped our bags in Kabul hostel which is right in the centre of the city and of course headed straight for the beach! On the beach we got a few cold beers and settled back and admired the talent which was ridiculous, especially compared to what’s on offer back in Cambridge!

After a while a couple came up and started chatting with us called Stu and Sydney. They were really nice and friendly, asking us how long we had been in Barcelona (2 hours!) and what our plans were for the evening.  We had no plans what so ever beyond enjoying our beach beers! They explained that they worked for a pub crawl and asked us if we wanted to join. Apart from a pub crawl with my mates at uni I’d never been on one. Tommy was excited though because he had been on a couple around Europe in Prague and Amsterdam so he asked what the deal was. This pub crawl was 15 euros, for that we got a singlet, on that back it said ‘Keep the streets clean and the sex dirty’ that’s a good mantra to live by! There was a wristband in the pack as well that looked like a festival bracelet. Stu explained that we get a beer when we arrive at the first bar, we get a shot at the next bar and then we get VIP entrance to a nightclub. Plus we could go as many times as we wanted for no extra cost and the free drinks are included every night as is the club entrance!! For 15 euros it sounded like an insanely good deal! We didn’t have much money on us so we bought two tickets from them then and there and we were told we would have one reserved for us on the door when we got there.

That night we turned up at the first bar which was a big Irish bar. Sydney was outside, she gave us a hug and remembered all our names which I thought was very cool because she most have spoken to so many people that day! She took us inside where we bought  Dean’s ticket and we got our drink vouchers. The place was huge, spread over to stories and it was packed with people. It suddenly dawned on me that almost everyone in there was on the pub crawl because they were all wearing the wristbands! I quickly found that the amazing thing about the pub crawl is that it is so social. You have a reason to go up to anyone and start a conversation plus you know who they all are because everyone has a wristband! It was also such an international party. There were people from France, Italy, Sweden, German, Australia, America…so many different nationalities all partying together it was great! After 11 o’clock we headed out to the next bar that was just around the corner. We got another free shot as soon as we walked in the door and headed to the bar to get another round of beers. This bar was more of a club feel to it, there was a DJ playing some raggaton tunes and the dancefloor quickly filled up. One of the pub crawl staff told me that this club opens early just for the pub crawl so it is like a private party just for us lot! Then some more of the staff got a game of body shots going. Stu grabbed me and said I had to take a body shot of a girl so he got a girl out of the crowd and lay her on the bar. He put a line of salt on her stomach, a shot of tequila balancing on her chest and a bit of lemon in her mouth. Being English I snorted the salt, did the shot and gave her a good snog when I got the bit of lemon! I helped her off the bar afterwards and got chatting to her, she was a Finnish girl called Sophie on her last day of her holidays, needless to say we spent the rest of the night together. I’ve definitely got Stu to thank for the hook up on that one!

A while later we all left for the last bar before the club. Another shot was waiting us at the entrance (everyone was already pretty hammered at this point!) Some more of the staff had organised a beer funnel so to stitch up Tommy I volunteered him because he cant down beer for shit! The atmosphere is the last bar was amazing because we were all peaking, everyone was laughing and chatting and making out it was crazy. Then more pub crawl staff told us we were heading to the club. Just in time we were all ready for a good dance! We headed for the Port Olimpic area where all the big beach clubs are. One of my mates had told me about this area back in England, that he had paid 20 euros to get into Pacha. I couldn’t wait to tell him when I got back to England that with the pub crawl not only did we not pay to get in but we jumped the enormous queue as well and were inside 2 minutes after arriving! The club was huge and had a massive dance floor and chill out area on the beach. It was so cool having so many people you’ve been partying all night with on the pub crawl to be dancing with you in the club, it actually felt like half the people in the club were on the pub crawl! In the club I bumped into Stu and he told me there were 435 people on the pub crawl that evening! The next day I spoke to a guy in our hostel who had gone out on the pub crawl with the hostel and they had paid the same amount of money and only had 23 people! Thank you for an epic night pub crawl Barcelona you totally made our trip!

Barcelona is famous for a lot of things, unfortunately one of them things is the talented young pick pockets, while out drinking in Barcelona you are more likely to get targeted by thieves in Barcelona. Be careful of your bags and pockets and do not leave your personal items with people you do not know.

If your out with Pub crawl Barcelona we will watch your back and keep the horrible little thieves away! We have been crawling the streets of Barcelona for over a decade and can spot the pick pockets a mile away as they know we know them they usually leave our groups in peace as they do not want the problems with the police. Please just watch yourself when leaving the club and heading home or when your sitting on the beach at the end of the night kissing the face off someone you just met on Pub crawl Barcelona, we understand when your in the moment you may take your eye off your bag but a second is all it takes for you to loose everything.

In Barcelona you must carry ID with you at all times but a photocopy is acceptable its a good idea to just bring that most hostels or hotels will make you the photocopy for free also you should keep the amount of cash you have with you to a minimum all the bars and clubs accept credit or debit cards.

Keep all your items in your front pockets and leave nothing in your back pockets as this is the pocket of choice for the modern day Barcelona pick pocket if strangers approach you on the streets just be aware that they might be seeing if your ripe for the picking also if your a guy hookers will approach you on the street in big numbers they usually try to put there hands down your pants and another in your pocket to steal your stuff.

Please enjoy your time in Barcelona and drink responsibly you do not want to be another statistic.