*Barcelona - Sauna Thermas - It only got better!

[KevinFL]

2 hours ago, Wolfer said:

I've found January 2027 to be a period with still reasonable hotel prices. Although they're still a bit higher than before. Last time I stayed in Barcelona in January, I paid 75 euro per night in a very comfortable hotel, now in January it's 110 euro per night.

I wonder why the prices this year specifically have skyrocketed like that. 

This is part of it as of this past April 1st...

"Barcelona will double its hotel tourist tax as local authorities attempt to rein in over-tourism and ease housing pressure. Visitors will now pay between €10 and €15 per person, per night, depending on hotel category, up from €5 to €7.50. ⁠
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Stay three nights in a high-end hotel as a couple, and you could add €90 to your bill before you’ve ordered a single Negroni.⁠
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Short-term rentals like Airbnb are also hit, rising to €12.50 per night. A quarter of the revenue will go toward addressing the city’s housing crisis, after locals took to the streets last year to protest mass tourism. ⁠
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Europe’s favourite city break just became a little more expensive."

I would head to Madrid at this point in a heartbeat. A great collection of providers there and relatively affordable compared to other major cities in the World. 

[coriolis888]

2 hours ago, Wolfer said:

.

I wonder why the prices this year specifically have skyrocketed like that. 

It is not only Barcelona or Europe.  

I often go to Europe.  I also often stay in Brazil, where the exchange rate to the USD is roughly 5 -1 or 20eents for one Brazilian dollar (real).  Nonetheless, the hotels I use (Marriott) are around $300.  That is 1,500 Brazilian dollars (reais).  

Travel in most countries has become overpriced.  To make matters worse, starting last month, non-Europeans from Schengen countries must now have their fingerprints and photo taken on arrival.  

Barcelona is fun, but the overpriced hotels, the new law, and the long lines on arrival to get photographed and fingerprinted take away a lot of the fun.

[coriolis888]

3 minutes ago, coriolis888 said:

Europe began requiring fingerprints and a facial photo on arrival for non-EU travelers with the launch of the Entry/Exit System (EES). The system officially began a progressive rollout on October 12, 2025 and became fully operational across all external Schengen borders on April 10, 2026