Advice for Visitors: Seeing Barcelona at Camp Nou

If you have the means and opportunity to see Barcelona at Camp Nou, and you are a football fan, you should do it. Obviously. I visited Barcelona recently, and this seems like a great time to give you, a potential visitor, some advice you might find helpful if you also want to see Barça live.

Buying Tickets

The best place to buy tickets is the official website. Sure, you can get tickets from resellers and the like, but unless you’re getting a good discount or the game is sold out, you’ll be fine. For El Clasico when Real Madrid comes to town, or big Champions League meetings, it might sell out. For regular matches, you probably won’t have to worry too much.

You can buy tickets at the box office too, but it’s much more convenient to go online. You can present your ticket on your phone or print it out. Of course, you could plan to have both just in case one has a problem.

Be aware that consecutive seats are in the same row and section but the actual seat numbers skip. In other words, seat 2 is next to seat 4. This is because one side has even numbered seats and the other odd numbered seats. Be extra sure you are buying the tickets you want, since once you buy them, you may not exchange them or return them.

Which seats to pick is a matter of preference and budget. I recommend using this site which gives you a view from every seat in the house so you can try it out.

Essentially you can view it from behind one of the goals, from one of the sides, or from one of the corners. The cheapest seats are from the corner and from behind the goals.

Seeing matches live is a very different experience than on TV, and you get different experiences depending on where you sit. Higher up lets you see the tactics of the game much better. You can see all the players at all times well, instead of just half the pitch like you do on TV. Lower down lets you see the players close up, and hear them better as well. It’s a more intense experience, especially when the play gets close to you. But when players run to the other side, you might not get as good a view. It’s harder to follow tactically as well.

Consider buying tickets from behind the north goal - the Gol Nord zone. Why? Well, you can get pretty close to the action for a pretty good price AND the Gol Nord zone is where the grada d’animacio - the stand for supporters who bring huge flags and chant all game - is. Even if you don’t plan on chanting and jumping yourself, seeing them do it up close is a great atmosphere.

Getting There

Barcelona’s subway system is very good and two stops are within walking distance of Camp Nou - Badal and Collblanc.

You also have other options such as buses and taxis, of course. Doors open about an hour before kickoff. The process is pretty smooth so you may only need like 20-30 minutes to be sure you won’t miss anything. Less if you rush to your seat. But if you have the extra time, get there as early as possible to check out the statues, the food, and the club shop.

You also have other options such as buses and taxis, of course. Doors open about an hour before kickoff. The process is pretty smooth so you may only need like 20-30 minutes to be sure you won’t miss anything. Less if you rush to your seat. But if you have the extra time, get there as early as possible to check out the statues, the food, and the club shop.

If you have a bag, they will check to make sure you’re not bringing any prohibited items. Don't bring anything offensive or any weapons, obviously. Be mindful, though, that large objects that could be thrown as weapons can be confiscated, like a trumpet. If it's rainy, a small umbrella is fine, but a large umbrella with a pointed tip may not be allowed. Likewise, don’t bring a banner or flag on a large pole.

Don't bring any alcohol; there is no alcohol sold inside the stadium, either. Only non-alcoholic beer. Don’t bring fireworks, torches, or anything that can be lit. You may not bring rolls of toilet paper or anything that could conceivably be lit easily, either.

You can bring small plastic bottles of water or other drinks (no more than 500 ml). The cap is removed before you go in. Plan to leave any items you have that won’t be permitted at the hotel or somewhere else (the metro stop Plaça de Sants has lockers, for example). There won’t be any place for you to leave your items at the stadium.

Food

There is food inside the stadium, mostly the usual stadium fare such as burgers and hot dogs. The prices aren’t too bad, though, and there are some areas for people to sit before or after the game. You can hang out and watch Barça TV after the game with other fans and avoid the rush for the subway.

There are also several restaurants around the stadium, you can use services such as Yelp or Google Maps to find the one that appeals to you. Ones I liked: El Mini Restaurant, which is very close and good for tapas, and La Pimpa, which serves really good pizza.

Have you been to Camp Nou? What advice would you give to someone visiting for the first time? Let us know in the comments.