Travel writer and The Local reporter Esme Fox, who has lived in the Catalan capital for over 10 years, shares her tips for visitors and the tourist traps to avoid.

Visiting Barcelona can feel a bit overwhelming - there's so much you've heard about, so many places you want to visit and amazing buildings you want to see. It's an exciting and vibrant city, but it's also the type of place where you can be taken advantage of as a tourist and have a miserable time because you've not done your research properly.

Here are 12 Barcelona travel hacks to make your trip to the Catalan capital even better.

READ ALSO: How to avoid the tourist crowds in Barcelona, according to a local

1) A 10-journey or monthly metro ticket could be cheaper than the unlimited passes

Barcelona sells several different unlimited transport passes called Hola Barcelona Travel Cards, which last between two and five days and cost from €16.29 up to €37.89. They also include transport to and from the airport which costs an extra €5.70 on the train. It can be cheaper, however, to get a 10-journey T-Casual ticket for €12.55 and then pay the airport train separately, depending on how much you plan on using public transport.