Barcelona Flights

Flights to the Spanish city of Barcelona are available from most major airports across the world, particularly in Europe and the USA. Flights to Barcelona land at the Barcelona El Prat airport, which is the largest in Spain. The airport is 7.5 miles southwest of the city, and can be reached via the TMB bus service, or via the city's rail system. Barcelona el Prat offers a wide selection of shops, bars, restaurants, and lounges (though the latter tend to be somewhat expensive), many of which offer free Wi-Fi services. If you're planning to fly to Barcelona late at night, be warned: rail connections stop at around 10:30 at night and don't resume until 5am.

Barcelona Weather

Barcelona's climate is variable, with a chilly 13 degrees centigrade average in winter, ranging up to 30 degrees in high summer. This makes winter not intolerable, but holiday-goers would be advised to visit in the months of May to the end of July for the very best experience of the city's weather. If you fancy things a little warmer, try visiting in August, but it might be advisable to get a hotel room with air conditioning. The city doesn't tend to get a massive amount of rain, even in the winter. Still, in the cooler months it would be wise to take a raincoat or umbrella, as you might be unlucky and get caught in a shower or two.

Getting around Barcelona

Most of Barcelona's public transport facilities are part of the Autoritat del Transport Metropolita, which manages transport for Barcelona and the surrounding region. The Rodalies Barcelona train line is made up of 8 lines (one of which is split into 4 sub-lines), together covering the majority of the city and the surrounding area. On top of the Rodalies, Barcelona metro network also covers a great deal of the city, presenting one of the fastest and most convenient ways of getting from place to place in the city. Barcelona also operates two small tram networks on the east and west of the city, and a large number of bus lines serve the city, covering a great deal of locations.

Barcelona Attractions

The bustling metropolis of Barcelona offers a great deal to tourists, from the historic gothic quarter and the many buildings designed by Gaudi (a famous architect) to the city's bars, restaurants and many museums (like the National Museum of Art of Catalonia). The city has eight world heritage sites within its bounds, and numerous other locations of historical interest.

Things to check out:

• La SagradaFamilia: Designed by Antoni Gaudi as a church for the people, this cathedral still hasn't been completed; its central tower is currently under construction. Don't let this ward you off; its beautiful mix of art and architectural styles has to be seen.
• Visit the Miro or Picasso museums for collections of masterpieces from these historic artists.
• Get a dose of science at the Cosmocaixa science museum.
• Have a picnic at one of the city's sixty-eight parks, with choices from botanic gardens to historic parks (Park Guell was designed by Antoni Gaudi).
• Visit Barceloneta beach and soak in the sun (the city was listed as one of the top-ten beach cities in the world by National Geographic and the Discovery Channel).