A fabulous city famous for its great football team - Barcelona as a city has a lot to offer its visitors and can be an exceptional place for a short vacation with great attractions, and has the favourable Mediterranean climate all the year round.



There are three main airports in the Catalonia area of Spain receiving international flights from all over the world. El Prat is the closest airport to Barcelona, situated 12 km from the city centre.

Barcelona has an excellent tourist infrastructure, and is well organized to meet the needs of all tourists. Most tourist centres cater for several different languages and the staff can be very helpful. There are tourist offices in most regions around Barcelona and they will offer help in finding restaurants, activities in the area and accommodation.

Barcelona has an excellent variety of accommodation to offer visitors. One star hotel rooms can be got for less that twenty Euro - but prices do vary according to the seasons. Villas and apartments in Barcelona are also plentiful and can be leased week by week.

Barcelona possesses some of Spain’s best restaurants, most offer fixed prices on three course meals but the choice may be poor. Most cafés and bars in Barcelona are quicker and cheaper, but are much more crowded that the standard restaurant. Take care if you are visiting Barcelona during a public holiday - a large amount of premises close for holidays and most will close one day a week.

Sea food is very popular in Barcelona - if you are a lover of fish try the Graellada de marisc which consists of an assortment of grilled shellfish served with a garlic mayonnaise.

If you are really interested in food check out the La Boqueria - this is one of the most impressive food markets in Europe.

Other great markets can be found all over the city; a popular antique market can be found on Placa del Pi.

Barcelona also hosts a variety of great museums - these are free to enter on Sundays. A reasonable admission fee is normally charged during the week, but on Mondays most remain closed. The local currency in Spain is the Euro.

During the months of June and July, Barcelona hosts some of Spain best festivals. Classical music concerts are also held at different parks around the city during the summer period.

The weather in Barcelona is very warm in the summer months but may drop to near freezing during winter. Rainfall is modest all year round.

If you are looking for city shopping or a vacation in the sun Barcelona should be top of the list. It’s friendly people mixed with a perfect Mediterranean climate will make for a very enjoyable break.