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Barcelona at a Glance

By Damian Corrigan, About.com

La Sagrada Familia

Image: Ray Corrigan
Overview:
Whether you're after the modernist architecture of Antoní Gaudí (he's the man behind the Sagrada Familia), the fabulous nightlife or the excellent cosmopolitan cuisine, you'll keep coming back to Barcelona.

See Pictures of Barcelona.

There is an airport in Barcelona. There is also an airport in nearby Girona and Reus too.
Compare Prices on Flights to Spain (book direct)

Best Time to Visit Barcelona:
July & August - while Spain's inland cities are sweltering in unbearable heat, Barcelona's coastal location means temperatures are perfect. Also, with the six-week long Grec season performance arts festival in full swing, there'll be something on virtually every night.

See Barcelona festivals for more on what's on.

Number of Days to Spend in Barcelona (excluding day trips):
A week or more. There's always more to do in Barcelona.

Read more on How Long to Stay in Each City in Spain.

Hotels in Barcelona:
One of the better Web sites for booking accommodation in Barcelona is Venere.com. Their site is incredibly easy to use and has hotels to suit all budgets.
Visit Vendor's Site

If you're after a budget-priced bed in a dorm, try Hostelworld.

Ever considered a home exchange? Home Exchange is a website where you post details of your home and arrange a swap with someone else for a week or two. A single home exchange will save you more than the membership fee and you can use the service as often as you want for no extra charge. Check out HomeExchange.com.

Five Things to Do in Barcelona:
Day Trips from Barcelona:
Girona, the picturesque Montseny region, Montserrat and its caves and monastery, the volcanic town of Olot, Andorra, Tibidabo.

Read more about making your way to these Day Trips from Barcelona. For expert guided excursions, check out Guided Tours of Catalonia

Where to Next?:
South along the Costa Brava to Valencia, north-west to Bilbao and San Sebastian, or take the train to Madrid.
How to Get to Barcelona:
From Madrid 631km - 7h by car; 1h10m by plane; 2h40m by train.
Read more on Madrid

From Seville 1,054km - 12h20m by car; 1h25m by plane; 8h30 by train (direct - a quicker route may be possible by changing to the AVE express service in Madrid, but connection times may vary)
Read more on Seville

Check Prices on Flights from Barcelona

Check Prices on Trains from Barcelona or look at getting a Rail Pass.

Check Prices on Buses from Barcelona

Renting a Car in Barcelona:
easyCar, from the people that brought you easyJet, offer car hire throughout Spain and their prices are pretty competitive. Hire a car with easyCar. Before you book, compare their prices to the other big rental companies on Travelocity.
First Impressions:
For a professional guided walking tour of Barcelona, see my recommended list of Walking Tours from Barcelona.

Starting from Placa Catalunya you have a few choices - stroll down Las Ramblas, Barcelona's main artery which carries all life through the city; head indirectly towards Gaudi's Sagrada Familia along the grand boulevard of Passeig de Garcia; or walk along Ronda de Sant Pere to Barcelona's Arc de Triomf - undoubtedly more atttractive than its French counterpart - and then on to the Parc de la Ciutadella. Whichever you choose, come back and do the rest later or you'll regret it.

Walking down Las Ramblas from here, you have the winding alleys of Barri Gotic on your left and on your right, El Raval, a notoriously seedy district that is currently undergoing a government-backed regeneration process. Subsequently there is nearly as much to do on this side as there is in the more popular Gotic district and you shouldn't be put off from spending time here - at least not in the daytime. The end of Las Ramblas leaves you at the Mirador de Colon and the Drassanes Maritime Museum, with the harbour right in front of you. Turn left and follow it round and you'll come to the cable car station which can take you up to Montjuic. Alternatively, turn right and spend the rest of your day on the beach!

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