With a population of 1.6 million inhabitants, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain. Travel packages to Barcelona mean visiting one of the most advanced cities in Europe. The city is an economic and cultural powerhouse, regarded by many as a superb destination for a vacation with plenty to see and do. Frequent direct flights to Barcelona are available with many services to choose from. Last minute vacation packages to Barcelona are popular, especially when the local football team, FC Barcelona, is playing a home game. Situated on the Mediterranean Sea, the city is cosmopolitan and has undergone a huge amount of urban regeneration since 1992, when it hosted the Olympic Games. As well as having a working seaport, the city is one of Europe's busiest air hubs. Flights from New York to Barcelona make up a significant proportion of the 40 million air passengers that arrive there each year, as do flights from Los Angeles to Barcelona as well as other West Coast airports. Why not book your flights now?
Things to know before visiting Barcelona
Before booking a flight and hotel to Barcelona, it is worth knowing that it is a so-called smart city. Since 2011, the city's authorities have invested a great deal in their information technology infrastructure which means that communicating over digital devices is easy in virtually every location of the city. Few other European regional capitals can match it in this regard.
All inclusive vacations in Barcelona are available, but many visitors choose to eat out in the evening so you might want to consider other sorts of deals, too. Locals tend to eat late after retiring in the heat of the day for a siesta. Most bars will serve snacks - or tapas as it is known locally - when you order a drink. The city is busy at the end of May and in early June, largely due to the ever popular Primavera Sound musical festival which takes place then. As such, early booking is highly recommended at this time of year, so make yours today before your preferred hotel gets booked up.
What is the weather in Barcelona?
A vacation in Barcelona means enjoying a typically Mediterranean climate that is warm all year round. The city is hottest in August when the average daily high reaches 84 °F. Even in January, Barcelona's coldest month of the year, the average high gets to a pleasant 59 °F. If you are considering vacation packages in Barcelona from the perspective of potential rainfall, then July is the best month to choose. During this month only an average of three days see any form of precipitation at all and any that does fall is likely to be little more than a light shower. For those who don't like cold weather on their trips overseas, Barcelona is one of the best places to choose. Only one recorded occasion of a below-freezing temperature has been recorded by meteorologists in the entire city over the course of the last three decades. What's stopping you from booking your next vacation to Barcelona given its great weather?
Things to do in Barcelona
When you book a flight and hotel in Barcelona, you will have access to some great sights and sounds. Among these is Barcelona's famous architecture. Having developed a highly distinctive style, many of the most eye-catching buildings in the city were designed by Antoni Gaudí, such as the remarkable Sagrada Familia which should not be missed. All vacation getaways to Barcelona should also include a trip to the impressive Palau de la Música Catalana, a wonderfully ornate old-fashioned concert hall. The National Museum of Art of Catalonia is another site well worth exploring. It contains some of the best Romanesque art in the whole of Spain. However, if your cultural preferences mean that you prefer more modern art, then take time to visit the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art which houses a collection of late twentieth-century images and sculpture. Finally, a stroll along the main street, La Rambla, really makes the city come alive. It is full of bars, restaurants and people going about their daily business. Book your vacation and enjoy walking along it with the locals!
What places to visit near Barcelona?
Just a short trip from the city center of Barcelona is Parque de Atracciones Tibidabo, an amusement park that first opened in 1868. Few family vacations to Barcelona miss out on this 25-ride park which offers fantastic views over the city from a vantage point high above it. Flight and hotel packages in Barcelona often include opportunities to take excursions and one to Tarragona is highly recommended. It has a medieval Old Town and plenty of Roman architecture that gives a flavor of what Barcelona would have been like centuries ago. In the other direction along the coast, the resort town of Lloret de Mar is about an hour away by car. This is a busy place with plenty of entertainment and nightlife. It also has some of the best beaches on the Catalan coast with plenty of soft, golden sand to enjoy. If you want to combine a city break with a beach vacation, then book your trip to Barcelona without delay.
What to eat in Barcelona?
Flight and hotel packages in Barcelona will afford you many chances to enjoy typically Catalan cuisine. Most cheap vacation packages to Barcelona come with a simple breakfast which is the norm in this part of Spain. As a big vegetable growing region Catalan cuisine uses lots of fresh ingredients, especially legumes, tomatoes, eggplant and garlic. Escalivada is a wonderful dish that you will see on many menus in the city. It is entirely made up of vegetables and great for a main course at lunchtime. For something more filling, try escudella which is a stew that contains pasta. Locals enjoy lots of seafood and their version of salted cod should be tried at least once during a vacation. Devoted carnivores will enjoy mongetes amb botifarra, a type of pork sausage that is commonly served with beans. If you want to enjoy such good food, then reserve your flights now.
Discover More Destinations
Are you planning your flight to Spain? If the allure of Barcelona for your getaway doesn't quite captivate you, consider delving into the charm of other vibrant cities from this country, and other near countries. Browse through our enticing flight and hotel bundles for your upcoming holiday escapade!