Barcelona travel guide

Barcelona Tourism | Barcelona Guide

You're Going to Love Barcelona

With a population of 1.62 million, Barcelona is a must-see destination in Catalonia, Spain. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Barcelona has to offer.

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Where to Eat in Barcelona

Eixample is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Barcelona. These include popular favourites such as Accés Restaurant (Aribau 55), BABULA BAR 1937 (Carrer de Pau Claris, 139) and Piazze D'Italia (Calle Casanova 94). If you’re looking for affordable options, Restaurant Pau Claris 190 (Calle Pau Claris 190) and Restaurante Momo (Carrer Avinyo, 39) are great picks. For delicious green meals, MR PORTER BARCELONA (Carrer del Rosselló, 265) and Mimi Tapas Restaurant (Carrer del Cardenal Casañas 6) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Barcelona.

When to visit Barcelona

Barcelona in December
Estimated hotel price
$302
1 night at 3-star hotel
Barcelona in December
Estimated hotel price
$302
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Barcelona in August, when the average temperature is 24 °C, and the highest can go up to 28 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 4 °C, with an average temperature of 9 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in October, when precipitation is around 91 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Barcelona, with an average rainfall of 20 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Barcelona

Plane

When flying to Barcelona, you’ll arrive at Barcelona-El Prat (BCN), which is located 8 miles from the city centre.

Train

Renfe is the most popular train carrier serving Barcelona, followed by iryo. The train journey from Barcelona to Girona takes 0h 39m and costs around $12 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Madrid, expect to pay about $26 for a 2h 37m trip. Located 1.9 miles from the city centre, Barcelona Sants is the busiest station in Barcelona. Another popular train station is Barcelona La Sagrera-Meridiana, located 3 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Barcelona is to pick up a car hire from Palma de Mallorca, which is about 128 miles from Barcelona. You’ll find branches of Record Go and Goldcar Rental SP, among others, in Palma de Mallorca.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Barcelona Estació del Nord, located 0.8 miles from the city centre of Barcelona. Barcelona Puerto Maritimo is also a commonly used station, and is 1.8 miles from the city centre.

Plane

When flying to Barcelona, you’ll arrive at Barcelona-El Prat (BCN), which is located 8 miles from the city centre.

Train

Renfe is the most popular train carrier serving Barcelona, followed by iryo. The train journey from Barcelona to Girona takes 0h 39m and costs around $12 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Madrid, expect to pay about $26 for a 2h 37m trip. Located 1.9 miles from the city centre, Barcelona Sants is the busiest station in Barcelona. Another popular train station is Barcelona La Sagrera-Meridiana, located 3 miles from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Barcelona is to pick up a car hire from Palma de Mallorca, which is about 128 miles from Barcelona. You’ll find branches of Record Go and Goldcar Rental SP, among others, in Palma de Mallorca.

Bus

The most popular bus station is Barcelona Estació del Nord, located 0.8 miles from the city centre of Barcelona. Barcelona Puerto Maritimo is also a commonly used station, and is 1.8 miles from the city centre.

Airports near Barcelona

REUReus

Airlines serving Barcelona

Lufthansa
Good (7,086 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,346 reviews)
British Airways
Good (6,923 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,950 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,601 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,810 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,739 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,451 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (793 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,746 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,243 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,576 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,401 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,369 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (353 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,071 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,097 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,282 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,869 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,208 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Barcelona

From 5-star hotels such as the Casa Fuster to great affordable options like the Hotel Continental Palacete, Barcelona offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $274 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $628 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hotel Constanza and Acta Antibes. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Barcelona, with prices from $64 to $780 per night. Eixample is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Barcelona are about 6% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Eixample - In Barcelona’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include NH Collection Barcelona Pódium, NH Barcelona Eixample and Amra Barcelona Gran Via.

Sarria-Sant Gervasi - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Aparthotel Augusta Barcelona, Catalonia Castellnou and Silken Sant Gervasi. The average nightly price for a double room in Sarria-Sant Gervasi is $165.

Eixample - In Barcelona’s most popular neighbourhood to stay, recommended hotels include NH Collection Barcelona Pódium, NH Barcelona Eixample and Amra Barcelona Gran Via.
Sarria-Sant Gervasi - Here you’ll find travellers’ favourites such as Aparthotel Augusta Barcelona, Catalonia Castellnou and Silken Sant Gervasi. The average nightly price for a double room in Sarria-Sant Gervasi is $165.
Most popular hotel in Barcelona by neighbourhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Barcelona

Most booked hotels in Barcelona

Barcelona Princess
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$286+
Sercotel Porta Barcelona
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
$177+
Alberg Pere Tarrés
1 star
Good (7.6, Good reviews)
$64+
Hesperia Sant Joan
3 stars
Good (7.1, Good reviews)
$194+

Hiring a car in Barcelona

Hiring a car in Barcelona costs $55 per day, on average, or $164 if you want to hire it for 3 days. Europcar, Sixt and Enterprise Rent-A-Car are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Barcelona is the Record Go branch at Carretera De Valencia Km 403, which is 8 miles from the city centre.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 8% cheaper than airport locations in Barcelona.

Expect to pay $2.53 per litre in Barcelona (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $30.26 and $40.34. The most frequently booked car type in Barcelona is Compact (Chevrolet Trax or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Luxury car hire (Mercedes-Benz C-Class or similar) is, on average, 58% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Barcelona costs $55 per day, on average, or $164 if you want to hire it for 3 days. Europcar, Sixt and Enterprise Rent-A-Car are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to hire a car in Barcelona is the Record Go branch at Carretera De Valencia Km 403, which is 8 miles from the city centre.

It’s generally cheaper to hire your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 8% cheaper than airport locations in Barcelona.

Expect to pay $2.53 per litre in Barcelona (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between $30.26 and $40.34. The most frequently booked car type in Barcelona is Compact (Chevrolet Trax or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Luxury car hire (Mercedes-Benz C-Class or similar) is, on average, 58% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Barcelona Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Barcelona city guide for the best Barcelona travel tips. To help you organise your Barcelona trip ideas, this Barcelona visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.