Barcelona
The grid, the maze and the sea
Barcelona is three cities laid side by side — a medieval maze, a 19th-century grid of Modernista fantasy, and a Mediterranean beach — and the point of living here is moving between them in a day.
Start with the map. The old town — the Barri Gòtic, the Born, the Raval — is a tangle of medieval lanes between the port and the Plaça de Catalunya. Above it, the Eixample is Ildefons Cerdà's 1859 grid: octagonal blocks with chamfered corners, laid out for light and air, and filled over the next fifty years with the buildings of Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and the Modernistas. Above that the hills — Gràcia, once a separate village, and Montjuïc and Tibidabo bracketing the city. And at the bottom, since the 1992 Olympics tore down the warehouses, the beach.
Barcelona is Catalan first. Catalan is the language of the schools, the street signs and the city hall, Spanish is spoken everywhere too, and the tension between Catalonia and Madrid — over language, money and the independence question — is the constant hum beneath the city's politics. A visitor need not take a side, but should notice that the flag on the balcony is not the Spanish one, and that a few words of Catalan open doors that Castilian does not.
The city eats late and well. Lunch at two, dinner at nine or ten; a vermouth at noon on a weekend is a civic institution. The Boqueria is the famous market and Santa Caterina and Sant Antoni the better ones. The Born and Gràcia hold the newer bars and restaurants; Barceloneta the seafood; and the pintxo bars of Carrer Blai in Poble-sec the cheap night out. Some of the world's most awarded restaurants are here, and so is a perfectly good bocadillo for four euros.
The great strain on the place is its own success. Tourism dwarfs the city — some thirty million visitors a year against 1.6 million residents — and it has pushed up rents, hollowed out the old town and produced a real, organised local backlash: restrictions on tourist flats, a plan to phase them out entirely, protests on the Rambla. Live here well by living like a resident: a neighbourhood outside the centre, the market not the supermarket, and the beach on a weekday. The city is generous to people who treat it as a home rather than a backdrop.
Where People Live
Barri Gòtic
The medieval core — cathedral, Roman walls, hidden squares. Magnificent and overrun; the lanes toward the sea and the Call (the old Jewish quarter) are the quiet corners.
El Born
Medieval palaces turned bars, boutiques and the Picasso Museum, with the Santa Maria del Mar basilica at its heart. The most stylish of the old-town quarters.
Eixample
Cerdà's grid — Gaudí's Passeig de Gràcia on the Dreta side, the gay village and quieter streets on the Esquerra. Where most Barcelonans actually live and shop.
Gràcia
The former village up the hill: small squares, independent shops, the August festa major when the streets are decorated by their residents. Neighbourly and much loved.
Poble-sec & Sant Antoni
Below Montjuïc, the working-class quarters turned bar districts — Carrer Blai's pintxos, the rebuilt Sant Antoni market, and the theatres of Paral·lel.
Barceloneta & Poblenou
The fishermen's grid by the beach, then the old factory district reinventing itself as the design and tech quarter along the sea toward the Fòrum.
Major sights
Sagrada Família
Gaudí's still-unfinished basilica, unlike any church on earth inside or out. Book a timed ticket well ahead — walk-ups are turned away.
Park Güell
Gaudí's mosaic terraces and gingerbread gatehouses on a hill with a city-and-sea view. The monumental zone is ticketed and timed; the surrounding park is free.
Casa Batlló & La Pedrera
Two Gaudí apartment houses on Passeig de Gràcia — the dragon-scale façade of one, the wave-stone and rooftop chimneys of the other.
Barri Gòtic & the Cathedral
The medieval old town — narrow stone lanes, hidden squares and the Gothic cathedral with its cloister of geese. Best simply wandered.
La Boqueria
The great covered market off La Rambla — jamón, seafood, juices and a few standing counters for lunch. Go early, eat at the back.
Barceloneta beach
The city beach and the seafood quarter behind it — a swim, a paella, and the boardwalk toward the Olympic port.
When it rains
Picasso Museum
The artist's early work, strongest on his Barcelona years, in a run of medieval palaces in the Born. Book ahead.
Palau de la Música Catalana
A Modernista concert hall of stained glass and mosaic — take the tour, or better, catch a concert.
MNAC (National Art of Catalonia)
Romanesque frescoes and Catalan art in the palace on Montjuïc, with a terrace over the city — a full wet afternoon.
A vermouth bar
The Barcelona rainy-day institution: house vermouth on tap, olives and conservas, somewhere in Gràcia or the Born.
Restaurants & places to go
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
. Medieval, Modern and 20th-century Art. Panoramic views of Barcelona. Twitter: @MuseuNac_Cat Blog: http://blog.museunacional.cat/ · museunacional.cat
Purobeach Barcelona
beach clubs · <p class="ProfileHeaderCard-bio u-dir" dir="ltr">Perfect urban oasis to explore a 360 experience in Barcelona. <a… · purobeach.com
Opium Barcelona
Passeig Marítim, 34, 08003 Barcelona, Spain · opiumbarcelona.com
Velissima Barcelona
Italian restaurants
Airports
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) 12 km to the centre
Barcelona, CT, ES — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 69 airlines (Iberia Airlines, Vueling Airlines, Ryanair, easyJet…) · direct flights to 163 destinations incl. New York, London, Palma de Mallorca, Vienna, Amsterdam… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 69 airlines, 163 direct destinations
- Iberia Airlines IB (A320, A319, A321, CRJ-200, 737-800, 767-300…) · 103 routes: Aalborg*, Algier*, Alicante*, Almeria*, Amman*, Amsterdam*, Arrecife*, Athens*, Aviles*, Banjul*, Bari*, Bergen*, Berlin*, Bilbao*, Bologna*, Bordeaux*, Brest*, Brussels*, Bucharest*, Burgos*, Cardiff*, Casablanca*, Catania, Copenhagen*, Dakar, Dortmund, Dresden*, Dubrovnik*, Duesseldorf*, Edinburgh*, El Aroui*, Fes*, Florence*, Frankfurt*, Fuerteventura*, Genoa*, Gothenborg*, Gran Canaria*, Granada*, Hamburg* … +63 more
- Vueling Airlines VY (A320, A319) · 95 routes: Aalborg, Algier, Alicante, Almeria, Amsterdam, Arrecife, Athens, Aviles, Banjul, Bari, Bergen, Berlin, Bilbao, Bologna, Bordeaux, Brest, Brussels, Bucharest, Cardiff, Casablanca, Catania, Copenhagen, Dakar, Dortmund, Dresden, Dubrovnik, Duesseldorf, Edinburgh, El Aroui, Fes, Florence, Frankfurt, Fuerteventura, Genoa, Gothenborg, Gran Canaria, Granada, Hamburg, Hannover, Helsinki … +55 more
- Ryanair FR (737-800) · 39 routes: Arrecife, Beauvais, Bergamo, Birmingham, Bologna, Brussels, Budapest, Charleroi, Dublin, East Midlands, Edinburgh, El Aroui, Fes, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Jerez, Liverpool, London, Malaga, Manchester, Menorca, Palma de Mallorca, Porto, Prestwick, Rome, Rome, Rygge, Santander, Santiago, Sevilla, Stockholm, Tenerife, Tenerife, Torino, Treviso, Valladolid, Vilnius, Warsaw
- easyJet U2 (A319, A320) · 14 routes: Belfast, Berlin, Bristol, Geneva, Liverpool, London, London, Lyon, Milano, Mulhouse, Newcastle, Nice, Paris, Southend
- Norwegian Air Shuttle DY (737-800) · 11 routes: Bergen, Berlin, Copenhagen, Gothenborg, Hamburg, Helsinki, London, Oslo, Sandefjord, Stockholm, Warsaw
- Wizz Air W6 (A320) · 10 routes: Bucharest, Budapest, Cluj-napoca, Gdansk, Katowice, Poznan, Sofia, Timisoara, Vilnius, Warsaw
- Air Europa UX (32S, 737-800, A330-200, A330-300, 737, ATR…) · 8 routes: Badajoz, Bucharest*, Madrid, Moscow, Palma de Mallorca, Paris*, Prague, Tenerife
- Germanwings 4U (A319, A320) · 5 routes: Cologne, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, Stuttgart
- Alitalia AZ (A319, A320, A321, 737-800, Embraer 175, Embraer 190…) · 4 routes: Milan, Palma de Mallorca*, Rome, Tenerife*
- American Airlines AA (767-300, A319, A320, A321, A330-200, 767) · 4 routes: London*, Miami, New York, Philadelphia
- British Airways BA (A319, A320, 767-300, A321, 734, 767) · 4 routes: London, London, Miami*, New York*
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A320, A319, A321, 757-200, A320, Embraer 195) · 4 routes: Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Newark*
- Monarch Airlines ZB (A321, A320, 757-200) · 4 routes: Birmingham, Leeds, London, Manchester
- Air Arabia Maroc 3O (A320) · 3 routes: Casablanca, El Aroui, Tanger
- Air Berlin AB (A321, A320, 737-800) · 3 routes: Berlin, Duesseldorf, Vienna*
- Finnair AY (767-300, A321) · 3 routes: Helsinki, Miami, New York
- Jet2.com LS (737-300, 737-800, 737-800) · 3 routes: Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester
- Scandinavian Airlines System SK (A321, 737-800, 737-700, 737-800) · 3 routes: Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (777-300ER) · 3 routes: Milano, Sao Paulo, Singapore
- Swiss International Air Lines LX (A320, AR1, A319, A321) · 3 routes: Geneva, Mulhouse*, Zurich
- Transavia Holland HV (737-800, 737-700) · 3 routes: Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rotterdam
- US Airways US (767-300, A330-200) · 3 routes: Miami, New York, Philadelphia
- Aer Lingus EI (A320) · 2 routes: Cork, Dublin
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines SU (A320, A321, 767-300) · 2 routes: Moscow, St. Petersburg
- Air Algerie AH (736) · 2 routes: Algier, Oran
- Air France AF (318, A320, A321, A330-300, A320) · 2 routes: New York*, Paris
- Air Transat TS (310) · 2 routes: Montreal, Toronto
- Czech Airlines OK (737-800, A319, A320, Embraer 190) · 2 routes: Palma de Mallorca, Prague
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (330, 737) · 2 routes: Amsterdam, New York*
- Pakistan International Airlines PK (310) · 2 routes: Islamabad, Lahore
- Qatar Airways QR (A330-200, 767-300) · 2 routes: Doha, New York*
- Royal Air Maroc AT (737-700, 737-800) · 2 routes: Casablanca, Tanger
- SATA International S4 (ERJ-145, Fokker 100, A319, A320) · 2 routes: Lisbon*, Porto*
- TAP Portugal TP (ERJ-145, Fokker 100, A319, A320) · 2 routes: Lisbon, Porto*
- Aegean Airlines A3 (A320, A321) · 1 route: Athens
- Aerolineas Argentinas AR (340) · 1 route: Buenos Aires
- Air Baltic BT (735, 73C) · 1 route: Riga
- Air Canada AC (767-300) · 1 route: Toronto*
- Air China CA (A330-300) · 1 route: Vienna
- Arkia Israel Airlines IZ (757-300) · 1 route: Tel-aviv
- Atlant-Soyuz Airlines 3G (A319) · 1 route: Banjul
- Austrian Airlines OS (A320, A321) · 1 route: Vienna*
- Avianca - Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia AV (330) · 1 route: Bogota
- Belavia Belarusian Airlines B2 (737-300, 735, Embraer 175) · 1 route: Minsk 2
- Brussels Airlines SN (A319, A320) · 1 route: Brussels
- Bulgaria Air FB (A319, A320) · 1 route: Sofia
- Cathay Pacific CX (A330-200) · 1 route: Doha
- China Eastern Airlines MU (737) · 1 route: Amsterdam
- Croatia Airlines OU (A319) · 1 route: Zagreb
- Delta Air Lines DL (A330-300) · 1 route: New York
- Egyptair MS (737-800) · 1 route: Cairo
- El Al Israel Airlines LY (737-800, 747-400, 767-300) · 1 route: Tel-aviv
- Emirates EK (A380) · 1 route: Dubai
- Ethiopian Airlines ET (A321) · 1 route: Frankfurt*
- Hainan Airlines HU (A319, A320) · 1 route: Brussels
- LOT Polish Airlines LO (734, Embraer 195) · 1 route: Warsaw
- Luxair LG (Dash 8-400) · 1 route: Luxemburg
- Niki HG (A320, A321) · 1 route: Vienna
- Olympic Airlines OA (A320, A321) · 1 route: Athens*
- Pegasus Airlines PC (737-800) · 1 route: Istanbul
- Royal Jordanian RJ (A320) · 1 route: Amman
- SkyWork Airlines SX (D38) · 1 route: Bern
- Tarom RO (737-700) · 1 route: Bucharest
- Transaero Airlines UN (734, 747-400, 767-300, 777-200) · 1 route: Moscow
- Travel Service QS (A319, 737-800) · 1 route: Prague
- Tunisair TU (A319, A320, A320) · 1 route: Tunis
- Turkish Airlines TK (A320, A321, 330, A330-200, 737-800) · 1 route: Istanbul
- Ukraine International Airlines PS (73J) · 1 route: Kiev
- United Airlines UA (757-200) · 1 route: Newark
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Sabadell Airfield 16 km to the centre
Sabadell, CT, ES
Igualada/Odena Airfield 48 km to the centre
Barcelona, CT, ES
Manresa Airfield 49 km to the centre
Manresa, CT, ES
Calaf-Sallavinera Airfield 64 km to the centre
Sant Pere Sallavinera, CT, ES
Aeròdrom d'Avinyonet 33 km to the centre
Avinyó Nou, CT, ES
Regional airports
Further out, but often the cheapest way in — the airports the low-cost carriers use. Each links to its own town's guide for getting from there into the city.
Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO) 76 km to the centre
Girona, CT, ES — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 4 airlines (Ryanair, Transavia Holland, Wizz Air Ukraine, Harmony Airways) · direct flights to 49 destinations incl. Alghero, Amsterdam, Beauvais, Bergamo, Billund… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Feeder airport · 76 km from Barcelona · Ryanair, Transavia Holland, Wizz Air Ukraine · Getting around Girona →
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 4 airlines, 49 direct destinations
- Ryanair FR (737-800) · 44 routes: Alghero, Beauvais, Bergamo, Billund, Bournemouth, Bratislava, Bremen, Brindisi, Bristol, Cagliari, Charleroi, Cologne, Dortmund, Dublin, East Midlands, Eindhoven, Groningen, Hahn, Ibiza, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Krakow, Lappeenranta, Leeds, London, London, Maastricht, Malta, Manchester, Marrakech, Memmingen, Munster, Newcastle, Palma de Mallorca, Pescara, Pisa, Poznan, Rabat, Skelleftea, Tallinn-ulemiste International, Tampere … +4 more
- Transavia Holland HV (737-800, 737-700) · 2 routes: Amsterdam, Rotterdam
- Wizz Air Ukraine WU (A320) · 2 routes: Kiev, Lvov
- Harmony Airways HQ (A320) · 1 route: Brussels
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Reus Airport (REU) 87 km to the centre
Reus, CT, ES — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 4 airlines (Ryanair, Jet2.com, Transavia France, Harmony Airways) · direct flights to 16 destinations incl. Manchester, Bristol, Belfast, Birmingham, Brussels… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Feeder airport · 87 km from Barcelona · Ryanair, Jet2.com, Transavia France · Getting around Reus →
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 4 airlines, 16 direct destinations
- Ryanair FR (737-800) · 13 routes: Birmingham, Bristol, Charleroi, Dublin, East Midlands, Eindhoven, Hahn, Liverpool, London, London, Manchester, Palma de Mallorca, Prestwick
- Jet2.com LS (737-300) · 3 routes: Belfast, Manchester, Newcastle
- Transavia France TO (75W) · 2 routes: Bristol, Manchester
- Harmony Airways HQ (A319) · 1 route: Brussels
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Getting there by ferry
Moll de Drassanes
Ferry terminal · 2 km from the centre · Alsa
Barcelona-Terminal F2
Ferry terminal · 2.4 km from the centre
Terminal Marítima Internacional Sud
Ferry terminal · 2.4 km from the centre
Moll de Llevant
Ferry terminal · 3 km from the centre · Alsa
Barcelona-Terminal F3
Ferry terminal · 3.1 km from the centre
Terminal F1 Balearia
Ferry terminal · 4.7 km from the centre
Bus Nàutic
Ferry route · Alsa
Barcelona – Nador
Ferry route
Barcelona – Alcúdia
Ferry route
Barcelona - Alcúdia
Ferry route
Barcelona – Ciutadella
Ferry route
Barcelona - Ciutadella
Ferry route · Baleària
Barcelona – Palma
Ferry route
Barcelona - Palma
Ferry route
Local transit
TMB
Metro, bus · Barcelona's metro and bus network. · Fares: T-casual or Hola Barcelona card · Airport: Metro L9 Sud or the R2 Nord train from El Prat
TRAM Barcelona (Tranvía Metropolitano Barcelona)
Tram · Barcelona · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
TRAM Barcelona Besós (Tranvía Metropolitano Barcel
Tram · Barcelona · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)
Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB)
Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data
Railways of the Generalitat of Catalonia (Ferrocar
Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data
Trains & rail
COMSA Rail Transport
Rail operator
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Rail operator
Rodalies de Catalunya
Rail operator
Renfe
National rail
Coaches & shuttles
ALSA ← Madrid
About seven and a half hours; the AVE train takes two and a half. · Madrid guide →
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Flexjet
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Global Jet
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Jet Aviation
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.
Tours & experiences
Barcelona bus tour stop
Bus Tour
Side Routes Barcelona Tours
Sightseeing
Gaudí & Modernism Walking Tour
Walking Tour
City Bus Tour Stop Estació de Sants
Bus Tour
Barcelona Segway Fun Tours
Bike Tour
Barcelona City Tour
Sightseeing
Living Here
Getting about
- Eight metro lines, a tram and FGC suburban trains cover the city densely; the T-casual ten-ride ticket is the value option and works across all of them. Barcelona is compact and much of it is walkable.
- Bicing bike-sharing is for residents; visitors rent from shops. The city has built a serious cycle network and pedestrianised much of the centre in its 'superblocks'.
- El Prat airport is 20–35 minutes out by Aerobús, metro L9 or the R2 train. Sants station has high-speed AVE trains to Madrid in two and a half hours and services into France.
- A car is unnecessary and parking is a torment. Pickpocketing on the Rambla and the metro is the city's one persistent nuisance — keep bags closed and phones out of back pockets.
Health
- Hospital Clínic, Vall d'Hebron and Sant Pau (the last in a Modernista campus that is itself a sight) are the main public hospitals. Catalan public healthcare is excellent.
- Dial 112. Pharmacies (green cross) are plentiful and pharmacists are the first port of call for minor complaints; some stay open 24 hours.
- EU visitors use the EHIC card; others should carry insurance. Private clinics such as Teknon and Quirón offer fast, English-speaking care.
Work & study
- The University of Barcelona, the Autonomous University, Pompeu Fabra and the UPC engineering school make it a major student city; IESE and ESADE are among Europe's leading business schools.
- The 22@ district in Poblenou is the tech and design hub; the Mobile World Congress each spring is the world's largest telecoms fair. Tourism, logistics through the port and a strong pharmaceutical sector round it out.
- Catalan is an advantage in the public sector and education; Spanish and English suffice in most private-sector jobs.
Money & manners
- Euro. Cards are near-universal. Service is included; rounding up is polite. Menu del dia — a fixed-price lunch — is the best value meal in Spain.
- Greet in Catalan (bon dia) if you can; it is noticed and appreciated. Dinner before nine marks you as a visitor.
- August is hot and half-shut; the city's own holidays are La Mercè in September and Sant Jordi (books and roses) on 23 April.