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Step 1
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain with a population in the metropolitan area of over three million. The climate in Barcelona is Mediterranean, with usually dry summers and winters, and rain in the spring and fall. The city isn't particularly windy, but has a nice sea breeze from May to September, and winds out of the west during the winter. The skies are generally sunny, although it can have some early morning fog in the spring.
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Step 2
The culture of Barcelona dates back two thousand years and there are buildings in the Gothic Quarter dating back to medieval times, some as far back as the Roman Empire. There are many museums, including the National Museum of Art and the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art.
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Step 3
Barcelona International Airport is the second largest in Spain and the largest on the Mediterranean coast. Barcelona has been a port city for two thousand years, and is divided into three sections, the Old Port, the commercial port, and the Barcelona Free Port. Within the Old Port, there is a commercial mall and an aquarium. Barcelona is also serviced by a public transportation system consisting of buses, a metro, trams, and cable cars. The metro system is clean, punctual and fully air conditioned. It connects to most major sites in the city. If you are going to take more than a few trips, the best way to go is buying a T10 Transport Ticket which allows ten trips on the metro, buses, or trams in Zone 1. Zone 1 includes everything in the main city center. The T10 card costs 7.7 Euros. If you are going to be in Barcelona more than a day or two, you may want to purchase a Barcelona Card, which gets you unlimited travel and other discounts for the number of days purchased. A 2 day pass costs 26 Euros up to a 5 day pass at 42 Euros.
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Step 4
There are many accommodations available in Barcelona from five star hotels such as The Palace Hotel and the Melia Hotel, all the way down to 1 star hotel such as the Hotel Abalon. For those on a tighter budget, there are also hostels, apartments, and even camping. For those on a budget that are staying a bit longer, there are Aparthotels, with the best of both words. If you are there on business, the four star Renaissance offers a location convenient to the airport. It is in the heart of a business park and offers an outdoor pool open only in the summer, a gym and a business center. It has a buffet breakfast for 18 Euros in its restaurant. There is little else to eat or see close by. There is free shuttle service to the airport which if five minutes away, and also to city center.
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Step 5
For sightseers, there are many tours available from as little as twelve Euros each. The most popular is the Barcelona Football Stadium Tour and is a must see for Football fans. There are also Flamenco tours, Tapas tours, as well as biking, walking, and guided city tours. For those that want a do it your self tour with transportation, there is an open bus hop-on hop-off tour for 21 Euros that allows you to get on and off as often as you like. This is for a one day pass. A two day pass on the same tour is available for 27 Euros. To see the main highlights, try the Barcelona City Tour available in half or full day tickets for 43 or 111 Euros each, respectively. Guided walking tours around City Center can be joined for as little as twelve Euros.
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Step 6
Restaurants in Barcelona run the gamut from traditional Tapas bars, to seafood and other Spanish restaurants, through cuisines from every nationality. The oldest restaurant in Barcelona is Can Culleretes where a full meal for two with wine can be had for as little as thirty Euros. Major tourist attractions in Barcelona include the aquarium already mentioned, and many others. These include the Sagrada Familia, a temple which has been under construction for over a hundred years. There is also a zoo and many museums, including the two mentioned above. For general wandering about and sightseeing, Las Ramblas is Barcelona's most famous street and a must see.
