La Sagrada Familia
One of the most iconic buildings in Barcelona, Located in Eixample, despite its size and stature, La Sagrada Familia is actually only just within the top 50 largest churches in the world, but it's still worth the visit.
Barcelona Holidays
Barcelona Holidays Guide 2024/2025
For a mix of culture, city and sea, a holiday to Barcelona in 2024/2025 is the perfect way to enjoy a getaway. Whether you're exploring the city with friends, as a couple or with your family, there's plenty to keep everyone entertained and loads of accommodation to choose from, from cheap hotels to quirky apartments.
But with so much to see and do, it can be a minefield! Where to stay? How many days do I need? Which airport can I fly into? So many questions! So here's our handy guide for Barcelona holidays whether you're a solo traveller, enjoying a romantic getaway, or just want a beach and city break with the family for a few days.
Iconic Things To Do In Barcelona
Camp Nou
Football fans cannot visit Barcelona without a trip to the iconic Camp Nou. Home to Barcelona FC, Camp Nou stadium offers museum tickets and stadium tours for fans, or why not book ahead and try and get match tickets.
Barceloneta Beach
Combining the beach and city is one of Barcelona's biggest draws and the closest beach to the city centre is Barceloneta Beach. It's a sandy stretch of beach close to Port Vell Marina that's ideal for relaxing in the sun.
Las Ramblas
Arguably the bustling heart of the city, Las Ramblas (also known as La Rambla) is a pedestrian street filled with shops, attractions, market stalls and street artists all vying for your attention as you wander down.
Getting to, from and around Barcelona
There are plenty of flights to Barcelona from across the UK. easyJet, Ryanair and British Airways all fly to Barcelona's (Barcelona El Prat - BCN) main airport, which has easy connections into the city by car, bus and train. Girona is another option and you'll likely find very cheap flights here because it's a smaller airport and further away from the city, but it will take around 1 hour 15 minutes to take the bus from Girona Airport to Barcelona city centre.
Getting Around & Public Transport
Getting around the city is very easy with public transport, or if you love walking, exploring the city by foot is the perfect way to discover the city. You can buy things like the Hola Barcelona travel card which gives you unlimited journeys on the transport network for 2, 3, 4 or 5 consecutive days. Car hire isn't really worth it unless you're planning to head out of the city and visit somewhere that is more off the beaten track.
Package Holidays & Tour Operators
Booking a package holiday to Barcelona can often help you save money and keep all your travel itinerary together. Tour operators like TUI, Jet2holidays, easyJet Holidays and loveholidays can package up your flight and hotel into convenient city breaks. Always try and make sure your booking is ABTA or ATOL protected for extra financial protection. Airbnb and private accommodation like city centre apartments can be another fun and interesting way to stay in the city, after all, it's great to feel like a local.
Things to do in Barcelona
There's so much to enjoy on a Barcelona holiday. From the rich culture with iconic areas like the Gothic Quarter, to the beautiful sandy beaches of La Barceloneta and Platja del Bogatell, perfect for relaxing on a day off from walking.
La Sagrada Familia
One of the largest catholic churches in Spain, La Sagrada Familia, designed by Antoni Gaudi is well known as a tourist attraction here. Work started on building the church in 1882 but it is unfinished to this day.
Las Ramblas
Once made up of several smaller streets (each called a Rambla), this long pedestrianised area is known as both Las Ramblas and La Rambla. It's home to a range of attractions like shops, a theatre, museum, market stalls and street performers. It's well worth a visit, but there's often two views. People either love it and come back again and again, or they'll tick it off the bucketlist and enjoy other parts of the city.
Park Guell
At over 17 hectares, Park Guell is one of the largest parks in the city, but it's actually privatised and requires entrance tickets for the Monumental Zone (but the Forest Zone is free to visit).
Ciutadella Park
Just east of the Gothic Quarter is Ciutadella Park, a beautiful park and gardens in the heart of the city. It's also home to Barcelona Zoo and the majestic Catalan Government building (Barcelona is the Catalonia's capital city after all!)
Picasso Museum
The Museo Picasso, or Picasso Museum is home to thousands of the artist's artworks, including Science and Charity, Portrait of Jaume Sabartes and First Communion. The museum is not open on Mondays so bear this in mind if you're having a long weekend in Barcelona.
Where to stay in Barcelona
Staying in the centre of Barcelona is ideal if you can, however, if you're on a budget, staying in one of the suburbs like near the Port Forum or Sant Josep, which is easily accessible if you're buying a metro card for multiple journeys. Be sure to take a look at Barcelona hotels with rooftop pools and hotels near the beach in Barcelona for an even more exciting stay. Hotels in Barcelona can get quite pricey, even more so at the weekend, but there are some budget friendly options too.
La Barceloneta
If you've come for a beach and city break, La Barceloneta can be the perfect location to stay. There aren't many hotels here with the W Barcelona hotel being the most iconic, but you'll be able to find some self catering apartments on the likes of Airbnb and Booking.com.
Eixample
Eixample is quite a broad area, with many residential areas but being slightly further away from some of the big tourist attractions can mean cheaper hotels.
Gothic Quarter
The Barri Gotic, or Gothic Quarter, is a beautiful area to enjoy while on holiday here. From beautiful squares like Placa Reial to the numerous restaurants, bars and nightlife that line the streets, it's quite a magical place. Hotels here aren't huge and definitely come at a premium but there are some gems here, like the Soho House Barcelona and Hotel Arai.
El Poblenou
If you're looking for a budget break, in the east of the city you'll find the areas of El Poblenou and Diagonal Mar. Although on the outskirts of the city, these areas can offer cheaper accommodation because the location is slightly further away, but you can still get great quality and cheap hotels in Barcelona around here. Plus you're just a few blocks from the beach which is always a good thing! Take a look at hotels like the ibis Styles Barcelona City Bogatell or the AC Barcelona Forum Hotel which even offers sea views from the swimming pool.
Popular hotels in Barcelona
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Barcelona PrincessSant Marti
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Hotel Acta LaumonSant Andreu
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Grand Hotel CentralGothic Quarter
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Occidental Atenea MarBarcelona
Cruises From Barcelona
Many fly-cruises operate from Barcelona, allowing you to skip the long journey to the Mediterranean and jump on board to kick-start your holiday straight away. Cruise lines like Virgin Voyages, MSC, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises all have cruise itineraries around the Med from the port of Barcelona. Some of these are a few days, while others can be a week or two. If you're looking at a cruise from Barcelona, it's often worth staying a few days before or after in the city to extend your trip and see more of Spain.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit Barcelona?
Barcelona is great to visit all year round, however, you might prefer certain times of the year. Spring and Autumn can be the best times while the weather isn't too hot and there aren't as many tourists as you would see in July and August.
How many days should I spend in Barcelona?
Two nights is okay but not enough, three nights is better, but four night breaks in Barcelona are ideal, especially over the weekend. If you can stay longer, there is still plenty to see and do. After all, so many people don't just come to Barcelona once.
How safe is Barcelona?
Barcelona is generally considered quite safe, however, like most big tourist cities, you should be aware of petty theft and pickpockets, especially on the Metro and in busy areas. Wherever you go, always check the latest travel advice on the FCDO website before you travel.
Day Trips From Barcelona
If you're on a longer Barcelona city break, there are some great day trips from Barcelona you can enjoy. From the vibrancy of Sitges further down the coast, to the dramatic scenery surrounding Montserrat Monastery, there is something for everyone. Other excursions including hiking in the Montserrat Nature Reserve, visiting the exciting PortAventura World theme park near Salou, and heading up to the soft sandy beaches of Malgrat de Mar.
