Barcelona

Barcelona is Spain's second largest city, and one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. La Rambla is a fantastic pedestrian district, full of street performers, restaurants and bars. Barcelona is so popular as it has something for everyone; culture, beaches, nightlife etc. 

The best time to visit the city is in August, as most of the Spanish population are on holiday, making the city much quieter than normal. From a weather point of view, aim to visit between April and June or September and November, as the temperature is much more reasonable (not too hot or too cold!). 

There are a variety of events and festivals that take place throughout the year. Buy a good guide book for the best things to see and do once you are there!

High-speed train travel between Barcelona and Madrid has recently been made possible through the construction of a new line. The journey now takes between two and half and three and half hours (depending on number of intermediary stops). A great overnight train service operates between Paris and Barcelona; Paris - Barcelona (trainhotel).

Barcelona is one of Europe's busiest ports, and is one of the principle destinations for many cruise ships. The ferry between Rome and Barcelona tends to be cheaper than the bus, and is very handy for getting straight to the heart of the action, as it arrives near to La Rambla district.