Barcelona Flights - tips on where and how to get the best deals
The recent boom in no-frills airlines and low cost flights has no doubt had something to do with Barcelona's meteoric rise a top European city break destination.
If you're prepared to put in a couple of hours on the Internet, and can be flexible with your departure times, you can find return flights for less than the cost of a weekend's airport parking.
Most of the major European carriers have scheduled flights to Barcelona which arrive at the modernist architectural concoction that is El Prat de Llobregat airport, just 12km form the city centre (it's also the main hub for domestic and charter flights). If you're flying from the US the chances are that you'll have to transfer in either London or Madrid. From New York it's about nine hours flying time to Barcelona, and a little over two hours from London. Flights between London and Barcelona are both regular and cheap.
Here are some of the more popular Budget airlines operating to Barcelona:
Easyjet
Ryanair
BMI
its also worth checking with British Airways
Also check comparison sites like:
www.cheapflights.co.uk
www.opodo.co.uk
www.genieflights.com
www.expedia.co.uk
There are a variety of different ways of getting from the airport to the city centre, and choice is usually dictated by your end destination. If you're in Barcelona for the weekend the chances are that you don't want to mess about and your best bet is to jump in a black and yellow taxi. Prices vary depending on where you're going, but should cost less than €50 (a tariff list is usually posted inside the airport building, or you can enquire at the Tourist Information office).
Trains from the airport to the city centre operate every 30 minutes between 6am-11pm. The journey takes just over half an hour with stops at Estació Sants, Plaça de Catalunya and Arc de Triomf. Another option is to catch the excellent Aerobús. Journey times are comparable, unless you're thinking of traveling in the rush hour, and you'll have a greater choice of where you can get off. For both buses and trains weekend services run less frequently.
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