Barcelona

Departing from Birmingham Airport

As Britain’s second city, it’s no surprise Birmingham has one of the best airports in the UK. With a great selection of shops, restaurants and first-class facilities, flying from Birmingham Airport is a great choice.

The airport is very easy to get to whichever way you want to travel. If you’re driving, you’ll find a choice of car parks, which are all easily accessible from the terminal by foot or via the courtesy shuttle bus. Book a car park space online in advance and get up to 70% off.

If you prefer to take public transport, you’ll find bus services running directly to the airport or to Birmingham International Airport train station. There is a free Air-Rail link from the station, which takes you straight into the terminal in less than 5 minutes.

The terminal has plenty of shops for you to browse whilst you wait to board your flight, so why not start at World Duty Free? You can’t go to the airport without checking out the deals here, so treat yourself to a luxury bottle of gin or some new skincare products. InMotion has all your last-minute travel electricals, be it an adapter plug or new iPhone charger. And you’ll also find fashion stores like Superdry and Accessorize.

There’s also a selection of great cafés, bars and restaurants where you can dine before you fly. Costa, Caffé Nero and Pret a Manger all have your daily caffeine fix. You can grab a wrap from Wrapchic or if you’d prefer, Giraffe is perfect for families and Wetherspoon has a great food and drink menu.

If you prefer the finer things in life, you’ll want to book into one of our airport lounges . Here you can enjoy complimentary food and drinks, unlimited WiFi and great runway views before you fly.

Whether you’re looking to top up your Euros before you fly or withdraw a few UK pounds for your return,  head to our Travelex stores conveniently located in the Arrivals area of the terminal building and Departures Lounge.  If you prefer, you can pre-order your currency and get next day collection if you order before 3pm at Birmingham Airport. Travelex’s ATM machines are operational 24/7, ready for any time of flight and offer both pounds and Euros, and accept most major cards.

To find out about our other services, head to our terminal facilities page.

Arriving at Barcelona Airport

Barcelona Airport has two terminals, both with great transport links for onward travel. The journey time from the airport to the city centre is between 20 to 30 minutes depending on the time of day.

If you’d like to take a taxi from the airport, you’ll find ranks outside both terminals. A ride to the centre should cost approximately €30. The blue Aerobuses are a fast shuttle service between the airport and Plaça de Catalunya. Buses depart every 5 or 10 minutes from 5:35am until 1am (Terminal 1) or 6am until 1am (Terminal 2). The fare is €5.90 one-way or €10.20 return.

There is also a train station at the airport’s Terminal 2, with trains running from 5:42am until 11.38pm. If you purchase a T10 multi-trip ticket you can combine the airport train with the metro and bus as one journey for €1.02, saving you over €3.

Pre-book your transfer with HolidayTaxis and avoid the queues when you arrive. 

What to expect in Barcelona

Barcelona is a city you’ll want to visit again and again. It combines months of endless sunshine, a relaxed pace and unbeatable food with stunning architecture and an enthralling culture. It’s everything that is most charming about Mediterranean cities, with a little extra.

In Barcelona, you will see and hear everything in two different languages, Spanish and Catalan. Most locals are bilingual though, and you will find that English is also widely spoken.

As a coastal city in the Mediterranean, Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate, with hot, sunny summers and mild, relatively rainy winters.

Culture in Barcelona

Barcelona really does have everything – from fine art museums to designer shopping and the beach right on your doorstep. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia (Catalunya), one of the most proud and rich cultures in Europe, so there’s lots to explore. Your time in Barcelona should be spent discovering the distinct neighbourhoods, admiring the historic architecture, and eating and drinking your way around the city.

Barcelona is a real foodie destination. As well as paella and fresh seafood, tapas are one of the most popular dishes. Small in size but full of flavour, tapas offer diners the chance to explore countless dishes without becoming too full. A particular tapas dish you must try in Barcelona is a ‘bomba’ – a tennis ball-sized potato croquette served with a white garlic aioli and a rich and spicy red sauce. The bomba represents bombs in the Spanish Civil War and are an important part of Catalan’s history.