Hotels

If you're flying to Barcelona, the airport is 12km (7.5mi) southwest of the city centre. It's a fairly busy airport and receives many direct flights from North America and Europe.

Alternatively you can catch an international train to Barcelona. Buses are a cheaper, less comfortable way of getting there or for something a little different, you can get to Barcelona via ferry from the Balearic Islands and Italy.

Barcelona's airport is 12km (7.5mi) southwest of the city centre at El Prat de Llobregat. The city is a big international and domestic destination, with direct flights from North America and many European cities. Departure tax is factored into ticket prices.

You can take domestic and international trains to Barcelona. The main train station is Estaci Sants, 2.5km (1.6mi) west of La Rambla. Direct overnight trains from Paris, Geneva, Lisbon and Milan arrive here, as do services from various French cities and across Spain.

Buses are generally cheaper than trains, though not so comfortable. The main intercity bus station, Estaci del Nord, is 1.5km (0.9mi) northeast of La Rambla, close to Arc de Triomf metro.

You can get to Barcelona via ferry from the Balearic Islands and Italy. From the Balearics there are standard boats, on which you can get beds in cabins of up to four people and high-speed boats on which sleepers are not necessary.

Barcelona and the sea - With a coastline stretching more than four kilometres, the recovery of the Barcelona seafront has been one of the most important changes in the city. Today, the beaches are the largest and most popular leisure spaces of the urban landscape. With the opening of the city to the sea, a project first undertaken in the 1980s, the redeveloped seafront, from the Moll de la Fusta and the area around the Palau de Mar to the Rambla de Mar and the Olympic Port area, has become one of Barcelona's most popular spaces for recreation and leisure. In addition, the beaches of Sant Sebasti, La Barceloneta, Nova Icria, Bogatell, Mar Bella and Nova Mar Bella, stretching more than four kilometres overall, receive annually nearly seven million visitors, and have all the facilities and services necessary for these people to enjoy a pleasant and safe day at the beach.

Moreover, with the development of the shoreline around the river Bess, Barcelona will gain new areas for leisure located on sites taken from the sea. These include a new marine wildlife park, two green areas with a variety of uses and a new bathing area, the latter different from usual beaches in its being designed to create an area of calm waters.

Barcelona by night - Shows, bars, discotheques, concerts, terraces and popular fiestas are just a few of the choices that the city offers for enjoying the Mediterranean night. By night Barcelona provides exciting cultural activities, entertainment and leisure for all tastes. or those in search of an enjoyable night out on the town, the problem might be choosing what would be most to your liking from among all that Barcelona has to offer. To start off, you could drop into one of the city's many champagne or cocktail bars. The night, however, might also begin at a good restaurant, choosing from among a wide and varied range that includes authentic food from around the world, in addition to the traditional Mediterranean cuisine of the city. For dancers, everywhere around the city are found discotheques, clubs and dance halls.

For those who prefer to enjoy their music without having to move their bodies, the best thing to do is head off to one of the city's many live music clubs, offering almost daily shows in every style, from jazz and blues to African music, classical and flamenco. Visitors who feel the need to express their own musical talents can try out a karaoke club. Nor should we forget about other attractions of Barcelona by night: the theatre, the cinema, the popular fiestas that dot the calendar and the outdoor clubs with music for all tastes.

Museums of Barcelona - With the idea of being the city's true cultural driving force, the museums of Barcelona programme all sorts of activities, from temporary exhibitions to itineraries and workshops, offering attractive ways to discover their historic and contemporary collections.

The museums of Barcelona house a very valuable heritage, and the conservation and popularizing of that heritage, encouraging different sections of the public to get to know it by means of exhibitions and hands-on activities, is their primary function.

This is the context that underpins exhibition ventures such as the cycle Mediterraneum at the Museu d'Histria de la Ciutat, which presents the Mediterranean as a space of cultural interchange, and the exhibition Pars-Barcelona, produced in collaboration with the Muse Picasso in Paris. In addition to displaying their own collections and hosting a wide range of temporary exhibitions, the museums also run a huge variety of activities: itineraries and evening visits, workshops for schools, courses and cycles of lectures and live music are coming more and more to configure the idea of the museum as a driving force of the city's cultural dynamic. The museums work to define differentiated types of provision oriented at specific audiences, and organize programmes such as Summer in the Museums and Christmas in the Museums.

The level of public response is one of the keys to success in the ongoing task of improving the city's museums. The number of people who visit Barcelona's fifty or so public and private museums each year is currently running at 7 million. Of particular note in terms of number of visits are the Museo Picasso (with its important collection of the painter's work, in addition to temporary exhibitions), and the Fundacin Joan Mir.

Hotel Ritz - Lavish elegance in Barcelonas commercial centerSet on a grand tree-lined boulevard in the Eixample, this 19th-century hotel is two blocks from Passeig de Gracia and one km (a half-mile) from La Rambla;

Hotel Arts - Chic landmark hotel overlooking Mediterranean. Home to an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures, the hotel also has an extensive fitness center with sauna, and a year-round outdoor swimming. On the shores of the Mediterranean and overlooking Port Olimpic, the striking contemporary hotel enjoys a spectacular beachfront location near Barcelona's finest shops and restaurants. The graceful silhouette of Hotel Arts Barcelona offers guests spectacular views over the city and sea.

Hotels : Introduction -Dont make your bed, just lie in it.

As Barcelona has moved steadily up through the ranks of popular European destinations, so its added more and more top-class hotel accommodation. However, its the three- and four star section of the market thats really been skyrocketing, begging the question as to whether Barcelona can really fill so many hotel rooms. Many of the more upmarket places have slashed their prices of late in order to put pressure on the mid-range hotels; be sure to check online for preferential rates before you book. One good side effect of this rise in the quality of accommodation has been the trickledown effect its had on once dull and dreary operations; newly renovated pensiones have added internet access and other flourishes.

Its still quite difficult to find a room in Barcelona outside the winter months, especially in mid-range to budget establishments. Booking in advance - by at least two weeks, and more in summer - is strongly advised, at least in those places where its possible: many of the cheaper hotels wont accept reservations. Dont be surprised if a hotel requires you to guarantee your booking with credit card details or a deposit; whether or not youve provided either, its always worth calling a few days before your arrival to reconfirm the booking (get it in writing if you can; many readers have reported problems), and to check the cancellation policy. Often you will lose at least the first night.

To be sure of getting a room with natural light or a view, ask for an outside room (habitacin exterior), which will usually face the street. Many of Barcelonas buildings are built around a central patio or airshaft, and the inside rooms (habitacin interior) around them can be quite gloomy, albeit quieter. However, in some cases, these inward-facing rooms look on to large, open-air patios or gardens, which have the benefit of being quiet and having a view; we have tried to mention these hotels in the listings where possible.

Theft is a problem in some places, especially in lower-end establishments, but occasionally also in luxury ones. If youre sleeping cheap, you might want to travel with a padlock to lock your door, or at least lock up your bags. As a rule of thumb, check to see if youth hostel rooms have lockers if youre sharing with other people. Use hotel safes where possible.

Star ratings and prices

Accommodation in Catalonia is divided into two official categories: hotels (H) and pensiones (P). To be a hotel (star-rated one to five), a place must have en suite bathrooms in every room. Ratings are based on physical attributes rather than levels of service; often the only difference between a three- and a four-star hotel is the presence of a meeting room. Pensiones, usually cheaper and often family-run, are star-rated one or two, and are not required to have en suite bathrooms (though many do). Some pensiones are called hostales, but, confusingly, are not youth hostels; those are known as albergues.

For a double room, expect to pay 40-65 for a budget pensin, 60-160 for a mid-range spot and from 160 to more than 450 for a top-of-the-range hotel. However, prices can vary considerably depending on the time of year; always check for special deals. All bills are subject to seven per cent IVA (value added tax) on top of the basic price; this is not normally included in the advertised rate, but we have factored it into the prices we have given. Breakfast is not included unless stated. Barcelona On-Line

Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 662, Eixample (93 343 79 93 / fax 93 317 11 55 / www.barcelona-on-line. es). Metro Passeig de Grcia. Open 9am-7pm Mon-Fri; 9am-2pm Sat. This booking agency can book hostel or hotel rooms and private apartments online, over the phone or at its office. Staff are multilingual and the service is free, but theres a fee if you cancel less than 48 hours before arrival. Youll also need to make a prepayment for apartment reservations.

Cafs, Tapas & Bars : Introduction Coffee, a caa, conversation: join Barcelonas caf culture.

Had anybody asked him, Napoleon might well have described the Spanish as a nation of barkeepers. His canny brother Joseph, plonked on the Spanish throne from 1808 to 1813, had as his only real policy scything cuts on alcohol taxes, a move that won him the nickname Pepe Botella (Joe Bottle) and much-needed public support. The proliferation of cafs and bars, however, says less about Spaniards love of alcohol than their love of social ritual. The Spanish do not drink to get drunk. Drinking accompanies food, reflection or good company; starting, perhaps, with a thoughtful shot of anis with a morning coffee and ending with la penltima, the final drink of the night with friends (ltima is never uttered, and to do so would be bad luck), with all manner of snifters in between.

Beer before wine

Generally, if you ask for a caa, youll be given a draught beer; usually around half a (UK) pint, though some places also serve jarras, closer to a pint. Ask for a cerveza, meanwhile, and youll be given a bottle. Damm beer is ubiquitous in Catalonia, with Estrella, a strong lager, the most popular variety. Damm also produces an even stronger lager (Voll Damm) and a dark one (Bock Damm). Shandy (clara) is popular, untouched by the stigma it has in the UK.

Among wines, Rioja is well known, but there are many excellent wines from other regions in the north of Spain, such as the Peneds in Catalonia, Navarra or El Duero. Most wine drunk here is red (tinto/negre), but Galicia produces good whites, including a slightly sparkling and very refreshing wine called vino turbio. The Basques have a similar, clearer wine called Txacol and, of course, Catalonia has its many cavas, running from semi-sec (half-dry, but actually pretty sweet) to brut nature (very dry). Well-known Catalan brands such as Freixenet or Codornu are much cheaper here.

Caffeine kicks

Spanish coffee is very strong and generally excellent. The three basic types are caf solo (caf sol in Catalan, also known simply as caf), a small strong black coffee; cortado/ tallat, the same but with a little milk; and caf con leche/caf amb llet, the same with more milk. Cappuccino has yet to catch on; whipped cream as a substitute for foam is not unheard of. Then theres caf americano (a tall black coffee diluted with more water), and spiked coffee: a carajillo, which is a short, black coffee with a liberal dash of brandy. If you want another type of liqueur, you have to specify, such as carajillo de ron (rum) or carajillo de whisky. A trifsico is a carajillo with a layer of milk. Decaffeinated coffee (descafeinado) is widely available, but specify for it de mquina (from the machine) unless you want Nescaf. Decaff is popular in Spain and very good.

Tea, on the other hand, is pretty poor. If you cant live without it, ask for cold milk on the side (leche fra aparte) or run the risk of getting a glass of hot milk and a teabag. Basic herbal teas, such as chamomile (manzanilla), limeflower (tila) and mint (menta), are common.

Etiquette

Except in very busy bars or when sitting outside, you wont usually be required to pay until you leave. If you have trouble attracting a waiters attention, a loud but polite oiga or, in Catalan, escolti, is perfectly acceptable. Tipping is not obligatory, but its customary to leave a few coins if youve been served at a table. On the vexed question of throwing detritus on the floor (cigarette ends, paper napkins, olive pits and so on), its safest to keep an eye on what the locals are doing.