Barcelona City Breaks on a Budget

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Barcelona City Breaks - Take a Quick Look at Barcelona

Home of the 1992 Olympic Games, the coastal city of Barcelona boasts city life and beach time all in one great package. With a population of 3,000,000 people, Barcelona is a great place for a sight-seeing city break when you have just a few days to spare.

Barcelona has a major International Airport, El Prat de Llobregat. It is only about seven miles from the city centre. Take a cab along to the city centre where you will find yourself among the bustling crowds that move in and out among the city’s restaurants, bars and fashion stores.

ll of Barcelona’s best sites are viewable by way of taxi or the city’s metro bus service. It will take you pretty much anywhere you want in the city until about 11:00 PM and until 1:00 AM at weekends. There’s also a sky ride that will allow you to view the whole city en route to your destination.

Because lots of Europeans take their vacations in August, you’ll find that the tourist attractions in Barcelona are more crowded during that time. If you love crowds, that’s the best time to go. If you’d rather avoid the crowds, you might want to choose another time.

The lodging and the cuisine are varied with the Ritz Carlton near the Olympic Village being one of the pricier hotels. Restaurants boast Catalan and Spanish cuisine as well as typically Spanish meal times. Most Spaniards begin their days later than the Brits, but then they stay up far later too. With lunch between 2:00 and 4:00 PM and dinner around 9:00 PM, Spaniards stay up well into the night and have a much more laid back way of life.

Barcelona is home to seven beaches. While many of the beaches offer restaurants and promenades, others are more or less for people who wish to relax and soak up the sun in peace. While there are several beaches right on Barcelona’s doorstep, the resort of Sitges, just a little to the south, also offers pretty alternatives with ice cream shops and great water sports.

Other sights you might want to take in are the National Museum of Art which houses a great collection of Romanesque art as well as the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art which gives its focus to Catalan and Spanish art rendered since 1945. You will see lots of variety in architecture, as well, from the Barri Gotic to Art Nouveau to modern buildings all mingled in the same area, if not the same sections of town. A quick city break in Barcelona will be a time to remember for you and your family and friends.

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For all the best prices and offers on Barcelona city breaks visit directline-citybreaks.co.uk and search for quality hotels combined with low cost flights.

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Apartment and Villa Rental Holidays In Spain

According to official statistics more than 60 million people visit Spain each year for a holiday! That is, by any standards, a colossal number of people- almost the equivalent of every single person in the UK decamping each year into the land of fiestas and flamencos!

But just why is Spain such a popular destination?

-For most Brits, the first reason they are likely to give is the weather- the fantastic Spanish climate which just gets better and better the more one travels further and further south into this country. With more than 300 days of sunshine each year, it is true that regions such as the Costa Del Sol, Costa Blanca, Costa Calida and Costa Almeria are a tremendous draw for anyone looking to escape the grey of a Northern Europe winter or even Northern European summers of late!

-In addition to the climatic adavantages, Spain is a country which offers tremendous geographical variety and diversity. Believe it or not, this land of golden palm fringed beaches is the 3rd most mountainous country in Europe- indeed, where else in Europe can you ski in the morning and be on the beach basking in 25c of sunshine in the afternoon? Well, you can in the Sierra Nevada mountains which lie just 1 hours drive north of Malaga and the beaches of the Costa Del Sol.

-Culturally, Spain is amazingly diverse as you will notice in its art and architecture, cuisine and its peoples. In the South of Spain there is the unmistakable influence of Spain’s Moorish heritage’peoples of Arabic origin who settled in Andalucia many centuries ago. The Alhambra Palace in Granada is probably one of the most famous and impressive legacy of Moorish architecture in the whole of this region.

-Linguistically too, Spain is very diverse. Catalan, a language as much akin to French as Spanish, is widely spoken in the North East of Spain and in great historical cities such as Barcelona you will see signs written in both Catalan and Spanish.

-Perhaps one of the biggest attractions for many tourists is the Spanish way of life. Whilst the often referred to “manana” culture can sometimes be very frustrating if you need something done in a hurry, there is no doubt that the outdoor lifestyle which is enjoyed by the Spanish people is much to be admired and envied by us Northern Europeans who are confined to indoor activities only for many months of the year.

-What could be nicer than being able to eat evening and weekend meals outside, even on a small patio, or roof terrace for 9 months of the year? To be able to buy acheingly fresh fruit and vegetables from the outdoor markets, and perhaps best of all to be able to stroll safely around the town or village each evening after one’s meal in the pleasant and warm evening air!

How Best To Enjoy and Appreciate The Real Spain?

Whilst there are many hotels of all sizes and descriptions which one could stay in, in my opinion the best way to experience this fabulous country, is to consider renting one of the may thousands of holiday homes, holiday villas or apartments which can be found on any high quality web based holiday property rental website.

The beauty of renting a holiday villa in Andalucia, an apartment on the Costa Blanca,a finca in Aragon or any other type of self catering accommodation to rent in Spain, is the complete sense of freedom and flexibility that it offers especially if you have a growing family to accommodate and keep entertained. You can come and go from your holiday home as you please, you can organise sleeping and eating arrangements to suit the size and mood of your group and best of all you can experience first hand the real Spanish way of life by staying in authentic rural Spanish villages or energetic towns and cities.

As much as Spain is a fantastic destination for a holiday or short weekend break, the wrong or inappropriate choice of accommodation can totally ruin your experience and enjoyment. That is why I would strongly encourage you to go self catering and to seek out a holiday villa or holiday apartment to rent in one of the many diverse resorts and regions of Spain.

From coastal villas, apartments, townhouses, studios or rustic fincas you can take advantage of Spain’s wonderful sun drenched beaches, fabulous golfing resorts, or if its rural tranquillity which you seek, then accommodation set against a backdrop of soaring mountain peaks, lush green valleys and quiet rural retreats will be just for you.

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The author, Paul Mitchell is an independent consultant to the travel industry. He is also cofounder of the holiday property rental website:letsbookaholiday.com .
If you are looking to rent a holiday home for your next holiday then take a look at what his website has to offer. If you are a holiday property owner and would like to generate more rental income, then take a look at the very advantageous advertising rates on this website.

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1.Gaudi art - It is very important that you take the time needed to see many of the pieces of Gaudi art. These include the several different museums that you can find dedicated to Gaudi. Art is something that is very prevalent and very beautiful in Barcelona, so you want to be sure you are seeing as much as possible. Read more »

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Barcelona Airport Guide for Weekend Breaks

Barcelona Airport Guide
When traveling to Barcelona, you will need to know your way around the airport. It is very helpful to have a Barcelona Airport Guide to give you the information that you need to get around while on your trip. Below you will find some basic information on the Barcelona Airport. The airport in Barcelona is called just that: Barcelona Airport. You can reach the airport directly by calling their local number (902)404-704 or you can go directly to their website at www.aena.es .

Barcelona Airport actually has 3 terminals for the airplanes and their passengers. Barcelona Airport is located approximately 12km or 8 miles southwest of the actual city of Barcelona. When you arrive at the Barcelona airport you may be in need of transportation to get directly into Barcelona. There are plenty of cars for hire or rental cars available throughout the airport that you can use while in Barcelona. If you are leaving from Barcelona on a trip you can utilize the parking at the airport. The airport has both short term as well as long term parking available so that you can leave your vehicle right at the airport when you leave.

The terminals are all connected with a walkway for pedestrians to get around the terminals with ease. Barcelona is on General Mountain time +1 hour. It has been said that the airport is actually working on a fourth terminal and it is expected to be completed and in use sometime in the year 2009. Other means of transportation that you can utilize when you arrive at the Barcelona airport would be public transportation such as taxi services, public busses as well as suburban trains.

You will find that there are help desks located in both A and B terminals for your convenience and they can help you if you need directions, hotel information as well as basic information on Barcelona. You will find that there are ATM’s as well as banks located at both A and B terminals. If you find that you have lost something or you need help with getting your luggage, you will find that there is a lost and found office as well as a help office located in the Bloque Tecnico building.

There is a pharmacy as well as a 24 hour medical service that is available for you in the event that you need medical attention or have to fill prescription. There are plenty of restaurants as well as stores for your shopping needs, located right at the airport.

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Search for cheap flights to Barcelona airport at http://www.directline-flights.co.uk . Check out all the latest prices & offers.

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abama-hotel-tenerife.jpgThe Abama Golf Spa Hotel is situated on the west coast of the island and benefits from Tenerife’s year-round sunny weather making it the perfect winter break destination. The addition of its own private man-made sandy beach below this Moorish influenced hotel makes it the prefect weekend break destination. A coach or taxi from Tenerife South airport takes less than half an hour to deliver you to the extensive tropical gardens surrounding this hotel and 18 hole golf course. There are nine swimming pools, one reserved for adults only and one with dedicated children’s facilities plus childminding service. Rooms are in the main hotel or you can book a villa with its own gardens and terrace. Indulge yourself at the health spa with hydrotherapy treatments and a special dry flotation tank to finish.

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Torviscas and Fañabé

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Playa San Marcos

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Benidorm is in the north east of Alicante at a distance of about 45 km. It is known for its big buildings, beautiful beaches and lively nightlife. Benidorm is protected from the cold winds coming from the north, by the high mountains that surrounding it, which is why the weather condition remains cool throughout the year. Poniente and Levante are the two halves in which the city of Benidorm is divided. The percentage of tourists coming to Benidorm is the highest as compared to any other town in Spain. Read more »

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