Compare Barcelona flights

The city of Gaudi, Las Ramblas and Camp Nou is virtually a rite of passage for British travellers, and airlines have met demand with a huge range of Barcelona flights from around the UK – many of them temptingly cheap.

The famous port city sits on the north-eastern corner of Spain’s Mediterranean coastline, not too far from the French border, putting this colourful city of beaches, tapas bars and architectural marvels within a couple of hours of Britain.

The key to finding cheap flights to Barcelona is to shop around, because the range of direct flights from the UK is huge. Budget airlines such as Jet2, easyJet and Vueling are all in the market, locked in battle with flag carriers like Iberia, Lufthansa and British Airways.

Long weekends are always in demand, so try a midweek trip to find cheaper Barcelona flights. Avoiding the July and August peak will help too, and the off months are in any case much quieter, particularly in the tourist hotspots around Raval and the Gothic Quarter.

Leave from the south of England and you could be in Barcelona in just 2 hours; even the longest direct flight from the UK, from Glasgow, still comes in at comfortably under 3 hours.

If you’re travelling from further afield – Aberdeen, for instance – you can make connecting flights in destinations such as Amsterdam or Heathrow, adding about 3 hours to the journey time.

Barcelona Airport is located south of the city centre. A vast taxi rank offers you door-to-door service in an instant, with prices that will suit travelling families. A hire car or taxi will get you into the city centre in about 25 minutes.

Other options include the Aerobus service (which leaves from both terminals), the RENFE train service or the slower local bus service that visits many stops on the way.

Plan your itinerary well, because there's plenty to pack in. Neighbourhoods worth a visit include charming Gràcia, which is famed for Park Güell, and Eixample, home of the legendary cathedral La Sagrada Familia. Visiting these two Gaudi-designed wonders is almost compulsory for any visitor to Barcelona.

There are many more must-see sights in the city centre, such as the long (and these days rather congested) shopping avenue known as Las Ramblas, and the collections at the Picasso Museum. Take some time after sightseeing to relax on the sandy beaches of Barceloneta, or on the lawns of the nearby – and much quieter – Parc de la Ciutadella.

If you're keen to see other parts of Catalonia, you can hire a car at Barcelona Airport or in town. The old town of Girona, which has its own airport, is a medieval marvel, while the monastery of Montserrat promises stunning views of the surrounding hills.