The most populous city in the Catalan region of Spain, Barcelona is also its capital. Barcelona with a capital of almost five million people within its catchment area. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, Barcelona is famous for its beautiful architecture, its night life and its soccer crazy residents.

Barcelona is a port city as well as being a major economic centre and home to one of the major airports in the Iberian peninsular, Barcelona International Airport. The history of Barcelona is rich and varied. Originally founded by the Romans, Barcelona evolved to become the Crown capital of Aragon. This lively city as the regional capital of Catalonia, houses the seat of the local government, known as the Generalitat de Catalunya in local dialect.

Visitors to Barcelona always want to come back for more of a taste of its Fantastic examples of impressionist architecture, its uniquely cosmopolitan atmosphere and first class food and entertainment. The beach at Barcelona is one of its best kept secrets with some of the finest views onto the Mediterranean Sea. Barcelona’s entertainment is based around the Port Vell region. From there tourists and visitors alike can enjoy a leisurely stroll along the ‘Las Ramblas’. This is a tree lined pedestrian thoroughfare where buskers play a variety of exotic musical instruments and street artists ply their wares. If you want to sit for a while and drink in the atmosphere of a Barcelonan evening, there are pavement cafes a plenty to choose from, beginning at the Columbus statue and ending at the world renowned Placa de Catalunya. For those interested in wandering around Barcelona’s old city know as the Barri Gotic, then it can be found by taking a minor detour from the Las Ramblas’. Visitors are taken aback by Barri Gotic’s windy streets, medieval buildings, rowdy tapas bars, mouthwatering paella restaurants. For those looking for cheap and clean family run accommodations, they should try one of the many cheap pensiones to be found in the old city, a cultural experience within itself.

The Montjuïc neighborhood of Barcelona is home some of the city’s finest art galleries, as well as parks and leisure centers. Barcelona was proud host to the Olympics in 1992, and there are many Olympic sites and stadium to be visited, The Nou Campe stadium, home to the famous Barcelona soccer team is well worth a visit, If you are fortunate to find yourself in Barcelona when the team are playing, you are guaranteed an unforgettable experience, both in terms of soccer skills and the unforgettable atmosphere of being part of a crowd of 100,000 soccer fanatics.

Renting a car can be an economical way to travel around Barcelona and the greater region. There are several pick up areas around the city with discounts are on offer for rentals of three days and over. Car Hire in Barcelona comes as a ‘fully inclusive’ package which includes unlimited mileage, collision damage waiver, passenger indemnity insurance and cover for third party, fire and theft - and usually insurance excess. To rent a car anywhere in Spain, you must show a full driver's licence and a credit card in the driver’s name. Cars are usually rented to customers between the ages of 21 to 70 years. Hiring a car is a great idea if you want to use Barcelona as your base for a three day minimum travel experience around the greater region.