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Barcelona car hire provides you with a world of fantastic day trip options. From Gaudi's otherworldly designs to coastal getaways, boredom is never an option in Barcelona. The following is a guide to the best ways to spend your time in Barcelona.

Barcelona Airport Mini Guide:

Barcelona El Prat Airport is located 12km to the southwest of central Barcelona. Barcelona Airport offers passengers a good range of facilities including ATMs, currency exchange, banks, shops and restaurants.

Things To See/Do in Barcelona:

Brimming with more than enough culture to satisfy city break tourists, but close enough to the beach for sun-soaked fun, Barcelona offers myriad travel possibilities. Barcelona car hire provides many more options. The city is regarded as the gateway to the Costa Brava and its pretty resorts of Sitges and Vilanova. A visit to Barcelona also offers the chance to experience the wonderfully weird creations of architect Antonio Gaudi and a wonderful collection of works by Pablo Picasso. The best time to visit Barcelona is between June an September.

Eating Out in Barcelona:

Dining out in Barcelona allows you to sample some of the most delicious cuisine in Spain. It's the wonderful mix of ingredients defines catalonian food. If you're looking for value for money, it's best to avoid the usual tourist traps located along the Ramblas. Instead, venture a little further, preferably with your hire car and you'll discover something cheaper and in most cases, tastier. Typical dishes include Faves a la Catalana (meat, vegetables and mushrooms) served up in a clay pot. Escalivada, a dish of aubergine and red pepper makes for another tasty dish. Pa amb tom'quet (bread served with tomato and sausages) makes for another delicious snack.

Day Trips/Events in Barcelona:

Barcelona is an excellent base from which to explore a range of exciting day-trip destinations. The monastery of Montserrat is one of the most visited sights in Catalonia. The monastery is famous for its array of strange rocky crags and caves. It has become one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Spain, sitting a top a 1200m high mountain and housing around 80 monks. The monastery's biggest draw is its 12th century wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mary known as La Moreneta. For the best view, it's worth taking a cable car to the mountain's summit.

The medieval town of Tossa de Mar makes for another memorable excursion. It is situated 90km to the north of Barcelona and is recognised as one of the most attractive towns on the Costa Brava, offering long sandy beaches and a vibrant atmosphere. Tossa was once the main port for exporting cork, but is now dependent on tourism. The main reason why people travel to Tossa is Vila Vella, a beautiful walled town where ancient battlements, walls and towers enclose a charming historical labyrinth. There are four beaches within the town itself and a number of others flanking the city on either side. Of course, these beaches are never far away with car hire.

Barcelona plays host to a number of colourful events throughout the calendar year including April's Spanish F1 Grand Prix, August's Barcelona Summer Festival, February's Carnival and May's primavera Sound Festival.