* There is no shortage of flights to Barcelona, including low cost flights from lots of airports, both main and regional. We flew on a scheduled Monarch flight from the UK and found it to be perfect. On the flight, we sat on the left hand side of the cabin and got the most incredible views of the snow capped Pyrenees on the way to Barcelona.
* El Prat airport is 12km southwest of the city and has options for fast, easy travel to the centre. There are express buses, trains and taxis. Some budget airlines fly to Girona Airport 80km away with connecting buses to Barcelona. We flew to El Prat airport. We took a taxi when we arrived - the driver was a a bit of a crazy driver, we held our breath a couple of times, but got safely there in the end. It cost 36 Euros from the airport to our hotel in the old town. On the way back, we took the metro and train. This was fast and efficient and good value for money. The trains to the airport are regular and convenient.
* The metro or underground system in the city is excellent. It is clean and efficient and trains come about every 3 minutes. The lines are well marked and it is very easy to use. In the station, you can buy day tickets (for 1, 2, 3 or 4 days) that allow unlimited trips on the metro, buses, city trains, trams and funicular to Montjuic. The transport system generally is very good, with buses, the metro and the trams. The cost of travel is quite low. Much of Barcelona though is pedestrianised and very walkable.
* The Hop on Hop off bus is a good way to get your bearings, particularly if you are in the city for a short period of time. We did not use it on this trip, but have done in the past and it is very good. This bus actually makes it easy to get to the Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia, Gaudi houses and the waterfront. There are 3 different routes, 44 stops, audio commentary in different languages and you can board the bus anywhere on the route.
* Consider buying the Barcelona card. We did this and found it to be good value, especially if you are planning to visit a number of attractions and use the metro system. It combines unlimited rides on the metro, buses and trams, a free boat ride around the harbour and discounts on a lot of places including the Sagrada Familia and the Gaudi houses. You can buy 2, 3, 4 or 5 day passes.