Air Berlin
Based in Germany, it is the third biggest low cost airline in Europe, and offers cheap flights from London Stansted to Barcelona, Palma, Ibiza and Malaga.

bmi baby
A British low-cost airline and a subsidiary of British Midland, it flies from its main bases at East Midlands, Manchester, Cardiff, and Birmingham International to numbers of destinations in Spain – Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca.

EasyJet
Europe’s second largest low cost airline operates routes to Spain from all regions of the UK. EasyJet is one of the cheapest ways to fly from almost any UK airport to Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, Almeria, Malaga, Bilbao, Murcia and many more.

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One of the first things you’ll notice about the culture in Barcelona, and in Spain in general, is that time is pushed forward. In many cultures, you eat lunch between noon and 1:30; in Barcelona, you eat lunch between 3 and 4. Dinner is often not served until very late, between 10 and 11:30 in the evening; if you’re lucky, you may find eateries opening at 9:30, but that is the very earliest; if you try to eat too early, you will end up stuck in a tourist trap and over-paying. Make sure that you pack light snacks to take with you through the day if you are not used to eating at such times.

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Barcelona is a city of unique architecture, tasty treats, and that oh so Mediterranean feel. The entire city, largely thanks to the architect Antoni Gaudi, is like an outdoor art museum. Getting a taste of that culture can be frugal or even free.

Park Guell

Park Guell gives the frugal traveler one of the best views of Barcelona and for free. Within the park is the Gaudi Museum and numerous examples of his work.

How to get there? Barcelona’s subway system is easy and economical to use. The Metro stop for Park Guell is Lesseps.

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St. Joseph Market is one of, if not the most popular markets in town. It is best known as Mercat de la Boqueria. Opened originally in 1836, it is a roofed Catalan market with interesting architecture and atmosphere, not to mention a wonderful variety of products to choose from. Here you will find reasonably priced food, flowers and handmade stuff.

If you’re traveling with children, be sure to hit up the central sidewalk of Las Ramblas Ave, almost in front of La Boqueria market. There you will see many street stalls selling all sorts of small animals from birds to lizards to hamsters and dogs. Many locals say this is quite like an American petting zoo.

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To visit Spain by train

Travelling from the UK to Spain couldn’t be easier. Leave by train on the afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris and then the highly recommended ‘trainhotel’ from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona. Trainhotels have comfortable bedrooms, a restaurant and a café bar. Some of the top of the range rooms even have private toilet and shower facilities. The following morning jump on a fast train from Barcelona to Valencia or Alicante or from Madrid to Malaga, Seville or Granada. Reasonable fares start at £59 return, London to Paris plus £100 for the journey from Paris to Madrid or Barcelona including a sleeper compartment.

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