Quick flights add to Barcelona's appeal

The popularity of Barcelona as a holiday destination for Brits is reflected in the huge number of low-cost air services that serve the city, an industry expert has claimed.

Neil Smillie, the boss of Holidays-Direct, explained that short flight times and a wide variety of attractions made the Spanish city a perfect short break destination for people from the UK.

Recently, a report in the Telegraph suggested that a week in Barcelona is £36 cheaper than a week's holiday in Blackpool for people in the UK.

Neil Smillie added: "With an average flight time of around two hours and some world-famous architecture to see when you are there, Barcelona has a huge amount to offer tourists.

"Las Ramblas and the Sagrada Familia are famous icons as is the Gothic Quarter and with Gaudi as its most famous export, Barcelona is often described as one big, open air museum!

"Art enthusiasts will be enthralled by the Picasso Museum and National Art Museum of Catalonia."

This is what the Lonely Planet has to say about the city: "After a makeover lasting more than two decades, Barcelona has transformed itself into one of the most dynamic and stylish cities in the world."

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