I’ll be in Barcelona at the beginning of November celebrating a significant birthday so advice, please.

What’s the best way to get from the airport to the city centre?

Aside from the obvious what are the must-see places?

Where to go for food (vegetarian) and drink?

Anything else I need to consider, taking into account the current civil unrest?

There’s a train station at the airport.

Airport to City – Use the Aerobus, €10,20 return and takes you to a few places, Plaça de Catalunya being the most central.
Eating, Santa Gula was awesome last time I was there, though I am not a vegetarian.
Have you got a hotel sorted? If not, Yurbban Trafalgar is awesome and very well priced.
And book a bike tour, we did and it was brilliant, a really good way to see the city and get some ideas of where things are. I think we did one through Fat Tire, it was really, really food.
Sagrada Familia is stunning, but make sure you book in advance as it’s a long queue if you don’t.

Train or bus both no probs.

go to the obvious places, they’re busy cos they are worth seeing. Sagrada familia and cable car up to montjuic are stand outs.

food and drink? just wander til you find somewhere (no on las ramblas) that you fancy, it’s part of the fun, though be aware that they generally don’t eat/serve dinner til at least 9pm.

The current situation wouldn’t feature in my thoughts.

There’s a fabulous food market on Las Ramblas that is worth visiting.

Train from airport is mega cheap (but I don’t think you can use T10) and really easy.

Where are you staying?

+1 Santa Gula – we went a couple of times on Lunge’s recommendation and it’s our favourite.

Don’t bother with the cable car across the harbour, IMO.

Castell de Montjuic is a nice walk (you can get the gondola up if you’re short of time but it’s not cheap).

Other good restaurants – Pla (nice atmosphere, not too expensive) and Montiel (bit more spendy).

Go to Schilling for pre- or post dinner cocktails.

https://7portes.com/en/

Dont get put upstairs with the other tourists (just wait for another table). Have an Irish Coffee.

http://www.casacamper.com/barcelona/default-en.html

Pla is awesome, sept portes is pretty good (famous for paella) and GeeTee is spot on, market is brilliant, and some cracking wee places to eat at the rear of it.

Great suggestions, thanks. Keep ’em coming.

We’ll be staying at Vasanta Hotel Boutique, so that’s one thing sorted. 🙂

There is a train station (RENFE) and now a Metro underground station at the airport.

You are likely to come in to terminal 2 unless you are flying Vueling – in which case terminal 1.

Follow the signs for the station – covered walkaway from terminal 2 – the new metro terminal is next to the overland station.

Metro takes you to Universidad where you can change onto Line 3 and access the rest of the metro system.

Train takes you to Sants where you can access Line 3 & 5 of the metro system.

You buy a airport ticket from the ticket machine to get into town – about 5 Euro one way I think. Different tickets for Metro and RENFE train though.

Once in town buy a T10, one zone ticket at the metro station – this gives you 10 journeys, you can this on the metro or bus. About 12 Euro I think.

Don’t lose your tickets as you need them to get out the station. Fixed price fine of 100Euro to leave if you have no ticket!

Aerobus is OK if you are heading to Plaza Cat in the centre – I think it stops at the Sants Station as well.

Train or metro is generally nicer from the airport.

Though actually – looking at where you are staying –

Take the Aerobus – just outside the terminal to Plaza Catalunya. This drops you outside El Corte Ingles – massive department store. Then its a couple of blocks – less than 10 mins to walk it or a couple Euro in a taxi.

(Taxi from centre of town to the airport was about 35 Euro last time I took it.)

Excellent advice there Paulx, thanks.

There is an ‘upmarket’ restaurant opposite your hotel called Casa Calvet. Don’t bother. Overrated.

I went a few years ago and there was a plenty of reasonably priced options in Plaça Reial just off Las Ramblas however none of the crowd were vegetarian.