Barcelona

thumbnail|right|It rarely snows in Barcelona, but when it does it highlights the closeness of the mountain range at one end of the city to the seaside on the other |date = September 2015 }} August is probably the busiest time for tourists in Barcelona. However, many shops and restaurants are closed from early-August to early September.

During this time, you will find the most expensive hotel rates (outside of conference times such as the Mobile World Congress), and the city is devoid of locals, as the vast majority of residents go on vacation in August and leave the heat and humidity to the hordes of arriving tourists. This is also one of the highest periods of home break-ins, as criminals know that many places are unoccupied for an entire month.

thumbnail|right|Barcelona International Airport The main airport is ( ). Some low-cost carriers, notably Ryanair, use the airports of Girona ( ), nearly to the north, or Reus ( ), around the same distance to the south, instead.

Since Ryanair started operating at BCN, you should check carefully where your flight goes. The three-letter IATA code should be part of your booking process.

The public transport in the city and the surrounding area managed by Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM) consortium who provide information about services by all operators. The whole area is covered by the Integrated Fare System, which is divided into 6 zones.

This system includes the most of the public transport in the area: metro, city and intercity bus, tram and commuter trains. Like most major European cities Barcelona has moved to a rechargeable ticketing system called T-mobilitat..

Pickpocketing is the most pressing issue for visitors to Barcelona. Never keep your wallet, cash or important documents in trouser pockets or in bag pockets: a money belt is an easy and inexpensive way to prevent being robbed.

You will almost certainly be scoped out several times during your trip if you're in a tourist area or clearly don't fit in as a local, and it only takes a single momentary slip-up to lose your possessions. As always, be alert in crowded places, such as public transport, train and bus stations, La Rambla and Raval.