jgg

We will be spending 5 nights in Barcelona at the Hotel Pulitzer near Plaza Catalunya, then 8 nights in Morocco returning to Barcelona for our last night before flying home. We will arrive in Barcelona at 8:45pm but our flight the next day doesn't leave until 12:10pm. Is the airport close enough that we could stay at Hotel Pulitzer again or should we spend the night near the airport?

ekscrunchy

The airport is quite close to the city.

lincasanova

i think my decision would rest on if you are really going to DO anything in barcelona that night.

if not, i would save the two taxi rides and chill out at a nice airport hotel, have a light meal, and sleep in.

Maribel

jgg,
With a departure time of 12:10 p.m.
I would certainly stay at the Pulitzer and enjoy my last night in the city, but I'm not at all a fan of airport -vicinity hotels. The airport is only 12 km. away, and a taxi from Placa de Catalunya should cost around 18+ euros, including the supplement for the airport run, plus .90 euros for each bag carried in the trunk, says Aena.

strass

We have a similar plan (a few nights in Barcelona, then traveling around Spain, then one final night in Barcelona before a 9:40 a.m. flight), and we're going to spend our final night in the city as opposed to near the airport. There just don't seem to be many good/interesting lodging options near there, and we'd rather soak up one final night of the "old city" atmosphere rather than stay in a sterile "corporate" hotel.

newmanparker

We are staying at a brand new Renaissance Hotel near the airport the night before we depart for the states. It has a pool and we will be using marriott points.

Dukey

As close as the airport is I have to agree with Lincasanova. You won't get out of the airport until after 9PM I suspect. Unless you are planning to stay up late in the city and unless you just cannot resist the city (as many of us cannot) then I would stay at the airport.

fishee

Personally, if I weren't on the edge of collapse from exhaustion, I'd definitely try to get back into the city for my last night of tapas and cava and for an early morning run to the Boqueria for breakfast and food for the airport/plane. We were very glad we did this before going to the airport -- olives, iberico ham, fresh bread, fruit, cheese, chocolate -- and it's all so inexpensive... It really made flying (and leaving) more bearable for us.

jgg

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. To be honest I still haven't made up my mind, mostly because we are flying Iberia from Casablanca to Barcelona and I am worried, with their reputation, that it might be late. On the other hand there is a time difference, so it will actually feel like 8pm to us, rather than 9pm(if it arrives on time). The only thing we will probably do that evening is have a good dinner in the city. I suppose we could still stay in an airport hotel and go into the city for dinner. That way if our flight ends up getting in a lot later we could just crash at the airport hotel. Oh......decisions, decisions.

car

At the time you are arriving the difference between going to an airport hotel and downtown one will be no more than 10-15minutes.
Taxi difference maybe 10-12euros.
Next morning if you are lucky with weather, not difficult in Barcelona, you can have breakfast at a terrace around Paseo de Gracia and maybe a walk around "la boqueria" as fishee suggest.

Maribel

fishie and car's ideas are good ones if you decide to return to the city.
Before leaving the Pulitzer for the airport, stroll down to the Boquería market which is at its best in the morning and survey the lively scene. Have a delicious last snack at the famous breakfast-lunch counter, Pinotxo, which, according to Saveur magazine and Fodor's George Semler (Barcelona guide), produces "The Best Food from the Smallest Kitchen in the Best Market in Europe".

Just another thought...

BobSwanson

I had a similar problem a couple of weeks ago. But I wan't to spend my last night in Spain at a typical Spanish locale. I ended up about a 15 minute drive south of Barcelona at a lovely seaside hotel with a balcony overlooking the ocean. All for about 1/2 the cost of the hotel at the airport. Contact me if you want further details [email protected]

jgg

Thanks again. Car's last comments put me over the edge and I have decided to stay at the Hotel Pulitzer in the city for our last night. With it not being that much further and our early afternoon flight I think it won't be a problem to stay in the city.