Barcelona or Paris?

Paris and Barcelona are two of the most famous cities in Europe. What's more, there's a lovely scenic train route connecting Barcelona to Paris, with SNCF-RENFE providing a frequent service (the journey takes 6 hours 19 minutes).

Each city has its own distinctive character. Barcelona is the vibrant seaside capital of Spain's Catalonia region, while Paris, the capital of France, is a global mecca for art, culture, gastronomy and fashion.

If you have time to fit both cities into your schedule, that's great. However, if time is of the essence and you're faced with the difficult task of choosing between them, here are five key things to consider before making your choice. And we made sure, that we give you an overview of nightlife, weather, culture or price levels of these two great European cities.

What's the weather like in Barcelona compared to Paris?  

The weather in Paris is seasonal and usually fairly mild. However, it can get extremely hot in the summer, with temperatures well into the thirties (and, recently, the forties) and quite cold in the winter. This means that the best time to visit Paris is in the spring or autumn. Paris tends to get quite a lot of rain, whatever the season, so be prepared for the occasional shower.

 Barcelona is situated on the northern Spanish coast which gives the city a more temperate, humid climate. The weather is pleasant for most of the year, but things can get very hot and humid at the height of summer, with temperatures reaching well into the thirties. The humidity can make things seem very hot indeed. Late autumn is still a pleasant time of year to visit, but the winter months may feel damp and chilly - again, the humidity doesn’t help.

In general, Barcelona is a cheaper city than Paris. When it comes to wining & dining, you're more likely to find affordable options, and the accommodation and shopping is cheaper too.

 Which city has the best art & culture - Paris or Barcelona?

With world-class museums and art galleries on every street corner, Paris is paradise on earth for art lovers. The city's major calling card is the Louvre, the world's biggest art museum, home to some of the greatest masterpieces of the Western world, including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

Possibly just as famous is the Musée d'Orsay, located within a disused Beaux-Arts railway station and housing the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist artworks in the world – with Van Gogh stealing the show. Not to mention the wonderful Rodin museum, the Pompidou Centre, and so much more.

Barcelona may not have the Louvre, but it does have an excellent collection of art galleries and museums that faithfully reflect the identity of the region. The National Museum of Catalonian Art, set in a former castle with breath-taking views of the city, is a must-see, providing a fascinating insight into Catalan art from the 12^th to the 20^th century. Highlights of the permanent collection include 10th-century Romanesque murals salvaged from ruined churches in the Pyrenees, and examples of Catalan modernist art and photography.

Barcelona is also home to the Picasso Museum, which focuses mainly on Picasso's formative years and offers an insight into the artist's deep, lifelong love affair with Barcelona.

Which city has the most interesting monuments?

Aside from the majestic tree-lined boulevards and stately Haussmanian façades that have helped to establish its reputation as the world's most beautiful city, Paris is jam-packed with iconic buildings and monuments. These include the Arc de Triomphe, the cathedral of Notre Dame (still under repair since the devastating fire of 2019) and the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Coeur, perched on a hilltop in Paris' northern Montmartre district. Of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without a trip to the world's most visited monument: the Eiffel Tower. You can visit the 324-metre-high cast-iron tower designed by Gustave Eiffel in about half a day, and it's well worth climbing to the top for jaw-dropping views of the city, both by day and by night.

Barcelona may not have the Eiffel Tower, but it has the Sagrada Família. This awe-inspiring Roman Catholic basilica, under construction since 1882 and still unfinished, is an absolute must-see. Designed by Gaudí, the famous Catalan architect, it's just as amazing on the inside as it is on the outside. You can buy a ticket to climb the towers for amazing views of the city or the sea. It's safe to say that Gaudí has left his mark on Barcelona. You won't go far before you stumble across something designed by Gaudí, such as Parc Güell - a wander around this delightful park with its colourful mosaics really is a must - or the dozens of other Gaudi-designed buildings gracing the city's streets: Casa Milà, Casa Battló, Casa Vicens…

Which city has better food – Paris or Barcelona? 

“How can anyone govern a country with 246 varieties of cheese?”, the French statesman Charles de Gaulle once complained, or so the legend goes. Paris is the perfect place to give all those cheese varieties a try, ideally coupled with a fine French wine. The city has an ancient gastronomic tradition, as proved by the mind-boggling number of Michelin-star restaurants. If Michelin stars are beyond your budget, any average Parisian bistrot knows how to serve a good, simple meal - and any café knows how to serve a croissant and a coffee - without you having to get out a bank loan.

But Barcelona is the place to go if you're curious about Catalan cuisine, which is very diverse and relies heavily on ingredients found along the Mediterranean coast: fresh veggies, olive oil and cereals, fish, sheep and goats' cheese, but also meat dishes, especially pork. Don't go home before you've tried the famous crema catalana, Barcelona's answer to the French crème brûlée. You'll also love the wide selection of fresh seafood and fish in this seaside city - there's a fresh catch every day in the city's markets.

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