Barcelona Grand Prix: City vs Coast Guide.

City or Sea?

The Barcelona Grand Prix has long been a popular race for Grandstand Motor Sports customers. With good flight connections from many regional airports in the UK into both Barcelona and Girona, and with a short flight time, it is easy to understand why.

Combine the practical factors with a brilliant circuit, a very favourable climate, and a great destination, the Spanish Grand Prix is an F1 weekend break of dreams for fans.

Where should I stay — in the city or by the coast?
For the 20+ years that Grandstand Motor Sports has run trips to this event, we have given customers the option to stay in either the centre of Barcelona or on the Costa Brava coast. Both are great bases for the F1 weekend and they are more or less equidistant from the circuit.

Grandstand Motor Sports rep Laura Price loves this event and has repped it for us for many, many years. If you’re considering the Barcelona Grand Prix for 2026 but you’re unsure which place to choose for your stay, read on to hear about the unique selling points of each base.

City | Barcelona
Barcelona is one of Europe’s most lively and colourful cities offering visitors spectacular architecture, world-class cuisine, vibrant nightlife, sewn together by the unique Catalan culture.

If you’re looking for an action-packed F1 weekend break where the fun doesn’t stop once you’re away from the circuit, then Barcelona will suit you down to the ground.

As with most of Spain, eating out and nightlife tends to start late, so it doesn’t matter if you’re arriving back from the circuit in the early evening, because things are only getting started in Barcelona!

We always base ourselves in a centrally located 4-star hotel, the H10 Casanova, meaning Barcelona’s restaurants, shops, cafes and bars are well within walking distance – perfectly placed for an evening stroll right after your day at the circuit.

Most customers also tend to take advantage of being in the city for the F1 weekend and extend their break at the start or the end of their trip so that they can make the most of their stay and see the sights too.

Coast | Santa Susanna
The coastal town of Santa Susanna is located on the Costa Brava, north of Barcelona and just south of Girona. It is perfectly placed from both cities, just half an hour transfer from Girona and just over an hour from Barcelona.

Santa Susanna is a bustling seaside town in the summer. The boulevard that runs parallel to the coast is lined with hotels, bustling restaurants and shops, and that’s right where our hotel, the 4-star Aqua Onabrava, is located.

Our guests who stay with us in Santa Susanna for the F1 weekend love it because it gives them a feel of being on holiday. Our hotel has several pools which are perfect for relaxing after a hot day at the circuit. Along with the hotel’s sea views, it’s easy to see why our customers love this option. The hotel is on a half board basis too, meaning there is no stress for finding somewhere to have dinner in the evenings, and the food is really good.

Many customers choose to stay longer than the race weekend, either to extend their stay to make it more of a longer beach holiday or to travel further afield after the race weekend, to other places on the Costa Brava or on to visit Barcelona.

Is the City closer than the Coast?
We get asked this a lot and the answer is that the journey time is very similar, so you’re not really going to get to the circuit any quicker by opting for one or the other. Our recommendation would be to go with the option that you think would suit you best! And of course, our Sales team are always on hand to answer any further questions should you have them.

Join us for the Barcelona Grand Prix next June!
Our packages are on sale now – we look forward to seeing you in Barcelona or on the Costa Brava next summer.