The first time that I visited Europe (England,) I was a little shocked to find out that I only got less than 60% back of whatever amount of money I gave to the person behind the Foreign Currency Exchange window. And things have not gotten any better! While you might pay between $100.00 - $250.00 dollars a night, for a hotel room in any city in the United States, that does not compare to 100 - 250 Euros. Therefore, Last year I decided that the best way for me to see other cities in Europe would be to take a cruise. And so I booked Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas, 7 nights, western Mediterranean cruise.
The port of embarkation was Barcelona, Spain. It seems that John F Kennedy airport in New York, offers the most options of non-stop flights with Delta, Iberia and American Airlines. Others non-stop can be found out of Atlanta (Delta), Philadelphia (USAir) and Newark (Continental). Remember that Barcelona was the host of the Summer Olympics in 1992, and since then it has seen major developments in their infrastructure. Therefore, a modern airport, with plenty of taxis, a walk-to train station and other transportation opportunities are available.
Expect hotels in Barcelona to run you somewhere between 150 - 300 Euros during the days that the ships are in port. There were three the day I was scheduled to depart. If you have not been to Europe, let me break it to you: DO NOT expect the same type of hotel accommodations you are accustomed to in the states. The rooms are smaller; the amenities not as many, and in many instances, the best hotels use historical structures which by definition provide smaller accommodations. Having said that, if you do your homework, you might find the most charming hotel; especially if you end up in some sort of Boutique Hotel. The choice of American brand hotels is not many. A friend of mine went several days earlier with a group of family members and by using the internet she found an apartment for rent. (Barcelona has also beautiful beaches).