Best Day Trips from Barcelona

Who would ever want to leave Barcelona, right? One of world’s most beautiful cities is the place where anyone who calls himself a wanderlust wants to go at least once in a lifetime. And if you have seen any photo of this Catalan pearl, you’ll know the reasons why. However, if you happen to be there for a while and think you have seen it all, we have some suggestions where you could go to discover the region outside the big city hustle. Check out where you can go from Barcelona and have the best time while visiting beautiful Spain!

1) Sitges

Sitges is a popular getaway both for locals and travelers in Barcelona. This bohemian town is full of cafés, bars and restaurants scattered around the city’s narrow, winding alleys, as well as in the beautiful promenade by the Mediterranean. If you want to avoid the crowd on city beaches, try to find the smaller ones, called calas, perfect to relax and recharge your batteries.

How to get there:

• Train: There are 3 stations in Barcelona which provide connections to Sitges: Estacio de França, Passeig de Gracia and Estacio Sants.The final destination of the train is either Vilanova i la Geltru or St. Vincenç de Calders. One way ticket costs €4.10. Trains operate on this route from 06:47 to 19:37, check the schedule.
• Bus: Buses to Sitges from Barcelona leave from Plaza Espanya and Ronda Universitat throughout the day (Monbus company). There are also nightbuses N30, N31 and N32. One way ticket is €4.00. See the bus schedule.

2) Costa Brava

Lloret de Mar is one of Costa Brava’s most popular resorts, ideal for groups of friends or families. It has numerous Blue Flag beaches which attract more and more visitors per year. Families will adore Lloret for its great amenities and attractions, with a water park, huge adventure playground and plenty of bright ideas for excursions and activities close by. Apart from these, the place is known for its fantastic nightlife.

How to get there:

• Train: There are no direct trains from Barcelona Airport to Lloret de Mar. Therefore, it is necessary to take a train into the centre of Barcelona to head out towards the north of Catalunya.
• Bus: Sarfa company operates buses from Barcelona Airport T1 and T2 from 7:50 am to 9:15 pm, and the journey to Lloret takes nearly 2 hours. The same bus stops at Barcelona’s Estació del Nord station. The bus departs roughly every hour. Tickets cost from €9.60 each way, and the journey from Barcelona Estació del Nord takes 1 hour.

3) Girona

Many know it only as the cheap airport on their way to Barcelona, but you should spend some time in this city between the Pyrenees and Costa Brava. The city’s Jewish quarter is one of the oldest and best preserved in Europe. It is a real pleasure to walk around the streets to discover small passageways and gardens. Also, a special treat for all Game of Thrones fans – many scenes were filmed right in Girona.

How to get there:

• Train: The new high-speed AVE train from Barcelona to Girona will get you there in just 37 minutes. There are many departures a day and the journey usually takes between 40 and 70 minutes. A single ticket costs between €8.20 and €16.20.
• Bus: Sagalés is the bus company that runs the route from Barcelona to Girona. There are several departures a day. A journey of 1.30 hours costs €15.00 per direction.

4) Collserola Park

Collserola Park is actually the closest getaway from Barcelona, which is why some people don’t consider it a day trip, but it surely has enough potential to keep you busy all day long. It’s one of the biggest green areas of the region (8 000 hectares) and a place where locals go to relax, hike, bike, see the stars at the Fabra Astronomy Observatory and enjoy the breathtaking panorama. In 2010 Collserola became an official natural park of Spain and changed name to “Parc Natural de la Serra Collserola”.

How to get there:

• Train: There is only one way of reaching the park (other than on foot) and it is by taking the train FGC and exit at Baixador de Vallvidrera. One ticket costs €2.15.

5) Montserrat

The mountain of Montserrat is home to Catalunya’s holiest site, the same named monastery. Prepare yourself for some walking and for some spectacular views. If you’re lucky, you might also come across a choir performance inside the basilica. Afterward, you can take a funicular or walk down to the Santa Cova, the place where La Moreneta, a holy effigy of the virgin, was found, or, if you still have energy, walk up to the Sant Jeroni peak for a magnificent view of the valley.

How to get there:

• Train: Go to Espanya rail station and look for line R5 towards Manresa and get off at to Aeri to take the cable car ride or at Cremallera, the foot of Montserrat mountain (rack railway). To reach your way up the mountain to Montserrat monastery, you’ll need 23 minutes. The train leaves Espanya station once an hour from 08:36 to 16:36. One way ticket costs €11.65 (return €21.10).

6) Tarragona

If you head south, you’ll meet Tarragona, a place which, back in the days of the Roman Empire, was the most important Spanish port. You have a chance to see a well-preserved Colosseum and a lovely Catalan town with its own beautiful beaches. Another highlight of the city is the Tarraco Viva Festival, which gives you the opportunity to experience how the Roman life actually was. In 2000, the city of Tarragona was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its archaeological remains dating back to Roman times

How to get there:

• Train: Take the Avant train from Estacio de Sants and you’ll be in Tarragona in only 36 minutes. It costs €14.10 per direction. You can also take the Regional Express train which leaves from Estació de França, Passig de Gràcia and Sants, takes 1 hour and 20 minutes and costs €5.50 each way.

7) Delta de L’Ebre

This is a perfect getaway for anyone who’s into nature. Delta de L’Ebre is a natural park only 3 hours from Barcelona with numerous different birds species (more than 250!). There are also few beaches and maaany rice fields. The park is a perfect destination for a bike trip and you can spend your day at the beach, do sports like kite-surfing (very popular there) or enjoy the local cuisine.

How to get there:

• Train: Take the train (Renfe) to most of the major towns in the Delta de l’Ebre and the surrounding region, including L’Ampolla, L’Ametlla de Mar, Carmarles, and L’Aldea. Trains leave regularly from central stations in Barcelona.

8) Salou

Tucked in between Cambrils and La Pineda, Salou on the Costa Dorada is very close to aforementioned Tarragona, so you can combine these two in one getaway. The place is appealing to anyone who wants to relax on amazing beaches and enjoy some Spanish fiesta. Not to forget, go right down the road and you will see PortAventura, a mega theme park that throws in another water park on the side.

How to get there:

• Train: The train company RENFE provides the connection between Barcelona Sants station and Salou. The trains operate from 06:03 to 21:03. The journey is 1h 30min long. See the schedule. The ticket price varies from €8.80 to €19.90.

9) Catalonia’s Vineyards

Did you know that Catalunya belongs to one of the world’s finest wine producers? Apart from whites and reds, you can have a taste of Cava, a sparkling wine and a great competition to Champagne produced in France. If you’re a wineholic, choose among Penedes, Priorat and Alella and make sure you come by train or bus because it is hard to stop drinking those both delicious and economical wines after only one glass.

How to get there:

• Train: All three regions are easily accessible from Barcelona’s rail stations.
• Bus: All three regions are easily accessible from Barcelona’s bus station.

10) Besalú

Visit a typical Catalan medieval village and one of the most beautiful places in Spain. Once you get there, enjoy the breathtaking view of a fascinating Old bridge and the Fluvià river. Have a pleasant walk through the cobbled streets while sightseeing the village’s most important landmarks, the Collegiate of Santa María and the church-hospital of Sant Julià. After that, sit on the riverside to enjoy the tranquility and atmosphere.

How to get there:

• Bus: Teisa Bus operates on the route between Barcelona and Besalú. It takes you there in 2 hours. Check the schedule at Barcelona’s bus stations.