The Girona Day Trip from Barcelona, and 10 More Worth the Train

The 11 best day trips, ranked

Ordered by how well they repay a full day - factoring travel time, what you can actually see, and how easy they are without a car.

1. 
   1

   Montserrat

   Mountains & monastery

   50 km northwest · ~60-90 min door to door

   A Benedictine monastery wedged into a serrated rock massif, home to La Moreneta, the black Madonna that is Catalonia's patron saint. Ride the Sant Joan funicular from the monastery for ridge walks with views back over the abbey. Go early on a weekday - the queue to see the Madonna builds by mid-morning, and the boys' choir sings on most days (check the schedule before you commit).

   Getting there: FGC R5 trains from Plaça Espanya toward Manresa run roughly hourly. Get off at Aeri de Montserrat for the cable car up, or one stop later at Monistrol de Montserrat for the Cremallera rack railway. Combined tickets sold at Plaça Espanya bundle the train, mountain ascent and the funiculars on top.

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2. 
   2

   Sitges

   Beaches & old town

   35 km southwest · ~35-45 min by train

   A string of sandy beaches along a palm-lined promenade, crowned by the church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla on its headland - the classic Sitges photo. The old town packs in the Cau Ferrat museum (painter Santiago Rusiñol's house) and a lively bar scene; the town also hosts one of Spain's biggest Carnivals in February and a famous film festival in October.

   Getting there: Rodalies R2 Sud trains from Passeig de Gracia and Barcelona Sants run to Sitges in about 41 minutes from Sants, several times an hour, on an ordinary commuter ticket with no booking. The beach is minutes from the station.

3. 
   3

   Girona

   Medieval streets & food

   100 km northeast · ~38 min by high-speed, ~80-100 min by regional

   The cathedral has the widest Gothic nave in the world, the Call is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval Jewish quarters, and you can walk a long stretch of the old city walls for free. Finish at the Onyar river for the famous painted houses. Game of Thrones fans will recognise half the old town as Braavos.

   Getting there: High-speed AVE and Avant trains from Barcelona Sants reach Girona in 38 to 57 minutes, with roughly eight or more high-speed departures a day plus the hourly R11 regional at about an hour and a half for around 8 to 10 euro. Book the high-speed ahead for the cheap seats; the regional needs no reservation. From Girona station the old town is a ten-minute walk.

4. 
   4

   Figueres (Dalí Theatre-Museum)

   Art & Dalí

   140 km northeast · ~55 min by high-speed, ~2 h by regional

   The Dalí Theatre-Museum is the largest surrealist object in the world - Dalí designed it himself inside the town's burned-out theatre, filled it with the Mae West room and the rainy Cadillac, and is buried in its crypt. The Dalí·Joies jewel collection next door is included and often skipped; don't skip it.

   Getting there: High-speed trains from Sants to Figueres-Vilafant (~55 min), then a 15-20 minute walk or short bus into the centre. The slower R11 regional runs to Figueres' own station (~1 h 45 min-2 h), which is closer to the museum. Book the museum's timed entry online before you travel.

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5. 
   5

   Tarragona

   Roman ruins & seafood

   100 km southwest · ~1 h 10 min-1 h 25 min by train

   Roman Tàrraco was the capital of half of Roman Spain, and it shows: an amphitheatre set right above the beach, the vaults of the Roman circus under the old town, and the Pont del Diable aqueduct just outside it. Add the medieval cathedral, the Balcó del Mediterrani viewpoint and a seafood lunch in the Serrallo fishing quarter.

   Getting there: Two routes, and they end in different places. Regional R14, R15 and R16 trains from Barcelona Sants run to Tarragona's own central station, close to the Roman sites, in around 1h15 to 1h30. The high-speed AVE is faster on paper at about 33 minutes, but it arrives at Camp de Tarragona, roughly 11 km outside the city, with an hourly Empresa Plana bus taking about 20 more minutes into town. For a day trip the regional to the central station usually wins.

6. 
   6

   Tossa de Mar (Costa Brava)

   Beaches & castle walls

   100 km northeast · ~1 h 20 min-1 h 40 min by bus

   The Vila Vella is the last surviving fortified medieval old town on the Catalan coast, its walls and towers rising straight from the main beach. Marc Chagall painted here and called Tossa his 'blue paradise'. Walk the walls, swim below them, then follow the coastal path to quieter coves or take a summer glass-bottom boat.

   Getting there: No train. Direct Moventis Sarfa coaches run from Barcelona Nord bus station - frequent in summer, thinner off-season, so check the return times before you go. Tours combining Tossa with a coastal boat ride are a common alternative.

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7. 
   7

   Cadaqués & Portlligat

   Coastal villages & Dalí

   170 km northeast · ~2 h 45 min-3 h by bus

   A whitewashed fishing village on the Cap de Creus peninsula that stayed hard to reach and therefore unspoiled. Dalí lived and worked next door at Portlligat - his house-museum admits only small timed groups, so book well ahead. Walk out to the Cap de Creus lighthouse at mainland Spain's easternmost point if you have the legs.

   Getting there: The longest trip here: direct Moventis Sarfa coaches from Barcelona Nord run a few times daily, or take a high-speed train to Figueres and connect by bus (~1 h). Start early and check the last bus back - or stay overnight if you can.

8. 
   8

   Penedès wine country (Sant Sadurní & Vilafranca)

   Wine & cava

   45 km southwest · ~45-55 min by train

   This is where nearly all cava comes from. Tour the cellar caves at Codorníu or Freixenet in Sant Sadurní (book tastings ahead, especially weekends), then hop one stop to Vilafranca for the Vinseum wine museum and a proper Catalan lunch. A rare wine-region day trip that works entirely by commuter train.

   Getting there: Rodalies R4 trains from Plaça Catalunya and Sants toward Sant Vicenç de Calders stop at both Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and Vilafranca del Penedès. In Sant Sadurní, Freixenet's cellars are directly opposite the station; Codorníu's Modernista winery is a 20-minute walk.

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9. 9

   Vic

   Markets & medieval squares

   70 km north · ~1 h 15 min-1 h 30 min by train

   Vic's huge arcaded Plaça Major hosts one of Catalonia's oldest markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays - time your visit for one of those. There's a 2nd-century Roman temple that was only rediscovered in the 1880s hiding inside a demolished castle, the Episcopal Museum's Romanesque art collection, and the town's famous llonganissa cured sausage to take home.

   Getting there: Rodalies R3 trains from Barcelona Sants and Plaça Catalunya toward Vic/Puigcerdà run roughly every 30-60 minutes. Vic station is a 10-minute walk from the Plaça Major.

10. 
    10

    Colònia Güell

    Gaudí without the crowds

    20 km southwest · ~25-35 min by train

    Gaudí's crypt here is where he tested the leaning columns and catenary vaults he later scaled up for the Sagrada Família - it's UNESCO-listed and you can usually study it almost alone. The surrounding Modernista textile-workers' village is a piece of industrial history in its own right. Half a day is enough; you'll be back in Barcelona for lunch.

    Getting there: FGC suburban trains from Plaça Espanya (S3, S4, S8 or S9) stop at Colònia Güell station in about 20 minutes; the crypt is a signposted 10-minute walk through the village.

11. 
    11

    Sant Pol de Mar & the Maresme coast

    Easy beach days

    45 km northeast · ~60-75 min by train

    The R1 is Barcelona's beach train: the ride itself is half the pleasure. Sant Pol keeps a whitewashed fishing-village core with small coves either side of the station; Calella adds a long sandy beach and a lighthouse walk. Far calmer and cleaner than fighting for towel space at Barceloneta.

    Getting there: Rodalies R1 trains from Plaça Catalunya (also calling at Arc de Triomf and El Clot) run up the coast several times an hour - the line hugs the shoreline and stations like Sant Pol de Mar and Calella are steps from the sand.

Day trips from other cities