THE BEST EXCURSIONS FROM BARCELONA

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Barcelona is one of our favorite cities, where we live for a few years and to which we take great love. But we know that it is equally loved by lots of travelers, who are attracted by the special charm it gives off. But Barcelona not only has a good handful of things to see and do (for example, these 100), in its surroundings there are places that deserve a visit. So if you have time on your visit to Barcelona, a good idea is to dedicate a day to do some excursion.

Here we tell you what they are the best excursions from Barcelona (one day and several) and how to do them (both for free, as with tour).

The Montserrat massif is one of the most special places in all of Catalonia. If its natural beauty, composed of capricious rounded rocks, was not enough, here is also the sanctuary of the patron saint of this land: the Virgin of Montserrat, popularly known as “the brunette”, For his black skin.

For free

It is the option we recommend as it is very easy and comfortable. You can choose whether to take a Rodalíes train of the R5 line from Plaza de España to Monistrol de Montserrat (1.05h / € 10.5 the i / v ticket) and from there take the rack that goes up to the mountain (15 minutes / € 10.40 the i ticket / v), or you can also rent a car (A great idea if you want to make the most of the day and make some extra stop).

→ Here you can see the schedules and prices of the R5 train and the Montserrat rack
→ Compare the prices of car rentals

On tour

If you do not want to complicate your life and prefer to rely on a guide to give you a lot of info about Montserrat, you can take a tour from Barcelona that costs € 55 and includes a bus to the zipper, zipper, tickets, Spanish-speaking guide and a tasting of liquors More info.

Girona surprised us very positively, we weren't expecting much from this flirtatious Catalan city and we returned delighted! Its historic center is a real gem. So we can do nothing but recommend stopping by, even better if you can stay for a night or two. And if you like it Game of Thrones even more!

For free

To get from Barcelona you can take the line R11 of the commuter train (Rodalies). The trip takes 1.30-2h and costs € 11.25. Once in Girona you can quietly explore the city on foot (the historic center is quite small).

On tour

Although we thought it was best to go for free, then we discovered that there is a tour that includes € 28 round trip transportation from Barcelona, a Spanish-speaking guide who will tell you the history of the city before arriving and that once in Girona It will give you a tour of the historic center. Come on, unless you do not prefer to explore the city at your leisure ... we believe it is quite worth it and that you can even get cheaper than doing it for free! More info. And for the Game of Thrones geeks this.

Have you always been passionate about Dalí's figure? In Figueres, just 140 km from Barcelona, you will find the best museum in the world to approach the genius of surrealism. Here you will find works like Bread basket, Atomic Leda, Sex-Appeal Spectrum, Wind palace, among others (without forgetting the fantastic collection of jewels). In addition the building already deserves a visit!

For free

If you are just an amateur or just interested in seeing the museum, you can visit it very easily from Barcelona. To get there you will have to take the train Barcelona-Figueres. It takes 1.50 / 2.40h depending on the type of train and costs about € 12-14 (one way price). The entrance to the museum costs € 14.

On tour

If you are passionate about art and the figure of Salvador Dalí seems most interesting, perhaps the tour is a good idea, especially if you want to combine it with the visit of Girona. The tour costs € 78 and includes transportation to Girona, tour of the center, transfer to Figueres and visit the museum (entrance and guide in Spanish as well). More info.

If there is an excursion that we recommend doing yes or yes from Barcelona, it will take you to travel part of the Costa Brava, a stretch of coastline full of calitas of transparent waters, villages dotted with bougainvillea, beach bars and the occasional surprise like the castle of Tossa de Mar. Ideally, explore this area for several days, but if you only have one day of time we tell you how to take advantage of it.

For free

If we only have one day of time, the ideal would be to rent a car and make 2 stops at most. And we have no doubt what they have to be: Cadaqués Y Tossa de Mar, two lovely villages.

Our advice is that you move the early morning until Cadaqués, spend a few hours on your beach and eat in one of the many restaurants that fill its beautiful streets.

By late you can approach Tossa, visit the Playa Grande and be amazed by the views of the Castle and, of course, you have to go up to see it up close. Tip: take the last bath of the day at Playa d'es Codolar (on the other side of the castle).

Between Cadaqués and Tossa there are some cool towns like Roses, in Ampurias They are one of the most important archaeological sites in Spain,Empuriabrava with its canals, the medieval town of PalsorCalella de Palafrugell with an interesting harbor neighborhood.

Don't you want to rent a car? Then we recommend you approach by train to Blanes station and once there take a bus to Tossa and spend the whole day here! The combined ticket costs € 5 (one way).

→ Compare the prices of car rentals

On tour

We definitely prefer to do this tour for free, especially if you can rent a car. But if you want to join a tour, these are the ones we recommend:

Bus to Lloret de Mar, boat to Tossa de Mar and guide in Spanish for € 55. More info.
Visit the coastal towns of Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc, the interior Pals, then Estartit from where a glass bottom boat route is made and end up visiting the Greco-Roman ruins of Ampurias. In total 11 hours and the price is € 84. More info.

There is a great reason to come to Tarragona: its Roman amphitheater, of course! It is one of the most impressive Roman antitheatres (measuring 109.5 by 86.5 meters) and at the time had a capacity of 14,000 people almost na! It also has some cool urban beaches and is a stone's throw from Barcelona.

For free

Do not turn around, in this case arriving and visiting the city for free is so cheap and simple that it makes no sense to think about doing it with a tour. From Barcelona there are trains to Tarragona very frequently. Get on a train from Rodalies (line R14, R15, R16. It takes 1 hour and costs € 7).

→ Check train schedules from Barcelona to Tarragona here.

Sitges, together with Cadaqués and Tossa de Mar, is our favorite village in Catalonia. And you dare to visit it will not surprise you: it has a very lively historical center, with little shops, restaurants and the occasional architectural jewel like the Bartomeu House, the Parish of Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla, the Palau Maricel and the Pati Blau. But its beach is fantastic! And if we want to finish off, Sitges eats very well and the party is never lacking.

For free

As in the previous case, it is best to arrive in Sitges by free. It's as simple as riding a Rodalies train on the R2 line and getting off 30 minutes later (the ticket costs € 4.2).

To visit Andorra you have to have yes or yes of several days, but if the weather is not a problem for you do not hesitate: this small country hidden between the Pyrenees has many things to offer, especially if you like hiking, skiing and enjoy nature. And also if you like shopping! Here we tell you more.

For free

You can take a bus to Andorra la Vella. It takes 3h and costs € 28/30. Although it is best to rent a car to take advantage, once in Andorra, to visit as much as possible.

The bus companies are: Alsa, Andbus (to the airport), Movelia, Andorra Direct Bus.

On tour

Being a getaway for several days, it is better to do it for free and plan the trip yourself

Here is a list of other excursions near Barcelona that are worthwhile:

- Penedés Region. We never went, but they spoke wonders. It is a perfect getaway for wine lovers. More info.

- Port Aventura. For those who enjoy a good roller coaster! We were a couple of times and we loved it! More info.

- Pyrenees. If you are more of a mountain and yours are nature and outdoor activities. More info.

- Cardona Castle. One of the best preserved fortresses in the whole country. More info.