Mid-June we will be flying from Portland Oregon into Barcelona. My tentative plan is to spend 2½ days in the city exploring and then train/bus up to Girona, rent a car and drive to Cadaquez by way of Figueres. Then up into Languadoc for several days, returing the car back to Girona and flying to Rome from Barcelona for 8-9 days in Italy.

I'm looking for any advice or great ideas. Where would you go given the time constraints? This is our first time in the region and I'm looking to split the fun between the big city (live music, tapas, Gaudi) and the Costa Brava (swimming, sun, Dali).

Any and all recommendations/ideas appreciated!!

If you only have 4-5 days for Catalonia I'd spend the entire time in Barcelona and do a couple of daytrips.

agree with Cathy.

CathyM & danon - Hmm, Cadaquez is much too far for a day trip I think. Why do you both recommend staying in Barcelona the whole time? I'm open to ideas.

My tentative itinerary (it's a living changing thing!):
Day 1 - 1:30pm Fri arrival, check-in, dinner and hopefully a performance at the Palau Catalan
Day 2 - explore the city, Ramblas, Park Guell, etc.
Day 3 - explore the city, Sagrada Familia, etc.
Day 4 - travel up to Girona, check-in, explore town, dinner
Day 5 - early AM rent car, lunch in Figueres, Dali museum? drive on to Cadaquez, check-in, swim
Day 6 - either spend day in Cadaquez/Portlligat or N into France

I wasn't advising visiting Cadaques as a daytrip from Barcelona. But there are numerous daytrips you could choose from (Montserrat, Girona, Vic, Tarragona, Sitges, Figueres to name a few). If you are arriving after a transatlantic flight your first day and maybe day 2 will likely be jetlagged. There is so much to see in Barcelona itself - many people go for an entire week and never even leave. 5 nights with 2 back to back 1-nighters seems like alot of time packing/unpacking and checking in to hotels. Especially when Barcelona has so much to offer and your trip is then continuing to France and Italy.

Thanks for explaining. Sounds like a change of plans is in order!

Figueres is on the same train line as Girona - just another 1/2
hour farther. Could be done in one (long) day.
Sitges is a well known resort( 40 min. from Barcelona), if you are interested in swimming and don't care for beaches in Barcelona.
I have visited Barcelona four times ( never less than 4 full days) and still have more to see. Going again next month.

Am taking the board's advice and will spend 3 or 4 nights in the city.

danon & all - any recommendations on clean cheap hotels or hostels like the Urbany?

sorry, we stay in apts.

Danon are you still on this thread. I know it is an old thread but here goes. Have any suggestions on apartments. Will be going in Oct. and staying 4 days in Barcelona after a hiking trip.

6abc, I'll be arriving in my Barcelona apartment tomorrow, so can better recommend (or not) then, but I am dealing with Friendlyrentals.com.
Here's the link to "our" apartment

http://www.friendlyrentals.com/en/ap...ent-53-1-1.htm

NeoPatrick,
Hope you are having a wonderful time. Can't wait to hear about the apartment.

Oh I just checked NeoPatricks apartment and it is booked for the days we will be there. It looks wonderful.