8 days in Barcelona...day trips??
 

Our original plan was to experience Barcelona as well as southern Spain but thanks to the wisdom that prevails on this forum - you have convinced us not to spread ourselves too thin. I in fact am one who strongly encourages Fodor posters not to blow through Italy but rather slow down and soak it up. I need to follow my own advice.
We're going to follow up Provence with a week in Barcelona. This city obviously has an abundance of sites to see and culture to absorb. However, are there any worthy day trips that we might try to make with a rental car?

We took a day trip to Girona and Figueres - we actually went on a tour. Usually we head out on our own but I guess I didn't like how the train schedule looked so we decided to do the tour. It worked out well because we went to Figueres to see the Dali museum and it turned out that if we had not been on the tour we probably could not have gotten in - veeerrry long line. The town of Girona was wonderful too - very walkable and charming. This year we may try to do a day trip to Stiges or maybe Monserrat - Tarragona has Roman ruins so that could be a possibility as well. Have a great trip!

Hello Caroltis,

I went to Barcelona 2 yrs ago for a week and I would definitely recommend to do side trips. Barcelona is not such a big city. I like to walk every where, so was able to see most of Barcelona in 2 days. We went to Sitges and Taragona. We took the train since both of these locations were not very far. Sitges is a small but beautiful beach town. We did regret for not going to Ibiza or Madrid! If you like to take a relaxed approach then few side trips from Barcelona would be perfect!

We really enjoyed our day trip to Monserrat. The church was OK, but nothing special by itself. However, the mountain, the views from the top, and our time spent hiking on trails about the monestary made for an excellent day.

I do suggest packing some food supplies, as what was available up there wasn't very good or inexpensive. Sandwiches, granola bars, and bottled water are a good idea if you want to hike for a while.

There's a package train+gondola+funucular ticket that's worth getting if you don't already have a car. We didn't keep a car while in Barcelona.

I would absolutley go to Montserrat. Try to go on a clear day. The views are beautiful. Try to buy a combo round trip ticket at the station which includes the train ticket and the funicular (or cable car) ride to top.

Sitges was a gem as well. Beautiful town and beach. Less than an hour by train.

We stayed in Barcelona for 7 nights and never had the need to rent a car.

Have fun.

Yes, you can do Montserrat which can be combined with a stop at some of the cava houses in the nearby Penedes wine region. Think Cordorniu and Frexeinet. Figueres and the Dali Museum are a great stop as is Girona.
Sitges is a nice day trip. We enjoyed Tossa de Mar (but not Lloret de Mar) and Llafranca as well as Palafrugel and the lovely little medieval town of Peratalada nearby, all on the route to Girona. If you really start out early and want to make a very full day of it, you could drive to Figueres, see the Dali museum, return to take in Girona, then side trip to Palafrugel , Paratelada, and Llafranca before returning to Barcelona. It's all good.