clevelandbrown

We will be staying in Barcelona in January, and want to visit Figueres and Cadaques. I don't drive so we will be using public transportation.

My reading shows we can take a train to Figueres, then a bus to Cadaques, and I assume a bus back to Figueres to get a train back to Barcelona. There are apparently multiple bus lines, so I am having trouble finding a schedule and estimating times, but I think perhaps this plan would have us spending all day transporting, and leave little time to see the sights. We have enough time that we could split this into two trips.

Is this too much for one day? And what is the best way to find appropriate bus lines?

Gina_07

It may be too much to enjoy in one day. We went to Figueres only, to see the Dali museum. There wasn't much else to do in Figueres, so we decided to stop in Girona on the way back. The train ride, to the best of my memory, was about 2+ hours one way 11 years ago. We were very tired when we got back. We should've skipped Girona. They may have much faster trains now but I still would not recommend.

CathyM

I think it's too much to really enjoy both cities. Personally I love Girona and would spend an entire day visiting this beautiful city.

clevelandbrown

I can now answer my question; a friend of my son's lived in Barcelona and reports that this trip can easily be made in a day.

We will be going in January, and both museums close for most of that month, so we will have to be careful selecting the date of our trip. The train from Barcelona to Figueres takes about two hours and runs frequently. The bus from Figueres to Cadaques takes about an hour, and runs less frequently. There is also a bus from Barcelona to Cadaques and back.

Both museums hours are, at that season, 1030 to 1800.

So our plan is to take a train and bus to Cadaques, and possibly a taxi to Port Ligat, and see the Dali house in the late morning (you need a reservation), then walk around Cadaques and have lunch there. Then take the bus back to Figueres to see the Dali Museum and take the train back to Barcelona for dinner.

Because of what I have found of the bus schedules (technically they are not yet available for next year) it makes more sense to go to Cadaques first and finish in Figueres.

Chynk92010

You should visit Montserrat and Sitges instead of Figueres (if the Dali museum is closed in January). Montserrat/Sitges is a day-trip from Barcelona. January is Winter, so, the coastal areas will be empty. Unless you're flying Ryanair to Barcelona, Girona is not a must-see place.

Chynk92010

Re: transportation in Spain, they have an excellent bus service (long or short distances), trains and metro are efficient. Just don't forget that they may go on strikes, too, because of the cost-cutting/belt-tightening being done by the government to prevent the collapse of their financial
system.