Barcelona with Day Trip to Costa Brava
 

Hi - I am taking my DD to Spain this summer and would like advice on how to spend our time while in the Barcelona and nearby areas. I would love to visit Costa Brava but am not sure how to budget time. I plan to spen three nights and four days in Barcelona after we leave Granada. I was thinking we could take a day trip to Costa Brava but I'm not sure exactly where to go or how to get there. I will not be renting a car, so public transit is our only option. I really appreciate your help!

Where is Costa Brava would you suggest we visit? Thanks so much!

The Costa Brava will be crowded this summer, as usual. If you like, you can take the train up to Girona on a day-trip, and possibly visit Figures, but you'll need a car or take a taxi if you want to visit the coast at Roses or possibly Begur.

I would love to see cadaques. Is there a train that goes there? Is it worth it to rent a car once we arrive in Barcelona, drive to Costa Brava spend a few nights exploring different towns during the day and then drive back to Barcelona, drop off car and spend a few days there and fly out of Barcelona? If I choose this option, what is a good base for exploring Costa Brava?

Thanks!

Girona is not on the coast, so presumably you would like to see the coast, yes?

I have to say -- at the risk of people screaming at me -- that you are going to get steered to a lot of unrewarding places you don't want to see if you limit your research about seeing the Costa Brava to asking questions on Fodor's. It's just a fact, and I'm going to leave at that. You can try other message boards (TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet leap to mind), but you should also get a professional guidebook for the Costa Brava (Rough Guide does a nice one) or even just Spain overall. The "web" guides have pretty limited, rigid advice.

Despite the comments of our enlightened friend, you can check out the following:

www.baixemporda-costabrava.org/en/
http://en.costabrava.org/main/home.aspx

Just be aware that it will be busy on the coast this summer, as usual.

Loved Cadaques. We rented a ca, but you can get there by train/bus.

You can take a bus to Cadaques from Barcelona bus station (near Arc de Triumf). Timetable : www.sarbus.com
Or you can take a train to Figueres, then a bus to Cadaques, also operated by Sarfa.

Should I rent a car or is it easy enough to see Costa Brava by train?

You can't do the coast by train. You'll need a car.

Gotcha. Thanks!

What town(s) should we use as a base to explore the coast? We have 4 nights to spend in costa brava. Do you recommend we stay 4 nights in a town that is half way between barcelona and Cadaqués (like Begur)and then drive to Cadaqués as a day trip? OR Should we spend 2 nights in Begur and then two nights in Cadaqués? I really appreciate your input!

I'd stay in one place and go to Cadaques as a day trip.

And see the Dali Museum in Figures too.

I would suggest Girona as a base. Lots to see and experience in Girona. We rented a car at Girona airport even tho we took the train from Barcelona to Girona as that is where we got the best deal. We drove to Figueres and Cadaques from Girona.

Hi there - I am still in the early planning stage of a summer vacation with my DD this. So far, I know that I want to start in Venice and end in Paris. What I haven't decided is how to spend the middle of our trip. We have 6 nights that we'd like to spend enjoying beautiful beaches. At first I was thinking the south of France, but I've already seen that and would like to try something new. I had been thinking Spain and the beautiful Costa Brava but would like to know your thoughts. Are there other countries that I should consider with lots of beautiful beaches and good food for us to enjoy? Croatia? Greece? What about Mallorca? I really appreciate your help!

Anybody?

The Costa Brava will be busy, as will Mallorca, but both are doable. There are several resorts to choose from.

You might want to check out Cádiz and the Costa de la Luz, which lies east of the Costa Brava, facing the Atlantic.

Portugal is always nice, is less crowded and the food's not bad. And there are hundreds of miles of beach to roam.

You might also want to consider the Basque country, both the País Vasco and Pays Basque. The French side as some magnificent beaches, but it's always hard to beat La Concha beach in San Sebastian-Donostia. It will be busy and we always expect some rain in July, but its worth it. The international Jazz Festival takes place in late July in San Sebastian and a little earlier in Getxo (Bilbao). And of course this region is the center of the culinary world.

We are planning on being in Barcelona in late May. I also thought of taking a car trip to the Costa Brava, explore the area, take in the Dali Museum and relax on the beach. If we just want to make one or two stops by the sea in order to enjoy this area, where would you suggest? Does anyone know of a special place or two that would be a "real find"? Thanks.

Look into Begur, it's a beautiful medieval town, about 1.5 hour from Bracelona and on the way to Figures, Cadaques and 40 mins from Barcelona
We went in late May las year ( wonderful time to go) in fact we are revisiting this May too!
We stayed at the Aguiclara hotel, wonderfully located and a shabby chic kind of hotel. Begur has some amazing restuarants and it's perfectly placed in the CostaBrava.