Catalona/Costa Brava
 

I almost have this figured out! My 12 year old son and I are going to Spain next month! We have 4 nights in Barcelona and 3 nights in Calella de Palafrugell. The problem is I have 2 nights in the middle and can't figure out what to do with them. Was originally thinking Girona for 2 nights to explore some smaller towns (with castles?) by car or bus. Girona's hotel situation is pretty slim pickings at the moment. My fault for a relatively spur of the moment trip. Any ideas for those 2 nights? Could do one more night in Barcelona with day trips? And one more night in Calella de Palafregell? Would love opinions!

My wife and I stayed in Figueres for three nights a few years ago. It seemed a pretty good spot for day trips by car, which we rented in Barcelona. We visited Roses, Cadaques, Port Lligat, and of course, the Teatre-Museu Dali in Figueres, and there are numerous tiny hill towns worth visiting. If you do something like this, GPS will be invaluable.

In your case, it may be more practical to add nights to one or both of your two locations and avoid the hassle of packing/unpacking, etc. There's plenty to see in and around Barcelona. For example, your son might really enjoy a day trip to Montserrat.

Buena suerte!

I would add the two extra days to your time in Calella de Palafrugell. It will give you a little more time to explore the villages of Tamariu, Llafranc, Llofriu-Ermedàs, and Palafrugell (on market day), and enjoy your time on the coast before it gets overrun for the summer (visitpalafrugell.cat/en/)

Thank you both for your feedback. Montserrat would be a great day trip as well as Besalu. To explore these other Costa Brava towns Robert2016, do you think I need a car? Or could we do this with local transportation?

You might look at Tossa del Mar, which is reachable by public transportation. It has a castle and a beach.

Personally, I kept very busy in Barcelona for 5 full days, not counting day trips.

To figure out whether you'll need a car for any of these locations, check rome2rio.com -- just be sure to confirm anything you learn there, as it is not sensitive to seasonal variation.

Enjoy!

Bookmarking

You'll have much more freedom with a rental car vs public transportation.

At least one exception to the above.
You can easily get to Montserrat by train from downtown Barcelona. No need to drive there.

IME, a rental car does NOT necessarily provide greater freedom: The driver can't fully appreciate the scenery, the driver will probably be unable to responsibly enjoy a glass of Spain's incredible wine with any meals, etc.

While there are advantages to having a car on a super-fast-paced trip to places with limited public transportation options or when spending long enough in a location to want to explore places that are well off the public transportation network, a relaxed day or two outside of Barcelona doesn't seem, to me, to call for a rental car. JMO.

And taking public transportation has advantages, too:
- Driving can be stressful – and I say that as someone who loves driving! But some roads are challenging, unexpected detours or GPS failures can be a bit daunting, and driving into cities (and finding parking) can make the last part of a long trip less than pleasant.
- Driving is generally not a particularly green choice – and for some of us, that is a worthy consideration.
- Taking public transportation can sometimes allow wonderful opportunities to interact with people from the area, or gain insights into local norms and traditions.

Yes, public transportation is great, when it's convenient. But it's not all that convenient on the Costa Brava.

Actually I'm on board with kja - especially since my navigator will be a 12 year old. Would prefer public transportation for all of the listed reasons. Much more enjoyable and less stressful for mom. However, if it means not being able to see the sights, I'll deal with the stress.

From what I'm hearing, I might need a car in CB for at least a few days. Perhaps we'll explore what we can by public transportation and get a car for a day or 2 while were there. Thanks for the feedback!