Grendel, we stopped in Tossa de Mar last October & loved the fortified medieval old town. The views from the top are spectacular. We didn't go to Figueres but we did stay overnight in Cadaques, & that was one of the highlights of our trip! We visited Dali's house in Port Lligat. Hope you have a chance to return.

we did a day tour to Girona and Figueres. We had very limited time in Girona, but the Dali Museum in Figueres was excellent. I wouldn't have gone there if it hadn't been in the tour. In retrospect I am sorry we didn't include an overnight in Girona in our trip

p.s. I was in Barcelona for 11 days. If I was going for only 5 days I would not include any day trips.

such great information! Thank you everyone for sharing. Seeing as how we don't want to have a set itinerary for Barcelona I'm hesitant to book any train tickets prior to the trip. From looking at the Renfe site, prices don't seem to change much from purchasing online or at the kiosk...is this the same for buying same day train tickets if we decided last minute?

I think you're on the right track. With only 5 days you may or may not have time for a daytrip. You can generally purchase train/bus tickets for any of the trips we've mentioned on the day you want to travel. This will give you the flexibility to enjoy your vacation without a set schedule.

Have a wonderful trip!