edwinaak

HI,
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TAKE A DAY TRIP FROM BARCELONA TO FIGUERES IN ORDER TO VISIT THE DALI MUSEUM???

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!
JUDY

bugswife1

Take the local train. It is about an hour ride, and then you can walk to the museum. Get there early, the line to get into the museum can easily stretch to an hour. Well worth the effort. I don't remember the name of the train station we went to, but we were staying at the Ritz in L'Example district and the station was just a few blocks away.

Jean_Valjean

You need to go to the Passeig de Gracia station. There's usually a train every 30-45 minutes (either a Cercanias or a Delta Express). Cercanias trains stop a lot, the Express stops less, but it is a bit more expensive.

A good way to do it is to leave early, get to Figueres and walk to the Dali museum. After coming out, get on the train again (towards Barcelona), and get down at Girona. Very nice town with a very pretty medieval quarter.

This is a very doable itinerary for a day trip.

mcgeezer

When we went to the Dali museum we had the idea of getting there early and managed to get there just in time for a gazillion tour buses to join us. If this happens, go have coffee. They will be finished soon enough and then you can enjoy the wonderfully interactive magic of this place.
(I wasn't a fan of Dali until I went there.)
Have a great time.

edwinaak

Hi bugswife1,jean valjean, and macgeezer,
...appreciate your input.....
Judy

mpprh

Hi

I take visitors to this museum quite often.

If you can't be the first in the queue, it shrinks over lunch, then grows again in the afternoon.

There are a couple of good Tapas bars nearby .......... early lunch ?

I agree with visiting Girona if possible.

Peter
http://tlp.netfirms.com

edwinaak

Hi Peter,
Thanks for your info... You mentioned taking people to the Dali Musuem. Are you a travel agent? A kind resident of the area? I will probably go to Girona as was previously mentioned. The guidebooks list Girona and the charming sites it has to offer.
Judy

abid4travel

Hi there,

I was wanting to do this same Figueres and Girona side trip. I just had a couple of questions about the train travel...

Can I purchase the train tickets half an hour before departure, or should I purchase tickets day(s) in advance? I don't want to have to wait in a long line for tickets, but since it's local travel I didn't think it would be that bad...

If it's suggested to reserve tickets in advance, I read that Renfe only lets you reserve your first order when it's your first time using the online system. Does that first order include multiple passengers traveling on the same itinerary (i.e. 3 passengers from Barcelona to Figueres), or is the first order include only a single passenger ticket (i.e 1 passenger from Barcelona to Figueres)?

Also, can I get on/off the train whenever I want from Barcelona to Figueres to Girona to Barcelona (following the train time schedule of course)? Or do I HAVE TO follow the exact time schedule I purchase the ticket for? If I finish up early in Figueres or Girona, I'd like to get back earlier to Barcelona if possible...

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Jean_Valjean

The Cercanias train are run pretty much like a subway. The best example I can think of in the US is the Metro North commuter rail in NY. You buy a ticket for a destination or a zone, not for a specific train/time. You don't reserve seats, and you can go standing if there's no seating available. The Delta Express trains stop less, and are slightly more expensive.

I would arrive at the train station maybe 5-10 minutes before the scheduled time, and buy my tickets at one of the machines. There's no need to purchase them in advance.