5 Days in Barcelona: The Day-Trip Itinerary

Five days from a Barcelona base runs the same spine as our 4-day plan , Montserrat, Girona plus Figueres, Sitges, and Tarragona, then adds the one day on this whole itinerary that actually needs a rental car: the Costa Brava. For the full week, see the 7-day version.

Book these before you go

Day Trip Distance / Time
1 Montserrat 1 to 1.5h, FGC + Cremallera from Placa Espanya
2 Girona + Figueres 40 min to Girona, another 30-45 min to Figueres
3 Sitges 35 to 40 min, R2 Sud from Sants
4 Tarragona 45 min to 1.5h from Sants, slower train wins
5 Costa Brava 1.5 to 2h drive, no direct train

Day 1: Montserrat

Morning

FGC R5 from Placa Espanya to Monistrol de Montserrat, about an hour, then the Cremallera or Aeri cable car for the last climb. Combined ticket: 15.90 EUR one-way, 28.80 EUR return, per current fares on the Cremallera de Montserrat site .

Afternoon

The basilica, the Black Madonna, and a mountain trail if conditions allow. Museu de Montserrat: Mon-Fri 10am-5:45pm, weekends 10am-6:45pm; visitor details sit on montserratvisita.com .

Evening

FGC back into Barcelona, dinner in the city.

Day 2: Girona and Figueres

Morning

Fast train from Barcelona-Sants, about 40 minutes to Girona: old town, cathedral, El Call, the Onyar river houses.

Afternoon

Another 30 to 45 minutes on to Figueres for the Dali Theatre-Museum , 18.50 EUR online.

Evening

Same line back to Sants; combined day fares run roughly 19 to 42 EUR.

Day 3: Sitges

Morning

R2 Sud from Sants, 35 to 40 minutes, 4 to 5 EUR each way. Beach and Modernisme streets in the morning.

Afternoon

Seafront lunch, then the old town’s architecture crawl.

Evening

Frequent trains back to Sants all evening.

Day 4: Tarragona

Morning

Slower Rodalies regional train, 75 to 90 minutes, 7.50 to 9 EUR, drops you in the historic center; the faster AVE leaves you 10km out. Check both options on Renfe .

Afternoon

Roman amphitheater, circus, and forum; combined 5-site UNESCO pass, 15 EUR.

Evening

Train back to Sants; confirm the return schedule before you leave in the morning, service thins out earlier here.

Which of the First Four Day Trips Should You Cut if Time Runs Short?

Cut Tarragona before Sitges or Girona if a choice is forced. Montserrat and Girona are Catalonia’s two strongest day trips outright, and Sitges takes barely half a day out of your schedule. Tarragona is genuinely worthwhile but the least essential of the four if you are trimming a five-day plan back to three or four.

Day 5: Costa Brava

Morning

Pick up a rental car and head north; there is no direct fast train to the Costa Brava’s actual coastline, so this is the one day on the whole itinerary where driving beats the rails. Cadaques, Tossa de Mar, and Begur each sit 1.5 to 2 hours out depending on your route.

Afternoon

Cadaques rewards the longer drive with whitewashed streets and a genuine Dali connection, he lived nearby in Portlligat. Tossa de Mar pairs a walled old town with a proper beach. Pick one as your anchor rather than trying to string together all three in a single day.

Evening

Drive back into Barcelona; return the car that evening or the next morning depending on your rental terms, and avoid arriving into the city center during peak rush hour if you can shift your departure time.

Is the Costa Brava Worth Renting a Car For Just One Day?

Yes, specifically because it is the only day on this plan that needs one. Public transport reaches the Costa Brava’s edges through Girona or Figueres, but the coastline’s best towns, Cadaques especially, sit well beyond convenient bus or train access. A single day’s rental cost splits easily across a small group and buys genuine flexibility the train days do not offer.

Fill the tank before you return the car in Barcelona; most rental agreements charge a steep per-liter fee for a return below full, and hunting for a gas station in city traffic is a bad way to end an otherwise easy day.