7 Days in Barcelona: The Day-Trip Itinerary
A full week from a Barcelona base runs the same spine as our 6-day plan , Montserrat, Girona plus Figueres, Sitges, Tarragona, the Costa Brava, and Penedes, then closes with Madrid, the one trip on this whole list that is genuinely better as an overnight than a single day. Only got a couple of days? Start with the 2-day version instead.
Book these before you go
- The FGC-plus-Cremallera combined ticket for Montserrat: book it online
- Dali Theatre-Museum entry for day two: check current Figueres tickets
- A rental car for day five’s Costa Brava run: compare cars in Barcelona
- A Barcelona hotel near Sants for the whole week: check rates on Booking.com
| 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 |
| 6 | Penedes | 40 to 50 min, R2/R4 from Sants |
| 7 | Madrid | about 2.5h each way, AVE from Sants |
Day 1: Montserrat
FGC R5 from Placa Espanya, about an hour to Monistrol de Montserrat, then the Cremallera or Aeri cable car up the final stretch. Combined ticket: 15.90 EUR one-way, 28.80 EUR return, per current fares on the Cremallera de Montserrat site . Basilica, Black Madonna, and a mountain trail if conditions allow; visitor details sit on montserratvisita.com .
Day 2: Girona and Figueres
Fast train from Barcelona-Sants, about 40 minutes to Girona, then another 30 to 45 minutes on to Figueres for the Dali Theatre-Museum , 18.50 EUR online. Combined day fares roughly 19 to 42 EUR.
Day 3: Sitges
R2 Sud from Sants, 35 to 40 minutes, 4 to 5 EUR each way. Beach, Modernisme architecture, and a seafront lunch.
Day 4: Tarragona
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 on Renfe . Roman amphitheater, circus, and forum; combined 5-site UNESCO pass, 15 EUR.
Day 5: Costa Brava
Rental car day, the only one on this whole itinerary. Cadaques, Tossa de Mar, and Begur each sit 1.5 to 2 hours out; pick one as your anchor.
Day 6: Penedes
Rodalies R2 or R4 from Sants, 40 to 50 minutes, 4 to 5.50 EUR, to Vilafranca del Penedes or Sant Sadurni d’Anoia. Winery tastings run 15 to 50 EUR per person, the lightest, most relaxed day of the week.
With a Full Week, Should You Really Do All Seven Trips?
Six of them, comfortably, yes. Montserrat, Girona and Figueres, Sitges, Tarragona, the Costa Brava, and Penedes each deliver something genuinely different, a mountain monastery, medieval streets and surrealist art, a beach town, Roman ruins, a rugged coastline, and wine country, and none of them feel rushed spread across six days. Day seven, Madrid, is the one worth thinking through rather than booking on autopilot.
Day 7: Madrid
Morning
The AVE covers Barcelona-Sants to Madrid in as little as 2 hours 29 minutes. Advance economy fares start around 35 EUR; walk-up tickets can run 90 to 180 EUR or more, so book seats the moment this day is locked into your plans. An early departure, ideally before 8am, is the only way to make a single day genuinely work.
Afternoon
Five hours round trip in transit leaves a real but thin window in the city, enough for the Prado or Reina Sofia and a walk through the historic center, not both plus everything else Madrid actually deserves.
Evening
Last AVE back to Barcelona-Sants; check the final evening departure time before you commit to a full day in Madrid rather than an earlier return.
Is Madrid a Realistic Day Trip From Barcelona?
Technically yes, honestly a weak use of the last day of a week-long trip. Madrid is a capital city that rewards a multi-day visit on its own terms, and squeezing it into a single day trip from Barcelona means roughly five hours spent on a train for a few hours on the ground. If Madrid genuinely matters to this trip, book it as an overnight extension instead, and use day seven as a slower, flexible day back in Barcelona: a repeat visit to whichever earlier stop you rushed, or simply a full day in the city itself before flying home.
Book AVE seats to Madrid the same day you confirm your travel dates if you are set on the day-trip version; advance fares run a fraction of walk-up prices, and the gap only widens closer to departure.