Day trips
7 Best Day Trips from Barcelona by Train
Catalonia packs monasteries, Roman ruins and Dalí's madhouse into a radius most cities would fill with suburbs — and Sants station reaches all of it before lunch.
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Montserrat
The serrated mountain monastery above the Llobregat valley. Take the R5 from Plaça Espanya, then the cremallera rack railway or the aeri cable car for the final climb.
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Girona
Medieval walls, a Jewish quarter that survived intact, and the cathedral staircase every Game of Thrones fan photographs.
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Figueres
The Dalí Theatre-Museum, designed by the man himself and quite unlike any museum you have entered.
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Tarragona
A Roman amphitheatre on the beach, and the best seafood lunch on this list.
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Sitges
Seventeen beaches, whitewashed lanes and a modernista seafront half an hour down the coast.
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Valencia
Paella where it was invented, plus Calatrava's science city. Long, but doable as one very full day.
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Zaragoza
The Basílica del Pilar's frescoed domes, halfway to Madrid and half the crowds of either city.
Common questions
What is the best day trip from Barcelona by train?
Montserrat — The serrated mountain monastery above the Llobregat valley. Take the R5 from Plaça Espanya, then the cremallera rack railway or the aeri cable car for the final climb.
Do I need to book these trains in advance?
For high-speed and intercity services, yes: fares rise and popular departures sell out. Suburban and regional lines have fixed fares, so you can simply turn up.
Are these trips possible without a car?
Every destination on this page was chosen because public transport does the whole job — train, and occasionally a short bus or funicular at the far end.