Want to escape the crowds in Barcelona? These car-free day trips offer the best of Catalonia

There are plenty of interesting destinations you can reach in just a few hours by train from Barcelona.

Barcelona is one of the most-visited cities in Spain, and can be incredibly crowded almost year-round.

Its popularity has led to a lot of backlash against mass tourism in the city over the years, with widespread protests over the last 12 months.

I’ve lived in Barcelona for 10 years and over the years discovered many ways to get away from the city’s ever growing crowds. Here are my favourite, day or weekend trips from Barcelona, all accessible on public transport, so you can make sure your trip is more sustainable too.

Dicover Dalí's art in figurers by Train

I have always enjoyed the work of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and when I want to be reminded of his genius, I head up to the town of Figueres. It is located north of Barcelonajust over 30km from the border with France.

It can be reached by fast train from Barcelona in under an hour, so it’s a very easy day trip. Figueres is the hometown of Dalí and is home to the Dalí Theatre Museum, one of the best collections of his work in the world with over 1,500 pieces from sketches and sculpture to furniture and paintings.

To find out more about the artist, you can visit the Casa Natal Salvador Dalí – the artist’s birth house, which only opened to the public for the first time at the end of 2023.

If you love hiking like me, take a two-hour bus ride from here to the whitewashed coastal village of Cadaqués, where you can visit Dalí’s summer home at nearby Portlligat. I enjoy a walk in the Cap de Creus Natural Park, through the very landscapes that inspired Dalí and his work.

It would be too much to do both Figueres and Cadaqués on a day trip from Barcelona, but it’s ideal if you have a couple of days to spare.

Take a wine tasting tour in the Penedès

One of my absolute favourite day trips is to head out to Catalonia’s biggest and most important wine region – the Penedès.

While several different types of wines are made here, cava is what it’s most famous for. But the glasses of bubbly are not the only reason I love this place – its scenery is pretty spectacular too.

The best place to start your exploration of the area is the small town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia – the cava capital of Spain. It lies around an hour and a half by train southwest of Barcelona. The town is home to several cava wineries, where you can enjoy tours and tastings.

Two I recommend are Freixenet and Codorníu, the latter being one of the oldest in Spain. But the thing I love most here is taking an e-bike ride through the rolling vineyards, pairing the journey with tastings or winery tours along the way. Bikemotions is a great choice, located directly behind Lavern-Subirats station, just one stop beyond Sant Sadurní d’Anoia and is perfect for those who don’t have a car.

Explore modernista architecture in responsible

Catalonia’s grand Modernista architecture is one of the reasons why the region is so captivating. But these buildings are often way too crowded in Barcelonaand very expensive too, so when I want to explore further, I head to Reus.

This town is situated southwest of Barcelona and is accessible by train in around two hours. It’s the hometown of the architect Antoni Gaudí. Even though he never actually designed any buildings there, its collection of Modernista architecture is noteworthy.

Louis Domènech and Montaner is also designated by the Palace of Catalan Music. The Institute Pere Mata is Modernism.

Wander down the winding streets of Girona

One city that keeps drawing me back time and time again is Girona – the historic capital of the Costa Brava.

The fast train from Barcelona takes just 38 minutes, but there are slower and cheaper options that take from one to two hours. The city is split into two areas divided by a river – the Barri Vell (old town) and the more modern half.

I typically spend most of my time in the Barri Vell, exploring the rabbit warren of narrow cobbled streets and stone stairways surrounding El Call, the ancient Jewish Quarter. I like to get a bird’s eye view of the city by walking along its old city walls and I can’t get enough of the classic view of the colourful houses along the River Onyar.

The city’s beauty and charm have even been captured on film in ‘Game of Thrones‘, but it’s still not crowded, even on weekends.

Hike through the landscapes of Vall de Núria

When I really want to get away from it all, I head to Vall de Núria, in the Pyrenees, right on the border with France. It’s slightly too far for a day trip, but makes a great weekend getaway.

To get there, I take the train for around two hours 40 minutes to Ribes de Freser and then ride the historic rack railway a further 40 minutes up over 1,000 metres into the Núria Valley, surrounded by soaring peaks.

In winter I enjoy hiring snowshoes and taking stunning frozen routes through the wintery landscape – there’s also skiing available.

During the rest of the year, I enjoy hiking its many trails and marvelling at the spectacular mountain scenery. There’s one hotel in Vall de Núria itself, but you’ll find many more back in Ribes de Freser.

Take a day trip to Collsersola Natural Park

I love living in Barcelona, but one of the reasons I love it so much is that it’s so easy to get away from the city into the countryside.

In fact, I spend most weekends hiking in the hills and mountains, just a couple of hours away. And as I don’t own a car, I always take public transport to get there.

The Collserola is one of the easiest and closest places to get to for a day’s hike, or even for just a few hours, as it sits right above the city. Then are a multitude of different trails through the park of varying lengths and difficulty levels.

I have explored more than I can count, but I’m sure there are still so many more I haven’t had a chance to walk yet.

One route I particularly enjoy is from just behind Mundet metro station across the hills to the town of Sant Cugat del Vallès, with a small hermitage en route. For those who want an easy hike, you can always take the Carretera de les Aigües, a flat trail all the way around the crown of the city and affording spectacular views.