I went to Sitges on a Sunday in August. The seafront was a river of people, the beach a mosaic of towels, and in the old town you could not walk. I went back on a Tuesday in October and it was another village: the same place, empty, with the church above the cliff and nobody around.
That is the lesson I repeat most, midweek or early. And the second, the one that saves the most plans: check how you get there before falling for a village.
Day-trip basics
Quickest Sitges, 35-50 min by train, covered by the T-Casual · Prettiest Besalú, 2 h · Budget 25-40 € a day
Without a car train to Sitges, Montserrat and Girona, bus to the medieval ones · The rule always midweek
This is what decides the plan. Before falling for the photos, look at the transport column.
| Village | Distance | How to get there | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitges | 40 km | R2 Sud train, T-Casual | 35-50 min |
| Caldes de Montbui | 30 km | Bus or car | 45 min |
| Montserrat | 50 km | FGC R5 and rack railway | 1 h |
| Tossa de Mar | 90 km | Bus or boat from Lloret | 1 h 30 |
| Rupit | 95 km | Car, limited bus | 1 h 30 |
| Castellfollit de la Roca | 120 km | Teisa bus | 1 h 45 |
| Besalú | 130 km | Teisa bus or car | 1 h 40 - 2 h |
| Cadaqués | 170 km | Direct Moventis bus | 2 h 45 |
The top ones are doable in half a day. The lower ones need a full day, and Cadaqués is one to stay overnight.
The village I escape to for medieval, Besalú
It is my favourite medieval village and I do not think twice.
It sits in La Garrotxa and looks like a painting: a 12th-century Romanesque bridge arching over the river leads into a compact core of stone houses and small squares. It was an important capital in the Middle Ages, and it shows at every turn, with the monastery of Sant Pere, the Jewish baths, the Romanesque Cornellà house and the Gothic hall of the Curia Reial palace.
My trick is to go down to the riverbank for the bridge reflected in the water, which is the photo. And at weekends, go at sunset, when the groups have left and the light is better.
The best part is that the same journey lets you string together Castellfollit de la Roca, a village built on a basalt cliff 40 to 50 metres high and a kilometre long, which often appears on lists of villages with the best views, and Olot. Three villages in a day, in the spirit of Catalonia’s autumn forests.
That stone core is no film set: it carries over a thousand years of real history.
Crossing that bridge is literally stepping into another century, and that is why it is my favourite.
Before choosing a village it helps to know which work without a car and which all but require one.
Without a car, Sitges and Montserrat give no trouble, and Rupit is the one that gets complicated.
The quick half-day trip, Sitges
About 35 to 50 minutes on the R2 Sud train from Passeig de Gràcia, 40 km away, and the trip is covered by the T-Casual. It is the quickest and cheapest day trip there is.
It has everything: a long golden beach, an old town with the church above the cliff, Catalan Modernisme, museums and an open, easy feel, famous for being very LGBTQ+ friendly and for its Carnival. You can walk it in two or three hours.
There is something almost every week, from the Film Festival in October to the town festival, Carnival, the grape harvest or the Poetry Festival, though on those days it is packed. And if you want somewhere quieter and close, Caldes de Montbui is only 30 km away, a thermal town with good food, a spa-and-eat plan without leaving the metro area, as in where I eat well and cheap.
Sea and medieval walls, Tossa de Mar
Tossa de Mar is a Costa Brava favourite of mine, a 12th-century walled village beside a turquoise beach, with a core of steep streets.
Climbing the walls at sunset, with the stone gilded by the light, is spectacular. The train does not reach it, so you go by bus, with Moventis covering the Costa Brava, or better still on the trip that arrives by boat from Lloret, a plan in itself.
Mountain and inland village, Rupit
Rupit is the inland gem: stone houses from the 16th and 17th centuries, its famous suspension bridge and under 300 inhabitants. An hour and a half away, better by car because the bus runs tight.
Nearby are Tavertet, pure calm above the Sau reservoir, Cardona with its castle and Berga, cheaper and rich in popular culture. The Montseny villages are also a great option to combine village and forest, as in Catalonia’s autumn forests.
To stay overnight, Cadaqués
Here I break my own day-trip rule.
For many it is the prettiest village on the Costa Brava, about 170 km away, with white houses, little boats, cobbled streets and a seafaring bay with all its essence. It was a refuge for Dalí and Gala, who lived in nearby Portlligat, and you see why the moment you arrive, because the light there is special.
Here are two warnings that change the plan. First: the Dalí House in Portlligat must be booked weeks or even months ahead, and without a booking you do not get in. Second, on transport, because old information circulates: the former Sarfa is now Moventis Sarfa, running a direct bus from the Estació del Nord about twice a day, around 2h45, so you do not always need the train to Figueres with a change. Even so it is the hardest without a car, which is why my recommendation is to stay overnight: the village changes completely once the day trippers leave.
Once you know how to get there, the other half of the plan is getting the day and season right.
A Tuesday in May or October is the winning combination: good weather, clear villages and restaurants without a queue.
What you will spend
A day comes to around 25 to 40 € per person. Transport runs 10 to 30 € depending on the train or bus, food 10 to 20 € with a set lunch, and entries go from 0 to 20 € depending on what you visit. Many of these villages are enjoyed just by strolling, without paying a single entry. The genuinely cheap trip is to take the train, walk, have the set lunch and head back.
Which I skip, and why
Sitges on a summer weekend. The seafront turns into a river of people, and it is a shame because the village is lovely empty.
Besalú on a Sunday at midday. The coaches arrive mid-morning and the tiny historic core clogs up. If Sunday is your only option, go at sunset.
Cadaqués in a day without a car. Bus, three hours there and back does not pay off. Either stay overnight or choose another village.
Any of them without checking the return bus. Off season the frequencies drop, and being stranded at seven in the evening has little charm.
A good day out and a frustrating one come down almost always to the same things.
Trip that goes well
- Tuesday or Wednesday, or an early start
- Transport and last bus checked
- Close villages strung together
- Restaurant booked in season
- Dalí House booked ahead
Classic mistake
- A Saturday in August on the coast
- Reaching Besalú at midday
- Cadaqués in a day without a car
- Trusting the bus without checking times
- Turning up with no booking in summer
The left column is a village to yourselves. The right, the river of people I mentioned at the start.
How to nail the trip
Midweek or early. It is the only rule that really matters. No village withstands the crowds.
Combine the close ones. Besalú with Castellfollit and Olot on the same trip, Tossa with Lloret by boat. You get double from the same journey.
Check transport first. It is the mistake that breaks the most plans. Look at the Teisa site for the Garrotxa or Moventis for the Costa Brava, especially the last bus back.
Book a restaurant in high season, because small villages have few places and fill up, and while you are at it have a look at Catalonia’s autumn forests for next time.
The greatest luck of living in Barcelona is how easy it is to escape it. In an hour and a half you are in another century.
Have a favourite village missing from this list? Catalonia has hundreds and I am bound to miss some gems. Message me on Instagram @barcelonainspira and I will note it for the next trip.
Keep exploring Barcelona with me
More corners and plans I write about here: Catalonia’s autumn forests, the secret gardens of Catalonia, the neighbourhood bodegas where I go for vermouth and the best sunset viewpoints.
What pretty village can you visit near Barcelona in a day
Besalú is my favourite for a day trip, a medieval village in the Garrotxa with a 12th-century Romanesque bridge. It is about two hours away and easiest by car, though there is a bus run by Teisa. The same journey lets you combine it with Castellfollit de la Roca and Olot, which are very close.
What is the quickest day trip from Barcelona
Sitges, about 35 to 50 minutes on the R2 Sud train from Passeig de Gràcia and only 40 kilometres away. The trip is covered by the T-Casual, so it is also the cheapest. It has a beach, an old town with the church above the cliff, Catalan Modernisme, and you can walk it in two or three hours.
How much does a day trip from Barcelona cost
A day out comes to around 25 to 40 euros per person. Transport runs 10 to 30 euros depending on the train or bus, food 10 to 20 euros with a set lunch, and entries range from 0 to 20 euros depending on what you visit. Many villages are enjoyed just by strolling, with no entry fees.
Which villages near Barcelona can you visit without a car
Sitges by the R2 Sud train, Montserrat by FGC R5 plus rack railway or cable car, and Girona, Tarragona and Vic are all well connected by train. For the inland medieval villages like Besalú or Rupit you need buses, with Teisa towards the Garrotxa and Moventis towards the Costa Brava, on more limited timetables.
When should you go to villages near Barcelona to avoid the crowds
Midweek or early. In summer and at weekends these villages get mobbed and lose their charm, especially Sitges and Besalú. The difference between a Tuesday and a Sunday in August is huge, and in high season it is worth booking a restaurant ahead.
