Visit Barcelona: 4 days in Spain

What a thriving, colorful city to visit! Barcelona was one of the countries my husband and I traveled to while on our honeymoon, and was one of our top two favorite places we visited. We stayed in a sailboat AirBnB in the Marina de Badalona, about a 25 minute train ride from the city center, because we tend to enjoy a quieter atmosphere (most nights). We stayed in Barcelona for a total of 4 days, not including travel days. We ended up wanting to stay longer, maybe two weeks, but our European vacation didn’t allow for that much time in Spain so I came up with a four day itinerary to maximize our time there. This itinerary includes a lot of city exploration as well as traveling north to the mountains and west towards the beaches of Cadaques, incorporating a balanced mix of a fast paced city and small Spanish towns. I am including all of the agencies I went through to book our tours, so click on the links to see the details!

 *Before planning your personal itinerary, look up local holidays to make sure tours, sights, and stores will be open the day you are planning to go*

Arrival Day: The El Prat Airport and Hotels

View from the Sailboat AirBnB

Today is for getting into the city of Barcelona, checked into your hotel or AirBnB, and getting comfortable with your surroundings in the city. Traveling can be very intimidating when you don’t know your surroundings and it is good to familiarize yourself with the closest metro station, landmarks, and street names.

There are many ways to get from the El Prat Airport to your accommodations, and for you it will all depend on your budget and how much luggage you have with you. Something I’ve found out the hard way was trying to maneuver the metro with two 50 pound bags during rush hour. Not the best idea. Transportation is not terribly expensive in Barcelona, compared to other European Nations. When my husband and I landed in April 2017, we took a taxi from the airport to Badalona (a small town on the opposite end of Barcelona) and the fare was around 30,00euros, so if you are going straight to the city center, it will be way cheaper than that. I preferred this because we didn’t know the area and felt more comfortable getting dropped off at the door with all of our bags and fatigued bodies from the flight.

Take it easy today, find some food, take a nap, and walk around your area!

A few questions to ask your host or hotel front desk are:

*What is the name of the closest metro station?

*Where can you find a convenient store with essentials like bottled water, snacks, and other necessary items you might have forgotten or need during your stay?

*Names of Restaurants that are close to the hotel that offer local cuisine and maybe with a view of the city

*Go ahead and ask what the best way to get back to the airport will be. If you have an early morning flight, the metro might not be an option because they don’t start running till 5AM (my flight departed at 6AM so I had to take a taxi at 3:45 to get there on time)

It’s a good idea to have your return already figured out so you can enjoy the last part of your trip and don’t have to scramble!

 

Day 1: Gaudi Walking Tour


View from Park Güell

 

The big sightseeing day!! Put on your most comfortable walking shoes and make sure you are well rested. This is a tour that you can do on your own at your own pace, or pay to join a guided group with a guide that speaks your language. The must-see’s of the Gaudi Walking tour includes Casa Batlló, Casa Mila, Sagrada Familia, Park Güell.

Casa Batlló

 

Take the metro to Passeig de Gracia on Line_ and start at Casa Batlló.

Inside Casa Batlló

You can purchase tickets there or in advance and skip the line (they do provide free audio guides).

After touring Casa Batlló, walk 0.3 miles to La Pedrera-Casa Mila. From Casa Mila, you can walk or take a taxi (should be between 5-7euros) to Sagrada Familia, about 1 mile away.

Sagrada Familia


 

 After La Sagrada Familia Basilica, you can walk 1.5 miles or take a taxi to Park Güell. For the Park, they are pretty strict about entry during your specific time slot. You can purchase tickets before hand if you know about what time you will be getting to the park, or you can buy them at the gate.

Park Güell

 

 Day 2: Monserrat

The courtyard in the mountains

Get away from the craziness of the city today and relax in the Mountains of Spain! I purchased this day trip through Tiqets where you can find information about times and hours on the page.

View from above

*For getting to the train at Paca d’Espanya, the FGC service R5 train ticket and information center is located BENEATH the metro.




You need to collect your tickets at the information desk, so follow the signs for the FGC log and go down 2 escalators to find the ticket desk. Do not try to print your tickets at the kiosks; you have to talk with the worker at the desk. The FGC logo looks like this: *
You will get off the R5 train and continue to the Monastery by tramway (this fare is also included and no extra tickets are needed for purchase).

Entrance to the Basilica

 

The tour includes round trip train tickets from Placa d’Espanya, audio guides and entrance to the Montserrat Museum, and a tasting of liquors made by the monks at the Monastery. Food is not included in this tour, but there is a cafeteria with great food available for purchase.

Stairway monument

This offers spectacular views of the mountains in Catalan as well as a beautiful sanctuary, the famous Black Madonna, and the notable Stairway to Heaven monument. This tour is definitely a must in exploring deeper into the history of Catalan.

Montserrat Mountains

 

 

Day 3: Dali’s House and Cadaques

Salvador Dali's Home Studio

This tour is a 10 hour day trip to the beach town of Cadaques and Port Lligat where Salvador Dali and his wife Gala lived, and the Dali museum in Figueres. Your guide will come and pick you up at your hotel or AirBnB, drive you to all of the stops, and then return you to your accommodations at the end of the day.

Dali's Garden

 

Dali Museum in Figueres

The tour office will email you a couple days before your scheduled tour with pick up times and locations. **BE READY 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE SCHEDULED PICK UP TIME! Tardiness is not accepted in Spain. My husband and I were 10 minutes later than the pick up time and our guide got on to us for being late.** And it Is better to call your guide for questions rather than by email.
 

For a detailed description of this tour and to check availability for your dates, click here.

Food and entrance tickets to the museum and Dali’s house are not included in the tour but are not expensive and can be purchased on site.

 

Day 4: Roof Top Bars and Relaxing on the Beaches of the Mediterranean

Badalona Beach

Today is for relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere of Barcelona, you have seen a lot in 3 days! Grab some cocktails at a sea front bar, listen to the waves, and soak up some sun! Some public beaches in the area are:

Nova Icaria Beach – beside the Olympic Marina and a shopping center

Barceloneta Beach – very crowded but equally as entertaining!

Badalona Beach next to the Badalona Marina – a 15 minute walk from the Gorg metro stop on L2, not terribly crowded, and has bars and restaurants lining the beach.

Caldetes Beach – If you want a quiet, deserted beach to fall asleep on, this is the one for you.

 

Other options for your relaxing day would be to check out the La Boqueria de Mercat. La Boqueria is the largest market in Barcelona, you can find more information on the market here.

For your last dinner in the city, try getting a table at a roof top bar. We did this for our last night and it was the cherry on top of an already amazing trip. I found this site helpful in finding some great rooftop restaurants with a great view of the city.

Departure the next day.
Our flight was scheduled to take off at 6:15AM and our AirBnB was a half an hour away from the airport. We had to be on our way at 3:55AM to get our bags dropped off and that's an hour before the metro opens. I downloaded the myTaxi app and ordered a taxi with a confirmed driver the morning before our flight and it was perfect! The driver was even 10 minutes early to pick us up. I was nervous about it at first but it was a breeze to be dropped off right at the check in counter and only about 25 euros!

I hope this itinerary is helpful in planning your own Barcelona experience. Feel free to email me for one on one help with customizing your trip itinerary!
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