Transportation Recommendations for Spain

Here are the sources we recommend you use to book transportation within the city. In Barcelona we recommend you walk when possible, ‘app’ a taxi when needed, and use trains from city to city. Renting a car is stressful and difficult in a country where the language and signage is different.

Booking Recommendations for Spain

In the itinerary’s charts below, you’ll notice we mention “book now” or “book later”. If it says “book now” you truly must book tickets now, months in advance, as it’s a popular thing to do that sells out at peak times. If we say “book later” you could book it just before leaving or you could even just show up to the location and buy tickets that same day.

DAY 1 AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Be able to say you walked the most famous street in Barcelona- La Rambla!

Today is all about strolling the charming streets of Barcelona, starting with the most popular one: La Rambla. It is lined with shopping, restaurants, sightseeing, and prime time people watching. Take your time walking this 1.2km street from south to north and making as many stops as you please.

Start at the Monument a Colon which is a 60m tall monument honoring Christopher Columbus who is pointing his finger in the direction of Sicily. You can technically go up to the top lookout tower, but honestly save your viewing glasses. You’ll get better views later in the trip. After that, consider stopping into the Museo Maritim (the world’s largest medieval shipyard) if you’re feeling like a pirate and are into old ships and stuff (ARRR). Then stroll north on La Rambla, pass the characters painted up in crazy ensembles, partake in some souvenir shopping at the street vendors, and then make your next pit stop at the Palau Guell. It is visually best to visit this sculptural 7-story mansion and the room of a hundred columns on a sunny afternoon. Next up, off to the right of La Rambla, is a lively plaza called Placa Reial. It has the Fountain of Three Graces and some food options so it may be a good lunch spot to relax and people watch. Or stop back here another night for jazz or dance performances in the nearby restaurants (recommended in day 6).

After some grazing, catch a tour at the Gran Teatre del Liceu which is an amazing historical and architectural spot, even for those not fond of operas! Lalala! Built in 1848 it has survived three disasters! After being thoroughly amazed, keep walking north and follow your nose. Next up is the Boqueria Market! Here you will find lots of mouth watering snack options including hanging raw meat everywhere. Don’t leave without a fresh fruit smoothie!

Keep moving north and watch out for the Canaletes fountain! It is a black and gold fountain that you most definitely should take a sip out of to signify your promise to return to Barcelona someday. Once you’re feeling hydrated, move to the last stop for the afternoon- Placa de Catalunya. You can’t miss this huge and regal city center square. Take some panoramas and pat yourself on the back for surviving that long but rewarding walk along Laaaaaa Rambla!

It may be time for a nap after that long day of walking. But whenever you’re ready to wind back up, head out on the town for a relaxing dinner. Spend the night with your feet up, relaxing with a delicious spanish sangria in hand. Expect to be dining under the stars as the Spanish eat dinner after 8:30pm. Cheers to a great first day in Espana!

DAY 1 DETAILS

DAY 2 AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Be able to say you explored the grounds of the 1640 military fortress called Montjuic.

Today is your day to catch unbelievable views of the city and the coastline from none other than… a cable car! Get to the cable cars early to avoid long lines. They will take you up to the hill in Montjuic. From there you can walk or taxi to the Castle of Montjuic which is a historic fort you must see. Make sure you go to the top of it and see the sundial that was used as the base of the metric system. Plus, don’t miss those 360 degree views of the city.

Once you’ve had your fix of architectural history, move on to the Olympic stadium to walk around the site of the 1992 olympics. There’s a museum and a sports palace there as well. Then the last thing you can consider doing in Montjuic is the Catalonian National Museum of Art if you’re a museum lover. Here you can learn about art from the Romanesque era to the 20th century.

When you’re done in Montjuic, ride the cable cars back to Barceloneta which is the beach area of Barcelona. If you’re feeling some A/C, shopping, and lunch then stop at Port Vell which is a large mall that also has a theatre and aquarium. Sit outside for lunch with views of the marina!

If you’re ready for a nap, relax the rest of the afternoon. But if you’re wanting to explore a park, then Parc de la Ciutadella is the one to see. It’s like New York’s central park. Meander around or chill in the grass. Before you leave, be sure you saw the Arc de Triomf red arches and La Cascada waterfall monument.

Plans for tonight: have a romantic dinner by the beach. So clean up, get on your best beachy outfit, and head to the Port Olimpic area for a night out. Choose a restaurant along the beachwalk to dine at. We highly recommend Aqua which was our favorite meal overall in Barcelona. Afterwards have a “romantic walk on the beach”. Or if a nightclub is more your style, head to the W hotel’s eclipse bar for views of the city at night and music from international DJ’s.

DAY 2 DETAILS

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby Barceloneta:

DAY 3 AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Say you’ve been to the famous Sagrada Familia, the #1 attraction in Barcelona!

Today is all about Gaudi history tours. Your first tour of the day should be to Sagrada Familia. You should book a guided tour early in the morning before it gets too crowded. This is the one place you must not miss, so book it now, really. Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic Church that is still being built even though it was started all the way back in 1882. Talk about snail pace! It is hard to believe until you walk beneath the very, extremely, tremendously large and somehow intricate structure. The details are amazing and it is fascinating to learn the artistic influences Gaudi and his team used. Take lots of pictures, but they won’t do it justice. So take a snapshot in your memory too.

Next you may want to grab some grub somewhere nearby Sagrada. Then you’re off to Gaudi’s next masterpiece in the upscale Eixample neighborhood: Casa Batllo! Get the audio tour here and walk through each room with a phone that shows you Gaudi’s inspiration which include mushrooms, turtles, waves, and nature.

The third and final tour of the day is to La Pedrera. This can be done during the day, but we recommend you book the night tour.

So if you have some down time you can walk the Passeig de Gracia which is filled with some great street shopping! Or grab some tapas and drinks at an outdoor table to people watch.

Then return to La Pedrera at night, they have a rooftop light show and then you get to toast some Cava and desserts at the end of the tour. Since you’ve already sipped some bubbly, keep it flowing through the end of the night at dinner- what a day!

DAY 3 DETAILS

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:

DAY 4 AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Relaxation at its finest!

Today is the perfect day to allow yourself some free time and relaxation. After three jam-packed days of touring the city, it’s about darn time you lay back with a pina colada in hand.

Within Barcelona, you have a few beach options. Barceloneta beach is the most convenient and popular since it is closeby. It is lively with drummers, street performers, and bars lining the beach. Icaria beach is the second most popular, nearby beach and it has a younger crowd. If you’re wanting to be adventurous and go to a nude beach (yikes!), then Mar Bella is your best bet. Lastly, if you are open to traveling 30min south, Sitges beach is a bit quieter and cleaner.

If you spent most of daylight at the beach then skip down to the next paragraph. But if you’re done early and have an interest in music, we recommend you checkout the Palau de la Musica Catalana. It is a beautifully designed music hall meant to honor Catalan musicians. Tours run all day, by language, so lookup the schedule prior to going.

Later in the evening head to El Born neighborhood for some good ol’ fashioned sightseeing. The Santa Maria del Mar is a beautiful gothic basilica with breathtaking stone work that was hauled down from Montjuic, where you visited earlier. The guided tour takes you up to the rooftop. Then do some walking through the Mercat de Santa Caterina for snacks and the Passeig del Born for some shopping. The Passeig is lined with trees and it’s a romantic walk at night with some hoppin’ places for dinner and drinks. What a way to finish your day of relaxation!

DAY 4 DETAILS

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby:

DAY 5 AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Be able to brag that you saw Barcelona underground!

Today starts with heading North to the Gracia neighborhood’s Park Guell. It’s the park you’ve seen photos of and it is expansive. You can see it from the outskirts, but if you want to go in the park you must get tickets ahead of time. It is a top attraction and very packed here, so doing this first thing in the morning is a good idea. Among the park is the Casa-Museu Gaudi which is known as the Alice in Wonderland house where Gaudi lived out the last twenty years of his life.

After all that walking, hop in a taxi back south to the Gothic Quarter. First, walk among the Santa Maria del Pi church which is large and strangely like a fortress.

Then head to one of our favorite experiences of Barcelona: the Museu d’Historia de la Ciutat. It is a city history museum that…get this… is underground! With the audio tour, you’ll take an elevator downstairs to be transported back to ancient Roman times. It is fascinating to see how they used to live. Some of the walls among the Gothic Quarter are the original walls built by the Romans. How cool! With this tour, you’ll also get to walk through Placa del Rei square which is where Columbus arrived.

After seeing the sites, spend the rest of the afternoon and evening shopping and dining around. The most well-known shop in this area is La Manual Alpargatera where espadrilles shoes are popularly made! Believe it or not, you have to take a number and wait for assistance here because of how popular it is. But these shoes are affordable, comfortable, cute, and last a lifetime. Get some as gifts for the ladies in your family too!

DAY 5 DETAILS

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby the Gothic Quarter:

(DAY 6 optional) AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Today you are skipping town to be able to say you went to historic Tarragona!

It’s day trip day, so hop onboard a train using Loco2 and take a quick 50min train south to the town of Tarragona. It is a cliffside town that was fortified around 195 AD by the Romans. There are some ancient Roman remains left to see here; the most majestic being the Amphitheatre. It was Emperor Augustus’s favorite place to go.

Just up the street is the Roman Circ which was an old Roman arena used for chariot races. You could also checkout the Museum of Archeology where you will see old Roman artifacts like bells, buckles, and keys.

Feel free to spend the entire day here with more shopping or grazing on food. Whenever you’re ready to head back to the city, catch your train back.

Tonight may be a good night to head back to the Placa Reial for some jazz or dancing! It is just off La Rambla where you visited on day one.

The other option is to head Northwest by tram to the cities of Sarria and Pedralbes where there is an amusement park on the top of a 1,789 foot hill! It’s called Tibidabo and it has a ferris wheel and a sky walk. Nearby is also the Torre Bellesguard which was a private house to court-kings and Gaudi later put up towers and gargoyles on it! But this would have to be done early (if you make it back in time) or could replace leaving town for Tarragona.

(DAY 6 optional) DETAILS

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby Tarragona:

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby Sarria and Pedralbes:

(DAY 7 optional) AT A GLANCE

Today’s Goal to Crush: Say you visited the holy ‘Serrated Mountain’ aka Montserrat!

Northwest of Barcelona, about an hour train ride away, is the glorious Montserrat mountain formation. It’s a breathtaking collision of sharp and soft edges that is home to the Benedictine monastery. Take the R5 train from Placa Espanya in Barcelona to Montserrat and then take the five minute cable car ride up to the monastery.

The Santa Maria de Montserrat Monastery was founded in the 10th century. About 100 monks live here now. You can also see the museum and gift shops. Some days around 1pm a boys choir sings! While you’re there, be sure to find the statue of the Virgin called La Moreneta (the black virgin) which is in an alcove on the right side of the abbey.

After you’ve seen enough, catch the funicular up to the tip top of the mountain for more spectacular views! There are also six hikes (if you enjoy that sorta stuff). You could even pack a picnic lunch to eat at the top if you’d like a romantic picnic date! You can get info about the hikes at the information desk outside the monastery.

This whole day trip can be done independently or there are also tour packages you can get which may make it easier than booking all the separate forms of transportation on your own: see guided tour options here and here

If you make it back to the city with time to spare on your last night here, head out to eat somewhere near your hotel or Airbnb and enjoy your final Catalan meal in style.

Toast to your favorite memories in Barcelona together- “Salud”! We hope this trip was all you wished for & more!

(DAY 7 optional) DETAILS

Oh So Tasty Food Options Nearby: There aren’t many options up here so grab what you find. Nothing worth noting. Save room in your tummy for a nice meal back in Barcelona instead.