10 cities near Barcelona by train
As the trend goes to visiting less touristy destinations that you can reach via ground transportation, I wanted to give you my personally tested advice on 10 cities near Barcelona you can reach by train. All without any changing of trains if you board at Barcelona’s main train station Sants.
Sitges
35min from Sants, no change
Sitges is a go-to day trip to get out of the city and stroll along a boardwalk by the sea. It’s just a half hour train ride from Barcelona, but it does get crowded on weekends and in the summer.
Related: Things to do in Sitges Spain
Girona
40min from Sants, no change
Of all the cities near Barcelona you can reach by train, Girona is likely the most popular. With a mix of attractions for varied interest and different styles of architectures, it is nice to just wander around Girona. Not only for Games of Thrones fans. If, however, you would like a more structured apprach, see this post on things to do in Girona.
Vilafranca de Penedes
55min from Sants, no change
Vilafranca de Penedes is for the wine lovers. Not so much the town itself, but the wineries in and around Vilafranca make it worth a visit. Take the train here and virtually stumble into the Freixenet winery right from the platform. Penedes is famous for its sparkling wines, called Cava in Spanish.
Tarragona
1h4min from Sants, no change
Tarragona is for you if you like history. It’s full of ruins and momuments, a Roman amphitheater and a 1100s cathedral. You can easily walk to all the main attractions in Tarragona from the train station. But take plenty of water with you, it’s hilly and all that stone heats up enormously in summer!
Related: 10 day trips from Barcelona by Train
Zaragoza
1h30min from Sants, no change
Zaragoza is an easy day trip from Barcelona but there is enough to see to spend a night or two. Check out my guide to Chocolate City Zaragoza Spain for details. A moorish palace, a cathedral on the waterfront and 100 year old chocolaterias scattered all over town await!
Manresa
1h30min from Sants, no change
There are two reasons to get on a train towards Manresa from Barcelona: To get to Montserrat, the famous monastery on a mountain. Or, to get out into nature. The Manresa area is great for hiking, even part of ancient pilgrim routes. Hills and forests, as opposed to beaches and tourists.
Blanes
1h30min from Sants, no change
No idea how this town isn’t packed with tourists yet. It’s so easy to get to Blanes from Barcelona and it’s a gem! Must sees include the botanical gardens (trust me! Even if you don’t care about plants usually, you’ll want to see this!) and the castle ruins atop the hill. Beach and restaurants are unmissable on your way from the train station.
Related: Costa Brava Must-see towns for Slow Travelers
Figueres
1h50min from Sants, no change
Figueres is an artsy day trip from Barcelona, in the footsteps of painter and sculptor Salvador Dalí. His art my be weird, but it shaped an era. You don’t have to like it to see how unique Dalís creations are. Check out my blog post on the Salvador Dalí Museum in Figueres for details.
Valencia
2h45min from Sants, no change
Paella is originally from Valencia. The most authentic Spanish foody trip is this one. Learn about what belongs in this famous rice dish and what doesn’t from the locals. And after your meal, make sure to check out some of the other things to do in Valencia. Don’t leave without a visit to the City of Arts and Sciences, a futuristic architectural dream come true dedicated to education and art.
Related: 5 Reasons to visit Valencia
Madrid
3h30min from Sants, no change
If you go to Madrid from Barcelona by train, I recommend the AVE high speed train from Estacio de Sants. It’s fast and fascinating to pass by ghost villages and desert on the way. However, it still takes several hours to get to Madrid from Barcelona, so you’ll want to spend a night at least. Check out my guide to 10 things you shouldn’t miss in Spain’s capital!
This is really informative..I would love to experience train travel in Europe.thanks for sharing
Thanks, Madhu!
What a great list. I would love to spend more time in Spain and am desperate to get to Figueres. One day!
It’s a great little town, Figueres! Hope you get to go soon!
I have been DYING to get to Valencia! This post makes it seem really easy. Next time I’m in Spain, Valencia is happening! Thanks for the inspo.
it is really easy! You’ll have so much fun when you go – hope you get to go soon!
these all sound like great day trips from barcelona! especially the hiking destination
Thank you! Yes, I love the hiking trails near Barcelona 😉
I have been living in Madrid for almost two years, and I must admit that, despite my effort to travel as much as possible, I’m still missing many locations. My travel list has just grown a little bit – thank youuuuuu! 🙂
so glad to hear it! These are the moments I write for 🙂
I really appreciate this very informative and interesting list. Would you say that all these except Valencia and Madrid are easy day trips from Barcelona? I will be traveling to Spain this summer and we are going to have Barcelona and Madrid as our base cities. We will stay day 12 days approximately.
Can you share a list of easy day trips from Madrid?
Thank you for your feedback. Yes, I would say they are all easy day trips. You may also want to read my post on Daytrips from Barcelona. For a list of easy day trips from Madrid however, you may be better off with a Madrid based blogger, I have seen and written about the city itself, but not the surroundings. Hope you will enjoy your trip!