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Barcelona or Barcelona + another city in 5 days?

Hi, everyone. My husband and I are going to be in Spain for 5 nights, 4.5 days (traveling from Paris to Spain). We are definitely going to Barcelona, as I have been there once before in college and loved it. However, I am trying to decide if we should stay in Barcelona the entire time or go to another city nearby. There are plenty of sights, activities, beach, etc. that would keep us busy in Barcelona, and another city might be cramming too much into a short timeframe. I wouldn't mind seeing another city in Spain, however, since I've only been to Barcelona. So a day trip from Barcelona would also be of interest to us.

We are in our early 30s and like museums, wandering around and experiencing the local culture, enjoying the local cuisine, and the beach. This will be the last leg of a 2 week trip to Europe (going to Dublin and France as well), so a combination of running around and relaxing would be best.

Any advice/suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you very much in advance!

Posted by
9110 posts

Not enough time.

You're right on the border of having too much time in Barcelona, but if you pull off a day (plus a couple of half days to get there and back) you've screwed up your main interest.

Zaragoza would be the candidate.

Posted by
106 posts

Tia, my girlfriend and I are going in May. We found this site on Barcelona day trips helpful.

Have a blast!

Posted by
269 posts

I think you can easily fill 5 days in Barcelona, but if you do decide on a day trip, consider Tarragona. It's only an hour train ride (approximately) and has ancient Roman ruins all over the city, plus a very lively main square that's easy to manage. An added plus: almost zero tourists, and a roman amphitheater overlooking the Mediterranean.

Posted by
1560 posts

Barcelona offers a large menu of opportunities and there is nothing wrong with ending your travels with a little vacation time taking things at a relaxing pace. If it is warm then go to the beach and swim in the Med!

Posted by
8552 posts

We spent 5 nights in Barcelona a few years ago -- we did a day trip by public transport to Montserrat and hiked in the hills by the monestery and we rented a car one day and went to Figueres for the Dali Museum and then on to the coast to a small coastal town -- once a fishing village but now a tourist trap -- We were able to spend as much time as we wished exploring Barcelona on our other days and spent almost a day climbing around in Sagrada Familia which I suspect is not so easy to do today. There was no fee for Park Guell.

We were pretty happy with this time frame and the Dali Museum was definitely a delightful visit.