Day trip to Figueras (Dali Museum) and Cadaques (Dali Home) from Barcelona in June

It can be done either way - If you decide to go on your own buy your tickets NOW - the line can be long. I would go on my own as I like to leave when I am ready and not have to wait on a group.

Tour vs on your own depends entirely on your own preferences. The drive is relatively easy but it makes for a pretty long day and traffic around Barcelona can be heavy.

The Dali House has very limited admission and tickets must be reserved in advance. If you go on your own I would pick a late afternoon slot which gives time to visit the museum in Figueras as soon as it opens, then drive to Cadaques and have lunch and explore then beautiful town before the short drive to Port Iligat.

I am considering that same trip. I also like to take my time and read some options on which trains to take. the bus takes an hour to get to Cadaques. I am thinking I will base myself in Barcelona the first few days then move to Girona which also has a lot to see and is closer for the day trip... interested to see what you find. I leave on the 15th of May

To those not fancying renting a car -or joining a Viator-like type of tour- and prefer to DIY:

1.) Fast speed trains are available from Barcelona and the journey to FIGUERES barely lasts 1h. Check schedules. There are also regular commuting trains -in fact many more of those, one every 30'/60'- but the journey takes double, around 2h. For the later one doesn't need pre-booking. Also note that the slow trains stop at the Figueres station, located in the centre, near Dalí's Museum while the fast trains stop at Figueres-Vilafant, a station 2km from the centre. There's a bus linking both, or taxi... or a healthy walk!

2.) FIGUERES is a small town, pop. 50,000, capital city in the Alt Empordà county. Aside the Theatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, there's also the Sant Ferran Castle -built in 1753- and the Parish church of St. Peter to visit. There's also a small cosy ramble in the centre of the town which often hosts popular celebrations and events (ie. Wine fair in September, etc)

3.) From FIGUERES to CADAQUÉS take a bus, or a taxi (40km). By bus (schedules) it takes an hour approx and there are four buses each way every day. You want to check from:FIGUERES Estació to:CADAQUÉS Estació.

4.) In CADAQUÉS, aside the Salvador Dalí House -which btw is actually located in Portlligat (roughly port-lee-gat), a small village outside Cadaqués at a 15' walk- one can also enjoy the Santa Maria church and the beautiful narrow streets of this former fishing town. For nature lovers, the nearby Natural Park of Cap de Creus is a must.

Important: the visit to Dalí's House in Portlligat is undertaken in restricted-size groups (8 people) so pre-booking is mandatory.

alternatively,

after Figueres one could spend the rest of the day in GIRONA instead, a very romantic city considered the second capital of Catalonia after Barcelona. This medieval city, pop.100.000, is located at a short 15' train ride from Figueres by fast speed train (AVE) -having one each hour- or a mere 25' by commuter train -for which there is one every half an hour. Remember though, the fast speed train station is not Figueres but Figueres-Vilafant, at 2km from the centre. There are literally dozens of things to do/see in Girona worth spending a few days if you can. Check it out: http://www.girona.cat/turisme/eng/activitats.php

Worth mentioning if you're visiting now in May, that the city is adorned every year during the flower festival "Temps de Flors" (flors=flowers in Catalan, the local language in Catalonia). Very beautiful way of seeing the city. And there is a 35% discount on the train services to/from Girona during this festival: http://www2.girona.cat/documents/11622/261406/descompte_renfe_flors2016.pdf

Note I'm saying "either Girona or Cadaques" because, those of you knowing my posts, I like to "embrace and enjoy" my travelling. I respect, but cannot understand, those aiming only to tick a list.

Enjoy!

Thank you Enric for your detailed reply... i appreciate your comments. The information is greatly appreciated and your insight is important since you are from there..

I think what most Europeans don't understand is that Americans don't have the amount of vacation available that Europeans do , so it does look more like a checklist than an enjoyable experience. Plus, we have a three day commute if you will.. the night before we leave, the day of jet lag, so two days of getting there and then the one of going home.. so three days of our vacation is wasted technically... and we don't have that much vacation time...that being said...

the idea of a day trip versus a night in Girona or Cadaques is of interest I think... staying in a city when the day trippers have gone is usually magical... would you suggest staying in those cities or doing day trips? ? which one seeing both the Dali things and the costa brava?

thanks for your local insight and speaking English!!

Thank you all for your responses. Such great info has helped us to decide to rent a car at the barcelona rail station or airport and drive. Looked into all the train, bus, car options but renting in town will give us the most flexibility for the best value. Who knows, maybe we can squeeze in Girona at the end of the day.

Enric is giving excellent advice. The flower exhibitions are amazing and easily worth giving up a day in Barcelona.
Then trained and bused to the Dali museum and Dali House.
We stayed the night in Cadiques which is a lovely fishing village.

The ride up from Figures to Cadiques is hairy so would recommend the bus.

I disagree Amanda, it's not a matter of how many days one has available, it's rather an attitude: some people like to get to know while other simply like to scratch the surface (others call it quality vs quantity)... neither is better or worse and both are respectable, it's simply a different mindset. Me I like the first way, so when posters try to pack too much I tend not to participate as my advice would be useless for those sorts of itineraries.

@joh, if you are planning to rent a car, maybe this will help to tune up your itinerary... it's the chapter of a famous Catalan TV programme that portrays experiences of well-known foreign travellers that are invited to spend a week in my country, Catalonia, accompanied by a very popular TV presenter. This particular chapter focuses in the area of l'Empordà counties, located in Costa Brava and where you'll see Cadaqués, Portlligat, etc....

http://www.ccma.cat/tv3/catalunya-experience/trevor-i-cori/fitxa/109361/ (use Google Translate for this page)
and the video itself is here: http://www.ccma.cat/tv3/alacarta/catalunya-experience/trevor-i-cori-alt-emporda-i-garrotxa-versio-anglesa/video/5553922/ The program mixes bits of Catalan (our language) and bits of English, so overall you'll be able to easily "follow it".

Enjoy!

We rented a car and did this trip about 15 years ago. The Dali Museum was wonderful -- well worth the trip. Cadaques was a total quaint town tourist trap -- it was probably charming 60 years ago, but it is just another boutiquey tourist trap now.

Ann, I would love to see the flowers in Girona but from what I read, it looks like this only lasts through May? Do you have experience otherwise?

Janettravels, Did you see the Dali House while in Cadaques?

Enric, Thanks for the links--loved the video

The flower festival is May 7-15th however Girona is charming and would be a lovely stop anytime.
Plus without a car it's very easy to get to from Barcelona via Ave and also is
another easy train ride to Figures and the Dali Museum.
I didn't find Cadiques touristy but we were there in May so maybe before season.

I am having a very difficult time negotiating the Safra bus schedule site between Figueres to Cadaques. Is there really such a bus ?
Rome to Rio has it only traveling so far, and then you need to take a taxi. We will be there approximately June 30th this year.

Do you have to take it from Barcelona ? We are not renting a car, and would prefer not to do a large day tour. Thank you very much :)

http://www.sarbus.com/paginas/interurbano_buscador.php?id_idioma=3

What is the problem?... just insert Figueres as the origin and Cadaqués as the destination. There are four buses each day (three on weekends). And no, you don't need to catch it in Barcelona, it's a regular line with stops along the way, including Figueres.

PS: The so-called "global" websites (that includes "Mr. Google"!) are quite rubbish when it comes to stay up-to-date on small transport companies, be buses, be anything else so it ALWAYS best to consult local websites.