After doing more research on Barcelona, I’ve discovered there’s just so much to do for only 5 1/2 (leave to airport at 2 for 5 pm flight) days! I had planned for 2 day trips- Montserrat and Girona (tour via Viator so they go to Costa something too which looks pretty) but now I’m not sure. Feedback from those who have been to both spots? We love the outdoors and history.
Posted by
Washington DC
27111 posts
Haven't been to Montserrat so cannot compare the two, but I want to point out that it is slam-dunk-easy to take a train from Barcelona to Girona and visit it yourself, on your own schedule. I think Girona is worth a full day by itself.
Viator doesn't operate tours; it's just a reseller. I assume what it is selling is quite a bit more expensive than a train ticket, but fares on the fast trains to Girona do increase as you get closer to your travel date, so that could be a factor.
What dates will you be in Barcelona?
Posted by
2527 posts
They are both nice and different from each other. Montserrat and the monastery fit your outdoorsy standard as such are on a mountain. Girona is a great city just to wander about and absorb the views of superb buildings and a great vibe. Neither require a tour.
Posted by
3245 posts
We enjoyed a day trip to Girona, but decided to visit Tarragona instead of Montserrat on our October 2017 trip to Spain.
We used this company for both day trips - and I heard other customers say good things about their day trips to Montserrat.
Posted by
OP
31 posts
Thanks guys. The viator tour is very similar. We rarely do tours but it adds Girona with Costa Brava (like this tour) so I thought it might be worth it. We are there the last month of June.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
Montserrat is nice. It's best when the weather is nice, especially if you want to hike some of the trails. Other than that it's an interesting monastery with a cafeteria and gift shop. Unless that's a special thing for you, or you want to see something different from other towns, I'd probably put Girona higher on the list of sites to visit. If you decide to see Montserrat, there are tours run out of the bus stations that aren't expensive at all. They probably offer a very inexpensive version of the Girona/Costa Brava tour as well.