solo travel in Barcelona before a RS tour

Normally I'd suggest you simply spend your 3-4 days in Barcelona, but I'm going to assume your RS tour begins with 2-3 days in Barcelona. On your own, Figueres by train is safe, inexpensive and very easy - the Dali museum is fantastic. You might look at a bus tour that wraps Figueres and Girona in a single day trip. You could also do a day trip to Montserrat - how to get there is in Rick's book. I'm sure your Barcelona tour will include a lot of Gaudi "stuff", but if you're into modern art, the Joan Miro museum on Montjuic is very good. A day trip to Sitges is worth considering. I love Valencia but I think it's too far for a day trip - you'd need to plan an overnight. Have fun!

I spent 2 days in Barcelona before the best of Spain tour. I stayed at Hotel Continental, at the top of Las Ramblas. Easy to take the Aerobus shuttle bus from BCN, drops you about 3 long blocks away from there. I did the Picasso Museum, La Boqueria, several building Gaudi stops, a trip up Montjuic (Miro, Catalan Art), a long walk down to the beaches, the cathedral, Casa Mila, and a few other things. I felt like I covered most of what I wanted that wasn't covered by the tour, though unexpected closures for Labor Day (May 1) caused me to adjust some. Sorry can't help with Figueres! I didn't have any troubles with pickpockets or the like, just keep your wits about you and stick to the heavily trafficked streets at night. Plenty of tapas places to eat solo - my favorite was Sagardi. PM me if you have specific questions, it was one of my favorite cities so far!

Maureen - I spent four days (I am a 60+ male) in Barcelona solo last Fall and really enjoyed myself. I took two walking tours from the Tourist Office (Bari Gotic and Picasso) and found them informative and fun. I would have taken another, but the timing wouldn't work out. Go, enjoy yourself!

Maureen, The tour information for your RS tour will indicate which attractions are not going to be visited on the tour of Barcelona. That might provide you with some information on places to visit in the days prior to the start of the tour. I always arrive a few days prior to a tour, and always try to book the same Hotel used by the tour. I usually have to change rooms when the tour starts, but that's not a big problem. You should be receiving a note from the tour department on your "first and last Hotel", so you'll be able to contact them to arrange the room. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time on the tour. If Federico is your Guide, be sure to ask him for a rendition of "Granada"! Happy travels!

Maureen,
You didn't mention needing a hotel, but if you do, you might try L'Antic Espai. It's a lovely, spotless little boutique hotel filled with antiques, with wonderfully hospitable owners who go out of their way to help you with sightseeing questions. Convenient location. And it has single rooms.

Hi Maureen I did this tour a couple of years ago and agree with everyone on some of the sights to see. If you are into Gaudi, you will want to visit some of the sights that aren't on tour that people have mentioned plus Parc Guell and Casa Batllo. I took the train to Figueres. It was very easy to do and there is no need to book ahead of time. When you arrive in Figueres, there is a small information booth and they have maps and will point you in the right direction to the Dali Museum. I was there in the summer and it was not as crowded as I had anticipated. When you are done, you just head back to the station and get on the next train. It does take most of a day to do but I felt it was worth the time. Wandered around a lot on my own and never felt or saw anything that made me feel uneasy. There is a lot to see and do there and even with the extra days, I still want to go back and see the things I missed. Enjoy.