This site contains product affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links (at no additional cost to you).Barcelona is a bustling metropolis city. It has a lot to offer. After exploring all these sights, you might need a little break from the city. You can easily take day trips that are all reachable by train. Five Barcelona gateways that you shouldn’t miss out.
Public Transportation to explore the surroundings of Barcelona
There are various public transportation tickets that you can use in Barcelona and for the surroundings of Barcelona. This one is for sure the cheapest and pays off really well.
The Ab. Recurrent Train ticket
You pay 10 Euros and can use the Renfe trains within all 6 zones for 4 months. Be aware that the Renfe recurrent ticket has its own rhythm. There are trimester tickets: the first is valid from January to the end of April, the second from May to the end of August, the third from September to the end of December. If you want to buy this ticket in between those months, it might still be worth it. For instance, if you pay for a ticket from Barcelona Sants to Sitges, there and return you spend already around € 20.
Therefore, the Ab Recurrent ticket is definitely worth to buy even if you are using it only two or three times. It is for sure the best option to explore Barcelona surroundings by public transportation.
The T-usual card is a metro/train/bus ticket for the city for zone 1. It costs € 20 for a month.
La Floresta – lovely town outside of Barcelona
This was one of my favourite villages outside of Barcelona. Lying between the forest, it is charming and unwinding, a perfect escape from the busy Barcelona.
Every Sunday there is a market with live music and a small town square with lots of alternative people. It is lovely to see this town vibe, where everyone seems to know each other. You can have a coffee at the lovely town square and just enjoy the atmosphere. The area of La Floresta is also a suitable place to go on hikes. There are forest paths, and meadows perfect for picnics. There is even a small creek, and a waterfall called Salt d’aigua de Molins de Rei.
Train ticket: You can use the T-usual card, as La Floresta still belongs to zone 1.
Garraf Beach – unwind at a small beach near Barcelona
The Garraf beach is located south of Barcelona. It is a sandy bay with a rocky part on the side of the beach. Here, you can also find some beach bars along the bay. The water in Barcelona city seems to be more polluted (even though you might not see it). The Garraf beach is a great place to have a dip in the sea and apparently the water is warmer than north of the city.
If you fancy a coffee or dinner with a view, check out Chiringuito de Garraf, at the opposite side of the restaurant is a small coffee place but don’t expect too much.
Train ticket: Garraf is already zone 2, you can use the Ab. Recurrent ticket
Sitges – sightseeing a Catalonian town
I visited Sitges during carnival time. When I was sitting on the train, I didn’t feel like being around many people, but it was too late. As I got off, I got coffee and went straight to the beach. That’s when I met a new friend, who told me about the Ab. Recurrent Ticket and we went together with his friend to drink coffee at the Cafeteria Montroig. This is a huge cafe/restaurant is in an exquisite building. Sitges is indeed an interesting town. You can stroll around the pedestrian zone, buy souvenirs or hang out at the boardwalk or the beach.
It is for sure a calmer place outside of Barcelona (if it’s not carnival time) to enjoy the best of both worlds, a little of city vibe and a little of nature/beach.
When you have enough of the small city calmness and need adventure, you can also go on a parasailing flight in Sitges.
Train ticket: Sitges is in zone 3, you can use the Ab. Recurrent ticket
Badalona beach – the famous beach destination for locals
Badalona beach is a long, sandy beach, not far outside of Barcelona. In the backdrop you can find the boardwalk, big concrete buildings and then some hills. Depending on the season, it can get very windy or boiling in summer. There are only a few trees that give shadow. If the heat is unbearable, you can also try some fun water activities. Take a parasailing flight, try a banana boat or a flyboard.
However, it is still nice to chill at the beach and then grab something to eat at the boardwalk or at the pedestrian zone. I can highly recommend the pizzeria Neruca. You can find delicious pizza there and even a big selection of vegan pizza.
Train ticket: Badalona is in zone 1, so you can use either the Ab. Recurrent ticket or the T-usual card
El Masnou or Ocata – hike and beach outside of Barcelona
From El Masnou or Ocata, you have the best view of the Barcelona skyline. It is also great to relax on the beach or take a walk along the sidewalk (the railway is right next to it, for some this might be disturbing). Or you can have a long walk along the beach sidewalk and reach Montgat or even Badalona. I recommend doing that during sunset as the views of the sea are magnificent!
In El Masnou close to the beach you can find the ice cream shop Mimuna. There, you can also grab a cup of coffee or cake.
Near the El Masnou train station, you can find a great hiking area. You can start the hike to Mirador de la Cornisa from the train station of Premia de Mar or Ocata. It is more or less the same distance to reach the hiking path. It is worth it to walk up the hill and see Barcelona from the distance.
Another option is to get off at El Masnou and walk up to the town of Alella. Which is also a small lovely town at the beginning of the mountains. From there you can walk to the Bosquet d’Alella, the forest of Alella. This walk is not as demanding as the once mentioned above and the views are just as beautiful.
Train ticket: El Masnou, Ocata and Premia de Mar are already zone 2, you can use the Ab. Recurrent ticket
Extra tip for pure relaxation outside of Barcelona
Something that can for sure relax you after a busy working or sightseeing day in Barcelona: the thermal bath. The bath is near Alella and unfortunately hard to reach by public transportation. You need to use the bus which is very infrequent. But it is totally worth it if you want to have a relaxing time. Aire de Vallromanes differ totally from what I know as a thermal bath from Austria. It even has a pool with temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius, an ice cold pool around 0 degrees. Most of the pools are small, so you can sit in them, relax and listen to the relaxing music. The cheapest 90-minute Ancient Baths is €69. The bathing area is very quiet, with soft music playing and the lights dimmed. The ideal place to relax after a busy day.
North of Barcelona is a lovely town called Girona. The Ab. Recurrent ticket does not cover until there, but almost. It is for sure worth a visit, especially if you want to have some small town vibes after some in the busy metropolitan Barcelona. Girona’s peculiarity is that every spring the city holds a magnificent flower festival.
As you can see, there are plenty of things to do outside of Barcelona to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. If you return in the evening, you can still enjoy the vibrancy of Barcelona and check out some cool restaurants. This is a great way to end a beautiful adventure in the nature of Barcelona.
The author of the blog
Lisi is an adventurous, mostly solo traveler from Austria. She likes to travel slowly, discover underrated countries/regions, and of course, learn about cultures. She has been traveling the world and creating travel content since 2016. With a degree in tourism management and a passion for travel and cultures, she wants to tell stories that inspire her readers and help them travel more consciously.
