Barcelona makes a good base for a day out. Within a morning’s drive you can stand under the rock needles of Montserrat, walk a Costa Brava cove, see the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres or cross the border for lunch in France. Doing it by car with a driver means no timetables, no changes and a vehicle that waits for you.
This page is the starting point. Each destination below has its own page with the drive time, the price estimate and what I would plan for the day.
Best day trips from Barcelona with a private driver
These are the trips I am asked about most. The drive times are free-flow from Plaça de Catalunya, so add time for traffic on the way out.
| Destination | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Montserrat | 60 km | about 1 h |
| Costa Brava (Lloret de Mar) | 75 km | about 1 h |
| Dalí Theatre-Museum, Figueres | 138 km | about 1 h 40 min |
| Begur and the coves | 131 km | about 1 h 45 min |
| Cadaqués | 170 km | about 2 h 15 min |
| Perpignan, France | 192 km | about 2 h 15 min |
Girona, Sitges, Tarragona, Tossa de Mar and the Penedès wine country have their own pages too. I do not list their distances here, because each page shows the drive for the route I actually plan.
Montserrat: the shortest day out
Montserrat is a mountain range with a Benedictine monastery, and it is the easiest day out from Barcelona. You can see it in half a day, which is why it is also the one trip that has a fixed transfer price. Opening arrangements and visitor information are on the Montserrat website.
Costa Brava, Begur and Cadaqués
The Costa Brava is the coast north of Barcelona, and its towns range from lively beach resorts to quiet fishing villages. Two of the stops I plan most often are Begur and the coves and Cadaqués, both of which make a long day. The Catalonia tourism site is a good place to read about the coast before you decide.
Girona, Figueres and Dalí
Girona is a walled city with a river of coloured houses, a short drive from the Costa Brava coast, and it works well with a second stop on the way back. My page on a private Girona tour covers it. A day to see the Dalí Museum in Figueres is a favourite with art lovers; book the museum entry yourself on the Dalí Theatre-Museum website.
Wine, coast and history to the south
South of the city, the options change. Sitges is a beach town, Tarragona has Roman ruins, and the Penedès is the cava region. If wine is the point of your day, the vineyard and wine tour page is the one to read. A driver is the practical answer here, since nobody wants to taste cava and then drive.
A day trip to France
Perpignan, Collioure and the border region are all within reach for a long day. The page on a day trip to France from Barcelona explains what to expect. Because it is a long drive each way, I quote it on request.
What a day trip costs
Day trips are hired by the hour with the driver at your disposal. The minimum is 6 hours per day, there is no maximum, and extra hours are charged at the hourly rate. All prices are in euros and include VAT.
| Vehicle | Seats | 6 hours | 8 hours | Each extra hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-Class | 3 | €470 | €630 | €80 |
| S-Class | 3 | €745 | €990 | €125 |
| V-Class | 7 | €470 | €630 | €80 |
| Sprinter | 16 | €610 | €785 | €90 |
| Minibus | 33 | €685 | €900 | €110 |
| Coach | 60 | €685 | €900 | €110 |
The price is for the vehicle, not per person, which is why a group in a V-Class or Sprinter often compares well with several train tickets. The S-Class is booked by the hour only. For an exact figure on a particular destination, each trip page shows an estimate based on the drive and time on site. The full price list is on its own page.
Day trips by car, train or bus?
People searching for day trips from Barcelona by train or bus usually have one stop in mind. Rail and coach lines are a sensible way to reach a single town, and I would not tell you otherwise. A private driver makes sense when:
- you want two or three stops in one day;
- you travel with children, luggage or a mobility need;
- you are a group and want one vehicle instead of several tickets;
- the place you want, such as a cove or a vineyard, is not on a line.
Look at chauffeur by the hour if you want to understand the hire model before choosing a destination, or the private driver in Barcelona page for how I work.
Planning the day: hours, stops and pace
The best day trips share one trait: they are not rushed. A good rule is to choose one main place and one smaller stop, and to leave time for lunch. Three big sights in a day means three hours of looking at the windscreen.
Before you send the form, it helps to know four things:
- The main place. Montserrat, a Costa Brava town, Figueres or Girona. This sets the drive.
- The pace. Some guests want a long lunch and a swim, others want every museum. Tell me which you are.
- The group. Children, older relatives and mobility needs change the stops and the pace.
- The luggage. If the trip starts or ends at the airport or the cruise port, say so; the cruise port transfer page and the airport transfer page explain those starts.
With those four answers I can suggest an order for the day and the hours to hire. If the plan runs past the hours you booked, extra hours are charged at the hourly rate, so there is no surprise at the end.
How to book your day trip
- Use the form below, or the contact page.
- Enter the date, the places you would like and the start time.
- Tell me the number of passengers and bags.
- I reply by e-mail or WhatsApp with the vehicle, the hours and the price.
- Confirm and the day is booked.
Not sure where to go? Tell me what you like, such as sea, mountains, art or wine, and how long you want to be in the car. I suggest a route that fits.
Last updated 1 November 2026.
