2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona – Barcelona is famous for its art and architecture, making it the perfect summer road trip destination. On this 2 day road trip to Barcelona, we discovered that there are so many things to do and beautiful places to visit.
Gaudí was the famous architect who designed most of these places, including my all-time favorite: La Sagrada Familia.
When to go?
Obviously, summer in Europe is the perfect time for a road trip, so recently, Fred and I hit the road and made our way from Portugal to Spain. More precisely, from Cascais to Barcelona. This is our first official trip since we moved from Canada to Portugal at the end of August 2020.
Last minute adventure
We decided last minute to do this 2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona. As we had an appointment three days from the beginning of the trip, it was a brief, concise trip, BUT we were surprised with so many beautiful places and unique experiences.
I’ll be sharing here how our experience was as well as the best places for pictures there in my opinion.
How long does it take to drive from Lisbon to Barcelona?
It takes around 11h to drive from Lisbon to Barcelona. Long drive, we know, but the road is fantastic! There are many gas stations and convenience stores on your way there, plus many great cities such as Madrid, Toledo, and Zaragoza that are worth the stop.
Short 2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona
In our case, however, as it was a brief trip, as we went straight to Barcelona. I recommend at least one stop for lunch on your way there so you don’t get too exhausted.
We definitely recommend at least one stop for lunch on the way there so you don’t get too exhausted and can straighten out your legs and take a quick break from the road.
Our Experience on a 2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona.
Arriving in Barcelona
As we knew, it would take us a long way to get to Barcelona from Lisbon. We had made a reservation at the Ayre Hotel Rooftop Bar at 6 pm -we will explain about this place a little further here – we left home early in the morning packed with a lot of food, so there was no need to stop other than for washroom breaks and gas on our way there. We left around 4:15 am and just stopped three times for 10 minutes each.
We got to Barcelona around 5:00 pm, allowing us to go straight to La Sagrada Familia for some pictures outside, let us go straight to La Sagrada Familia for some photos. La Sagrada Familia is gorgeous, and I would say one of the most famous and beautiful Basilicas in the world and, funnily enough, is still unfinished! The construction started in 1882 by Spanish/Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí who died in 1926 when only a quarter of the basilica was completed. This is a MUST SEE when Barcelona is one of my all-time favorite constructions worldwide.
Due to COVID, the inside of the Basilica of La Sagrada Familia is only open for visits on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am to 3 pm. If you want to check inside, I highly recommend checking the hours before getting there.
The best view of La Sagrada Familia
If you want the most fantastic view of La Sagrada Familia for pictures or to appreciate this magnificent architecture, I recommend stopping at Ayre’s hotel rooftop bar.
The rooftop bar is open daily from 5 pm, and it’s encouraged to make a reservation beforehand. We did it a day before and around sunset for that perfect light. Our reservation was for 6 pm in mid-September. You have one hour and a half to stay at the bar, and you don’t have to pay to go up, but you need to drink or eat something there.
The rooftop
The rooftop bar is a charm, a cute camper where the drinks are prepared, and thoughtfully, one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen. You can see all of Barcelona from there, including the W Hotel in the back.
Without a doubt, this 2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona deserves cheers for a fantastic start on our new chapter in life in Europe.
After some drinks, we went to our hotel to rest after a day of driving. Remember that this is a 2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona.
Affordable Accommodation
Our accommodation was the super affordable and comfy Travel Lodge. Also, if you want a hotel to get a good night of sleep, leave your stuff, explore the city and not pay a fortune, Travelodge in Barcelona is a way to do that. We spent 35euros per night!
Exploring Barcelona
The day’s first stop was the “Arco do Triunfo de Barcelona.” YES! Barcelona also has an Arco de Triunfo, just like other famous places, Paris and New York.
Finally, we took some pictures and videos and headed out to our second stop of the day, Monastery de Monserrat. The Monastery has located a 50 min drive from downtown Barcelona. You can also take a bus and a tram to get there.
The landscape during our 2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona
Indeed the place is truly a fairy tale landscape. Everything in there is gorgeous. The architecture blends with the magnificent mountain range in a way that it’s hard to describe. Also, the mountains seem like stone giants! We might need more than 2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona.
You can find a small market with cheese and other good things on the way. After walking for a couple of hours inside took some pictures and bought some delicious fig pies for my mom. There’s the option to take the funicular up to the top, costing €11 each (return ticket). The church and grounds are free.
Getting around
If you don’t want to drive there, a train from Barcelona takes you to the bottom; you will disembark at “Monistrol de Montserrat,” and then you can take the tram/cable car up to get to the Monastery. There are many hikes you can do from up there.
As we left the monastery, on the way back to Barcelona, there’s a beautiful building designed by architect Luís Muncunill built under the influence of Gaudí called Masia Freixa, located in the center of Terrassa, in Par de Sant Jordi.
It’s in the middle of a beautiful and quiet park where you can take a short walk and relax.
Arriving in Barcelona, we drove by Park Guell and Gaudí’s house. I have visited both of them; they are a must-do in Barcelona!
Driving all day long on a 2 Day Road Trip To Barcelona
After driving for so long the day before and spending the whole day visiting places and photo-shooting, it was time to relax at the beautiful beach of Barceloneta. YAY! Just before the sunset, we were there, and it was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sea breeze.
Along the beach, you can find restaurants and bars where you can go for dinner or hang out and go for drinks.
Sunset time
We stayed there for a couple of hours and watched the sunset along with many other people.
Back to the hotel, we packed everything to drive back first thing the very next day. Our Super-fast road trip was coming to an end.
Last day
Unfortunately, it’s time to say see you later to this beautiful city. It was my 2nd time in Barcelona, but it was a first for Fred, who was in love with the city.
We’ll absolutely go back there anytime soon. Time to drive back to Portugal, but first, we made a quick stop in Madrid.
A quick stop at La Plaza Mayor so Fred could grab a coffee with churros. Guess what? The restaurant we chose ran out of churros!! NOOO!! And as it was a long drive back, we didn’t change restaurants, and Fred got only his coffee, and we got back on the road. Madrid was 1/2 way home.
