Barcelona to Sitges: a day trip 40 minutes from the city
Sitges is loved not only by visitors but by people from Barcelona themselves: it is 29 km from the airport and the drive takes ~32 min. Waiting for you are the beach, an old town above the sea and food you will not find anywhere else on this stretch of coast. And there are noticeably fewer people than on Barcelona's city beaches.
What makes Sitges worth it
There are seventeen beaches here, from wide urban ones to narrow coves under the cliffs, so there is a spot both for a family with children and for anyone after some quiet.
When you have had enough of the sun and the sea, you walk up into the old town: cobbled streets, white houses and the church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla on a rock right above the water.
The houses with turrets and coloured tiles along the promenade were built at the end of the 19th century by men who came back from the Americas with money - in Catalonia they were called "americanos". That is where the town's unusual look comes from: colonial verandas next to fishermen's streets.
It is worth coming outside summer too. In February Sitges holds its carnival, the second biggest in Spain after Tenerife, and in winter the promenade is empty while almost all the restaurants stay open.
How to get there
Four routes lead from the airport to Sitges, and the choice depends on how much luggage you have and how many of you there are.
Train. There is no direct train from the airport: first the local service to Sants station or Passeig de Gràcia, then a change onto the R2 Sud line. About an hour and a quarter altogether, with a ticket at around 4-5 €. Cheap, but with two suitcases the change becomes tiring.
Bus. There are few direct services from the airport to Sitges, and the timetable is not built around arrivals. Check it in advance, particularly if your plane lands in the evening.
Taxi. The rank is outside the terminal and you pay by the meter. At peak times there is a queue, and how long you will stand in it is anyone's guess.
Transfer. The driver comes for the time of your flight and follows its number: if the plane is delayed, the pickup shifts by itself. The price of from €82 for the car is fixed when you book, and child seats are free in every class.
The exact figure is shown by the calculator on the route page - Barcelona airport to Sitges.
If you are already in the city rather than at the airport, there is a separate route - from Barcelona to Sitges: 39 km and ~41 min on the road.
What to see in a day
An hour and a half is enough for the old town: the church on its rock, the narrow streets around it, and the Passeig de la Ribera promenade with its "americano" houses.
Then two museums, a few steps apart. Cau Ferrat is the house of the painter Santiago Rusiñol, where he assembled a collection of wrought iron and paintings, including two works by El Greco. Next door is Maricel, with interiors from different periods and a view of the sea from its windows.
On the way from Barcelona, the Garraf park is worth a look - limestone hills dropping to the sea and a corniche road along the water. If you are travelling by car with a driver, ask to take the old coastal C-31 rather than the tunnels: about fifteen minutes longer, but the whole way runs above the water.
Sitges is a good place to stay the night as well. We went through how to reach a particular hotel using Hotel Calipolis on the seafront as the example.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Barcelona airport to Sitges? ~32 min on the motorway, a distance of 29 km. In July and August the coastal road is busier.
How much does a transfer from Barcelona airport to Sitges cost? from €82 for the whole car, not per person. The price is fixed when you book and does not depend on the traffic or the time of day.
How long does it take from central Barcelona to Sitges? ~41 min, a distance of 39 km. A transfer from the city costs from €97 for the car.
Is there a direct train from the airport to Sitges? There is not. You first have to reach Sants station or Passeig de Gràcia and change there onto the R2 Sud line. The whole journey takes about an hour and a quarter.
How many beaches does Sitges have? Seventeen, from wide urban stretches to small coves under the cliffs. Six of them fly the Blue Flag - an international mark from the FEE foundation given to beaches with clean water, lifeguards, showers and rubbish collection. The flag is renewed every year, so it tells you about the beach as it is now, not about past merits.
What is easier with small children? A transfer: the child seat is added when you book in the app and costs nothing in any class of car.
What happens if my flight is delayed? The driver follows your flight number and moves the pickup himself, at no extra charge. At the airport there is an hour of free waiting from the moment you land.
You book in the Let's GO app: enter the pick-up address and the destination, and the price appears at once, before you confirm. Toll roads are not included in the route price.