Many people who visit Barcelona have such a great time that they don’t think of leaving the city, not even for a day, but there are many towns and places in the vicinity, which are worth to see, and a car rental is a convenient, cheap and easy way to get to the chosen destination. The Montseny Natural Park is only 40 miles away of Barcelona and is a perfect destination for a relaxing trip outside the city. The park has amazing nature and a huge variety of biological species It is even included in the world network of biosphere reserves by UNESCO (Man and Biosphere), and also offers organised routes for hiking.

Costa Brava is an attractive seaside located just 60 km northeast of Barcelona, on the French border, with fascinating beaches. There are several small towns in the area of Costa Brava, like Cadaques, which was one of the favourite places for Salvador Dalí and Picasso.

Costa Dorada, the Golden Coast, got its name for the endless golden, sandy beaches. It’s another popular holiday destination, to the east of Barcelona, easily accessible by car rental. Here you can find the unique combination of old and modern, natural and artificial: the area is full of lovely, peaceful towns and cheerful farmlands. The region is well known for its finest wines, especially the strong reds from the Priorat. Everyone can have a great time here, independently from age, enjoying the picturesque surroundings as well as the comfort of the modern facilities.

If you travel a bit further, you can try out the roller coasters in Europe’s biggest fun park, Port Aventura, only 77 miles from Barcelona to the west, where you can spend a week without getting bored of it. It’s advisable to look around on Liligo.com for the best offers of car rental companies, cheap hotels or low cost flights long before the journey

Some things to take care of when planning your trip

To have a holiday without setbacks, it helps a lot to take into consideration what simple measurements can be done that would save you many bad shots.
First of all, always check your documents that will be requested at the entrance of your destination country, consult the competent government agency, and even if you do not leave the country, keep in mind that it is obligatory to carry along your identification papers. Moreover, many accommodations request documents at registration. You may also want to rent a car, so you'll have to take your driver's license with you (get informed about the international driving license, too). Do not forget your travel insurance, your health insurance card (we strongly recommend you to take your health card). There are some countries where a visa is required to be allowed to enter the country at all. But do not worry, in most countries you can enter and stay without visas or special permits for some months (usually 90 days).
A good tactic is to photocopy important documents you might need, so in case they get lost or stolen, it will be really useful. Furthermore, it is also a good idea to carry along two extra passport photos.

Thanks to the Schengen agreement, one can freely cross the borders of ‘Schengen countries’, so EU travellers travelling within this area won’t be asked to identify themselves. Even so, you should always carry along identity documents, because police might ask for identity checks, any time. The following countries form part of the Schengen Agreement:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland (non-EU), Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway (non-EU), Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland (non-EU).
EU countries that do not belong to this agreement are: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, UK and Romania. Citizens outside the EU will need to apply for visas and documents to enter the Schengen area. The maximum length of stay for travellers is 3 months.
Bear in mind that some documents and visas are not that easy to get, one has to wait for them. Therefore it is recommended that you plan the travel and learn about these documents well in advance.

In addition to paperwork, when travelling within or outside the borders of the EU or the Schengen area, don’t forget to be informed of the required or recommended vaccinations in certain countries. If you know exactly the health care situation of the country which you plan to travel to, you can avoid many unpleasant surprises.
Again, please note that some vaccines require more than one dose, sometimes with large temporary spaces between them, so it is advisable to act well in advance. Be cautious with consuming food, especially fruits, and for your security, drink bottled water only.
Also, the maximum weight of your luggage is usually around 20 kilos –depending on the airline-, so it might be a good idea to make a list of most necessary things before packing your suitcase. Your passport (and anything fragile) is best to be guarded in your hand luggage that you bring along into the cabin.
Note that you can’t have scissors (or any kind of cutting or stabbing tools) with you, nor liquids of any kind (water, tee, juices and all types of cosmetics), or at least only a small amount.

Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that your luggage gets lost. In this case it might be helpful to have some clothes with you in your hand bag, until your luggage is found.

Further information:

Foreign and Commonwealth office

European Health Insurance card

Healthcare abroad

• Autos Barcelona
• Coches Barcelona
• Voitures Barcelone
• Auto Barcellona