Getaways from Barcelona: day trips and destinations close by.

The sea closes off the east side

Departures fan out, because the sea closes off the east side. To the south, the C-32 follows the coast to Garraf and Sitges, and the AP-7 leads to the Penedès, with its own exit at Sant Sadurní. To the west, the A-2 and the C-55 climb to Montserrat in an hour. To the north there are two axes: the C-17 to Vic and the Ripollès, and the C-16, with the Cadí tunnel, to Berga and the Cerdanya. The AP-7 towards Girona gives access to the Montseny via Sant Celoni and, further up, to the Empordà and the Garrotxa. The C-59 takes you to Caldes de Montbui.

Barcelona is one of the Spanish cities where it is easiest to travel without a car. The Rodalies R2 Sud, from Sants or Passeig de Gràcia, stops at Garraf and Sitges; the R4, at Sant Sadurní; the R3, at Vic, Ripoll and La Molina station. From Plaça d'Espanya, the Ferrocarrils R5 connects with the Aeri and the Montserrat rack railway. The Montseny is reached by train to Sant Celoni and Bus Parc to Santa Fe, and Caldes by the Sagalés e9 bus.

Garraf, Caldes, Sitges and Sant Sadurní have a direct train or bus

Under an hour away fit the half-day plans: Garraf at 33 minutes, the Caldes hot springs at 35, Sitges at 38 and the Sant Sadurní cava cellars at 42. All have a direct train or bus, so nobody has to drive after lunch.

Between one hour and an hour and a half is the nearby mountain: Montserrat at 59 minutes, the Montseny and Vic at 67 and Berga at 78. This is the band for walking-and-inn-lunch Sundays.

Further on, between an hour and a half and two hours, the day gets longer, and many destinations already call for a night: the Ripollès with the Núria rack railway, 94 minutes; Besalú and the Garrotxa by balloon, 101; Pals, Peralada and the medieval Empordà from Peratallada, between 102 and 110; Rupit and the cliffs of the Collsacabra, 112, and Prades and its stars, 117.

Beyond two hours, it is a weekend trip: Siurana and the Priorat, two hours; the Matarraña, two and a half hours; Grandvalira, three; Alquézar and its canyons, three and a quarter, and Carcassonne, a little over three hours twenty on the French motorway.

The nearest snow, in the Cerdanya

In winter, the nearest snow is in the Cerdanya, an hour and a half away: a ski Sunday at La Molina, also by train with the Skitren package, or the cable car up to La Tosa for non-skiers. With two nights, the weekend in Puigcerdà adds Masella and its night piste. Further off are the Pallars, the Vall de Boí and Baqueira, from almost four hours. For cold days, a thermal night in Caldes.

In spring the long routes return: Sant Jeroni, the roof of Montserrat, and Pals, among rice fields and a Gothic old town, with a stroll on the beach at the end. In good weather, the motorbike route to the Coll de la Creueta is open from April to October.

In summer, the nearby coast fills up and Garraf and Sitges are less recommended in July and August. Better to go up to the Ripollès and Núria, at almost 2,000 metres, or spend the day in Vic, between the square and Sert's cathedral.

Autumn is the Montseny season: the Santa Fe beech wood with a chargrill lunch, the climb to Les Agudes and some Sundays of mushroom outings with the park guides. In October and November the Fageda d'en Jordà and the Priorat vineyards also turn yellow.

The Codorníu cellars on the R4

• Without a car, in a day: Sant Sadurní and the Codorníu cellars. The R4 to the village, the Puig i Cadafalch Modernista cellars toured by underground train and lunch in the estate's tower.
• With one night: the Montseny in autumn. A little over an hour away, to see the golden beech wood, climb to Montsoriu castle and go out for mushrooms on Sunday.
• With two nights: the medieval Empordà. Under two hours along the AP-7, two nights inside Peratallada, a balloon flight at dawn and the Iberian city of Ullastret.