How to access the Costa Brava

Perhaps in an effort to maintain a smidgen of its secrecy and charm, the Costa Brava can be surprisingly hard to access by public transport. It turns out, the privilege of enjoying coastal cafes and sandy shores around these parts, is best enjoyed with your own car. 

Reaching the Costa Brava from Barcelona

Arriving to the coast from nearby Barcelona is a breeze - depending on your destination, you can be in Sant Feliu de Guixols in 1 hr 20 minutes, Palafrugell in 1 hr 30 minutes, or charming Cadaques in 2 hrs 15 minutes after spending a good while winding through its rocky Mediterranean hills down towards the coast. As the vast majority of visitors from Barcelona drive generally on a Friday late afternoon to return on a Sunday evening, be aware that the summer months can make for busy roads, not to mention an extra hour or two of traffic to head back down to Barcelona before work starts on Monday. 

If you are city-based yet don’t have your own car, there are two options though both will only get you so far. The first is to reach any of the towns along the coast by taking the Sarfa bus, though be warned - because you can stop at every town on the same route, the journey can be very slow as you squeeze through town centres and tight roads. It's an option suitable for those who don't have private transport yet need almost door-to-door services from Barcelona centre or airport terminals to towns along the coast- just factor in half a day to get there.

The other alternative is to use the Renfe train system to catch a train from Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gracia, or El Clot to reach Flaça station. About 1.5 hours after leaving Barcelona, the train will drop you in Flaça which is a small, fairly quiet station. From here, you will need a friend or taxi to take you to your next destination as nothing is walking distance. From Flaça to Pals, for example, is a 25 minute ride and it costs around €50. The train is somewhat reliable, though take into account possible delays and be aware that if you are leaving from Barcelona, it can take some navigating to ensure you catch the right train. It's best for people comfortable with taking public transport, especially if you don't speak any Spanish.

Top tip: The local train (Regional) is about half the price of the media distancia (MD), but takes slightly longer and doesn’t have plugs to charge your laptop or phone nor any. bathrooms. I tend to prefer the MD for the extra comfort.

Reaching the Costa Brava internationally

If flying into the Costa Brava from abroad, it is ideal to land in Girona airport, though there are few direct flights. A very small, easy-to-navigate airport with low passenger volume - in all of 2019, less than 2 million people arrived through its gates - visitors from 44 destinations land at the airport which is just 8 miles outside of Girona centre, before continuing the journey onward. Personally, I would recommend renting a car to make your stay the most comfortable,  but there are the alternatives of a taxi or the Sarfa bus towards the coast. 

That said, you will most likely be landing in Barcelona El Prat airport which is approximately a 2 hour drive from the coast. From the airport, the options to reach the coast are as per the recommendations above, with the suggestion being to rent a car directly from the airport.

Getting around the Costa Brava

During the summertime, there are some local buses available to travel short distances but on a fairly limited basis - in all my years living here, I've only heard about 1 person who uses this service. It’s simply expected that most people here will have a car, so routes are not frequent nor well published. Sarfa continues to run its routes between towns but again, short distances become significant journeys due to the frequent stops, so it will help if you’re in a pickle but otherwise, you’ll want to drive or be driven.

When driving, bear in mind that summertime parking is almost always paid and the restrictions as well as apps to pay with, change per town. Always check the paid timings of the town you're parking in - for example, sometimes paid parking ends at 8pm and other times at 10am. My top tip though, is to download the apps rather than use the machines. By using the apps, you'll be saving yourself the hassle of waiting in line for the machine, going back to the machine to top up parking (as you can do this straight from the app), and other hassles. Common apps, in case you want to download ahead of time, are EasyPark and TelPark.

Conclusion

In short, reaching a few key points in the region is straightforward enough, but moving between towns and especially reaching the beaches themselves is best done through your own car. You’ll have the freedom to move about, visit various beaches and taste your way through the coast's large list of culinary delights, not to mention enjoy the incredible views of rocky cliffs and vibrant pine forests as you set off exploring.  

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