JBord

I'm looking for a couple day trips to round out our itinerary in the beginning of September. I need one day trip from Barcelona, on a Sunday, and one day trip from San Sebastian, on a Wednesday. Below are some of the ideas we've been running through. We enjoy beaches, historical sites, wine & beer, good food, and some art museums. Public transport (bus or train) over car rental, but we know a car makes sense for some destinations. Any thoughts on these, or additions to the list will be appreciated!

Barcelona (Sunday):
- Figueres, Dali Museum (we've pretty much ruled this out as the museum would be the whole reason to go and we don't want to spend most of a day on it)
- Alella wineries (are they open on Sunday for tastings and tours?)
- Stiges
- Girona

San Sebastian (Weds):
- Rioja region (tours are very expensive, so we were considering renting a car, but not sure we can really make it worthwhile in only a day)
- Biarritz, France
- Bilbao (Guggenheim, but anything else there worth a day trip?)
- Getaria wineries

Thanks!

TWA884

Definitely.

Casco Viejo, Bilbao's old quarter, is definitely worth a visit. It has charming narrow alleys full of unique shops and great Pintxo Bars. Just walk there along the river bank from the Guggenheim.

Nerua, the restaurant at the Guggenheim, is currently ranked 32nd on San Pellegrino's list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants.

If you still have time on your hand, the Museo Marítimo Ría de Bilbao has very interesting exhibits on the history of the estuary, the shipyard and the port of Bilbao.

JBord

I learned just today that Alella is having it's harvest festival the week we're considering going. I assume that means the wineries won't be open for walk-ins, but it looks like there may be some tours and tastings organized by the festival.

Anyone have any insight on the festival? Is it fun, and worth going to, or would we be disappointed that we couldn't do tastings at our own pace and schedule?

spainlover

For a day trip from Barcelona, I would suggest either Girona or maybe a beach along the Costa Brava. There's great food in Girona. From San Sebastian, you could do Bilbao/Guggenheim with a stop along the coast at San Juan Gaztelugatxe (google for pics).