Valencia, Tarragona, Barcelona – Spain’s Coast by Train

Vamos!

Late-spring in Spain is fast becoming our annual reset button: warm enough for patio vermouth, cool enough to wander without wilting, and if you time it right, still light on crowds. After last year’s shoulder-season swing up the Costa Brava (catch that trip report here) we wanted a fresh route, so we built this Valencia – Tarragona – Barcelona train itinerary. A $606 round-trip fare from San Francisco to Barcelona on LEVEL Airlines sealed the deal; from there we traced a coastal triangle on rails. One great point redemption, two bargain Airbnbs, and a lot of clara (lemonade beer) and sangria later, here’s how the numbers and memories stacked up.

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Planning

A group of four of us had been talking about an international trip earlier in the year and identified May as the best time to go. But we didn’t finalize our destination until about three weeks before departure. Based on past experience and a quick scan on Google Flights, we felt confident we’d still be able to find good travel deals, even last-minute.

Here’s how we approached it:

• Flights: We used Google Flights Explorer mode to search for cheap fares for a 1–2 week trip in May anywhere in Europe. We saw promising options like Barcelona, Copenhagen, and Prague—but due to limited PTO, we prioritized direct flights.

• Accommodation: Use cash where it’s cheap, deploy points where it’s not. Before locking anything in, we did a quick scan of hotel and Airbnb options to gauge pricing in each city.

• Transport: We usually look for destinations that are easily connected by short train rides. This time, we browsed train schedules to understand frequency and pricing, but decided against pre-booking to stay flexible.

Flights

LEVEL is a Spanish budget airline that operates transatlantic routes: no frills, surprisingly good price, totally fine if you bring your own snacks and Netflix. Seats come with standard leg room and padded cushioning, USB power worked, and the 10-hour daytime flight avoided the hassle of a layover and saved a few hundred bucks compared to legacy carriers.

Before boarding in SFO, we stopped by The Club Lounge in Terminal B and loaded up on food. It’s one of the best Priority Pass lounges domestically, offering a solid selection of hot food and drinks. The orange chicken and hot German pretzels were standouts.

Getting Around (Trains)

Spain’s train system continues to be one of the easiest and most efficient ways to travel within the country. Here’s how our segments broke down:

Despite multiple trains per day, we ran into limited availability booking last-minute. By the time we reached Barcelona Sants from the airport, only first-class seats were left. Same with the trip from Valencia to Tarragona, we booked the night before, but one day earlier would’ve saved us some money. Typical round-trip price from Barcelona to Valencia is around $120. That said, riding in first class was a nice experience.

The train from Tarragona to Barcelona is a surprise for all of us. The track hugs the shoreline, serving up postcard views almost the entire ride.

Accommodations

Despite recent news of tighter Airbnb regulations in Spain, we found very comfortable, centrally located Airbnbs in both Valencia and Tarragona. Both were within walking distance to the city center and major attractions.

Barcelona, on the other hand, was noticeably more expensive, but also had the most options. We looked into hostels, Airbnbs, and hotels. As a Hyatt Globalist, I prioritized Hyatt properties. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Barcelona on a previous trip and liked it, but the location wasn’t ideal. This time, we went with the Grand Hyatt Barcelona, which had a decent redemption rate at 21,000 Hyatt points per night, and was located just steps from Camp Nou and the Pius XII tram stops. We booked two rooms for the four of us. At check-in, both rooms were upgraded, one even to a Junior Suite.

Read our full hotel review → “Grand Hyatt Barcelona Review”

Expense Breakdown

Here’s a quick overview of our costs per person:

Itinerary Highlights

Valencia

• City of Arts and Sciences – spent an afternoon wandering the Santiago Calatrava showpieces and reflecting pools
• Mercado Central – grazed on jamón, olives, and fresh-squeezed horchata between sightseeing stops
• Hundred Burgers – the burger that topped the “Best in the World” list, and yes, it delivered

Tarragona

Check out our Tarragona 2-day Itinerary

• Roman Amphitheatre – ruins plus Mediterranean backdrop; an easy morning stroll with sea breeze
• Les Ferreres Aqueduct – short taxi out of town for a quiet walk across this UNESCO-listed bridge

Barcelona

• Estadi Olímpic – watched Barça clinch the La Liga title; fireworks, chants, goosebumps
• Gaudí Highlights – self-guided loop through Casa Milà and Park Güell for architecture and city views
• City Eats – Catalonian food, tapas bars and beachfront seafood paella that reminded us why Barcelona is a food city

Takeaways

Nine days, three cities, and one memorable trip later, here’s what rose to the top:

• Shoulder season rules. We waltzed into top sites with no lines and found Airbnbs at half the summer price.

• Save points for the pricey city. Barcelona hotels eat up a budget fast, points made all the difference.

• Trains > rental cars. Faster, cheaper, and Spain’s coastal views are best seen through a train window.

If you’re planning your own Spain swing, feel free to borrow this blueprint – and let us know if you find an even sweeter fare.

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