Barcelona & Catalan Wine Route

This is a private trip to Barcelona and Catalonia, with mainly private transfers and tours. Some of the guided tours will be shared with other visitors, but we promise they won't bite.

The simplest way is to fly into and out of Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN).

But you may also want to consider going one way by train. From Paris it's a six-hour ride through the French countryside and across the Pyrenees to reach Barcelona. We 'd love to host you for a night or two in Paris, and we work with a lovely hotel right by the Gare de Lyon station to make life easy.

Equally, you can reach Madrid by fast train from Barcelona in a couple of hours. Again, we could also host you in the Spanish capital and show you the sights.

If you'd like to know more or discuss ideas, just let us know.

This trip is available between late March through June and September through early November. Outside of these months, the hotels in the countryside tend to take a breather as winter sets in, and things are a little too hot to handle in the summer.

The very best time to come would be early September as the harvest season kicks off. But any time in spring or fall would be great really, with the weather generally lovely and the landscapes nice and green.

If you are looking for a winter escape, keep in mind that Barcelona and other cities such as Seville, Madrid and Paris can be lovely this time of the year. As long as you avoid the major holidays, things tend to be quieter, calmer, cooler and cheaper too. You can always come back for the wineries next year...

We spend a great deal of time visiting, staying in and getting to know the best hotels in each area we visit. Someone has to test the squishiness of the beds and the yumminess of the food after all.

The hotels we have selected for this trip tend towards the premium end of the scale, which is to say they are all very lovely without being overly luxurious or expensive for the sake of it. Expert a warm welcome, an inviting pool, great food and a peaceful stay at each.

In Barcelona, you'll put a good few kms on the clocks of your shoes. We provide a self-guided route which can be a half or full-day activity. We also give instructions on how to download a rather brilliant audio tour on your smartphone, which sends you down sidestreets and round corners using your phone's GPS. In both cases, you can walk as much as you want and take a break whenever the mood takes you. If you just want to watch the world go by from a bustling terrace or seaview hangout, you can go do just that.

The eBike excursion is designed for everyone. As long as you can ride a bike in a straight line, you'll be fine. Having a private guide means you can adapt things to you, so if you want to cover less ground and spend more time in one specific area, that's usually just fine.

In Montserrat, we encourage you to do a bit of a walk by riding the funicular up above the abbey. There's a simple circuit that anyone can do, reaching the smaller chapels and opening up views over the plains and limestone peaks. There's also a more adventurous option that involves a bit of clambering and ducking, but that's not for everyone. You'll have great views whichever direction you wander in.

In the countryside, you'll usually be less active. Whilst there are walks you can do in both wine regions, your time here is more about slowing down with a glass of wine in your hand or a peaceful pool by your side. You don't have to be an athlete to stroll in sunny vineyards or potter around a stone village that time seems to have forgotten. The trick is to take things slow and let it all come to you.

As part of the creation process, we have also designed a 12-day version of this trip. So if you have more time to play with, the first step is simply to have a look at that alternative itinerary. Beyond that, we can tailor the trip in certain ways, making sure that we retain the essence of this vacation through the pacing and content.

Using the high-speed train network, it's also easy to add time in cities such as Madrid, Seville or Paris (as mentioned above) to either end of the trip.

Oh yes, absolutely. In many ways, this trip is designed to put you in the company of local people at every stage. That might mean a pedal through one of Barcelona's old 'village' neighbourhoods with our man on the ground there, being spoilt by Monica's team at the family winery in El Penedés or simply practising a few lines of Spanish with the locals as you order a tapa or two in Tarragona. After all, there's a reason why we describe our vacations as 'beautifully local'...

No, though you'll find that Catalan is actually the lingua franca in these parts. In Barcelona, you'll be just fine. The only time you might struggle is if you go to a proper neighbourhood restaurant away from the tourist centre (there's a good one by Sants station). The language might be in Catalan only, though everyone speaks Spanish so if you've got some of that, this would be the time to use it.

In the countryside, in smaller restaurants and villages, English is rarely spoken. But most of the time you will be with your hosts, who will speak excellent English, and so aside from the occasional pointing and gesturing, again you'll have no problems. Part of the charm is going to places where English is not the dominant language in our experience.

As part of your trip you'll have your own travel app which is packed with background information, useful tips, sightseeing advice and personal recommendations from us and our team. This will help you plan your days, from your hotel's front door and back again. We'll give you everything you need for the trip, including using the Metro (it's really easy) and how to explore each part of the city. If something happens, you also have a 24/7 emergency contact for us.

Of course, on this trip you'll spend a great deal of time in the company of local guides, who we know will look after you like royalty.