Girona: The Day Trip Most People Skip
People who land at Girona Airport usually head straight for the coast, right past the city. Yet Girona has complete Roman walls you can walk along, and a Jewish quarter that came through the centuries almost untouched. The pastel houses above the Onyar are the ones you've seen on every postcard of Catalonia.
As a day trip from Barcelona, Girona works beautifully, and for four of you a transfer costs less than the train.
Getting there
| Route | Distance | Time | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona - Girona | 102 km | ~1 hr 24 min | from €199 |
| Barcelona Airport - Girona | 115 km | ~1 hr 30 min | from €220 |
| Girona Airport - city | 16 km | ~22 min | from €61 |
Almost the whole drive runs along the AP-7, through open fields and low hills. The road goes direct, so there's no change at Sants, no platform wait, and no need to shape your evening around the last train.
If you fly into Girona Airport itself, the city's 22 minutes away and the ride costs from €61. That's a shorter hop from airport to historic centre than anywhere else in Catalonia.
What the old town is actually like
The historic centre is pedestrian, so no car goes in. Your driver drops you at the edge of the old town, by the bridges over the Onyar, and everything worth seeing is within a fifteen-minute walk.
The cathedral steps are the ones from season six of Game of Thrones. The Arab baths date from the 12th century. El Call, the Jewish quarter, is among the best preserved in Europe: its narrow stone streets have barely changed in six hundred years.
Girona also carries a serious food reputation: El Celler de Can Roca has held three Michelin stars for years and stands a short way from the centre.
Car classes
- Comfort: a sedan for two or three, right for a day trip with backpacks
- Van: up to seven passengers, with room for strollers and gear
- Premium: an executive sedan for up to three
A child seat comes free in every class and is mandatory for children 135 cm and under. The old town is cobbled and climbs in places, so a carrier is often easier than a stroller - though there's room in the car for either.
How to turn this into a full day
Girona pairs easily with Figueres or the coast in a single day. Figueres, home of the Dalí Theatre-Museum, lies 48 minutes north, and the Costa Brava shoreline 40 minutes east.
Book hourly hire and your driver stays with you through all of it. Girona in the morning, lunch in the old town, Dalí in the afternoon, back to Barcelona in the evening. No timetable, no last train.
Booking and payment
You pay per car, not per person. Four of you heading to Girona pay from €209 for the car, and that figure holds whatever the traffic does or however long the ride takes.
The amount is reserved on your card at booking and charged once the ride is over. You can cancel free of charge at any time.
Toll roads fall outside the fixed price and are paid separately. On this route the AP-7 has no toll sections at all: it has been free since September 2021.
Frequently asked questions
Is Girona worth a day trip from Barcelona? Yes, if you want medieval architecture and a walkable old town without the Barcelona crowds. The Roman walls, the Jewish quarter and the cathedral fill most of a day, and the food scene is a reason to come in its own right.
How long is the drive from Barcelona to Girona? Around ~1 hr 24 min from the city centre, 102 km mostly along the AP-7. From Barcelona Airport, count on ~1 hr 30 min.
Can the car drive into the historic centre? No, it's pedestrian. Your driver drops you at the bridges over the Onyar, a few minutes on foot from the old town.
Can I combine Girona with Figueres or the coast? Yes. Figueres is 48 minutes north of Girona, and the Costa Brava roughly 40 minutes east. For two or three stops in one day, hourly hire is the easier way to do it.
Is it cheaper than the train for a family? For one or two people, the train's cheaper. Once there are four of you, a transfer costs from €209 for the car, door to door, with no changes and no need to build your evening around the return train.
Do you drive from Girona Airport? Yes: Girona Airport - city takes 22 minutes and costs from €61.