Girona: the day trip most people skip
Most people fly into Girona airport and drive straight past the city to the coast. The old town they skip has intact Roman walls you can walk along, a Jewish quarter that survived largely untouched, and the pastel houses over the Onyar that appear on every postcard of Catalonia.
It works as a day trip from Barcelona, and it works better than the train.
Getting there
| Route | Distance | Time | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona city to Girona | 103 km | ~1 h 25 min | 195 EUR |
| BCN airport to Girona | 113 km | ~1 h 37 min | 224 EUR |
| Girona airport to Girona city | 18 km | ~23 min | 60 EUR |
The AP-7 runs most of the way, through farmland and low hills. A direct drive means no changing at Sants, no waiting on a platform, and no last train deciding when your day ends.
If you are flying into Girona airport itself, the city is 23 minutes away and the transfer costs from 60 EUR. That is the shortest airport-to-old-town run we operate anywhere in Catalonia.
What the old town is like
The historic centre is pedestrianised, so a car cannot drive into it. Transfers drop you at the edge, by the bridges over the Onyar, and everything worth seeing is within a fifteen-minute walk from there.
The cathedral steps are the ones from the Game of Thrones sixth season. The Arab baths date from the twelfth century. The Call, the Jewish quarter, is one of the best preserved in Europe, and the narrow stone lanes in it have barely changed in six hundred years.
Girona also has a serious food reputation: El Celler de Can Roca has held three Michelin stars for years and sits a short drive from the centre.
Vehicle classes
🔹 Comfort - sedan for two to four people, suitable for a day trip with daypacks
🔹 Van - up to seven passengers, room for pushchairs and walking gear
🔹 Premium - executive sedan, name sign included as standard
Child seats are free in every class. The old town is cobbled and hilly, so a carrier is often easier than a pushchair, but there is space for either.
Making a full day of it
Girona pairs naturally with two other stops. Figueres and the Dali Theatre-Museum are 48 minutes north, and the Costa Brava coast is 40 minutes east.
With hourly hire the driver stays with you across all of it: Girona in the morning, lunch in the old town, Dali in the afternoon, back to Barcelona in the evening. No timetable, no last train.
How booking and payment work
The price is per car, not per person. Four people to Girona at 195 EUR is 49 EUR each, and the amount does not change because of traffic or the hour.
For an immediate booking, payment is taken when the ride starts. For a scheduled booking, the amount is reserved on your card at the time of booking and charged when the ride begins. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup.
Tolls are not included in the fixed price and are charged separately. The AP-7 has toll sections on this route.
Frequently asked questions
Is Girona worth a day trip from Barcelona? Yes, if you want medieval architecture and a walkable old town without Barcelona crowds. The Roman walls, the Jewish quarter and the cathedral fill a comfortable day, and the food is a genuine reason to go on its own.
How long is the drive from Barcelona to Girona? About 1 hour 25 minutes from the city centre for 103 km, mostly on the AP-7. From Barcelona airport it is 1 hour 37 minutes.
Can a car enter the historic centre? No, it is pedestrianised. Transfers drop you at the bridges over the Onyar, and the old town is a few minutes' walk from there.
Can we combine Girona with Figueres or the coast? Yes. Figueres is 48 minutes north of Girona and the Costa Brava is around 40 minutes east. Hourly hire is the practical way to do two or three stops in a day.
Is it cheaper than the train for a family? For one or two people the train is cheaper. For four the transfer costs about 49 EUR per person door to door, with no changes and no fixed return time.
Do you drive from Girona airport as well? Yes, and it is the shortest route: Girona airport to the city takes 23 minutes from 60 EUR.