When you go to rest in Catalonia (Spain), somewhere on the Costa Brava, then perhaps you will not spend the whole vacation lying on the beach. Still, it is a region known for its historical and cultural attractions. Firstly, this is Barcelona, with the Gothic quarter, the Cathedral of Saint Eulalia, the buildings of the great Gaudi, the Rambla ...
Secondly, Girona. Also the capital of the province. Despite the fact that this is a small town, compared to Barcelona, it impresses the traveler with its architectural ensemble and the wealth of medieval buildings and fortresses per square kilometer. Therefore, if you can see both of these amazing places, then you will benefit from this.
In the article we will consider different ways of how to get from Barcelona to Girona on our own, and give advice to tourists regarding the convenience and cheapness of each option.
Car
If you have your own or rented car on vacation, then you can quickly and easily handle the Barcelona - Girona route. How to get from one city to another by car? There is nothing easier. The distance between both cities along the highway is no more than a hundred kilometers. You leave on the highway AR-7 (Mediterranean) and in fifty minutes you find yourself near Girona.
To get into the city, you should turn off at the fourth exit. True, in this area there are paid sites. So get ready to pay nine euros, not including the cost of gasoline. They advise you to pay in cash, not a card, otherwise then after a few days you will have problems with a credit card. And if you are not in a hurry, then go along the free roads along the sea. The views from the car window at the same time open simply bewitching.
All roads are in good condition. In addition, there are large free parking lots in Girona, from where it is easy to walk to the historic center in a few minutes.
A train
This is the easiest and probably fastest way to overcome the distance between two cities - Barcelona, Girona. How to get there by train? To do this, you need to get to one of the Barcelona train stations - best of all, Pasage de Grazia. From there, trains to Girona run almost once every thirty minutes or per hour - depending on the time of day. The station is underground. To descend on it, you need to get to Passeig de Grazia and find Casa Batlló. The entrance to the station is located just in front of this building. When you get underground, you will find signs directing you to Renfe - these are the Spanish railways.
You can still go from the Barcelona Sants or Plaça Catalunya stations. Girona is not the terminal station of these trains. To get there, you need to look for the directions of Figueiras and Port Bo.
It is best to use mid-range trains - they are reasonably priced and run faster. Electric trains (“Sercanas”) will cost less, but in time they are not very profitable. Take a medium-distance train one way for about an hour, and the trip costs about 15 euros. Speed trains reach there in forty minutes and cost twenty euros. Tickets can be purchased both at the box office and on the Renfe website.
Bus
This mode of transport can be used mainly between the airports of Barcelona - Girona. How to get by bus from the center of the capital of Catalonia? To do this, use special lines. For example, this is Barcelona Bass. His flights are often customized for Ryanair flights. The bus leaves from the North Station.
Other flights rarely call to Barcelona. They go straight to El Prat del Llobregat airport. If you still want to get by bus, then there are several Sagales flights from Barcelona. They depart from the Fabra and Puj station.
Recently, from the North Station of the capital of Catalonia to the center of Girona buses "Rayaneyr" began to go. But it is necessary to clarify which of them do not go to the airport - they are all alike.
You can also get with transfers. First get by bus to the main station of the Costa Brava - Lloret de Mar. The carrier ALSA goes to this resort town. And from there you already have to wait for the flight to Girona.
Where to go from train stations
But now you have traveled by public transport all the way from Barcelona to Girona. How do you get now to some sights - in fact, to what you came here for? There is nothing easier. Both the bus station and the Girona railway station are located in Plaza de España. From here, about a quarter of an hour you need to go to the historic city center. On the way, you will see a lot of boutiques, shops and cafes, some in new buildings, and others two hundred years later. There is also such an interesting phenomenon as covered walkways and galleries. So in case of bad weather you can not only hide from the rain, but also walk from one institution to another, while remaining dry.
How to get from Girona Airport to Barcelona
If you flew to Catalonia on one of the low-cost airlines, then most likely it will land in one of the small hubs. This is Girona Airport. It is not in the city center, so it will be far to the railway station. But from here you can easily get to the Barcelona North Bus Station. It is located almost in the center of the capital of Catalonia. You just need to get on a special bus. It is called Barcelona Bass. His stop is at the exit of the airport to the right.
If you are going to the Girona airport from Barcelona by this type of transport, then you should know: tickets for it in this direction are bought at a separate ticket office. They do not sell them in the cabin. Go down to the first floor of the Barcelona bus station building and you will become the owner of travel documents. The buses themselves run regularly - from platforms 28 and 29 of the Northern Bus Station.
From the center of Barcelona to Girona Airport, as well as back, they get in an hour and a quarter. We can say that this is the only type of bus that you can ride on the route Barcelona - Girona.
How to get to the North Station? It can be easily reached by metro, red line L1, station "Triumphal Arch".
Barcelona - Girona: how to get at night
Trains between the two cities run from seven in the morning until ten in the evening. But if you arrived in Barcelona too late, then you may have problems getting to Girona. The fact is that public transport in Spain generally does not work from midnight to six in the morning. So at this time and do not rely on the train or bus Barcelona - Girona. How to get there all the same at night? There are three options: rented car, transfer or taxi. The latter will cost from one hundred and fifty euros.