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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Girona
Give Girona 2 nights: one full day for the cathedral, walls and Old Town, one for the Jewish quarter and museums. Skip it only if you are here purely for Costa Brava beaches.
Girona is the chief city of the province of the same name in Catalonia, about 100 km northeast of Barcelona and 40 minutes away by high-speed train. It is a walled medieval city on a hillside, with a cathedral, a former Jewish quarter and one of Europe's best-preserved old towns. Most travellers use it as a base for the Costa Brava or as a stop between Barcelona and France, but the city itself deserves a full day.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (30–40 °C), winter windsJul–Aug (86–104 °F), winter winds
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €50–80 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All emergency services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–2.50 |
| Menu del dia (lunch, weekdays) | €12–18 |
| Beer: caña in a bar / can in a supermarket | €2–3.50 / €1–2 |
| Taxi across the centre | €8–12 |
| Local bus single ride | €1.50–2 |
| Cathedral entry (two churches) | €7.50 adult, €5 student, €1.50 child |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRO · Girona–Costa Brava Airport
- Ryanair is the main operator; Sagalés bus 607 to the bus station, about 30 min
- BCN · Barcelona–El Prat
- Sagalés bus 602 to Girona, about 2 h 30 min; or train from Barcelona Sants
Typical fares
- GRO airport → Girona bus station, Sagalés 607
- about €2.60, about 30 min (check)
- Barcelona Sants → Girona, AVE
- about €15–30, 40 min (check)
- Taxi across the centre
- €8–12 (check)
Get around
The centre is compact and mostly pedestrianised: Old Town and New Town are 10–15 min apart on foot, but expect gradients, cobblestones and stairs in the Old Town. Local buses (lines L1–L12) cover the suburbs, the station and Montjuïc. Girocleta is the bike-share scheme based at the bus station; many signed cycle routes leave the city.
See and do
Known for
- Girona Cathedral
- The Call (Jewish quarter)
- City walls and Torre Gironella
- Game of Thrones filming locations
- Cycling base for the Costa Brava
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Banyoles | Bus from Girona bus station, about 30 min | About 45 min |
| Besalú | Bus from Girona, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Figueres | AVE or regional train from Girona station, 20–30 min | About 45 min |
| Costa Brava beaches | Bus to Lloret de Mar or Blanes, 40–70 min | 1–1.5 h |
| Camprodon | Bus or car into the Pyrenees, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
| Ripoll | Train or bus, about 1 h 30 min | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Barri Vell (Old Town)
- East bank of the Onyar; cathedral, Jewish quarter and walls on foot. Steep streets and cobblestones; few cars.
- New Town (west bank)
- 19th-century grid around Plaça de la Independència; most shops, hotels and restaurants, plus the railway and bus stations.
- Around the station
- Practical for one night or an early train; 10–15 min walk to the Old Town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GràciesGRAH-see-es |
| Please | Si us plausee oos PLOW |
| How much is it? | Quant costa?kwant KOS-tah |
| The bill, please | El compte, si us plauel KOM-teh, see oos PLOW |
| Where is the toilet? | On és el lavabo?on es el lah-VAH-boo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Do not drive into the Old Town streets: they are narrow, pedestrianised and easy to get stuck in.
- Summer heat: 30–40 °C in July and August; plan sightseeing for the morning.
- Winter can bring cold mountain winds and temperatures below −5 °C, plus frequent rain.
- The Onyar river can dry to a trickle in summer and smell.
- Some sights close on Mondays or have short Sunday hours: check before you go.
Girona is a safe city for tourists; the main risks are pickpockets in crowded Old Town streets and on the train from Barcelona, summer heat, and steep cobblestones after rain. Emergency number is 112.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Girona yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Girona Cathedral
- The Call (Jewish quarter)
- City walls and Torre Gironella
- Game of Thrones filming locations
- Cycling base for the Costa Brava
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Girona Tourism: www.girona.cat/turisme/eng/index.php
- Girona Cathedral: catedraldegirona.cat/en/
- Girona–Costa Brava Airport (Aena): www.aena.es/es/girona-costa-brava.html
- Sagalés: www.sagales.com/en
- Rodalies de Catalunya: rodalies.gencat.cat/en/horaris/index.html
- Wikivoyage: Girona, revision 5286847 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5286847
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Girona
A aquesta adreça, si us plau
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Girona; most countries have embassies in Madrid and consulates in Barcelona.
Catalan is co-official here; Spanish works everywhere, but a few Catalan words go a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/girona). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.