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Girona Airport.
Girona has its own modern, expanding airport, the gateway for many of the package holiday visitors on their way to the Costa Brava. Situated about 15 kms. from Girona city near a town called Vilobi d' Onyar. Every time I use this place it seems there's always something new to see, and the departures hall has expanded recently with more check-in desks.
Girona airport has many connections to Europe and the rest of the world. These are just some of the European airlines that fly to and from Girona. Iberia, Wizzair, Centralwings, Spanair and of course the biggest by far is Ryanair.
Within its own website it lists it as 'Barcelona-Girona' but the reality is that Barcelona is about 90 kms. away to the south. If you're traveling to Barcelona via Girona airport read below on how to get there by bus or train.
As far as I know, for transatlantic travel and far-away destinations if you're living here, you would need to use Barcelona airport.
Flying to Girona from the U.K.
Ryanair uses Girona as one of its main hubs and serves many UK airports with direct flights to Girona from places like London Stansted, London Luton, Bristol, Blackpool, Bournemouth, East Midlands, Liverpool, Doncaster, Durham, Glasgow and Newcastle. For Ireland it serves Dublin and Shannon from Girona. For a complete and up-to-date list of destinations go to their main website.
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Views of Girona airport
building.
Information about Girona Airport, which bus to take to either Girona or Barcelona and information on hiring cars.
Car parking is plentiful but now no longer free and includes a multi-storey block nearby, in walking distance. The parking charges are reasonable, my short weekend stay cost me just 18 euros recently. As you enter just push the button to collect the ticket and choose from either the open spaces or the multi-storey section which is a bit further to walk to the main airport building. On your return just use the automatic pay machines which accept credit/debit cards, coins and notes. Note, there are two exit barriers.
The arrivals and check-in areas are on the ground floor where there's also a tourist information desk, near the car-hire desks.
Oficina de Turismo del Aeropuerto. Edificio Terminal, vestíbulo de llegadas
Teléfono: 972 186 708 Fax: 972 473 090 E- mail: ot.aeroportgirona@gencat.net
The outdoor terrace
Duty-Free shops upstairs
The departure halls are upstairs, where you can also find the usual duty-free shops and cafes. It's quite spacious upstairs, the views out towards the mountains are very uplifting! There's also an outdoor terrace area with a small kiosk/cafe where you can do some last-minute sunbathing!
Getting to Barcelona or Girona.
If your'e travelling onto Barcelona you need to look out for the Barcelona Bus desk inside the airport where you can buy a bus ticket, about 12€, which takes you to Barcelona's main bus station Estacio del Nord. The bus timetable is run alongside the Ryanair schedules so you should'nt have to wait too long. As you walk out the airport terminal they're usually parked-up just across the road with Barcelona Bus on the side of the coach.
However, if you want to take the train to Barcelona you'll have to get to Girona train station (look below) and take the fast train called the Catalunya Express (journey time about 1hr.15).
Look for this bus when you
exit the arrivals hall.
But, if you want to get into Girona city you need to take the other Barcelona bus that leaves about every 25 mins. This journey takes about 20 mins and brings you to the main train, bus and coach station called Estacio de Girona. A single ticket costs 2.15€ and you have to buy it from the same Barcelona Bus desk, inside the airport arrivals hall, before you board.
Please note, the bus stop for those Girona bound is located just outside the exit of the arrivals hall so don't cross over the road.. It's not that obvious and I found this out by first walking across to where the Barcelona buses were parked for Barcelona (these go to Estacio d'Autobusos Barcelona Nord ), only to be told that they were all going to Barcelona, and that the Girona bus leaves from a Bus stop just opposite, so its worth asking if your'e unsure (donde esta el autobus a Girona?).
Check for up-to-date timetables and prices at their website www.barcelonabus.com they normally leave every hour on the hour for the bus to Girona airport and then leave on the half-hour, coming back into Girona. It just goes to Girona's main train and bus station and doesn't make any other stops. I came back once late at night and caught the 11.30pm bus to Girona station and was told it was the last one. Miss that one and the only option left is catching a taxi, which could cost between 20-25€.
The bizzare thing is that when you travel on this bus from Girona city to the airport you can't buy the ticket from inside the bus station but have to pay as you enter the bus. We've also noticed that when you travel on local buses that serve the towns and villages around Girona the ticket desk won't sell you a ticket until about 15 mins before the bus leaves?. It's also the same for train tickets, I tried to buy a ticket to travel the next day and was told it's not possible.
Here's another informative Girona Airport Guide
Here's an informative guide to Barcelona Airport
View at ground
level
Girona station platform.
There are currently no train connections from the airport to Girona city. Girona train station (Estacio de Girona) is near the centre and the Bus and Coach station is also there. One building is for the trains and the one opposite is for the buses and coaches. The track runs above ground (above left pic.) so it's easy to spot the trains but poorly signposted when trying to find it by car, as I discovered. Inside the Bus terminal there's a cafe, various shops, car-hire offices and toilets.
There's lots of construction work going on around here due to the fast rail link that's being built, and will take 2-3 years.
For ciggie-lovers, just outside the train station and part of the building, there's a Tabac shop, open 8am-10pm Mondays to Saturdays, closed Sundays and on official Bank holidays.
From Girona you can also get trains to other places in Catalonia, Spain and beyond, but there's little that actually runs to or along the coast itself (except to Llanca ,45 mins. and further on to places like Port Bou near the French border) so for coastal destinations you'd have to take the buses.
Girona's train station
& taxi rank.
Apparently what used to be the railway track along the coast is now a cycle track. Here's a link to the RENFE (Spanish rail operator) site that has train info in English www.renfe.es
Update Oct.08. The work on the AVE or fast train line from France down into Spain has started in earnest and there are building sites and road diversions all around the station. Construction time is estimated at 2-3 years, but who knows! What used to be the station car park has now been transformed as the new site for the Bus station, so they are now arriving and departing from here.
Taxis into Girona City should cost about 30 € from the airport, the taxi rank is outside the arrivals hall and there's always plenty. For anyone looking for a Co. that offers a shuttle service from Girona airport to Barcelona or the coastal resorts.
Click here
Car hire in Spain, try:
CarDelMar
Car Hire in Girona
Car Hire in Girona is available from within the Airport or at Girona station. The car hire desks are easy to find on the ground floor of the arrivals terminal at Girona airport. To collect your car tho' you need to exit the building and collect your keys from a location outside. Update spring 09. Because of new terminal buildings going up, this has now changed, but the car hire reps will advise.
The Girona train station also has car hire offices inside.
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If your'e planning on staying in Girona City itself and your hotel doesn't have parking, it can be difficult to find a parking space. Look out for the underground parking signs, same as in the UK, a large P on a blue background as there's plenty of them. Street parking is mostly free but some central areas do have bays that require pre-payment using roadside machines.
If you do find a parking space in the streets then mind your bumpers, as I've never seen people park their cars so close to each other that I wonder sometimes how they ever get out!
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