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Check Hotel Prices & Availability in Girona
Getting
around Girona
Girona city with a population of around 100,000 is much
smaller in comparison to somewhere like Barcelona and the
locals refer to it more as a 'village'. If your'e a visitor
then driving around Girona is a hassle, especially in the
morning and early evening rush hour. Your'e better of
parking somewhere, which in itself can be a bit hard the
majority of the time, unless you opt for one of the many
underground, paid parking places.
Locals seem to avoid these underground car parks and choose
to drive around the block looking for any tiny, 'free'
parking space. A good place to leave your car and where
there's always places is behind the Parc de la Devesa. A
road runs adjacent to the river Ter right up to the
Auditori de Congressos, Girona's newest concert hall. Even
from here, areas like the old town are only a ten minute
walk away.
For able drivers beware of parking your car in disabled
bays as they do use tow-trucks, and try to avoid parking-up
on kerbs and on zebra crossings as they tow these cars too.
If it happens, look at the kerb where your car was and
there should be a plastic 'info' pack stuck to the pavement
telling you what to do.
It really is very easy just to walk around Girona and you
can reach most of the important tourist sights on foot.
Visitors would be well-advised to choose a hotel with a
central location. Even living here as I do, I find that
everywhere I need to go to, whether it's just shopping, the
doctors or the dentists is a pleasant short walk away, or I
use my bicycle.
The river Onyar seperates the old town from the more modern
areas, which you'd appreciate more if you just walk around.
There are several bus routes which cover most of the city
and you'll find bus maps (and general city maps for free)
in the Tourist information office in the Rambla, the city
hall 'ajuntament' building or you can view the bus routes
on the back of most bus stops.
Buses in
Girona
Most
have the prefix L and then a number eg. L-5 and run about
every 15 mins. You buy the ticket (tiquet) on the bus, a
single fare is currently 1.15 € both adults and
children pay the same. If you use the bus a lot you can ask
for a bus pass or 'abontament' which you can buy from the
driver, from 20 trips up to 66 trips (viatges) being the
maximum, which is about 44 € for adults.
The kids buss pass is also about 44 € but you get
more trips, a total of 88 for the dearest. The prices are
normally displayed inside the bus, behind the driver.
Update Dec.07 If you live here and take your kids to school
by bus you can now get free kid's bus passes from the town
hall.
To reach other local villages, towns and coastal resorts
you'll need to leave from Girona's main bus/coach station.
Bus timetables are available inside, from the ticket
counters. Some go by the name Sarfa Bus, Teisa or
Transports de Catalunya. For some reason they won't sell
you a ticket until about 15 mins. before the bus's
departure time. Check www.ajuntament.gi/mobilitat/
for routes and
the Sarfa Bus Co's site at www.sarfa.es
The Bus Co. Eurolines operate between the major European
cities and serves Girona www.eurolines.es
Old train (now
gone)
Girona Bus &
Train station.
Check Hotel Prices & Availability in
Girona
Taxi's.
Girona taxi's are
white with a blue stripe on the side and you'll find plenty
outside the train station (which also adjoins the Bus and
Coach station). There aren't that many dedicated taxi ranks
around town, but you can also order a radio taxi by phone,
at anytime eg. Tel. 972 22 2323 or 97220 33 77.
Bikes &
Cycling in Girona
Girona
is easy to get around on bikes as there are many cycle
paths clearly marked. There are also 'green routes' which
will take you all the way to the coast if you want.
Girona town council has recently introduce the 'Girocleta'
a bike rental scheme, with various pickup/drop off points
within the city.
Tourist road train.This is
a fun, comfortable and easy way of seeing the old
quarter of Girona if your'e not in the mood for doing
too much walking. It might be a good idea as there are
plenty of uphill bits to the tour. These green road
'trains' depart from the stone bridge (Pont de Piedra)
and the tour lasts about 40 minutes, a static booth
(just to the right of the photo) at one end of the
bridge displays departure times and pricing
information.
There's also a company that offers tours of Girona using
small electric trikes with two large tyres, where you stand
on a platform and steer standing up. They call themselves
Segway tours Girona and the 2 hour tour costs about 60
€ and covers 8 kms. Tel.972 218 144
Girona Street Art
I mention it here as an aside from what you normally read
and hear about places you visit. Some of the street art is
really very good!
Numerous wall spaces, mostly temporary hoardings in front
of building sites around Girona are adorned with legal and
not-so-legal wall art and graffiti. Here are some examples
I've photographed whilst on my travels around the city.
It's not to say that its that prevalent or obvious here
just a common problem shared by cities everywhere these
days.
Judge for yourselves, walls and shutters that have random
graffiti scrawls are just outright forms of vandalism.
Further
afield- places and regions outside of
Girona.
Girona city lies within the county or 'comarca' of Girones
and is its capital. The other surrounding comarcas include
the following:
El Baix Emporda. El Pla de l' Estany, El Ripolles, L' Alt
Emporda, La Cerdanya, La Garrotxa and La Selva.
They stretch from the coast right up to the lower Pyrrenean
mountains, each with a regional capital and will be
featured in more details in these pages over time. Each has
it's municipalities, own traditions and places of interest
that we will cover as and when we travel around them all!
El Baix
Emporda
North of Girona La Bisbal is its regional capital. Known
for its ceramics, even as you just drive though you'll see
there are numerous road-side shops selling all sorts of
ceramic wares.
more to follow....