Getting to Girona.
Girona has its own airport, situated about 15 kms from the city near a town called Vilobi d' Onyar, and has many connections to Europe and the rest of the world. These are some of the European airlines that fly to and from Girona, Iberia, Wizzair, Centralwings, Spanair and the biggest by far is Ryanair. Living here, as far as I know for transatlantic travel and far-away destinations, you would need to use Barcelona airport.
Getting 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.
Need Airport Parking? Click here
Girona Airport
Views of Girona airport
building.
Information about Girona Airport, which bus to take to either Girona or Barcelona and information on hiring cars.
Location of Girona Airport. The gateway for many of the package holiday visitors on their way to the Costa Brava, Girona Airport is located about 15 kms south of the city near a place called Villobi de Onyar. It's been undergoing a huge programme of expansion and improvement recently and is a main Ryanair hub now. Car parking is plentiful but now no longer free. 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 pay machines which accept credit/debit cards, coins and notes. 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
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 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
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. 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.
However, 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 takes 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 desk, inside the airport arrivals hall, before you board.
Please note the bus stop you need is located just outside the exit of the arrivals hall so don't cross the road.. It's not that obvious and I found this out by first walking across to where the Barcelona bus's 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 (el autobus a Girona?).
Check for up-to-date timetables at their website www.barcelonabus.com they normally leave every hour on the hour for the bus to the 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.
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. Currently its free to park outside but always looks full. Inside there's a cafe, various shops, car-hire offices and toilets. For ciggie-lovers, just outside there's a Tabac shop, open 8am-10pm Mondays to Saturdays, closed Sundays.
Book your hotel now with Hotelopia and get free nights
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 Port Bou near the French border) so you'd have to take the buses.
Girona's train station
building & car park.
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
Taxis into Girona City should cost about 15-20 € 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.co.uk
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 walk over to where they have another office to collect your keys. The Girona bus and train station also has car hire offices inside.
Search eBookers for Hotels, Car Hire and Flights.
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.
For anyone that prefers to drive to Girona from the U.K you'll need to catch the ferry, try P&O from Dover to Calais.
Discount Airport Parking - save over 50% by prebooking your parking at UK airports