Town · Barcelona and the Costa Brava, Spain, Europe
Girona, Catalonia
A walled river city 99 km north-east of Barcelona and about 40 minutes from it by high-speed train: the calm, cheaper base for the Costa Brava, with a big plane-tree park and a cooperative coworking in the old town. Research draft.
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep
- Our pick
- Coworking day pass
- €20 / day
- One operator’s price
- Cappuccino
- €2.17
- Estimate, crowd-sourced
- 1-bed flat, centre
- €786 / month
- Crowd-sourced, rough guide
- Time zone
- Madrid time
Where to stay
Areas of Girona, and who they suit
Typical rent€786 / month1-bedroom flat in the centre. Crowd-sourced figure, treat it as an order of magnitude.
Barri Vell (old town)
RecommendedThe walled historic city with the cathedral, the Jewish quarter (Call) and the wall walk; the Cooking coworking is here (turismegirones.cat; girona.cat; cooking.cat). Research.
Eixample / Mercadal (across the Onyar)
RecommendedWest bank of the river with the Mercat del Lleó food market and, to the north-west, La Devesa park (web.girona.cat; girona.cat; OSM). Research.
For families
Girona with kids
Opening hours, prices and age limits for each day out, with the date we read them. Beaches have their own access notes further down.
La Devesa
a park of more than 40 hectares, three quarters of it under plane trees in wide avenues (girona.cat).
The walkway along the medieval walls, with towers as viewpoints (girona.cat).
In detail
The notes behind this page
Guides to Girona
Girona is the provincial capital of the Costa Brava: a walled old town on the River Onyar, a large park and high-speed trains to Barcelona. It suits a remote worker or a family who want a quieter, cheaper city than Barcelona and do the beaches as day trips.
- Things to do in Girona: the cathedral, walls, Arab Baths and Jewish quarter with prices, trains from Barcelona by day, a one-day plan and where to stay.
- Costa Brava: where to stay: Girona against Tossa de Mar and Calella de Palafrugell.
- Costa Brava itinerary: 3, 5 or 7 days, with Girona as a base for the shorter plans.
- If someone gets ill: Hospital Universitari Doctor Josep Trueta has a 24-hour emergency department, with paediatric emergencies; duty pharmacies and the 061 line in healthcare in Spain for travellers.
- Flights to Barcelona: Girona-Costa Brava airport (GRO) has Ryanair and Jet2, mostly from the UK and Ireland plus some Polish and German airports; from Prague or Vienna you will land at Barcelona-El Prat.
- Getting around Barcelona and the coast: the high-speed train and buses.
- Girona airport transfers: from Girona-Costa Brava airport (GRO) to the city on bus 607, to Barcelona, Lloret and Tossa, taxis and late arrivals.
- Barcelona airport to Girona: the direct Sagalés coach from El Prat, or the train via Sants.
- Best time to visit: why Girona’s winters are colder than Barcelona’s.
Keep reading: 2 more sections
Places
- Cooking: cooperative coworking in the old town, €20 a day.
- Cafés for a laptop morning: Idle Hands on Plaça Bell-lloc (laptop friendly label, closes about 15:30) and SHOTS Coffee & Brunch (plugs near tables, weekdays to 20:00; one source). Espresso Mafia, a well-known specialty bar, has no Wi-Fi on purpose (Dirty Rabbit guide, Mar 2026).
- Passeig de la Muralla: the walk along the medieval walls.
- La Devesa: 40 hectares of plane trees by the river.
- Mercat del Lleó: the municipal food market, mornings only.
What the sources say (research)
- Population 106,476 (2024); about 156,400 in the Girona–Salt urban area (2020); four rivers meet here. [Wikipedia]
- Climate at Girona airport: 13.1 °C mean max in January and 30.1 °C in July; 1.1 °C mean minimum in January. [AEMET 1981–2010] Month by month: Girona weather by month.
- The wall walk follows sections of what the city calls the longest Carolingian walls in Europe (9th century). [girona.cat]
Girona: quick answers
How far is Girona from Barcelona?
99 km by road; the high-speed train from Barcelona Sants takes about 40 minutes, 38 on the fastest trains (Renfe). That makes Girona one of the few Costa Brava bases from which a day in Barcelona is easy.
Is Girona cheaper than Barcelona?
On Numbeo, yes: a one-bedroom outside the centre is about €786 a month in Girona against €1,158 in Barcelona (Oct 2026), though Girona's figures come from few contributors. Tourist tax is also lower: €1.75 per person per night in a tourist apartment against €9.50 in Barcelona (ATC, 2026).
Is Girona a good base for the Costa Brava with kids?
It is a good base for a mix of city, parks and day trips. For a beach every day, a coast town such as Calella de Palafrugell or Tossa de Mar fits better. Our Costa Brava where-to-stay guide compares them.