Welcome Pickups Tour from Barcelona to Girona
Barcelona day trips become carefree with Welcome Pickups. Your Welcome driver is a friendly, English-speaking local who will be your guide throughout your trip to this beautiful medieval city of Catalonia. At the beginning of the tour, you will be greeted at your pickup location by your friendly driver, and after a brief introduction, you will be on your way northwards towards Girona, past a number of small Catalan villages and through the countryside. Along the way, your driver will share insights and will suggest any stop-off locations for great views and photo opportunities. The tour has six recommended stops along the way.
Recommended Tour Stops
- Girona Medieval Town
- Girona Cathedral
- Onyar River
- Jewish Quarter
- Medieval Town of Pals
- Medieval Town of Peratallada
The total duration of a Barcelona to Girona day trip is 7 hours. Whilst there are these recommended stops, your tour is customisable so you can include or remove stops as you wish. Just inform the driver before you set off, if there is anywhere else you wish to visit. The tour is available from a single traveller to a group of up to 8 people.
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Welcome Pickups Tour Photos from Girona
How Much Will It Cost?
A day tour with Welcome Pickups begins from €410 and this is for a group of 1-4 people. For a larger group of 5-8 people it is €515. These prices cover the vehicle, all transport costs and your driver-guide. However, entry tickets to any specific exhibits or attractions are not included.
Where Do I Get It From?
A Welcome Pickups day trip is door-to-door, meaning that you will not need to go anywhere to begin your trip. Just let us know when you book your tour where your pickup point is to be and we’ll be there at the time of your choosing. Most people like to be picked up at their accommodation, but you could also choose a local café, restaurant or site of interest if you wish. Similarly, for the return, you may be dropped off at a location of your choosing in the centre of the city.
Convenience
Everything about a day trip from Welcome Pickups is designed to be the most convenient way to see the best sites around the world’s best travel destinations. This excursion to Girona is no exception, with a pickup on your own schedule by your friendly local driver-guide, in a comfortable modern vehicle. You will be taken to all the sites you want to see, plus you have the option to customise the tour to your own needs. It is just your group with your personal friend on the ground, making this trip 100% exclusive to you. When the day is over, you will be dropped off wherever you want in the city centre.
Editor’s Note
Girona is an amazing city and there is no one better to visit it with than a local like a Welcome driver. You will visit a number of incredible sights, explore the winding historic streets and eat great food. Make sure you have plenty of photo space as you will definitely want to take many.
Organised Coach Trip from Barcelona to Girona
There are many travel companies offering Girona day trips from Barcelona via coach. This is a popular way to travel as these tours are paid per ticket on the bus and often come with-skip-the-line entrance to any attractions and a licensed tour guide on board. These tours often are composed of groups large enough to fill a normal size coach, around 50 individuals. Tours are sometimes available in other languages than English, depending on the company offering the tour. They are often 10.5 hours, starting from 08:30 and also include a trip to Costa Brava that is nearby.
Coach Tour
How Much Does It Cost?
Tickets typically cost around €89 per person, with some shorter tours of Girona costing closer to €55 per person. Some companies offer concession prices for children or seniors. Bear in mind that these prices are beginning prices and they subject to increase, depending on when the tour is booked for. Entrance fees to certain attractions may not be included.
How Often Do They Run?
The coach tours run throughout the year and are available once daily for each tour. As there are multiple companies and tours being offered, travelers can choose the one that suits them best.
Convenience
Organised coach tours are a simple way to see a new place and be part of a big group exploring the site together. It is fairly convenient to catch a bus at a central location and be taken to the tour site, with a guide on board to show you around. On the other hand, the groups are often fairly large, so there is little exclusive time with the guide. Furthermore, the tour is prearranged according to schedule and sites, so there is less flexibility for personalised exploration.
Editor’s Note
If you have a very large group looking to join a big trip, or specific language needs, then this may be a good way to get around. Make sure you book well in advance to get everybody included.
Public Bus from Barcelona to Girona
An easy option if you wish to take public transport from Barcelona to Girona is to take the public bus. A well-developed network of buses takes passengers across Spain and even to other countries from Barcelona. This is a fairly low-cost way to get from Barcelona to Girona. Buses to Girona leave from the Estacio Nord bus station in the centre of the city and arrive at Girona’s bus station. There are five buses running throughout the day and four for the return journey. The journey time will be about an hour and a half.
Bus Station in Spain
How Often Do the Buses Run?
There are 5 buses to Girona during the week and 6 at weekends. The earliest bus is at 08:30 and there are subsequent buses at 10:30 and 12:30. There are 4 returning buses to Barcelona, with the latest at 18:30. The schedule can be found on the online ticket booking website.
Where Can I Find the Buses?
Buses leave from the Barcelona Autobus Estacio del Nord, which is located in the city centre. Its closest metro stations are either Arc de Triomf or Marina, which are both on many metro lines. The station is a 17-minute walk from Catalonia Square. The bus station at Girona is next to the train station, a 20-minute walk from the historic centre of the city.
Convenience
There are buses running throughout the day and they are easily accessible from Barcelona Nord Station to the central bus station in Girona. Buses are comfortable and direct. However, this option has no flexibility and is limited in its schedule. Taking the bus will also limit the amount of time you have in Girona. Furthermore, if you wish to learn more about the city, you will have to hire a guide separately at extra cost.
Editor’s Note
Make sure you arrive at the Barcelona Nord station early so you can get your tickets and find a good seat on the coach. There may be buses which say Girona, but that means that they have come from there, so ask the driver when boarding.
National RENFE Train to Girona from Barcelona
There is an easily accessible direct train from Barcelona to Girona which runs throughout much of the day. There are a number of services run by different train companies, so prices are varied. Nonetheless taking the train is a very cost-effective way of getting from Barcelona to Girona. The time it takes to arrive depends on the service, as there are slower and faster services.
Train Station in Spain
How Much Does It Cost?
The cost for a Barcelona to Girona train varies according to the train company. For the faster service of around 40 minutes provided by Avant, it costs €17.40 each way. However, a train with the service Regional costs €8.40 which takes either 1 hour 20 mins or 2 hours and 10 minutes, depending on the time of the service you take. There are also services offered by MD which cost €11.25 and take an hour and 20 minutes. Tickets can be bought online or at the train station.
How Often Do Trains Run?
The trains run very often from 6 am to nearly 10 pm, with multiple trains per hour. As mentioned before, these trains have different journey times as well as costs, depending on the company running the service. The timetable can be found online and shows which company is running the service.
Convenience
Taking the train is a comfortable way to get from Barcelona to Girona. If you take the fast train, it also gets you there is 40 minutes, so you have plenty of time to explore. However, taking the train makes it difficult to get around to any of the other beautiful medieval villages in the surrounding area, making this option limited. Furthermore, if you wish to get a more in-depth understanding of the city, you will need to hire a guide separately.
Editor’s Note
Girona’s train station is not far from the old town; however it is a little bit of a walk. If you have an application such as Google maps it will make getting there easier and more direct. If it is very hot, you might want to walk through the park with its high chestnut trees and plenty of shade.
Private Car Hire from Barcelona to Girona
Hiring a car is a great way to explore the Catalan countryside by yourself and to take control of the wheel, offering a lot of flexibility and opportunity for exploration. Hiring a car is something very popular amongst tourists in Barcelona and there are many hiring companies available throughout the city, as well as at the airport. The drive from Barcelona to Girona takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes each way.
Cost of Hiring a Car
There is lots of variability in the cost of hiring a car, as it depends on the company you use, your age, if you book online, the time of year it is, which vehicle you choose, your driving history and more. That being said, we can say that there will be a baseline of about €50 for hiring a starter model car. On top of that, you will have to pay for fuel to Girona and back, plus tolls along the way and parking when you arrive. For a return trip, you will probably pay €100+. There is also often a large deposit charge when hiring a car, which can be upwards of €200.
Convenience
Hiring a car in Barcelona is fairly easy as it is a very common process. This option gives you lots of flexibility, as you are the one in control of when you leave and how long you spend there. You can also choose if you wish to stop off anywhere else along the way. However, if you are not used to driving in big cities it may be a bit stressful getting into and out of Barcelona and around the new part of Girona.
Editor’s Note
Parking might be a bit difficult to find at Girona and access to car parks can be a bit confusing. Once you find your way it is very easy and Girona is a very beautiful place to see both from the car and on foot.
Licensed Tour Guides in Girona
Girona has many wonderful places and sites to explore, with a very long and interesting history. It is, therefore, a good idea to see the city with a guide, being able to learn some more about the history of the city, as well as pick up some tips for places to see, eat at, buy from, etc. during your visit. Whilst some of the options discussed in this article are tours with guides, some are not. In the case that you use a transport method, you may also want to hire a licensed tour guide for some of your trips. The starting price for a 3-hour tour of the city is around €150. This may, however, vary from guide to guide. You can find guides through the official association, or from independent guide websites.
