Hotels in Girona

If you are looking at accommodation in Girona, the first thing you should be clear about is that the city has two very different sides. On the one hand, there is the old town, around the Catedral and the river Onyar, where tourist apartments and guest houses are concentrated. It is the most beautiful area, with narrow streets and a tapas atmosphere, but also the noisiest, especially in summer and at weekends. On the other hand, there is the modern expansion area, on the other side of the river, where you will find chain hotels such as the ibis Girona Costa Brava or the Ibis Budget. There prices drop, there is more parking and you are ten to fifteen minutes' walk from the centre. If you are travelling by car, this second option will save you more than one headache.

The difference between some areas and others is not only one of price, but of experience. Staying in the Sant Pere neighbourhood, near the rambla, allows you to return to the apartment in the mid-afternoon to rest and go out again for dinner without depending on transport. On the other hand, if you choose a hotel in the Devesa area or near the train station, you will gain in peace and quiet and in ease of movement towards the Costa Brava or the Pyrenees. The apartments, which are the most abundant option (273 of the 353 available accommodations), are usually in renovated old buildings, so check carefully whether they have a lift and whether access is comfortable with suitcases. The holiday homes and villas, about 37 in total, are almost all in the surrounding villages, such as Canet de la Tallada or Sant Julià de Ramis, and are only worth it if you are travelling as a group or with children.

As for prices, the average is 204 euros per night, but you can find rooms from 93 euros if you avoid July and August. The best time to go on a tight budget is from October to May, except for the week of Sant Jordi and long weekends, when prices soar. To get there, the AVE train leaves you in the centre in less than forty minutes from Barcelona, and the Girona-Costa Brava airport is about twenty minutes away by car or bus. Once there, the city is perfectly walkable, although if you are going to move around the coast, you will need a car or to use the bus line that leaves from the station. Before booking, check whether the accommodation has heating or air conditioning, because old stone houses are cold in winter and very hot in summer, and ask about reception hours if you arrive late, because many apartments do not have 24-hour reception.