Girona Holidays: Old Town, Climate and Flights from the UK

Girona is a city first and foremost. It is not on the coast, so think of it as a cultural base on the Costa Brava rather than a seaside resort: you come for streets, churches and museums, and for the ease of flying straight in from the UK.

The headline sight is Girona Cathedral, with the Basilica of St. Felix and the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants close by. Around them the city keeps a remarkable run of museums within a short walk of each other: the Girona Museum of Art in the Palau Episcopal, the Museo de Historia de Girona, the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia, the Cinema Museum and the Museo de Historia de los Judíos, set in a former synagogue. For the best things to do in Girona, start there and let the old streets fill in the gaps.

With no separate resorts to choose between, the real decision is which part of the city to stay in. The Barri Vell, the protected old quarter, puts the cathedral, the Jewish history museum, the Convent de la Mercè and the Sant Josep Convent on your doorstep, and nearly every major sight is within about half a mile.

On the edge of the old town, the Torre Gironella and the Castell de Montjuïc give a sense of the city's old defences, while the Monastery of Sant Daniel lies a little further out in a quieter valley setting. Staying near the centre means you can do almost everything on foot and save car hire for days further afield.

July and August are the hottest months, with average highs of 32°C and lows around 20°C to 21°C, and they are also among the drier months, with six or seven rain days. That heat can feel heavy for a city break spent walking, so many visitors prefer the shoulder season.

March, April, September and October offer highs of 19°C to 27°C, comfortable for sightseeing. Be aware that May and June are the wettest stretch, with around 14 rain days each and May the rainiest month at about 101mm. Winter is cool rather than cold, with daytime highs of 14°C to 16°C from December to February and chilly nights around 4°C or 5°C.

Girona airport (GRO) has direct flights from the United Kingdom and is only about 9 minutes' drive from the city, one of the shortest airport transfers you will find on the Costa Brava. On a package, that means very little time between baggage hall and hotel.

If you are travelling by sea, the nearest ferry port listed is Barcelona, roughly 54 miles away, which also makes it a reference point for anyone combining Girona with a longer drive through Catalonia.

Most British travellers book flight, hotel and transfer together as a package, which keeps everything under one booking and makes the short hop from Girona airport straightforward. You can compare package deals from several major UK operators on this page; expect prices to rise during school holidays, especially in July and August.

If you prefer to arrange things yourself, you can check hotel prices, compare car hire for days out, and browse tours and tickets for the city's sights and the surrounding area, all from the buttons on this page.