Girona-Costa Brava airport (GRO) is in Vilobí d’Onyar, about 13 km from Girona and 90-100 km from Barcelona. It handles mainly low-cost flights. It has no train station: everything runs on buses or taxis. The direct bus to Barcelona reaches Estació del Nord (next to the Arc de Triomf) in roughly 1 h 15 min, with departures timed to flight arrivals. There are also buses to Girona city (about 25-30 min), to the Costa Brava resorts and a limited direct service to El Prat airport.
Where it is and what it’s like
Girona-Costa Brava airport lies in the municipality of Vilobí d’Onyar, deep in Girona province, surrounded by countryside. It’s a small, single-terminal airport, which has its upside: you cross it in minutes, queues are rarely long and finding the bus stop is immediate once you step outside.
Its traffic is concentrated in low-cost carriers and in the tourist season, when it works as the gateway to the Costa Brava. That explains two things worth bearing in mind: bus timetables track flight arrivals more than any fixed schedule, and the offer thins out considerably in low season.
⚠️ Key fact: there is no train station at the airport. Girona’s station, with high-speed and regional services, is in the city, some 13 km away. To reach it you first need a bus or a taxi.
Getting to Barcelona
| Option | Route | Duration | Indicative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct bus | Airport → Estació del Nord (Arc de Triomf) | ~1 h 15 min | Mid |
| Bus + train | Airport → Girona city → train to Sants or Passeig de Gràcia | ~2 h in total | Mid-high |
| Bus to El Prat | Girona airport → El Prat terminals T1 and T2 | ~1 h 30 min | Mid |
| Taxi / private transfer | Straight to your accommodation | ~1 h 15 min | By far the most expensive |
The direct bus (the recommended option)
By some distance the simplest and most common choice. The service connects the airport with Barcelona’s Estació del Nord, the bus station beside the Arc de Triomf, right in the centre. The journey takes around 1 hour 15 minutes.
Its most important feature is that departures are timed to flight arrivals: the bus usually leaves around 20-25 minutes after each flight lands. That’s convenient, since you don’t need to match timetables, but it also means the service depends on the day’s flight schedule.
💡 For the return journey the logic reverses: here there are set departure times, and it’s worth booking in advance and leaving plenty of margin, because the trip is long and there’s no quick alternative if you miss the bus.
Bus to Girona plus train
The alternative: take the bus to Girona city (about 25-30 minutes) and pick up a train to Barcelona there. By high-speed rail the Girona-Barcelona leg is under 40 minutes, so on paper it looks fast.
In practice, once you add waiting and transfers, it rarely pays off if all you want is to reach Barcelona: the total comes to around two hours and usually costs more than the direct bus. That said, it’s the best option if you want to stop in Girona, even for a few hours: it’s a city very much worth the detour.
Direct bus to El Prat
There’s a service linking Girona airport directly with El Prat’s T1 and T2 terminals. Very useful if you have a connection between the two airports, but be warned: frequencies are sparse, with only a handful of departures a day. Check them carefully before relying on it.
Practical tips
- Check which airport you’re actually flying to before booking accommodation. “Barcelona-Girona” is not Barcelona.
- Book the return bus in advance and leave generous margin: it’s a long trip with no quick alternatives.
- If you land in the small hours, verify there’s a service at that time. At a small airport, night options are limited.
- Keep cash or a card handy for the bus, and bear in mind the terminal’s range of facilities is modest.
- If the Costa Brava is your plan, this airport is an excellent choice; if it’s Barcelona, consider switching to El Prat even if the fare is a little higher.
- Think about stopping in Girona on the way: if you’re passing through anyway, it’s one of Catalonia’s loveliest cities.
Getting to Hotel Arc La Rambla from Girona airport
Hotel Arc La Rambla is at La Rambla 19-21, next to Drassanes (L3) metro. From Girona airport, the most practical route is this:
- Direct bus to Barcelona’s Estació del Nord (~1 h 15 min).
- From there, Arc de Triomf (L1) metro station is a few metres away: take L1 to Catalunya and change to L3 for Drassanes. About 15 minutes.
Alternatively, from Estació del Nord the hotel is a short taxi ride away — a very reasonable option if you arrive at night or loaded with luggage after a long journey.
And once you’ve settled in, the L3 that runs past the hotel door takes you with no changes to Sants and Passeig de Gràcia, where the trains leave if you fancy returning to Girona at leisure to explore it properly, or carrying on to Figueres and the Dalí Museum.
💡 Book on our website with the code ARCBLOG and enjoy a special perk as a blog reader.
Girona airport — frequently asked questions
Is Girona airport the same as Barcelona airport?
No. Girona-Costa Brava airport is in Vilobí d’Onyar, some 90-100 kilometres from Barcelona, and reaching the city centre takes around an hour and a quarter by bus. Some low-cost airlines market it as “Barcelona-Girona”, but Barcelona’s airport is Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat, located about 15 kilometres from the centre.
How do you get from Girona airport to Barcelona?
The most practical option is the direct bus to Barcelona’s Estació del Nord, beside the Arc de Triomf, a journey of roughly an hour and a quarter with departures timed to flight arrivals. You can also take a bus into Girona city and pick up a train to Barcelona there, though once waiting time is added it usually works out slower and more expensive. A taxi or private transfer is the fastest and also the costliest alternative.
How long does it take from Girona airport to Barcelona?
Around an hour and a quarter on the direct bus to Estació del Nord, not counting the wait. Via the bus-to-Girona plus train combination, the total comes to about two hours including transfers. By taxi or private transfer the journey is also roughly an hour and a quarter, depending on traffic.
Is there a train at Girona airport?
No. Girona-Costa Brava airport has no train station. The nearest railway station is in Girona city, with high-speed and regional services, located some 13 kilometres from the airport and reachable by bus in about 25-30 minutes or by taxi.
How do you get from Girona airport to the Costa Brava?
There are bus routes connecting the airport directly with various Costa Brava resorts, such as Lloret de Mar, Blanes, Tossa de Mar, Platja d’Aro and Roses. Frequencies depend heavily on the season and some routes only run in summer, so it’s worth checking your specific destination before travelling and considering a private transfer or car hire outside the season.
