By car to Girona

Car rental in Barcelona for a trip to Girona starts with a car delivered to you — 44 vehicles on this route, from €38 a day. Crossover, SUV, Comfort and Minivan classes cover the drive between the city and Girona's old town, with weekly bookings from €228 and monthly from €798. Tell us where you are staying and the manager agrees the hand-over when you book.

Is car rental in Barcelona for a trip to Girona worth it

A car changes the shape of the day, not just the way you reach Girona. With us the vehicle stays in your hands from the moment it is delivered until the end of the trip, so the timetable belongs to you and nobody else.

Why a self-drive car beats a fixed timetable

We hand the car over in the city and you keep it for the whole trip, so the old town, the Onyar river and the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona are yours on your own schedule. There is no platform to find, no last departure to watch, and no luggage carried across a station concourse. You stop where the view is good, eat where the tables are full of locals, and turn back when you decide. Our 44 cars on this page run from €38 to €72 a day, which is the whole budget for the machine rather than a per-head fare. A car earns its keep on the way home as well — the Costa Brava and Tossa de Mar sit on the same road back, and a fixed timetable never allows that detour.

Can you drive a rental car from Barcelona to Girona

Yes — a vehicle from Rent-Trip is driven on the right, left-hand drive, and the whole run to Girona stays inside mainland Spain. Nothing about the journey asks for special paperwork beyond what you carry anyway. European Union and European Economic Area licences, including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, are fully valid in Spain while they have not expired, and no international permit is needed for them. Licences issued outside that group are valid if they are in force and the holder meets the Spanish age requirement for the equivalent category. A licence not written in Spanish is accepted either with an official sworn translation or if it was issued on the model of Appendix 9 of the Geneva Convention or Appendix 6 of the Vienna Convention.

What the money actually buys

• Freedom of timing: you leave before the first coach and reach the old town while the streets are still quiet.
• A loaded boot: shopping, walking shoes, a cooler — all of it travels with you instead of on your lap.
• Detours that pay off: the Costa Brava, Tossa de Mar and the inland villages are yours on the return leg.
• One base, many days out: the same car covers Girona, the coast and the Penedès wine country across a week.
• A weekly rate that works: a week starts at €228, a month at €798, so longer trips cost less per day.

The real question is not whether the drive is worth it, but whether you want the day to end when a timetable says so.

Route and drive time for car rental in Barcelona for a trip to Girona

Two motorways connect the city to Girona, and they could not feel more different: the AP-7 is the fast inland run, the C-32 hugs the Maresme coast. Both start the same way — through the Túnels de Vallvidrera on the C-16, the paid tunnel that carries you out of the city towards the Vallès.

AP-7 or C-32 — which route to take

The AP-7 is the direct inland motorway, while the C-32 runs closer to the coast and suits a slower, more scenic drive. Leaving the city, both routes funnel past the Túnels de Vallvidrera on the C-16, so plan the exit before you plan the motorway — a wrong turn there costs you a lap of the Rondes before you even reach the motorway. The C-32 trades twenty minutes or so for sea views and easy access to the beaches at Calella and Pineda de Mar. Fuel up before you leave the city rather than on the motorway, where the litre price runs above the municipal average, and keep small change or a card handy for the barrier.

How far and how long the drive takes

The drive is a short motorway run north of the city, comfortably done as a day trip with the car back the same evening. Traffic leaving the city on a weekday morning costs more time than the motorway itself, so an early start buys you the old town before the coaches arrive.

• The AP-7 route: inland, and the natural choice if Girona is the only stop.
• The C-32 route: coastal, slower, and the one to take if you want the sea on the way up.
• The C-16 exit: the Túnels de Vallvidrera toll, unavoidable on either route out of the city.
• Weekday mornings: the slowest window leaving the city, so leave before the rush or after it.
• The return leg: the same motorway in reverse, and the reason a fixed timetable never fits this trip.

What the drive costs by class

Weekly bookings run from €228 and monthly from €798, and the class you pick changes how the motorway feels rather than how long it takes. Our own view: for a single day trip to Girona, a Crossover at €38 does everything an SUV does. Take the bigger car only if the Costa Brava detour on the way home is part of the plan — and book it with a manager before you leave, because the hand-over point is agreed when booking.

Tolls and running costs of car rental in Barcelona for a trip to Girona

The rental rate is only part of what a trip costs. Between the city and Girona you pay for tunnels, motorway barriers, fuel and parking, and each of those has its own price tag.

Paying tolls on the AP-7 and C-32

Both the AP-7 and the C-32 are peaje roads, and the Túnels de Vallvidrera on the C-16 charge separately as you leave the city. Whichever you pick, you pay twice — once out, once back — so the return leg belongs in the budget from the start. The Túnels de Vallvidrera are unavoidable on the western exit towards Sant Cugat and the Vallès, and that tariff of €4.7 applies to a passenger car as you leave the city. A VIA-T device lets you pass the barrier without stopping, but the toll is charged either way. Work out the round trip before you leave rather than at the first barrier.

Fuel and parking you will pay for

Fuel in the city averages €1.953 for Gasolina 95 E5, and paid parking in an Área Blava zone costs €2.5 per hour on tariff A or €2.25 on tariff B. Those are the two running costs that follow you all day, and on a Girona day trip they add up faster than the tolls. The municipal average of €1.953 covers 74 filling stations measured across the city, with prices running from €1.758 to €2.059 — a spread wide enough that where you refuel matters. Our own cars come with a full tank under the lleno a lleno policy, so you fill up before you bring the car back rather than on the motorway, where the price per litre runs above the municipal average. Blue-zone tickets are issued at the parquímetro and the plate number on the comprovant d'estacionament has to match the car.

What a Girona day costs beyond the rental

• Túnels de Vallvidrera: €4.7 per passenger car each time you leave the city on the C-16 towards Sant Cugat and the Vallès.
• AP-7 barriers: the direct inland motorway to Girona, charged per section in both directions.
• C-32 barriers: the coastal alternative through the Maresme, charged per section in both directions.
• Fuel: Gasolina 95 E5 averages €1.953 in the city, so a full tank is cheaper bought before the motorway.
• Área Blava parking: €2.5 per hour on tariff A, €2.25 on tariff B, paid at the parquímetro.

Keep the fuel receipt and the parking ticket with the rental agreement — they are the paperwork that shows what was spent on the road if anything is queried later.

Low-emission zone rules for car rental in Barcelona for a trip to Girona

The low-emission zone sits between you and the motorway north, so the first thing to settle before a trip to Girona is whether the car carries the right environmental sticker. The rules are enforced by camera, and any penalty is set out in the rental agreement.

Which sticker the car needs

The Zona de Bajas Emisiones Rondas de Barcelona (ZBE Rondes BCN) — Zona de Baixes Emissions Rondes de Barcelona in Catalan — is enforced on working days, Monday to Friday, and covers more than 95 km²: the whole municipality except the Zona Franca industrial estate and the Vallvidrera – el Tibidabo i les Planes neighbourhood, plus L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adrià de Besòs and parts of Esplugues de Llobregat and Cornellà de Llobregat. Two DGT stickers open the zone: 0 emisiones (blue) and ECO (blue-green). Both are issued for the vehicle, not the driver, so the sticker is already on the windscreen of the car we deliver. Tell us at booking that the route starts inside the Rondes and we match you to a car that carries one.

Foreign plates and the registration file

A car on foreign plates needs prior registration in the Registre metropolità de vehicles estrangers i altres vehicles autoritzats a les zones de baixes emissions before it enters. The registration is tied to the plate, not to the booking, and it is checked against the same camera network that reads the stickers. If you are picking the car up outside the zone and driving straight out towards Girona, the file never comes into play. Ask us at booking which side of the boundary your hand-over point falls on.

What to check before you set off

• Sticker on the glass: confirm the DGT environmental badge is visible on the windscreen before you leave the hand-over point.
• Registration file: for a foreign plate, check that the entry in the Registre metropolità is active and matched to the plate.
• Enforcement hours: the zone applies on working days, Monday to Friday — weekend departures for Girona are not affected.
• Route out: the motorway north leaves the city beyond the Rondes, so a direct run towards Girona never crosses the boundary.
• Camera checks: entry is verified automatically by plate, so a missing sticker is recorded without a stop.

In our experience the sticker question comes up most with early-morning departures, when the zone is already live and the driver has not yet looked at the windscreen. It takes ten seconds at the hand-over point and saves a penalty that follows the plate home.

Choosing your car for car rental in Barcelona for a trip to Girona

The right car for the run north is decided by three things: how many of you are travelling, how much luggage goes in the boot, and whether you want the coastal C-32 on the way home. Our 44 cars on this page split into four classes, from a €38 Crossover to a 7-seat Minivan at €56.

Crossover, SUV, Comfort or Minivan

• Crossover — 13 cars from €38: the cheapest way to make the trip, with the Citroen C3 Aircross at €38, the MG ZS at €39 and the Ebro S400 hybrid automatic at €40.
• SUV — 13 cars from €42: more ground clearance and a bigger boot; the Dacia Duster starts at €42, the Nissan Qashqai and Skoda Karoq at €48, and the 7-seat Nissan X-Trail at €60.
• Comfort — 10 cars from €40: hatchbacks and saloons for two people and light bags — the Citroen C4 at €40, Ford Focus and Hyundai i30 at €41, Toyota Corolla hybrid automatic at €47.
• Minivans — 8 cars from €52: the only class with 7 seats; the Peugeot Rifter at €55 and Dacia Jogger at €56 carry five passengers plus two more.
• Transmission: most of the fleet is manual, and the automatic options sit in the higher brackets — the Ebro S400, Opel Astra, Peugeot 308, Toyota Corolla and the larger SUVs.
• Fuel: diesel, petrol, hybrid and LPG versions are all in the fleet, including the Dacia Duster on petrol/LPG and the Jeep Avenger on petrol/electric.

Which car suits the drive

For two people and a weekend bag, a Crossover at €38–€43 does everything the route asks: 110–130 hp, front-wheel drive and enough boot for two carry-ons. Add a third passenger or a pushchair and the step to an SUV at €42–€50 buys the luggage space and the higher seating position that makes the AP-7 stretch more comfortable. Four adults with cases, or a family of five, should look straight at the Minivans — the Peugeot Rifter and Dacia Jogger are the two 7-seaters, and they are the only cars on this page that will take that many people with the seats up.

If you plan to leave the motorway for the smaller roads around the old town, remember that Girona's streets are narrow and its parking is tight. A mid-size SUV is a different proposition in a Ciutat Vella car park from a small hatchback.

Book the class you actually need rather than the cheapest one — swapping up later depends on what is free that day, and the class is confirmed with the manager when you book.

Prices and booking terms for car rental in Barcelona for a trip to Girona

Daily rates on this page run from €38 to €72, and the longer you keep the car, the lower the effective day rate gets: a week is charged as six days and a month as twenty-one, so the same Crossover that costs €38 a day comes out at €228 for the week and €798 for the month.

What the four classes cost

• Crossover: 13 cars from €38 a day — Citroen C3 Aircross, MG ZS, Seat Arona, Ford Puma, Jeep Avenger, Nissan Juke, Opel Mokka, Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008, Volkswagen T-Roc, Toyota C-HR, Hyundai Kona and Peugeot 408.
• SUV: 13 cars from €42 a day — Dacia Duster, Nissan Qashqai, Opel Grandland, Skoda Karoq, Citroen C5 Aircross, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Compass, Kia Sportage, Ford Kuga, Peugeot 3008, Seat Tarraco and Nissan X-Trail.
• Comfort: 10 cars from €40 a day — Citroen C4, Ford Focus, Hyundai i30, Kia Ceed, Opel Astra, Peugeot 308, Seat Leon, Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Golf.
• Minivans: 8 cars from €52 a day — Citroen Berlingo, Fiat Doblo, Opel Combo, Peugeot Rifter and Dacia Jogger.

The cheapest car on the page is the Citroen C3 Aircross at €38 a day; the dearest is the Nissan X-Trail at €60. Seven seats start with the Peugeot Rifter at €55 and the Dacia Jogger at €56, both useful if the Girona run includes passengers rather than luggage alone.

How booking works with us

We do not run a self-service checkout. You tell us the dates and the car you want, and a manager confirms the booking with you directly, so nothing is left to a screen. Our fleet on this page is 44 cars out of 754 across the site, which means popular classes such as the automatic Ebro S400 at €40 or the hybrid Toyota Corolla at €47 can go early on summer weekends.

Pick the class by the trip, not by the badge: for the AP-7 and the C-32 to Girona a Crossover at €38–€44 covers two people and a weekend bag, while a Minivan earns its €52–€56 only if you are carrying five or more.

Paperwork, cover and pick-up for car rental in Barcelona for a trip to Girona

Paperwork is the part of the booking that travellers worry about most, and it is also the part where the rules are set out clearly. Below is what to have ready, what is already included, and what is agreed when you book.

Documents the driver needs for the run to Girona

• EU/EEA licence: fully valid in Spain while it is in date, including Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway — nothing extra is required and no international permit is needed.
• Non-EU licence: valid for driving here if it is in force and you have held a normal residence in Spain for no more than six months; the DGT advises getting an international driving permit before the trip.
• Permiso Internacional de Conducción: a supporting document only — shown together with your passport and your national licence, valid for one year.
• Passport or ID: the original, in the name of the main driver.
• Licence not in Spanish: valid either with an official certified translation or if it was issued to the Appendix 9 Geneva or Appendix 6 Vienna model.

Insurance that comes with the car

Every car legally on a Spanish road carries Seguro Obligatorio de Responsabilidad Civil, and it is part of the booking by default — it covers injury and property damage to third parties, with limits of 70,000,000 EUR per incident for personal injury and 15,000,000 EUR for property, under Real Decreto Legislativo 8/2004, article 4.2 as amended by Ley 5/2025, in force since 26.07.2025. It does not cover the driver or the car itself. Beyond that, CDW, THW, SCDW, SPCDW, STHW and SPTHW are options: they reduce or buy out the franquicia, the amount you pay yourself after damage. Glass and tyres usually sit outside basic CDW, which is why WWI exists as a separate option.

Fuel, inspection and the agreement

Hand-over follows the lleno a lleno rule: the car leaves with a full tank and comes back full, and if you have driven under 100 km a fuel receipt is needed, while over 100 km the gauge reading at 8/8 is enough — refuel within 25 km of the return point. Before you drive off, check that every scratch and dent is written into the agreement or the inspection sheet, that both sides sign it and that you keep a copy; without that, damage can be pinned on you. In our experience the five minutes spent on that sheet are the cheapest insurance on the whole booking.

What to do on arrival with a hired car for a trip to Girona

The drive north ends in a city where the car stops being transport and starts being a problem. Girona's old town is pedestrian, the banks of the Onyar are narrow, and the useful part of arrival is knowing where to leave the car before you go looking for the Cathedral of Saint Mary.

Where to leave the car in Girona

• Parking outside the old town: the paid car parks on the eastern bank sit a short walk from the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Girona and the Onyar river crossings, so you leave the car once and walk the rest.
• Street parking near the centre: blue-marked bays take payment at the parquímetre and the ticket must carry the same plate number as the car — a mismatch is treated as unpaid.
• Hotel parking: several hotels on the edge of the old town sell a space to non-residents, which is worth asking about before you commit to a barrier car park.

A day trip or an overnight

Girona works as a single day out of Barcelona: leave early, walk the old town and the Jewish quarter, eat, and be back before the evening. What changes the plan is the return road — the Costa Brava and Tossa de Mar sit on the same stretch of coast, so a night in Girona turns the drive home into a coastal one instead of a motorway one. On a day trip, keep the car in one car park and cover the centre on foot; on an overnight, park at the hotel and forget the car until you leave. Either way, fill the tank before you hand the car back — motorway fuel runs above the municipal average for Gasolina 95 E5.

What to check before you drive off

• The agreement: it is the document you show if the car is stopped, and everything it carries is set out in the rental agreement.
• The environmental badge: the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona covers the whole municipality, and the sticker on the windscreen is what the camera reads.
• The fuel level and the return point: both are agreed when booking, so settle them with the manager before the first kilometre, not on the last one.
• The car itself: walk it once and note anything you see — our hand-over is arranged so the record matches the car you actually take.

The one thing worth doing before any of this is agreeing the return point and the time with the manager in advance: Girona is a comfortable run out and back, but only if the evening end of it is already decided.