The most beautiful drive from Barcelona Airport to Girona (and back)
Landing at Barcelona (BCN) and heading to Girona? Skip the dull AP-7 and take the inland road through the Collsacabra and volcanic Garrotxa: past medieval Rupit, the village of Castellfollit de la Roca on its basalt cliff, the bridge of Besalu and Lake Banyoles, before you reach Girona with its colourful houses along the Onyar.
Not the fastest route, the most beautiful one. All the stops are already in it.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Enfo (CC BY-SA 4.0), Lidia Blanco García (CC BY-SA 3.0 es), Ángel M. Felicísimo (CC BY 2.0). Alle commercieel bruikbaar met naamsvermelding.
Inland instead of the AP-7
The fastest way from Barcelona Airport to Girona is the AP-7: just over an hour of tolled motorway, with little to see. This route deliberately heads inland. First up to the Collsacabra with Rupit, built on a rock, then the volcanic Garrotxa with Castellfollit de la Roca balanced on a fifty-metre basalt cliff, medieval Besalu with its famous Romanesque bridge and Lake Banyoles, before you drop down to Girona.
It is a fly-drive route par excellence: you land at Barcelona, pick up your rental car and drive to your stay in or around Girona. We write out both directions separately. You open the whole route with every stop in Google Maps, or download the GPX, so you never have to look anything up along the way.
The route on the map
A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.
Key facts for this route
| Distance (scenic route) | approx. 175 km inland (fastest route AP-7: approx. 100 km) |
|---|---|
| Pure driving time | approx. 3 h 15 (fastest route: approx. 1 h 15) |
| Day length with stops | 7 to 9 hours with the four stops; a full day through the interior |
| Motorway share | approx. 20%, mainly around the airport; then inland roads through the mountains |
| Tolls and vignettes | the inland route (C-17, GI-524, N-260) is largely toll-free; the fast AP-7 is tolled, and Spain has no vignette |
| Fuel (estimate) | approx. 14 litres at 8 l/100 km in the mountains; expect 20 to 27 euro (fuel prices vary) |
| Countries and border crossings | 1 country (Spain, Catalonia), no border crossing |
| Road type | inland roads through the Collsacabra and volcanic Garrotxa, winding and locally narrow |
| Suitable for | rental car: yes · convertible: highly · motorbike: highly · camper: yes, mind the narrow village centres (Rupit, Besalu) and parking |
The AP-7 is a toll road; the inland route beside it is largely toll-free, and Spain has no vignette. Distance, driving time and motorway share are indicative estimates along the chosen stops and are measured in the build (July 2026). Fuel is a calculation with stated assumptions; prices vary.
Always check road signs, current closures and local rules along the way.
Who is this route for
For anyone landing at Barcelona with a rental car heading for Girona or the Costa Brava, who wants the drive to be a first day rather than a dull transfer. For lovers of medieval villages, volcanic landscape and winding inland roads. The roads through the Collsacabra and the Garrotxa are a joy in a convertible or on a motorbike, and just as good in an ordinary rental car.
From Barcelona Airport to Girona
Pick up your car at Barcelona Airport and head inland, away from the coast and the motorway. Climb to the Collsacabra and medieval Rupit, a village of stone on a rock, reached by a suspension bridge. Drive into the volcanic Garrotxa to Castellfollit de la Roca, dramatically set on the edge of a basalt cliff. On to Besalu, a complete medieval town with a famous Romanesque bridge over the Fluvia, and to quiet Lake Banyoles. Finish in Girona with a walk through the Jewish quarter and along the colourful houses on the Onyar.
An honest tip: this is a full day. If you land late, choose Castellfollit and Besalu and save Rupit for a day trip. Girona and its surroundings have plenty of places to stay.
From Girona to Barcelona Airport
The other way, on the day of your flight, time matters. Leave Girona with a good margin and drive the villages in reverse: first Banyoles and Besalu, then Castellfollit and Rupit, and back over the Collsacabra. If you want to be sure of your flight, skip Rupit and take the fast road to Barcelona Airport from Vic or Girona.
Mind the rental car return time and your provider's fuel rule (usually return it full). Fill up just before the airport; there are petrol stations around El Prat and along the motorway.
The fastest route or the most beautiful route
The AP-7 gets you from Barcelona Airport to Girona in just over an hour, with tolls. Handy if you are in a hurry or land late, but you mostly see tarmac. This route deliberately chooses the interior: longer, but with medieval villages, a volcanic landscape and a lake. To shorten it, rejoin the fast road at Vic or Banyoles.
The 4 stops along the route
1. Rupit
Rupit lies in the Collsacabra, a village of dark stone on a rocky ledge, reached by a swaying suspension bridge over the river. The main street with its worn steps and the sixteenth and seventeenth-century houses are remarkably well preserved. Nearby the Sallent waterfall drops a hundred metres.
Practical: park in the car park at the edge and walk across the suspension bridge into the village; cars are not allowed. Quiet outside the weekend.
2. Castellfollit de la Roca
Castellfollit de la Roca balances on a long basalt cliff nearly fifty metres high, formed by ancient lava flows, with the rivers Fluvia and Toronell below. The silhouette of the church and houses on the edge is one of the best-known images of the Garrotxa. From the viewpoint across the valley you see the cliff in full.
Practical: park at the edge and walk to the Josep Pla viewpoint; the village itself is small and car-free. Combine with the volcanoes of the Garrotxa.
3. Besalu
Besalu is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Catalonia. The famous Pont Vell, an angled Romanesque bridge with a gateway in the middle, leads over the Fluvia into the town. Inside is an old Jewish quarter with one of the few surviving mikvehs (ritual baths) in Europe. A good place for lunch.
Practical: park outside the centre and walk across the bridge. Busy in high season; early or late is quieter.
4. Banyoles
Lake Banyoles is the largest natural lake in Catalonia, fed by underground springs. A quiet walking and cycling path runs around the water past old fishermen huts; in 1992 the lake hosted the rowing of the Barcelona Olympics. A calm, green stop before the last few kilometres to Girona.
Practical: park by the shore, then a flat walk around the lake. From here it is a short half hour to Girona.
Practical: rental car, season and vehicle
Picking up your rental car at Barcelona: the rental desks are by both terminals of Barcelona Airport (BCN). Book online in advance, almost always cheaper. For this route you usually return the car to Barcelona (round trip), so no drop-off fee; to return it further along, check the one-way rules.
Narrow village centres: Rupit and Besalu are car-free; park at the edge and walk the last stretch. The inland roads through the Garrotxa are good but winding; take your time.
Best time to travel: May, June, September and October are ideal. In summer the interior is hot and the villages busy; start early. In autumn the Garrotxa turns beautiful colours.
Vehicle: the winding inland roads are a joy in a convertible or on a motorbike. Just as good in an ordinary rental car; with a camper mind the narrow village centres and park at the edge.
Fuel: fill up before you return the car (returning it full is the rule). There are petrol stations around Barcelona Airport and along the AP-7.
Reviews from drivers
Reviews appear here with vehicle, experience and month of the drive. A score cannot be bought here, and this stays empty until someone has really driven it.
Share this route or save it
Share this drive with whoever should drive it
Or email it to yourself, for the road
Email this route to yourselfFrequently asked questions
What is the most beautiful drive from Barcelona Airport to Girona?
Not the AP-7, but inland through the Collsacabra and volcanic Garrotxa: via Rupit, Castellfollit de la Roca, Besalu and Lake Banyoles. About 175 kilometres, where the motorway does around 100. You open it above with every stop in Google Maps.
How long does the drive from Barcelona Airport to Girona take?
On the AP-7 just over an hour, with tolls. The scenic inland route with the four stops is about 3 to 4 hours of pure driving; with the stops it becomes a full day.
Can you drive from Barcelona Airport to Girona in a rental car?
Yes. The rental desks are at Barcelona Airport (BCN). Driving there and back from Barcelona means no drop-off fee; to return the car elsewhere, check the one-way rules in advance.
Is this route suitable for an ordinary car?
Yes, all roads are paved; you need no special car. The inland roads through the Garrotxa are winding but manageable. Rupit and Besalu are car-free, so park at the edge and walk the last stretch.
Is this route toll-free?
The inland route (C-17, GI-524, N-260) is largely toll-free, and Spain has no vignette. Only the fast AP-7, which you deliberately avoid, is tolled.
Is the route the other way, Girona to Barcelona Airport, the same?
We write out both directions separately. On the day of your flight time matters: you can skip Rupit and take the fast road to the airport from Vic or Girona.
Can you open the route in Google Maps?
Yes, free. Choose your direction above and the route opens in Google Maps with every stop already in it. There is also a GPX per direction for Garmin, Komoot or TomTom.
What we deliberately leave out
We leave out Barcelona itself: that is a city break in its own right, not a stop on the inland route. The volcanoes and the Santa Margarida crater in the Garrotxa are close to the route and beautiful, but need a walk; we mention them as an optional detour. And the Costa Brava with Begur we save for a separate route from Barcelona Airport.