Girona is a must-ride cycling destination, whether you’re into road cycling, mountain biking or gravel riding.
Autumn is the ideal time for a trip to this Catalonian cycling hotspot – here are five reasons why.
Tick off more from your cycling bucket list
Use the Skyscanner City Break tool to plot your next cycling trip across Europe
1. Get there fast and inexpensively
You can fly direct to Girona itself in around two hours from London, Birmingham, Manchester and other major UK airports. This autumn, budget airlines are offering rock-bottom prices on flights, so you’ll have more Euros to spend once you arrive. Check out Skyscanner for the best deals.
Alternatively, fly to Barcelona with even more flight options and train connections to Girona in just over an hour.
Once you arrive, Skyscanner has deals on car hire from £22 for an SUV, so you can pack your bike and quickly head out to the smooth empty roads in the hills or drive to your hotel.
Plan your next cycling trip to Girona
2. Test yourself: explore its varied terrain
Girona has a bit of everything on its doorstep, which is why it’s a favourite base for pro cyclists. While many road riders will gravitate naturally to the challenging ascents and quiet roads inland or even head into the Pyrenees to take on the classic climbs, there’s less demanding riding to the east and glorious undulating roads along the coast.
Girona isn’t just for roadies – it’s become a major destination to ride gravel, with the Traka a major European gravel race to rival Unbound in the US. You don’t have to ride too far out of town to hit gravel and can choose between flatter, faster routes and taxing climbs.
Plan your coastal and gravel routes through Girona
3. Soak in the warm climate
Hang onto summer for another few weeks. With average daytime temperatures in September 28ºC, October 24ºC and November 18ºC, you can enjoy short-sleeved jersey weather without sweltering, while the gales blow in from the Atlantic in the UK.
Plan your next warm getaway in Girona
4. Spot the pros
All the above are reasons why many pros make Girona their base. You can spot the current generation of riders heading out to train on Rocacorba, Els Àngels or one of the other local climbs or find the door behind which Lance Armstrong used to prepare for races when he was based in Girona.
5. Plenty of off-bike activities
It’s not just about the riding though, with Girona boasting a historic old town with cobbled streets, ramparts, museums and churches, ancient houses on the banks of the river Onyar and a bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel.
You can hang out at a coffee shop, browse the boutiques and eat in some great restaurants. Head out of town for more sightseeing or further afield to see those climbs in the Pyrenees that you didn’t quite find time to cycle.
Plan your cycling trip to Girona
Tick off more from your cycling bucket list
Use the Skyscanner City Break tool to plot your next cycling trip across Europe
