Girona is the gateway to Spain's Costa Brava, and well worth a visit in its own right. This city in northern Catalonia is one of Europe's prime cultural destinations. The walled, medieval Old Town is a place to relax and wander. Explore the old Jewish quarter, take a peek at the Arab baths and join the locals for the early evening paseo on the Rambla de la Llibertat. Art lovers should head out of town to nearby Púbol to see the museum devoted to the life and work of Salvador Dalí. And it is only a short bus ride to the nearby Costa Brava resorts.

The opening of a high-speed railway in 2013 that cuts under the Pyrenees from France has transformed travel in northern Catalonia, and Girona is a big beneficiary. You can now travel directly by train to Girona from over a dozen French cities (including Lyon, Marseille, Paris and Toulouse).

For travellers arriving in Spain from Britain and France, Girona makes an excellent first stop, helped by the fact that the railway station is close to the city centre. From Girona, you can strike out deeper into Spain. Barcelona is less than an hour away, and there are direct high-speed trains from Girona to Madrid and Zaragoza. The 'old' line from Girona via the coast to France is still very much in business. Until the opening of the Perthus Tunnel under the Pyrenees in 2013, this line was used by all cross-border trains from Catalonia into France. Nowadays it makes a fine excursion with regular local trains running from Girona to Portbou, some of which continue over the border to Cerbère in France.