Do you need a car in Palamós?
It depends on whether you're staying in Palamós itself or want to explore the coastline around it. Palamós is one of the more walkable towns on this stretch of Costa Brava — the old town, the fishing harbor, and the town beach are all comfortable on foot, so if your trip is just a few days centered on the town, a car adds more hassle than value, especially with parking tight and increasingly metered near the harbor in summer. The friction starts the moment you want to see anything beyond the town center. Palamós has no train station at all — the nearest is Caldes de Malavella, about 36km away, with no practical rail alternative for day trips. That means reaching the wilder Platja de Castell, the small cove of Cala S'Alguer, or the postcard villages of Palafrugell (Calella, Llafranc, Tamariu) realistically requires a car, since regional buses don't offer the flexibility a beach-hopping itinerary needs. Even Platja de Castell's own parking lot fills up and switches to a paid, metered system in summer, and it's still a five-minute walk from the car park to the sand. Staying put to eat Gamba de Palamós and visit the fish auction at Espai del Peix? Skip the rental. Costa Brava's coves and villages on your list? Rent for at least part of your stay.
- Palamós has no train station at all — the nearest is Caldes de Malavella, about 36km away — so day trips beyond town rely on a car or bus, not rail.
- The old town, harbor, and town beach are easily walkable, but parking gets tight and increasingly metered near the harbor in summer — skip the car if you're staying put.
- Platja de Castell's own parking lot (around 600 spaces) turns paid and metered in summer (€5/day, €3/half-day) and is still a five-minute walk to the sand.
- Reaching Cala S'Alguer or the Palafrugell villages (Calella, Llafranc, Tamariu) is an 11–14 minute drive versus an hour-plus walk along the Camí de Ronda — a car is the practical option for exploring the coast.
No train station in Palamós at all — the nearest is 36km away
Palamós has no rail connection whatsoever. The nearest working station is Caldes de Malavella, about 36km away, and a second option via Flaçà involves a connecting bus (line 5 to "Estació Palamós") that only runs twice a day and takes around 52 minutes door to door. Neither is a practical way to arrive or leave for a normal trip. For anyone flying in or moving between Costa Brava towns, that leaves a direct car, a rental picked up at the airport, or a taxi/bus combination as the only realistic choices — there's no rail shortcut to fall back on here.
The old town and harbor are walkable — but summer parking is tight and metered
Palamós itself is genuinely one of the easier Costa Brava towns to enjoy on foot: the old quarter, the working fishing harbor, and the main town beach are all within a comfortable walk of each other. If your stay is centered here, a car mostly just becomes a parking problem — spaces near the harbor and center fill up and increasingly convert to paid parking through the summer months. Save the rental for days you actually plan to leave town.
Platja de Castell's parking turns paid and metered in summer, and it's still a walk to the sand
Platja de Castell, the area's prized undeveloped beach, has a dedicated car park with roughly 600 spaces, but in summer it charges by the minute — around €5 for a full day, €3 for a half day — and overnight sleeping in the car park is banned. Even after parking, it's about a five-minute walk from the lot to the beach itself, and outside peak season nearby parking is free but the paid system still applies through July and August. Budget for both the fee and the short walk, and arrive early on peak days before the lot fills.
Coastal villages and coves need a car — the Camí de Ronda is scenic but slow
The Camí de Ronda coastal path between Palamós and Calella de Palafrugell covers roughly 8.5–11km on foot, with a steep final stretch — a real hike, not a stroll. By car, the same route between Palamós and the Palafrugell villages (Calella, Llafranc, Tamariu) is only about 10km and 11–14 minutes. Cala S'Alguer, a smaller cove nearby, faces the same gap between a long coastal walk and a short drive. If you want to string together several coves and villages in one day rather than commit to a single long hike, a car is the only way to do it comfortably.
Girona is your airport — about 45km, with taxi, bus, or rental all viable
Girona Airport (GRO) is roughly 45km from Palamós, a 37–50 minute drive depending on traffic. A taxi runs about €60–73 and takes around 40 minutes, while the Teisa/Sarfa bus costs about €8 one-way and takes roughly 1 hour 15 minutes. Rental cars are available directly at the airport, which is the more flexible option if you're also planning to reach Platja de Castell or the Palafrugell villages. Standard Spanish rental rules apply: a valid license held for at least 2 years and a minimum driver age of 23.
