Tourist season on Costa Brava is April to October, and doesn't get going till June - August. January is out of season, and don't expect a lot of places to be open. True, shops and facilities catering to local residents will be open, but very few tourist amenities. Weather is likely to be dull and/or wet, though some bright days are possible. Average daily highs around 5-10C. There was a heavy snowfall last January and February. There are many scenic drives, but I don't know what it is like in January. Tossa de Mar to Sant Feliu was spectacular in the summer,

Alec
Thanks for your response. Our time in Spain has to be during the first 3 weeks of January. After spending time in Seville, Granada, the white towns, Tariffa and a side trip to Morocco I thought we would head up to Toledo and the Costa Brava before finishing in Barcelona and Madrid. Any suggestions to replace the Costa Brava? Will the coast south of Barcelona and Valencia have a better chance of good weather?

I'm not sure I agree with Alec about the weather along the Costa Brava. Basically, it has mild and sunny winters -- which is why so many northern Europeans own second homes there. But no matter where you go in the Mediterranean in the first 3 weeks of January, you need to be flexible with your plans. On a rainy day, go to a historic town like Vic, Girona or Castello d'Empuries for photo ops. If it is beautiful, go to Calella da Palafrugell at the sea, or the greek and roman ruins at Empuries. Or take the drive Alec suggested.

You might also explore the possibility of heading to one of the ski resort areas at that time of year (up towards Andorra). They clear the roads if it snows, and if you are up for the driving, it could be spectacular in the snow. But you need to research it carefully so you (a) don't end up in an area with nothing but hideous ski lodges cluttering the view and (b) end up in an area where snow is all you see.

Agree with the above. It is very rare to have snow on the Costa Brava.
The problem with going to Andorra or to other ski resorts is that you'll need snow tires or chains.

Thanks vespacurves and Pvoyagueuse.
I am pretty certain rental cars do not come equipped with snow tires.
I still would prefer spending a few days exploring the Costa Brava.
As Alec said some tourist services will be closed but do you think we will have trouble finding accommodations and restaurantsthat will be open? I will be driving from Toledo to Cuenca and then to the Costa Brava. Any suggestions as to which might be the best routes to take.
Thanks

"do you think we will have trouble finding accommodations and restaurants that will be open?"

No, you won't have trouble if you avoid the smallest resorts.
Girona is a city of 100,000 people, Figueres has 50,000 and the two cities are busy all year round, Rosas, Tossa de Mar, Begur, Cadaques etc... have lots of hotels and restaurants which cater to the locals and to the French living just across the border (just like me !).
For best route see www.viamichelin.com

Great help as we too will be in Spain(& Portugal) early January.
Thanks

If we have some extra time is there much to see if we head into France near the border along the coast?
Thanks

Yes. You can drive to Collioure via Cerbère and Banyuls. The road is very scenic but winding. Were will you be based?

Thinking of staying in Girona or by the coast maybe Cadaques or one of the other small coastal towns. Do you have any suggestions. We have not made any reservations yet. How long would the drive take to Collioure or Banyuls? I have not done any reading about this area of France. Will they be similiar to the towns we will visit on the Spanish side of the border?
Thanks again.

See www.viamichelin.com for estimation of time (usually optimistic).
Coastal towns : Cadaques is located in a dead end o.e. 5 very winding km off the main road. You'll have to do the drive twice a day if you want to get anywhere else. I would save it as a day trip. Begur is very pretty. You'll have a large choice of hotels/shops/restaurants in Girona (+ a lot to visit).
Collioure is in a class of its own. See : http://www.collioure.com/
You can get there by the coastal road (approx. 1.50 leisurely hour from Girona) and come back on the motorway (much faster).

My opinion differs in that I don't think Collioure is an interesting destination or worth leaving Spain to see. Calella da Palafrugell is a very picturesque seaside town, but not well located for daytripping. Vic and Castello d'Empuries are very photogenic and atmospheric, and I'd be happy in the them as a base as well as Girona in winter. I wouldn't even bother investing in the long drive in and out of Cadaques for a day trip.

If you can get your hands on a copy of the Rough Guide to the Costa Brava, it has very detailed descriptions of all the small towns in that region, and scenic destinations. It would really help in your planning a base, plus good to have while you are actually in your car tooling around.

In the meantime, you can often get a good idea of some of these towns if you plug their names into a google search and hit the Google Images button. Or use Google Earth and look at Panaramio pictures.

By the way, rental cars do have snow gear if you ask for it (at least in Italy they do). Lots of skiers rent cars. But it is a project to go up into the high mountains, plus you need to bring the clothes for it.

PS: Vic may be too far inland as a base if coastal scenery is your main focus for day trips.

Hey guys thanks for all that useful info. I will do as you both suggested and see the Collioure website and try to get a copy of the Rough Guide. I am thinking of staying in Girona for a day or two and maybe Figueres as well. I wii have to check how far they are from the coast.
Are Sant Pere de Rodes and Partallada worth a short trip?
And finally I am reading a lot about cars being broken into a lot when parked. Do you have any problems when parking in these areas as well in the southern part of Spain?

Figueres is approx. 16 km from the coast. Girona is more inland, approx. 40 km. San Pere de Rodes is stunning - easily reachable from Figueres. Surprisingly, their cafeteria is not bad ! Peratallada is one of the most beautiful medieval villages in this part of Spain (along with Pals). Nearby are the small Roman ruins of Ullastret which do not compete with Empuries though.
Never had a problem with my car being broken into during the day. However in Girona I would leave it overnight in an attended parking place. Some hotels offer a package (room + parking at a discounted rate). As a rule, never leave anything of value in a car.

It is so great to have you guys with a local knowledge of the area give us all these recommendations. We will have about 4 days to spend in the area before we have to be in Barcellona. Anyone have a suggested itinerary including some coastal and some easily reached inland towns?
Thanks again.

I was shocked at how small Peratallada is (although if I read my Rough Guide more attentively, I wouldn't have been). It took all of 10 minutes to see. There didn't seem to be anyone actually living there as far as I could discern. The buildings house restaurants. The chapel church in town was undergoing restoration, but if it held 30 people max, I'd be surprised.

That said, perfectly well-preserved medieval sites unmarred by a lot of modern constructions are more rare in that area than in other areas of Europe, so if you are looking for that ...

Can't help with an itinerary. All I can say is that my favorite places in the region were Vic, Calella da Palafrugell, Castello d'Empuries, the ruins at Empuries and Girona (in that order).

You might find this interesting to read, but do note is eight years old, so restaurant information and such can't be relied upon as current



http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2004/feb/22/spain.observerescapesection

Also, regarding theft:

Never had a problem with car break-ins, but I never leave anything in the car I would be very upset to lose. I carry a cross-body messenger bag with my laptop, GPS, documents, etc. if I am out of my car -- even if I have simply temporarily walked away from my car to pay for my gas at a gas station or walked over to a viewpoint to take a picture.

My biggest problem was purse-snatching, pickpocketing theft in Barcelona. Two attempts within 2 days, one of them successful (for the theif, not me!). Madrid also has pickpockets and scamsters. I just got back from Spain, so those negatives haven't deterred me from traveling there. But I take more precautions there than I do in some other travel destinations.

You might want this for your files

http://tbexcon.com/us/2012/09/16/best-budget-friendly-restaurants-in-girona/

You could follow the coastal road from Barcelona to Begur (the part between Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar is beautiful) and spend 1 or 2 nights in Begur to explore the area. Then spend 2 nights in Girona to visit the town, go to Figueres ( San Pere de Rodes, Dali Museum) and Cadaques), La Bisbal if you are interested in ceramics, or Pals (medieval village).
I second Zampanzar restaurant in Girona, it is a great place to have tapas. If you want to splurge, go to El Celler de Can Roca : www.cellercanroca.com
You could also travel inland to Olot and visit the volcano area near Santa Pau (another medieval village with a lovely Plaza Major).
Pizzochieri : 500 people live in Peratallada which is famous for its music festivals. You may have missed the church of Sant-Esteve where they usually take place and which is quite large

More info on the area : http://en.costabrava.org/main/home.aspx

There is certainly a lot to see in this area. I will need to be a lot more selective than I originally planned. I am very grateful for all this information and tips on where to eat. Anyone have any hotel recommendations a nice clean place perhaps with breakfast and parking included.
Pizzocchieri sorry to hear about your pickpocket experience, but a cross body bag sounds like a good idea as long as my camera will fit in. I am trying to reserve a car with a trunk so maybe if we are traveling and want to see an area we can put everything out of sight. I am intrigued by Olot. Is it photogenic and how long will it take to get there from Figueresa?
Thanks again

Figueres to Olot is 40 km - 45 minutes by car at most. Stop at Castellfugit de la Roca on your way, the town is built on a cliff. Don't miss Besalu with its Roman bridge and Jewisk miqva.
I disagree with Pizzochieri above : there are a lot of medieval villages/castles/churches/chapels in this area.
I stayed last February at Hotel Peninsular in Girona. It is central. Parking was not included but they give you a discount at one of the public parking places.

Part of our time in the area will include Jan 6th and we are reading that is a national holiday and a lot businesses are closed on that day. Do you think any restaurants or sights will be open? How was the weather last February?

Shops will be closed on Jan.6 but it won't make much difference because it is on a Sunday - they'd be closed anyway. Most restaurants will be open, especially in Girona and near the French border. Re sights : check on each individual website.
Last February the weather was cold and sunny.

We will be traveling with our kids for the first part of our trip in 2 cars.
They will then be heading home. Should we rent cell phones here (in the U.S. )that work on the GMS (I think that is correct) system and then get a sim card for use in Spain. Any experience using a GPS versus an iPad for getting around.
Thanks again.

Haltraveler,
In Octoaber 2010 we spent 5 nights in Barcelona, then rented a car for a 3 night/4 day road trip along the Costa Brava. We spent one night in Cadaques & 2 nights in Girona. We made stops along the way at Tossa de Mar, S'gora (sp?) & Calella Palafrugell. We loved every place we visited. You can click on my name to read my trip report if you wish. We loved Dali's home in Port Lligat.

Kwoo
Your trip report was very helpful as were the additional responses from other Fodorites as well. I am glad to see your really enjoyed Cadaques. After reading about it I think it will be one of the highlights of the Costa Brava.

HAL: Speaking of the phones, I would not rent one, since you can buy a new unlocked phone for about $50 in the US.

We were in Granada in January two years ago and had spectacular weather. Shirtsleeves in the sun during the afternoon, and light jackets at night. I did write a trip report, which you might find helpful, although be warned that there is a lot of detail about food.

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/madrid-and-granada-a-magical-winter-week-in-spain.cfm

In case you decide to add Valencia, here is my report on a trip to that city from the same year, but in March this time:


http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/que-viva-valencia-wandering-and-eating-amidst-the-orange-blossoms.cfm

Here is another report that covers yet another trip, including Toledo and Segovia:


http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/pedraza-de-la-sierra-with-notes-on-toledo-caceres-jarandilla-la-vera-and-segovia.cfm

Thanks ekscrunchy for the links to your amazing reports. I am sure my wife will really appreciate all your detailed food and restaurant postings.
Since we will be in Granada and Toledo during January I am delighted you included links to those postings as well. Have you got any information about the White Towns?