Recommend driving route from Girona to San Sebastian during Winter

We are planning to drive with a rental car from Girona to San Sebastian in Jan 17. What would be the recommended route (avoiding the highways for country experience) and nice villages to visit? We are able to stopped for a night or more if needed.

As this is winter season, is it possible to drive without winter tyre?

Winter tyres are not a legal requirement in Spain. However sometimes the Guardia Civil will enforce that vehicles can only travel with snow chains. The problem is snow chains are not good for modern cars which have less wheel clearance and can ruin the ABS. So you could if need ed purchase snow socks. But they are not cheap. Example prices. You have to purchase the size for the tyre. That you will not know until you have procession of hire car.
I would look at Via Michelen to plan your route and then see what along this route suites your likes and dislikes. You have not given them.
Maybe Huesca would be suitable. Large with some relatively pretty buildings.

Although you seem to think that you have stay in Spain to go from Girona to San Sebastian, you can also go via France. The distances are not really that much different.

Hi
It depends on what you are looking for. You can stop in a ski resort for example or visiting historical places.

From Girona, you can go up to Puigcerda through Olot and make a stop in Andorra (ski resorts, shopping, old churches).
There, you can go through Val d'Aran to France, short stop in Saint-Bertrand de Comminges or in Pau to San Sebastian.
If you want to stay in Spain : down from Andorra to Tremp, Barbastro, Huesca and stop in Jaca with the monastery of San Juan de la Pena and then monastery of Leyre. Near Pamplona in Olite there is a beautiful castle.

Thank you for great advice. Are the roads, esp during the winter months 'driveable', with non-winter tyre?

What do you think of this route?
Girona - Salardu (stop for 2 nights)
Salardu to Pau (or Jaca or any recommended place to stop ) (stop for 1 or 2 nights) -
Pau / Jaca - San Sebastian

The roads are usually driveable in winter (Bonaigua Pass to Val d'Aran for example) but after a snowfall it might be only driveable with winter tires or even with snow chains. You can ask when you rent a car to have snow chains inside the car. It's recommended to have always snow chains inside a car when driving through mountains even if it's not necessary.
Salardu is a nice place if you want to ski. Baqueira Beret is the biggest ski resort in the Pyrenees mountains (with Pas de la Casa in Andorra).
Salardu - San Sebastian is a lot easier to do through Pau (beautiful castle). Jaca area can be a good option if interested in romanesque art.

Thank you for great advice. Are the roads, esp during the winter months 'driveable', with non-winter tyre?

What do you think of this route?
Girona - Salardu (stop for 2 nights)
Salardu to Pau (or Jaca or any recommended place to stop ) (stop for 1 or 2 nights) -
Pau / Jaca - San Sebastian

Please read my post about winter tyres. Basically we do not use them. The winter tyre performs when temps are below 7 Deg. Cent. Even in winter you will find that low temp hard to find during the day at lower altitudes.
I do not think you can hire snow chains/socks. If you wanted to fit them then you have to ensure the car hire company allows this. Sometimes they have stupid points in the rental agreements.

Hmm, so we will plan to drive up to Salardu in Jan and then to Pau without winter tyre (can't rent with one anyway).
The reason why we were so concern earlier was due to a bad experience in Dolomites, where our rental car could not climb. Thank you for your valuable advice.

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