Parking around all major tourist destinations is costly (€1.5-2.5/hour, €20/day) and the spaces are difficult to navigate, as there are several classes of public parking space, with complicated rules for each class.
Cars with French license plates are said to be rarely towed, but follow this at your own risk.
Having a driving map is essential - plan your route before you set off. Navigating with an average tourist map is frequently misleading: many streets are one-way; left turns are more rare than rights (and are unpredictable). As an example, Gran via de Les Corts Catalanes is technically two-way, but in one direction supports only minor traffic: after every crossroad you'll find the traffic light on the next crossroad turns red by the time you reach it.
Some free parking spots reported by travelers are:
- Near Moll de Sant Bertran (which is south-west from Museu Maritim) - driving at B-10, exit to WTC and make a complete round at roundabout, heading to warehouses - and park next to its employees cars.
- Somewhere near Guell Park.
- Outside of term time, near Universidad.
Getting around by car makes sense if you plan to spend much more time driving outside the city borders than inside it - and ideally if you don't plan to park overnight at all. Otherwise, for purely in-city transportation, consider renting a scooter.
In the peripheral areas that surround the city and that are less densely populated you can park for free in Barcelona; Good examples are the University Zone or the highest part of Poble Sec, next to Montjuïc.
In these areas you can leave your car for long periods of time without having to pay anything, but you must regularly check that your vehicle has not been removed by the tow truck due to a sporting event or other cause.
A notable drawback of this parking is that it is not useful if you live far from these areas, since once you have parked the car you will have to take public transport to get home.
Types of parking in Barcelona
There are several types of parking in Barcelona, such as the blue zone, the loading and unloading zone or the green zone for residents. We are going to review some of the ways to park in Barcelona and what their advantages and uses are.
Green area
This area is indicated with green lines painted on the ground. It is divided into 22 zones and is very advantageous for residents of said area, who will only have to pay 1 euro per week to park there once they have a resident card. For those who do not have said identification, the rate is higher and they cannot park for longer than 1 or 2 hours.
Blue area
You can also park in Barcelona using the blue zone spaces, a paid area for all users with a parking time limit of between 1 and 4 hours depending on the area. The payment hours in the blue area are from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., and in beach areas or in the city center they are extended until Saturday and even Sundays and holidays.
If you want to park in this area you must buy a ticket at the designated machines located on the sidewalk and place it in a visible area of your car. They are the well-known parking meters, which abound on the sidewalks of any European city.
Can you park on the weekend in Barcelona?
If you want to park for the weekend in Barcelona you have to take the following into account: blue area and green area. But, the weekend is free in some areas of Barcelona.