Car hire in Barcelona - Explore Catalonia

A must on any traveller's list, the effortlessly beautiful Barcelona will instantly capture your interest. Join the millions of tourist who flock to the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain. This cosmopolitan city famous for its art and architecture inspires a large number of people around the world to settle down here and build a relaxed lifestyle.

With cheap car hire in Barcelona, we offer you more mobility and freedom on your travels. Auto Europe takes pride in its longstanding collaboration with the leading names in the car rental industry. As a renowned broker, we bring you some of the best prices on the market not only in Spain, but also worldwide!

Booking a vehicle is fairly simple. Type in your desired destination and dates in our booking engine. All available cars will be shown on the next screen in the search results. Simply follow the steps to book your vehicle online in less than two minutes. Whilst preparing for your trip, you may want to read our guide to driving in Spain.

How is the traffic in Barcelona?

As you drive into Barcelona, you will notice that it is a rather busy city with heavy traffic, which is particularly true in summer. Nevertheless, getting around Barcelona by car is not complicated at all as all streets are well signposted. Of course, navigating through touristy areas with narrow winding streets such as those in the Barrio Gotico and the lack of parking spaces may put you off the idea of driving your rent a car in Barcelona through the heart of the city. However, there are plenty of other places where driving is an excellent way to see and experience more!

Where can I park my car hire in Barcelona?

As with every big city, finding a parking space in Barcelona depends on the neighbourhood and the time of the day. During summer, due to intense tourism, the parking options in the city centre and popular neighbourhoods may be scarce. We recommend multi-storey parking garages and larger parking facilities near coach and railway stations. Paid on-street parking is also available, although more difficult to find as these bays fill up quickly.

Barcelona Airport

The nearest airport to the city centre is El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto, the second busiest airport in Spain. At about 7 miles southwest of Barcelona city centre, this international airport consisting of two terminals serves over forty million travellers per year. El Prat Airport is well-connected with the city centre. The best option for a smooth start to your holiday is booking your car hire in Barcelona in advance directly from Barcelona-El Prat Airport.

Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN)
Address: Carretera del Prat de Llobregat, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona
Official website: www.aena.es/en/barcelona-airport/index.html
Phone number: +34 902 40 47 04

What to do in Barcelona

Stunningly beautiful with a wealth of arts and culture, Barcelona is the queen of the Spanish peninsula regarding its arts scene, gastronomy and nightlife. As an ode to Gaudi’s impressive talent still traceable in his fairy tale-like buildings, the city is a spectacle of architectural wonders. One unique thing about Barcelona is its popular but artificial beach; although a fairly big city with a coastline initially full of industry, Barcelona created man-made beaches in 1992, when it hosted the Olympic Games. The true beauty of the city lies in its rich heritage gained through various rulers and empires in history. Read more about the most popular places to visit with your car rental in Barcelona:

• Las Ramblas: The heart of Barcelona is Las Ramblas, the famous one-mile-long boulevard in the even more famous Gothic Quarter. You will want to take a stroll down Las Ramblas and feel the heartbeat of the city. There are two sides to Las Ramblas; one is entertaining, always teeming with people and events, another one is less attractive and overcrowded, with pickpockets, and tacky souvenirs. However, strolling from the top to bottom of Las Ramblas will exceed your expectations and you will be able to see a host of Barcelona’s sightseeing attractions along the way.


• Gothic Quarter: The Barri Gotic, along with its maze of alleys, ancient churches and romantic squares, belongs to the most visited parts of Barcelona and most of the time it is the first stop for many travellers. Right in the middle of the lively Gothic Quarter you will find La Seu cathedral, one of the city’s landmarks, and a variety of cafes and designer shops.


• Gaudi's Places: A Gaudi-themed tour while in Barcelona is a must! The famous architect has left his stamp on the streets of Barcelona giving them a unique Art Nouveau flair. Varied houses and imaginative façades point out to a genius artist whose talent has been recognised worldwide. The most famous of all Gaudi’s works is surely La Sagrada Familia, an unfinished church offering a spectacular view of Barcelona.


• Palau de la Música Catalana: UNESCO World Heritage includes this extremely beautiful and elegant concert hall, a popular venue for performing various musical genres from opera to folk music. Opulent and stylish, Palau de la Musica Catalana is an Art Nouveau building located in Sant Pere, one of the city’s prettiest areas.


• Flamenco Show: A visit to Spain would not be complete without a live flamenco performance! Although other regions such as Sevilla or Granada have a deeper connection to this type of music, there are plenty of excellent flamenco shows in Barcelona that you will most certainly enjoy. We recommend booking a table online in advance.

Best day trips with my car rental in Barcelona

Barcelona lends itself to numerous day trips to the surrounding areas be it a beach, a mountain, a quaint village or a high-class resort. Auto Europe has a few ideas:

Tarragona and Sitges

History and fantastic beaches in one day! In Tarragona, get acquainted with Roman heritage and visit the UNESCO protected sites such as the amphitheatre and aqueduct. Afterwards head to Sitges for a lazy day on the beach. Enjoy sunbathing and soak up the relaxed atmosphere of this coastal town.

Catalunya Vineyards

Venture into the lovely Catalonian vineyards and follow a wine trail with exclusive wine cellars around Catalonia. With steep hills, rocky canyons and winding rivers, the scenery is simply magnificent. Book a tour online or drive through the sleepy villages and top your day off with a delicious dinner at the castle Riudabella, a rustic setting and a winery resort where you can also spend the night.

Montserrat

A highly recommended place for a hiking tour near Barcelona is Montserrat, a mountain retreat and an old Benedictine monastery which is still home to over one hundred monks. The hiking trails around the monastery will give you some impressive views over the rocky landscape in the Catalonian countryside.

Geographic Information & History

Barcelona, the capital city of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain, lies on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula near the Pyrenees and the French border. As a seaside metropolis in Southern Europe, it has a Mediterranean climate with long hot summers and short mild winters. In spring and autumn there is a moderate amount of rain.

The traces of Barcelona’s turbulent early history are still visible in city walls and ancient ruins. The old settlement often changed hands and while there is historic evidence of the Iberian tribe Laietani as the first inhabitants, the true origins of “urban” life are linked to the Carthaginians and the Phoenicians, who named the city after their distinguished ruler Hamilcar Barca. Soon, however, the Romans conquered Barcelona but their rule was only short-lived as it was followed by a Visigoth conquest. Even to this day the Gothic Quarter shows exquisite examples of the Gothic architecture.

After their 300-year-rule, Barcelona belonged to the Moors and, afterwards, to the Franks. At the turn of the 11th century, the county of Barcelona’s independence was granted and it was no longer part of the Carolingian Empire. The county was gradually expanded by the ruler to consequently include the whole region of Catalonia. Catalonia declared independence from Spain later in the 17th century but quite soon was invaded by Napoleon’s troops. As the French Empire fell, Barcelona was reunited with Spain. Following the Industrial Revolution, the city continued to thrive and expand in prosperity. Local population sought more freedom and finally in 1977. Catalonia was granted entire political authority.

How to get around Barcelona

Barcelona is a sizeable city with plenty of transport options. Finding your bearing should be fairly easy once you get acquainted with the city transport system. The public transportation network is wide and covers a large metropolitan area. The area is served by buses, trams, FGC, which stands for the urban and metropolitan railway network, and the metro, which consist of eight lines and runs non-stop. If you are going to use the metro, it is best to buy a day pass. Trams were introduced to Barcelona relatively recently as a more ecological system connecting the residential areas with industrial and commercial zones. There are over 80 bus lines in the Barcelonian extended public transport system. With modern buses that have low floors, even passengers with reduced mobility will be able to use the service comfortably. Buses in the city run all night.

Can I hire a campervan in Barcelona?

With Auto Europe you can now hire not only cars, but also campervans in Spain! We work with the most popular campervan rental brands to bring you the best rates and the most modern vehicles on the market. Call us for more information!

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