Car rental in Barcelona

Foreign nationals renting a car in Barcelona who violate traffic rules are required to pay an on-the-spot fine; otherwise the vehicle will be confiscated until the fine has been paid.

There is a speed limit of 50 km/h for all motor vehicles within the city. On main roads and motorways, the maximum speed limit is 120 km/h; on highways 100 km/h; on secondary highways 90 km/h. The minimum speed on expressways is 60 km/h. On suburban highways to the south, the speed limit is set according to the current traffic situation. Drivers are notified via special electronic signs.

Parking rules in Spain vary depending on the day of the week, time of day, type of vehicle and other factors. When renting a car in Barcelona, please note that it is prohibited to leave your car in some car parks during working hours. To park in a blue zone (for tourists), you will need to buy the appropriate ticket from a vending machine.

Parking spaces are scarce in Barcelona. If you cannot find a parking place, you can make use of underground parking. At the entrance to an underground car park there are signs indicating whether there are available parking spaces (Libre) or not (Completo). You pay for parking when leaving the car park.

Some areas are marked with signs featuring a tow truck. This means that any vehicle left illegally will be towed to a car pound. At the site where the car was parked, there will be a sticker with information and contact details about where your car has been taken.

The maximum permissible blood alcohol level is 0.5 ‰ for drivers with more than 2 years of driving experience and 0.3 ‰ for drivers with less than 2 years of driving experience. Exceeding these levels incurs severe penalties.

When renting a car in Barcelona, you may carry no more than 10 litres of fuel in cans. There are several filling stations in the city selling unleaded 95 and 98 petrol. Leaded fuel is not sold. There are also several LPG filling stations called Autogas. Most stations operate round the clock automatically without any staff. You can pay for fuel by credit card.

There are several toll roads in Barcelona. Some parts of city tunnels are also chargeable. The fare varies and depends on the following criteria:

• vehicle category;
• time of year;
• time of day;
• distance the car will travel;

Depending on these conditions, the fare may vary from 3 to 35 euros.

Country roads leading from Barcelona are also chargeable:

• A-7, connecting the Mediterranean Route to France and providing access to the tourist centres of the Costa Brava and other regions in Girona.
• A-2, connecting Zaragoza (Aragon) to Bilbao and Madrid (Basque Country).