During a tourist trip to Barcelona, you can get around the city both by public transport and by a rented car. Renting a car in Barcelona will help you to reduce your transportation costs and not depend on anyone when it comes to choosing a route. It also makes sense to rent a car if you plan to move around the city on your own, and not with a tourist group. How and where you can rent a car, as well as the rental period and insurance - further in the article.
Advantages of renting a car in Spain
Car rental has its advantages over walking and public transport.
- Firstly, any person over 21 years of age with a driving experience of more than one year can rent a car.
- Secondly, Barcelona is famous for its high quality road surface and free motorways.
- Thirdly, renting a car in Spain gives you maneuverability and the ability to choose the distance and timing of travel on your own.
- Finally, those who have a rented car will not have to deal with buying tickets and looking for connecting flights in case this or that attraction is located in the vicinity of Barcelona.
Where can I rent a car
Car rental fleets are represented by different cars, so the choice should be made in favor of well-known large offices. Among them, the most trusted are:
- Goldcar - https://www.goldcar.es
- Centauro - https://www.centauro.net/ru/
- Solmar - https://www.solmar.es
- Avis - www.avis.com
- Europcar - www.europcar.com
- Enterprise - https://www.enterprise.com/en/home.html
Avis, Eurocar and Enterprise allow you to pick up your car from the rental point or Barcelona Sants train station. El Prat Airport also works with rental companies. These are world-renowned companies, so their rental conditions are not as flexible as those of local carriers, and the prices are somewhat overpriced.
On the contrary, "Goldcar", "Centaur" and "Solmar" drive cars to a convenient place in the city for the customer. Despite the fact that they will not be able to choose a specific brand of car, they will provide you with a car of the desired class and offer an affordable price. One more rental company deserves attention - Firefly Car Rental, the services of which can be ordered on the website.
Local companies provide another convenient service - their cars can be rented directly from the hotel. In this case, you will pay an additional commission, which the hotel administration will take for itself as an intermediary.
Small hostels cooperate with private offices, such entrepreneurs can still be found on the street with signs “alquilar un auto”.
It is normal practice to rent private cars, but the cost of rental services in this case is determined by the seasonality, the mood of the lessor and even the gender of the customer.
Sites-aggregators simplify the search for a car, which select the appropriate option at the request of the customer. With their help, you will quickly find the best rental option. The most famous aggregators: Rentalcars, Economycarrentals, Skyscanner (works in Russian), Carrentals.
In addition to a car, for more maneuverable movement around the city, you can rent a motorcycle, moped or bicycle on a special site. You can also order a vehicle at one of the local rental offices - they are readily advertised in hotels.
How to rent a car in Barcelona
Here is an example of renting a car on the website of one of the most popular car rental companies - Goldcar. Goldcar is considered a low-cost airline among similar companies.
First, go to the site.
1.In the empty field, instead of the phrase "Pickup location", enter "Barcelona". Select Barcelona Airport from the drop-down list.
2. Then select a pick-up date.
3. Note the time of receipt. Please note that most rental services are closed at night (from 00:00 to 06:30).
4. Indicate the date of return of the car.
5. Note the time of its return. You can leave a car rental service in the city at any time convenient for you.
6. In the window that opens, you can choose from the list a suitable model, tariff, and also sort the results using search filters. The better the model, the higher the price. For example, renting a Ferrari will cost you about 45 euros per day, while a Mini Cooper will cost you 10 euros for the same period.
7. To reserve a suitable car and rate, click the “Select” button.
8. Optionally, select an additional insurance package or click the "Pay now" button.
9. Enter all the required information about yourself.
10.Specify your bank details for payment and click the "Confirm booking" button. Please note that if the driver is less than 25 or more than 75 years old, the service will add compulsory insurance to the rental price.
What documents are required for rent
From the documents, you will need a foreign passport, an internal driver's license of a new sample (plastic) or an international driver's license, a credit card.
If you do not plan to take insurance, a certain amount of the so-called deposit or security will be blocked on your card for the rental period. The funds are returned to the card one or two banking days after the return of the car.
Only an insured car can be rented without a deposit.
The minimum driver's age is 21 years, the minimum driving experience is one year.
Upon receipt of the car, inspect and record in the contract all its damages so that they are not "hung" on you. Never leave, just leaving the keys: when you return the car, be sure to take a contract from the manager with a note that there are no complaints against you. It will be more convenient to leave a deposit in cash, so you can pick it up immediately after returning the car.
Insurance and rental deductibles
If you rent a car without a deductible, then in the event of an accident, you will be obliged to reimburse the full cost of the repair. A deductible is a security deposit that is frozen on your credit card and debited as compensation in the event of an accident.
The amount of the deductible varies depending on the car model, its mileage and the age of the driver and ranges from 600 to 1300 euros.
As for insurance, it is full and limited. Taking a car with full insurance means protecting yourself from any unforeseen situations. This insurance is called Super Cover, and for 8-12 euros per day it covers any damage, including theft, damage to the bottom, glass and tires.
Cost and terms
On average, the cost of renting an economy class car fluctuates around 12 euros per day. This also adds insurance (about 10 euros) and a fuel tank (70-80 euros).
Payment is usually made only for the fuel spent, but it makes sense to buy a whole tank at once, since on average it is completely consumed in three days of driving around the city. Rent is short and long term.
For those who rent a car for more than 28 days, monthly technical inspections and, if necessary, replacement of the car with a similar one become available.
Be sure to consider additional expenses, which include the cost of gas, parking, parking and toll roads. The prices for diesel fuel are approximately 1.5 euros / liter, for high-class gasoline - 1.8 euros.
Free parking lots in Barcelona are lined up in yellow and are almost always occupied by locals. The cost of paid parking starts from 2 euros / hour in the daytime and goes up to 40 euros per night.
Prices for travel on the highways closest to Barcelona are kept within the range of 15-17 euros.
Basic traffic rules
The main rule is that both the driver and passengers must be wearing seat belts. Drunk driving, talking on a mobile phone while driving is prohibited. Use of a speakerphone is allowed, but not a headset.
According to traffic rules in Spain, children under 12 years old must be transported in special car seats.
Please note that traffic signals in Spain change very quickly, and almost all road signs are painted on the roadway.
Radars are everywhere in Barcelona, so overspeeding is not recommended.
The speed limit in the city is 40-50 km / h, depending on the road section. Overtaking vehicles on the right is prohibited. Driving in the country is right-hand, and it is necessary to move along the far right lane, even if there are no other cars on the road. All fines received on the rental car are billed and presented by the rental company to the driver after the car is returned.
Paid and free parking in Barcelona
There are three types of parking spaces in total - green, blue and yellow zones. Parking lots with green markings are intended for residents of the city. Tourists can leave cars in this area for no longer than two hours, the fee is 2-3 euros per hour.
Parking with blue markings is paid for everyone, the time spent on them is limited to 1-4 hours, the cost of parking ranges from 1 to 2 euros per hour, while the paid time is from 9 to 14 pm and from 16 to 20 pm.
Free parking lots in Spain are rarely empty and are usually located on the outskirts.
When looking for parking lots, the Parclick service has proven itself in the best way. With its help, you can find a parking space in the desired area, book it for a certain period and get a parking ticket.
Online prices are usually 40-50% better than actual prices on site. So, underground parking, which usually costs about 40 euros per day, can be booked for 18-20 euros. You can also find a parking spot using the iOS Maps app and the Google Maps app.
Finally
Renting a car in Barcelona is a simple and convenient way to solve the problem of getting around the city and its outskirts. You can rent a car in advance using the websites of aggregators and rental companies, or directly at the hotel reception or at the airport. If you follow Spanish road rules and plan your trip right down to the purchase of parking spaces, your Barcelona experience will be the most enjoyable.
