Barcelona Car Rentals

Private cars in Barcelona, a city of pedestrians and pedestrian streets, can be more trouble than they are worth. Public transportation is the easiest way to get around town. Drivers can be very aggressive, gas is expensive and cheap parking is nearly impossible to find. And driving in the Barri Gotic is quite dangerous due to its small, curvy streets, which tend to be packed with residents as well as the lost tourists staring down at their maps.

If you must rent a car, know that to drive legally in Spain, you must be over 18. An International Driving Permit is recommended. However, to rent a car from many rental agencies, you must be 23 years old.

To get the cheapest prices on a rental car, book it before you leave your home country. Rental cars with automatic transmission cost almost twice as much as standard manual transmission, and automatics can be difficult to find. To find a cheap rental car in Barcelona, we recommend doing a search now for your dates, and compare rates across several different rental car providers in Spain. (Read more about cheap car rentals in Europe.)

A good value for a three-day economy car rental in Barcelona will run around $210. To view car rental rates in Barcelona for a specific date, click here.

Some rental packages have unlimited mileage, others don't. Some have insurance against theft or collision. Others don't. Be sure to ask. Sometimes paying cash makes a difference in insurance coverage. You should also check to see if your credit card carries any rental car insurance.

Related posts from our blog

• Spain A trip through the Basque region
• Barcelona: Cheap transportation guide