Renting A Car In Barcelona: 10 Insider Tips For 2025 + Prices

Renting a car in Barcelona Spain is a great way to see the unique region of Catalonia. From the Costa Brava’s wonderful beaches to Montserrat’s mountain town, there’s plenty of nature and culture to explore within a relatively small area.

We’ve hired a car a couple of times while visiting Catalonia, the first time in Girona and more recently in Barcelona. Both times, it was super convenient and hassle-free. While Girona’s location close to France is handy for a little trip over the border, Barcelona is a bit more central as a starting point for a Catalan adventure.

In this post, we’ll go through our tips for how to hire a car, the associated costs, whether to rent a car at Barcelona Airport or downtown and a few of our fav places to visit within 90 minutes of Spain’s second-largest city.

Author’s Note: Robin is our car rental expert and a seasoned road-tripper who has driven everything from the Balkans to the German autobahns by a massive truck!

#1 Is It A Good Idea To Rent A Car In Barcelona?

Should I rent a car in Barcelona Spain? To help you make that decision, here are some reasons pro:

✅ To go on day trips. There are a lot of cool places you can get to, from Barcelona, from the ancient ruins of Tarragona to the birthplace of Salvador Dali, Figueres. You can even cross the border into France or Andorra within the space of 24 hours.

✅ To drive to Costa Brava. We had a lovely time exploring Catalonia’s premier coastline, which is dotted with cute fishing villages, medieval ruins, and sandy beaches.

✅ To get away from the crowds. Barcelona is a buzzy, vibrant place, but it’s also the second most visited city in Spain (Madrid is number one, FYI). We’ve spent quite a bit of time exploring the incredible metropolis, but it’s always a welcome relief to get away to some smaller towns.

On the other hand, renting a car in Barcelona is not always the best solution for a holiday. Here are a couple of scenarios when we wouldn’t bother:

⚠️You only want to visit Barcelona. Driving in the Catalan capital is no fun. The narrow streets downtown, the stress of finding parking, the confusing array of restrictions – none of it is conducive to an enjoyable getaway. You’ll find it much more convenient (and affordable) just to use the public transportation system to get around.

⚠️You only plan to see a couple of places outside Barcelona. There are direct rail and/or bus connections between Barcelona and places like Girona. A vehicle is only worthwhile if you want to go more rural or pack in multiple locations.

#2 Cost Of Hiring A Car In Barcelona

How much is it to rent a car in Barcelona? We booked our vehicle through DiscoverCars and paid €100 to hire a brand-new Opel Corsa for 6 days, complete with full insurance. We visited in October, so not the busiest time of year, which made it a little cheaper.

Of course, it would have been more expensive if we were renting in the height of summer or around Christmas. We also opted to go for a relatively small car, which kept the costs down.

There are several other things to factor into your calculations when budgeting. The first is whether you want to go for manual or automatic transmission. If you want to rent a cheap car in Barcelona, a manual is always less money – and sometimes significantly less. Ultimately, though, go for what you’re comfortable with, as there’s no point getting a manual and then feeling nervous and uncomfortable the whole trip!

Where you pick up the vehicle can also affect the price. It’s sometimes cheaper to rent a car in Barcelona airport, rather than picking it up in town. However, this can also be much less convenient than if you plan to spend a few days in the city before beginning your road trip.

The last thing to remember is that you will have to put down a couple of deposits. The most significant one is for the car itself, which for us was €1,100. It is annoying but also common practice when renting a car in Europe. Getting DiscoverCars’ full cover insurance protects your deposit, which is why we always take it.  

There was also a €110 deposit for petrol, which is designed to discourage people from returning the car without refuelling. 

We used a credit card to pay both deposits, so the hire company only reserved the money. Some places will allow you to use a debit card, but this is a hassle, as the money comes out of your account, and you then have to wait for them to refund it afterwards.

We recommend booking as soon as you know your travel plans for the cheapest deal. DiscoverCars offers a generous cancellation policy – up to 48 hours before pickup – so you can always get the money back if something comes up. 

#3 How To Rent A Car In Barcelona

We found the best cheap car rentals in Barcelona on DiscoverCars. It’s pretty much our go-to option wherever we travel these days, as it has deals with both the big international car-leasing companies and the more niche local guys.

All the companies have ratings, which we crosscheck against reviews on Google Maps and Trustpilot. This helps weed out the dodgy operators. There are absolutely some good deals to be had with vehicle hire brands that you’ve never heard of, but there are also quite a few shady ones that will take you for a ride – and not in a good way!

You can also filter search results for things such as size, manual versus automatic, etc. The earlier you book, the more choices you’ll have and the better prices you’ll see.

We always book with full insurance. This is a good idea not just to cover you in case of scrapes but also in case there are any disputes with the rental company, as you may be able to recoup the money from DiscoverCars.

#4 Where To Rent A Car In Barcelona (3 Options)

1️⃣ If you are first staying in the city for a couple of nights, rent a car in Barcelona downtown. After you’re done with checking out the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, it’s super convenient to take an Uber to the car rental office on your last day. 

2️⃣ We’d already been to Barcelona a couple of times, so we arranged to rent a car from Barcelona Airport on our most recent trip. We opted for the Spanish operator Centauro via DiscoverCars, which we found slightly inconvenient because their office is not at the terminal, although they have a free shuttle bus. 

Unfortunately, we struggled to find the bus stop, so we ended up taking an overpriced taxi to their office for €21 – ouch!  

3️⃣ Barcelona Airport is the biggest in the region, but a lot of budget airlines also operate routes to Girona Airport. We’ve previously rented a car there, and there are quite a few car-leasing offices in the vicinity.

#5 Renting A Car In Barcelona: Requirements

Hiring a car in Barcelona is simple, with only a few standard requirements:

✅ Valid driver’s license. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is not required for EU, UK, and US citizens, among others. If your licence is printed with characters that are not in the Roman alphabet, however, an IDP may be necessary.

✅ Second form of ID. This is to confirm you are who you say you are. You may not be asked by the hire company to show this, but it’s better to have a passport or national ID card ready, just in case.

✅ Over 21. Regardless of the legal driving age in your home country, car companies in Spain will not rent to anybody under 21. Most will also charge an additional fee for anybody under 25.

✅ Third-party liability insurance. Rental companies usually include this as standard, but it never hurts to check!

✅ Credit card for deposit. It is possible to rent a car in Barcelona without a credit card, but it will limit your options. Plus, there are fewer protections for debit card deposits, and it can take a while for the money to be refunded to your account.

#6 Is Renting A Car In Barcelona Safe?

We have rented both at Girona and Barcelona airports on different holidays, and we had no issues on either occasion. Just ensure you do the standard stuff like recording the condition of the car and photographing any pre-existing damage whenever hiring a car in Barcelona.

As we’ve already mentioned, it’s a good idea to do a little bit of due diligence before committing to a short-term lease. Always cross-check reviews on DiscoverCars against reviews on Google Maps and Trustpilot, particularly if you are going for a cheap deal with a small operator. 

Even well-known brands can have poor reputations depending on the office location, so don’t skip this step just because you’re going with someone like Enterprise or Europcar.

Regardless, we always take out full coverage from DiscoverCars when renting a car in Barcelona to protect us from any troubles we may have with the local office. 

#7 What Kind Of Car Is Recommended?

Roads in the area in and around Barcelona are generally in a pretty good state, so no need to get a 4×4 or something larger that would be necessary to navigate the dirt roads of a Greek island. 

In fact, if you rent a car in Barcelona city you might want to go for a smaller vehicle over a medium-sized one. Aside from being more affordable, it also makes it easier to navigate the narrow roads and minimal parking that characterise the Catalan capital.

On the other hand, for longer trips where you have more luggage, it’s obviously more comfortable to go with a medium-sized or larger-sized car. We tend to travel fairly light, but we know some people pack for all eventualities! 

Manual cars are more widely available and cheaper, so that’s one way to save a chunk of change if you feel comfortable in a non-automatic vehicle.

#8 Parking In Barcelona

Parking in Barcelona isn’t great, which is why we’d suggest only getting a car when you’re ready to leave the city to explore the surrounding towns and countryside. A lot of parking is reserved for residents, and on-street spots that are available to tourists are few and far between.

The best option, if you are renting a car in Barcelona and need to leave it somewhere for a few hours (or even the day), is to seek out a parking garage. There are quite a few scattered throughout the city to choose from, and while they’re not cheap, it’s better than risking your car being towed!

Outside of Barcelona, we found the parking situation was easier but not always easy, especially in popular destinations. We were travelling during October, so we didn’t bother to book spaces in advance, but that is an option during the busier summer months.

#9 Is It Hard Driving In Barcelona?

We don’t want to put a downer on your visions of hiring a car in Barcelona and cruising the centuries-old avenues, but it’s not something we’d ever do if we could help it! 

Aside from the narrow streets, one-way signs, and congestion, there’s also a low emissions zone where certain kinds of cars are not allowed to enter. If you must drive in Barcelona, double-check when renting your vehicle that it complies with the regulations. 

Outside Barcelona, we found driving a lot more relaxed. The speed limit goes up from 50 km/h (31 mph) in the city to 120 km/h (72 mph) on the motorways, which connect Barcelona with places like Girona. Drivers are generally courteous, if occasionally assertive, which makes for an overall relaxing experience.

#10 Awesome Places To Visit With A Hire Car In Barcelona

If you do decide to hire a car in Barcelona, here are 5 places that we really enjoyed visiting to get your road trip itinerary started:

📍Costa Brava

The Costa Brava really lives up to its name. This piece of ‘wild coast’ has miles of rugged cliffs and rocky coves interspersed with gorgeous sandy beaches. It’s dramatic and romantic, with several picture-perfect seaside towns boasting medieval fortifications. 

One of the best places we visited here was Tossa de Mar, which has some big, beautiful beaches as well as a well-preserved old town that’s still surrounded by historic walls that date back to the 14th century.

We also went on some amazing hikes from Lloret de Mar, a former fishing village that’s become a popular resort thanks to its idyllic beaches. 

📍Montserrat

If you’re renting a car in Barcelona, Montserrat is a must-visit. Just an hour northwest of the Catalan capital, it is most famous for its Benedictine Monastery, which was founded in 1025. 

The site has been expanded and rebuilt a bit since then, with the elaborately decorated basilica, in particular, making our eyes bulge with its gilded ornamentation.

The location is also impressive, high up in the Montserrat mountains. There are a couple of ways to get from the main village to the abbey: by rack railway or by cable car. We went with the rack railway because it seemed a bit more unique, plus it’s a little slower, so we had more time to enjoy those jaw-dropping views!

📍Girona

Girona is where several budget airlines fly into Catalonia, but it’s more than just an airport hub. We were enchanted by the buildings, including the Girona Cathedral and the Arab Baths. If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you’ll probably recognise some of the architecture and streets from the show!

Girona is one of those places where we loved just wandering the cobblestone streets with a camera in hand, but you can get a great panorama of the city by getting up on the medieval walls.

For foodies, Girona is also home to El Celler de Can Roca, sometimes cited as the best restaurant in the world and honoured with 3 Michelin stars. Seats get snapped up 11 months in advance, so good luck getting a reservation!

📍Figueres

Any art lover renting a car in Barcelona MUST have Figueres on their itinerary. The birthplace of Salvador Dali, the city has leaned into its native son’s fame big time. 

Top of our list of things to see is the Dali Theatre-Museum, an absurd building with giant eggs precariously balanced on terracotta-coloured walls and a geodesic dome that reminded us of a giant crystal ball. 

Conceived by Dali himself, the former theatre-turned museum is sometimes described as the largest surrealist work of art in the world. Inside, it’s stuffed to the rafters with sculptures, paintings, and installations.

While you’re here, set aside some time to check out the sprawling, dramatic Castell de Sant Ferran, which is the largest bastion fortress in Europe. 

📍Tarragona 

In Roman times, Tarragona was one of the most important settlements on the Iberian Peninsula. That’s why the city is home to such a wealth of archaeological ruins, which have been collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The most striking of these is easily the old amphitheatre, where we took some great photos set against the scenic backdrop of the sea, but there’s also a fab museum containing a trove of mosaics, sculptures, and that sort of thing.

Getting a bit more modern (relatively speaking), Tarragona also contains a pretty medieval cathedral with a remarkable rose window and a buzzy harbour district called El Serrallo, where we ate some awesome tapas.

Renting A Car In Barcelona: Final Word

We had a great time renting a car in Barcelona, taking it out on the open road to travel the length of the Costa Brava and making day trips to Figueres and Tarragona. It meant we could have a nice mix of relaxed beach time, stimulating cultural experiences, and adventurous mountain hikes. If you’re somebody who likes a little bit of everything, it’s really the only way to explore Catalonia!