At Sweet BCN Accommodations we like to take advantage of our blog to give our guests and friends the information they need to have pleasant vacations in Barcelona, and one of the most recurring questions we get is, Where can I find free parking in Barcelona?
We begin by telling you that finding a free parking spot in Barcelona is not an easy task. If what you want is to move around the city center to get to know the most touristic places, we recommend you to leave the car at home and come to Barcelona with any other way of transport.
We are for sure not the first ones to tell you this, and you have already decided to come by car, so the question you are looking for is, What are the recommended free parking places in Barcelona? Well then, thanks to our experience living and driving in the city, we share with you the following options.
Free Parking in Barcelona
As you enter Barcelona driving, you will see that several streets have parking zones which are signaled by green stripes on the floor, commonly known as the Green Zones. These parking spots are free for all vehicles (locals and outsiders) from friday at 22 hours to Monday at 07 hours. Of course, as you can imagine, finding green zones which are not occupied is a tough job since they tend to fill up quite quickly, so it is best to look around the areas of the city that are less busy to be able to find free parking spots in Barcelona.
Another option to park your car for free is going to Zona Universitaria (University Zone), at Avenida Diagonal. In the area known as Campus Norte (North Campus) is usually easy to find free parking spots.
In the other hand, if you are more comfortable parking your car near Montjuic the best place is to go to MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalunya). This museum has free parking and it is also easy to find spots in the surrounding area. Depending on the season, this zone can be quite saturated due to its closeness to the Fira de Barcelona where several events, fairs, and congresses take place.
If you prefer free parking spots with a bit more security, we recommend you to go to the Shopping Center La Maquinista. It is the only shopping center in Barcelona with free parking without time limits or the need to make a purchase. It is quite convenient due to its closeness to a station for Renfe and metro line 1, both connecting to the city center of Barcelona.
Also the store of IKEA located at L’ Hospitalet de Llobregat has free parking. From this store, you can travel to the center of Barcelona by train FGC in less than 20 minutes.
Paid parking in Barcelona
At last, we also want to recommend you the paid parking option in Barcelona that us and our guests use. It is Parking Viajeros, located near Sants train station, the most economic option that we know. With access and security 24 hours and only 7 euros per day, it is truly one of the cheapest parking places in Barcelona.
