General Information

Barcelona is a city visited by thousands of tourists, especially during the summer season. For the vast majority of these visitors, the first stop will be at El Prat, the international airport of Barcelona. There is a significant number of options available to every visitor in regards to the transportation method used to and from this airport (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Transfer).

Although this option is not the cheapest, if you are in a hurry, carry large luggages or prefer to travel in a comfortable way, using a rental car could be a suitable choice.

You can find detailed information about this service below.

How does it work?

Several car rental companies are available in Barcelona, including local and international agencies. The car rental stations are easy to spot and they are available both at El Prat and inside the city.

At El Prat, the main companies have car rental desks at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Furthermore, several companies have two offices operating at T2; this way they are available in T2B and T2C, as well.

At T1, you will find the stalls on the ground floor, near the baggage reclaim area. At T2, the offices are situated next to the main exit. In order to find them, you just need to follow the signs illustrating a car.

The journey between the airport and Barcelona will take approximately 20-30 minutes by private car. From El Prat you need to arrive either at C-31 (sometimes mentioned as Costas del Garraf or Castelldefels highway) or at C-32 highway. This way, you will enter the city on one of the following main boulevards: Avinguda Diagonal, Gran Via, Ronda del Litoral or Ronda de Dalt.

Those who would like to approach El Prat from the areas located south of Barcelona, such as Tarragona, Castelldefels, Sitges, etc, have to follow C-32 or the national road N-340 which will meet C-31 at El Vendrell. Travellers arriving from the north of Barcelona have to leave the city on Ronda del Litoral or Ronda de Dalt.

In regards to the pricing, since additional fares could always be applied, the price gap between expensive and cheap companies is mostly nonexistent; such situation could especially emerge during short journeys. This happens because international companies generally require you to pay the exact quantity of fuel you used, when local companies follow a full/empty fuel policy, which means that you need to prepay a significant amount on the fuel.

Advantages and Benefits of Car Rental

For the most part, smaller companies usually offer lower prices. However, it is suggested to do your research before choosing an unknown car rental company. You can easily compare the prices displayed by different companies at the airport since they are situated next to each other.

Additionally, since the airport is not too large, the car stations are usually close to these offices, therefore you do not need to walk more than a few minutes in order to reach them. Smaller companies are more problematic because their offices are located outside the airport and not all of them have parkings available at T2. Nonetheless, these inconveniences can be solved if you order the vehicle in advance (for additional information – Renting a Car from Barcelona Airport in Advance).

There are various car rental stations available inside the city, as well. If you need to pick up a rental car in order to arrive at El Prat, you can choose between more than 18 collection areas. The most popular ones are situated in the proximity of Plaça d’Espanya, near Barcelona Sants train station (Estacio de Barcelona-Sants) and Plaça de Catalunya.

Although this service proves to be a convenient one for a vast majority of visitors, sometimes it is not the most suitable option. For example, the car rental offices operate only between 07:00-00:00, hence visitors have to find other alternatives during the night-time hours (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Transfer, Airport Night Bus: NitBus N17 and Visit Barcelona at night).

Several large, international companies will allow you to return the rented vehicle to a different stall. Nonetheless, in case of a smaller company, if you dropped the vehicle at another location, you will be required to pay a fine.

Moreover, the heavy traffic and the old, narrow streets in the center of the city, many of which are closed to cars, makes driving really challenging. Parking your car is also difficult since there are not too many lots and most of them are expensive. Therefore, if you are not willing to spend a significant amount of money to rent a car and deal with these inconveniences, the public transportation system is a good option.

Who is it recommended for?

Renting a car at the airport in Barcelona can be advantageous for those who plan to visit the city during an extended road trip in Catalonia, Spain or Andorra (for additional information – Car Rental from Barcelona Airport for a Vacation in the City and Car Rental in Spain).

Renting a car is also recommended for tourists who are not on a strict budget and want to travel in and out of the airport in a convenient way. This kind of trip will give you the freedom to freely take delight in all the important landmarks of the city at your own pace.

In addition, because only a limited number of car rental companies can provide accessible vehicles, renting a car can be quite problematic for disabled tourists. Even those companies offering such facilities only have few accessible cars. Therefore, this service is also recommended for people with disabilities, as long as they personally contact each company beforehand and book their cars in advance (for additional information – Car Rental from Barcelona Airport – Accessibility and Accessibility in Barcelona).

Tips and Recommendations

• Car rental from Barcelona Airport can be advantageous for those who arrive at El Prat and not only plan to visit the city, but also the areas outside of it. However, this option is not entirely recommended, as it is expensive and the traffic and parking options are not exactly favorable (for additional information – Car Rental from Barcelona Airport for a Vacation in the City and Car Rental in Spain).
• You need to be aware that most of the rental companies require an extra charge for vehicles which start their journey from the airport. Therefore, it is advised to travel to Barcelona by using another transportation method and only rent a car inside the city (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Transfer).
• The car rental offices at El Prat are operating only between 07:00-00:00. This means that those who travel during the night-time hours have to find other alternatives (for additional information – Airport Night Bus: NitBus N17 and Visit Barcelona at Night).
• At Terminal 1 you will find the car rental stations on the ground floor, near the baggage reclaim area and at Terminal 2, right next to the main exit. In order to easily spot them, follow the signs illustrating a car.
• The smaller companies’ offices are usually located outside the airport and not all of them have parkings available at T2. Nevertheless, these inconveniences can be solved if you order the vehicle in advance (for additional information – Renting a Car from Barcelona Airport in Advance).
• It is strongly recommended to rent a car online in advance, via intermediary reservation companies because of the numerous advantages they can offer. An example could be the low prices.
• The prices and facilities offered by car rental companies vary from one company to another (the prices are also influenced by the season). This is why, it is highly recommended to do a careful research before you book a vehicle, in order to choose the most suitable deal.
• The car rental offices that operates in the central areas of Barcelona are in the proximity of Plaça d’Espanya, near Barcelona Sants train station (Estacio de Barcelona-Sants) and Plaça de Catalunya.
• In most cases, if you return a rented vehicle to a different stall, you will have to pay a fine for it.
• Do not forget your driving licence at home! Depending on your place of destination, sometimes an international driving licence is required, as well.
• Most of the companies only accept drivers who are over 21 years old and have held a valid driving licence for at least 12 months. The latter requirement is expected only from clients younger than 25 years of age.
• Generally, it would be cheaper to purchase a standalone insurance than applying the insurance offered by the car rental companies. However, not all of the companies accept a standalone policy.
• In order to avoid getting scammed by car rental companies, it is suggested to check the car for any damage and take a few pictures of it right before your trip. At the same time, do not leave the rental office without checking your invoice and the fuel in the tank.
• Note that not all of the car rental companies can provide you with accessible vehicles, since there is a limited number of accessible cars. It is recommended to book the car in advance and check with the company they have an available car that suits your needs (for additional information – Car Rental from Barcelona Airport – Accessibility and Accessibility in Barcelona).
• There are approximately 20,000 parking lots available at El Prat. Nonetheless, they are quite expensive, which is why it is suggested to park your private car somewhere else (for additional information – Car Rental from Barcelona Airport – Parking Lots).

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