Transportation and Car Hire in Barcelona

Travellers heading to Barcelona can arrange to arrive there by air, sea, road, or rail. And choose a Car Hire in Barcelona to stay flexible or different option of public transportation.

Barcelona Airport is located about 17 km from the centre of the city. Major international carriers have flights to Barcelona, as well as domestic airlines. You can arrange ahead of time for a car hire in Barcelona and have it conveniently waiting for you at the airport when you arrive.

Susanne K./ pixelio.de

If travelling by sea, there are cruise ships that stop at the Port of Barcelona. There is also ferry service to and from Genoa and Rome. In fact the ferry service between Rome and Barcelona is faster than taking the bus!

Barcelona can be reached by road or rail from Europe through France. Trains run at regular intervals and are practically always on schedule.  You might also be interested in trying the very modern high speed AVE train that runs between Barcelona and Madrid.

Once you have reached Barcelona there are many options for getting around the city.

Car Rental in Barcelona

Hiring a car allows you the most freedom when getting around Barcelona. You are not bound by any schedule but your own and it is easy to transport all the packages you will acquire on your shopping excursions. If you want to go to the beach, then to the mountains, then shopping just hop in your car and go. Check out the offers from a reliable car rental company, like Sixt car hire in Barcelona.

You must meet certain requirements in order to be allowed to hire a car in Barcelona. You must be at least 21 years of age and you must have had your driving license for at least a year. Some companies will charge an extra fee if you are under 25 years old. The driver and all passengers are required to wear their seatbelts. Children up to three years old must use a child safety seat. Passengers under age 12 are not allowed to sit in the front seat. When driving in Barcelona use the right hand side of the road.

There are several car hire companies to choose from in Barcelona. Sixt is a prime example of a car hire company with multiple locations in the city. Visit Sixt to check out their car selection, prices, and to find out which of their locations is nearest to where you are staying.

Buses

You will find a comprehensive network of buses in Barcelona, including a daytime bus network, a night time bus network, and tourist buses. The tourist buses are double decker with an open top so dress for the weather! When you board the bus, you are given a map and a headset so that you can hear about the various sights the bus passes. You are able to select the language you hear in the earphones. Because the tourist buses run at regular intervals, you may get off whenever you like in order to spend time at places that interest you. When ready to continue your tour simply hop on the next bus that comes by! Find more here at TMB.

Trams, Funiculars, Aerial Cable Cars

wliebertz/ pixelio.de

There are two modern tram lines and one historic line in Barcelona. The historic line takes you from the Avenue Tibidabo metro station to the funicular station at the foot of Tibidabo.  You can then take the funicular up to the view point. There are also two cable cars for enjoying an aerial view of Barcelona. Find more at Tibidabo.cat.

Taxis

Although most of the taxi drivers in Barcelona are self-employed, they are all regulated by the Metropolitan Taxi Institute. It should not be difficult to locate a taxi; there are over 10,000 of them, all painted black and yellow. A taxi will display a green light when it is available. All of the taxis in Barcelona are required to be metered. The meter will show you the base price of your ride but there are additional fees if you catch your taxi at the airport or if you bring any luggage. Visit the site of Metropolitan Taxi Institute.

Cycling

If you enjoy cycling and don’t plan on carrying lots of packages, cycling might be a good choice for you. There are a number of locations from which you can hire a bicycle.

Undergrounds

The Barcelona Metro is made up of nine metro lines that run throughout the city. The trains are clean and very efficient, and often run only two minutes apart. It is probably the fastest way to get from one location to another but, of course, you won’t be able to enjoy any city views!  For convenience you can purchase multi-ride and multi-person tickets. These tickets may also be used on the city buses and trams. More about the Metro in Barcelona.

We hope you have a pleasent stay, choosing a rental car or going by train, bus – enjoy Barcelona like you prefere!