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Car hire in Barcelona

Barcelona Travel Guide

Barcelona needs no introduction. This quirky Catalan city known for its Gaudi Modernist landmarks is one of the world’s greats. Amble down wide 19th-century boulevards, dive into world-class galleries and museums, work on your tan on the surprisingly clean urban beach or gorge on salt anchovies and cured jamon in the tiny tapas joints. Don’t just confine yourself to the city though. With the beautiful Catalan countryside just a stone’s throw away, it would be a shame not to explore it in your Barcelona car rental. Freddie Mercury once said, “Barcelona, such a beautiful horizon”. We’d have to agree.

Dining in Barcelona

The dining scene in Barcelona is one of Spain’s finest. You won’t have to look hard to find the no-nonsense tapas bars where legs of cured jamon swing above plates of salty olives and wedges of tortilla, both of which are best accompanied with a glass of vermouth de la casa. If you happen to visit in the summer, don’t miss a bowl of refreshing bowl of gazpacho, a cold tomato soup. Alternatively, make a beeline for one of the pastry shops during important days in the Catholic calendar for mouth-watering specialities. If you’re visiting in winter or spring, drive out in your Barcelona hire car to find calçots, Catalan spring onions grilled over charcoal.

Attractions in Barcelona

You could spend a month in Barcelona and still not get further than scratching the surface of the city. If you’re a first-timer, it’s unthinkable to skip Gaudi’s masterpieces from the century-old Sagrada Familia, the Casa Batllo or the Park Guell. There’s more for culture vultures too like the MACBA, Barcelona’s modern art museum, or the Picasso Museum where you can find some of the famous artist's lesser known works. Alternatively, if you visit at the right time you could score some tickets to catch one of FC Barcelona’s games at the iconic Camp Nou Stadium.

Barcelona driving routes

While you can find more than enough to do in the city, those looking to explore a slice of Catalan’s countryside could hop in their Barcelona car hire and take a road trip. If you have plenty of time, make a dash for Figueres, a beautiful town near the French border and birthplace of surreal abstract artist Salvador Dali. Alternatively, drive south for an hour and a half to the Catalan town of Tarragona, an ancient port town with Roman ruins and an impressive cathedral. Or take a drive up through the mountains to the tiny country of Andorra.

Barcelona car rental

Scoring one of the car rentals in Barcelona gives you the freedom to explore much further afield than just the city. If you're sold on a rental, your best bet is picking one up at the international airport. It doesn’t matter if you’re coming on a romantic break or a family getaway, you’ll always find a vehicle which fits the bill. It’s worth picking a hotel with free spots to leave your car overnight as parking spaces in the city come at a premium. Keep an eye on your speed! Unless otherwise instructed, the speed limit is 50 kilometres an hour in urban areas, 95 km/h on rural roads and 129 km/h on the highways.