Car Travel in Barcelona

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Car Travel

Getting around Barcelona by car is generally more trouble than it's worth. The Rondas (ring roads) make entering and exiting the city easy, unless it's rush hour, in which case traffic comes to a halt. Between parking, navigating, alcoholemia patrols, and the general wear and tear of driving in the city, the subway, taxis, buses and walking are your best bets in Barcelona.

For travel outside of Barcelona, the freeways to Girona, Figueres, Sitges, Tarragona, and Lleida are surprisingly fast. Routine cruising speed on Spanish freeways is 140 km (84 mph) or more. If you drive at the official speed limit of 120 (72 mph) you seriously risk high-speed rear-ending. The distance to Girona, 97 km (58 mi), is a 45-minute shot. The French border is an hour away. Perpignan is, at 188 km (113 mi), an hour and twenty minutes.

On freeways (possibly because official driving-school manuals date before the invention of Spain's excellent network of freeways), do not expect motorists coming down the inside lane to move left and give way. The "merging" concept does not exist in Spain. Expect to come to a full stop at the red yield triangle at the end of the on-ramp and wait for a break in traffic.

Spanish highway engineers have discovered the British roundabout. Remember that the motorist in the roundabout has the right of way, even if you are the vehicle to the right (which is the normal rule of thumb elsewhere: vehicles coming from your right have right of way).

Parking

You can often find a legal and safe parking place on the street, and underground public parking is plentiful, easy, and cheap.

Traffic

Barcelona's rush hours take place from 8:30 to 9:30 AM, from 2 to 3 PM, and, intermittently, from 5 to 9 PM.