More and more tourists prefer to travel around Europe on rented cars. There are many advantages in such tourism: you are not tied to public transport, regular buses and trains, you can independently choose the route and schedule for visiting attractions, and control your spending.
Every tourist who plans a trip to Barcelona gets the opportunity to rent any car from the company's fleet. Prefer to travel in comfort? A modern premium car is waiting for you, designed to make your vacation more comfortable. Well, for those who are trying to save money in everything, budget economy class small cars are more suitable, which are in no way inferior in comfort and reliability to their more prestigious colleagues.
Conditions for renting a car in Barcelona
Traveling to different countries, each of us begins to appreciate reliability and stability. These rules also apply when choosing a car rental company. Car rental services in Barcelona today are offered by dozens of well-known companies. Arranging for the provision of transport here is very simple: just contact one of the company's offices (which are located near the airport, railway and bus stations, in the city center), or by booking a car for a specific date via the Internet.
From the proposed catalog, everyone will be able to choose a suitable car for a trip, and the key points of using the vehicle will be fixed in the contract. If you book a car in advance, you will receive the keys within a few minutes from the moment you enter the company's office. All you have to do is follow the formalities.
The process of renting a car can be divided into the following stages:
What documents are required
Any tourist who has never encountered the need to rent a car abroad before is wondering what documents may be needed for this. There is nothing complicated here. While some car rental companies may require a package of additional documents, Auto Europe requires only three documents from customers:
With a passport, everything is clear: it must be valid for the entire period of car rental. Speaking of a driver's license, it is worth noting that it is better to have an international driving license with you. Although in some offices the adoption of a Russian certificate is practiced (provided that the driver's data is duplicated in Latin letters).
There are other requirements for potential clients. So, only a driver who has reached the age of 23 and has at least a year of driving experience can use the services of a rental company. Of course, sometimes there are exceptions.
A bank card is needed in order to make a deposit for a car. It must be issued by a bank that operates in Barcelona, and the account must have the required amount of collateral. The amount for the time of using the transport is frozen and becomes available again after the return of the transport.
Departure to other countries
If you are planning to visit not only Barcelona, but also other cities in Spain, as well as travel to neighboring countries, you should know some nuances as part of one trip. In particular, the founded mass of companies takes an additional fee for the opportunity to leave Spain and go to other European countries. Others, in addition to this, limit the possible directions of customers and present additional conditions for such a service. For example, you may be allowed to travel to Portugal or Andorra, but forbidden to cross the border in a rented car towards Paris.
Auto Europe is pursuing a more loyal policy in this direction. Clients always have the opportunity to leave Spain and go on their business to the neighboring countries of Western Europe. At the same time, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the terms of such a service, as well as to discuss this possibility in advance with the employees of the office where you plan to borrow a vehicle.
Prices
Each rental company has its own pricing policy. Sometimes, in pursuit of cheap offers, the client gets into unpleasant situations. It is better to overpay a little for additional guarantees than to become a hostage of the situation later and risk a vacation. Therefore, we advise you to carefully study the proposals of companies, analyzing their advantages over competitors and the main disadvantages.
Firms offer their customers to rent any car on the most favorable terms. In addition to the high quality of service, stability and reliability, prices are always affordable. For example, you can rent an economy class car in one of the offices near Barcelona Airport for only 1600-3500 rubles per day. A roomy family sedan will cost from 4,800 rubles, and for a daily rental of an SUV, you will have to pay only 5,100 rubles.
The most expensive offer today is the rental of seven-seater minivans, the cost of which will be 9 thousand rubles! You won't find these prices anywhere else in Barcelona.
Gasoline: cost and company policy
As in other European countries, higher prices for motor fuel were established in Spain than in Russia. But the quality of gasoline and diesel fuel is much higher than at domestic gas stations. So, as of today, one liter of the most common AI-95 will cost tourists 87.5 rubles. For AI-98 fuel, you will have to pay at least 97 rubles per liter, and diesel fuel is the cheapest here and costs only 78 rubles per liter.
It is worth mentioning the fuel plans of rental companies. In particular, today there are several options for renting a car with fuel. Clients can choose one of the following options:
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Some rules of the road
In Barcelona, like throughout Spain, there are speed limits. So, in settlements it is allowed to move at a speed of up to 50 km / h, outside the city it is allowed to reach speeds of up to 90 km / h, and on expressways the limit is set at 120 km / h.
As in other European countries, you can move on the right side of the road. Many of the routes are paid, as evidenced by the sign with the letter “A”. But there are also unique features. In particular, you need to pay for travel on highways not at the entrance, but at the exit (as soon as you enter the toll section of the road, you are given a ticket, and you must pay the amount indicated on it at the exit point).
It is worth noting that road markings form the basis of road regulation in Spain. It is applied not only on the roadway, but also on poles, roadsides. The most dangerous places that require increased attention are marked in yellow. The second important element of road regulation are special plastic posts.
Similar requirements, which are also in force in Russia, are the obligation of the driver and passengers to wear seat belts, a ban on driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, compliance with traffic signs and traffic signals. Do not forget about the safety of your children, who must be securely fixed in a child seat. The rented vehicles can be equipped with this and other additional devices at the office of the rental company. Unfortunately, these services often come at a cost.
fines
For violation of traffic rules in Barcelona punished severely. Recently, law enforcement officers have begun to fine drivers who use anti-radar equipment. Installing such devices on a car is punishable by a fine of 200 euros. Well, if your transport is equipped with devices that block radars, get ready to pay a fine of 6 thousand euros!
The fine for driving while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs is one of the highest in the world and amounts to 5 thousand euros! Several hundred dollars will also be deducted from your account if you pass a traffic light, ignore a parking ban, or carry a child without a special device.
Police officers have the right to demand payment of a fine on the spot. As confirmation that you have been punished, you are required to issue a receipt. There are also benefits to this service. In particular, when paying a fine on the spot, the driver receives a 50 percent discount. But it will be deprived of the opportunity to appeal the fine. For those who do not agree with the police or are unable to pay the fine on the spot, there is a 30-day period during which the violator must appeal the decision of the police or pay the entire amount of the fine.
parking
In Barcelona, there are rules that clearly regulate the time and place for the temporary leaving of the car. It is worth noting that sometimes the rules for staging on different days and weeks of one month are radically different. Only those who have special permits can leave cars in the working areas.
In cities, you need to park vehicles on even days on the side of the street with even houses and vice versa. But in the zones that are marked in yellow, it is forbidden to leave the car even for a short time. If you need to stop for a while, look for paid parking, which is indicated by blue markings. There are parking meters where you can buy a subscription with an hourly payment. Be careful: the period of stay in such parking lots is limited. If you need to leave transport for the night or day, you should use the underground parking. You will be fined for violating parking rules.