Zona Azul Parking in Barcelona in 2023: How Does it Work?

If you need to park your car in Barcelona you should know that the city is divided into different parking zones. One of the busiest areas is Zona Azul parking in Barcelona, or more specifically the blue parking zone within the city.

You can either leave your car in Barcelona’s Zona Azul, or you can book a parking spot in advance, and this last option works perfect if you don’t want to spend a lot of time driving in circles to find that one available parking space.

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What is Zona Azul parking in Barcelona exactly?

The zone consists of parking spaces, and they can be found in many of the city’s main streets. You can recognise the zone by its blue lines on the street.

The Zona Azul consists of parking spaces where every car with a valid ticket for a specific period of time can be parked. The ticket is available at parking meters or via the SMOU app.

The main difference with the green or residents’ zone (Zona Verde), is that the Zona Azul in Barcelona is intended for visitors and their cars.

Parking in Barcelona

The Zona Azul aims to encourage circulation within the busiest areas of the city where parking is much needed, such as shopping areas, hospitals and schools.

How to pay in Zona Azul in Barcelona

As we have already mentioned, you can pay in two different ways:

At the parking meter: These are the machines you will find on the pavement closest to your chosen parking spot, and you can issue a ticket here that certifies you have paid the corresponding fee for a specific period of time.

With the Smou app: This is the app that integrates all of the city’s mobility services. With this app you can pay for the exact time you plan to park your car, without having to place a ticket inside your vehicle. It will also give you a warning when you are about to reach the end of your parking time, in case you want to extend the duration of your parking there.

Zona Azul schedule

The schedule for parking in Barcelona’s Zona Azul corresponds with the busiest hours in the city, when there is much traffic and many parking spots are needed. Mostly the parking schedule in the Zona Azul runs from Monday to Friday between 9 in the morning and 8 in the evening and without any interruptions.

How does parking in Barcelona’s Zona Azul work on weekends? You should know that it is possible that in the centre of the city there is a different parking schedule which includes Saturdays as well.

So now the main question is: “Do you pay for parking in Barcelona’s Zona Azul on Saturdays?” It all depends on the specific area where you want to park your car. The closer you get to the city centre, the more crowded it is, and the more likely it is that you will have to pay.

This can also be the case in areas near the beach, where there is a schedule for Sundays and public holidays as well.

👍 Remember that...

… you should always check the street signs where you are parking your car to make sure what the rules for that specific area are.

Many parking spaces

Parking tariffs in the Zona Azul in Barcelona

There are four types of tariffs within the Zona Azul: A, B, C, and D. These types are defined by the demand for parking in that area.

This means that zone A is most expensive, and it applies to lively areas, such as Ciutat Vella, the centre of Barcelona and other busy places like Passeig de Gràcia and parts of the Avinguda Diagonal. Prices decrease according to the density within the area, so zone D is the cheapest zone to park your car.

These are the parking tariffs for each zone within the Zona Azul:

Tariff A (max. 1 or 2 hours):

- with environmental label 0: 0,00 €/hour
- with environmental label ECO: 2,50 €/hour
- with environmental label C: 3,25 €/hour
- with environmental label B: 3,50 €/hour
- without environmental label: 3,75 €/hour

Tarief B (max. 2 hours):

- with environmental label 0: 0,00 €/hour
- with environmental label ECO: 2,25 €/hour
- with environmental label C: 3,00 €/hour
- with environmental label B: 3,25 €/hour
- without environmental label: 3,50 €/hour

Tarief C (max. 3 hours):

- with environmental label 0: 0,00 €/hour
- with environmental label ECO: 1,96 €/hour
- with environmental label C: 2,71 €/hour
- with environmental label B: 2,96 €/hour
- without environmental label: 3,21 €/hour

Tarief D (max. 4 hours):

- with environmental label 0: 0,00 €/hour
- with environmental label ECO: 1,08 €/hour
- with environmental label C: 1,83 €/hour
- with environmental label B: 2,08 €/hour
- without environmental label: 2,33 €/hour

Parking in Barcelona’s Zona Azul

You can check all available parking spaces in the Zona Azul in Barcelona by visiting this interactive map from Barcelona City Council. You can also, depending on your personal preference, make reservations for a parking spot via Parclick.