Car Rental at Barcelona Sants Train Station - Discovering Catalonia

Located in the Sants district of Barcelona city centre (hence its name), Barcelona Sants Train Station is one of the largest and most vibrant public transport hubs in the whole of Spain. Its convenient location in the heart of the city centre makes it the perfect base from which to visit the city's top attractions, including the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic), La Rambla, etc. One of Spain's liveliest cities, Barcelona offers visitors plenty of opportunities for an unforgettable stay, particularly with a car rental from Barcelona Sants Train Station. Here you can see architectural marvels such as those designed by Antoni Gaudi and Dali dotted around the city, as well as numerous world-class museums like the CosmosCaixa and fun-filled Science Museum which ranks as one of the country's best family attractions. To relax, why not head for one of the city's many tapas bars or take a tour of the famous Camp Nou stadium, home to FC Barcelona. There's much more to see and do in Barcelona, it all depends on how much time you have available!

With an affordable car hire at Barcelona Sants Train Station from Auto Europe you can also explore the enchanting Catalonia province in total comfort and at your own pace. Immerse yourself in over 100 kilometres of pristine coastline to admire the bucolic landscapes of Montjuic and other charming places in the Costa Brava. The spectacular Mediterranean region surrounding Barcelona is a land of picturesque fishing villages, medieval towns and beautiful beaches, in fact this whole stretch of glorious shoreline is brimming with unique cultural and natural attractions. Inland, the ancient towns of Vic and Manresa draw are worth seeing for their historic churches, while the lovely village of Sant Cugat del Vallès is popular for its pastoral atmosphere and delightful Romanesque architecture. With its Roman, Moorish, Catholic and Jewish heritage, the old city of Gerona boasts one of the best-preserved medieval quarters in southern Europe Spain and a magnificent cathedral built in the 11th century.

One of Auto Europe's strengths are the many close working partnerships with all the leading car rental companies we have managed to establish since our company was founded in 1954. This in turn enables us to offer the widest-possible range of vehicles in Barcelona and elsewhere in Spain, including Madrid, Alicante and Malaga. As well as smaller, low-cost vehicles for hire, Auto Europe also specialises in mid-size and luxury cars, along with the possibility of offering families and friends the chance to to tour the Costa Brava in a modern motorhome!

Station Information

Located in the Plaça des Pays Catalans, a central square perfectly situated in the heart of the city, the Estació de Sants (as it is known locally) is Barcelona's main railway station and the second-largest in Spain after Madrid-Puerta de Atocha, followed by Seville's Santa Justa station. Designed in a modern style with several platforms underneath the main building, the station handles some 50 million passengers every year. Constructed in 1970 but only officially inaugurated in 1979, the building consists of two floors with a stylish hotel, the Barcelo Sants, above the station. Handling regular domestic and international departures and arrivals throughout the day, the station is served by AVE trains from a number of large Spanish cities like Madrid, Seville and Malaga, plus it is also the departure point for high-speed TGV trains to and from France and several other countries. Barcelona Sants also serves Talgo and Euromed trains which run along the Mediterranean coast to Valencia, Murcia, Lorca and Alicante.

Where to pick up a car rental at Barcelona Sants Train Station

Travellers looking to collect their car rental at Barcelona Sants Train Station can choose from a number of high-quality suppliers, like Europcar, Hertz and Sixt. Located in the heart of the city on Plaça des Pays Catalans, the station is ideally situated for visitors planning to pick up their vehicle in a convenient location and start their sightseeing itinerary right away. When you arrive at the car hire check-in desk, please make sure you have all the necessary documents ready in order to make the collection process as speedy as possible, including your passport, driving licence, valid credit card (in the main driver's name) and any insurance you might have purchased previously, such as Auto Europe's very popular Full Damage Protection coverage policy. To make your journey even easier, you'll find the opening times of some of the local car rental agencies listed below.

	Europcar at Barcelona Sants Train Station SABA Sants Car Park Barcelona, Spain 08014 +34 911 50 50 00	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am-11.30pm, Sat 8am-9.30pm and Sun 8am-10.30pm
	Hertz at Barcelona Sants Train Station Carrer de Viriat, 45 Barcelona, Spain 08014 +34 902 99 87 07	Opening Hours: Mon 8am-4pm and Tue-Fri 9am-4pm (closed Sat and Sun)
	Sixt at Barcelona Sants Train Station SABA Sants Car Park Barcelona, Spain 0814 +34 871 18 01 92	Opening Hours: Daily 7am-11pm

Station facilities

As one of Europe's busiest railway stations, Barcelona Train Station offers its many daily passengers a whole host of on-site facilities and amenities on two floors. There are information booths providing tourist information, a ticket office, customer services, a newsagent (tobacconist), chemist, bureau de change, ATMs (including one operated by the Caixa Catalunya Bank, a photo shop, lockers and toilets. For travellers with enough time to relax and enjoy a snack or even a sit-down meal, there are several cafés and restaurants, including McDonald's, Café Ars (the station's largest eaterie), Café di Fiore and Café de l'Estacio where you can enjoy a freshly-made sandwich or pizza. Additionally, a number of souvenir shops are on hand for people looking to pick up a gift for friends or family members back home, such as a Swatch watch, as well as a sports shop, virtual games shops, a flower stall, large cafeteria and the all-important an FC Barcelona shop for football fans visiting the city. Along with free Wi-fi and a range of services for travellers with special needs, there's also a police office for any advice or help you may need and an excellent four-star hotel called the Barcelo Sants built above the station itself.

How to get to and from Barcelona Sants Train Station

The good news for people collecting their car rental at Barcelona Sants Train Station is that it is very well served by the city's superb public transport network, including the metro system operated by Transports Métropolitans de Barcelone (TMB), whose on-site station is called Sants Estacio. The green L3 and blue L5 lines of the Barcelona metro serve Barcelona Sants Train Station and extend to many popular parts of the city of interest to tourists. If you're staying in Barcelona for a few days, it's a good idea to buy a T-10 zone 1 travel card, which is the most commonly used ticket for travellers visiting the city because it covers the city centre where many of the top attractions are located (please note that there are 6 zones in total, each of which has a different price). Ticket prices change in January each year and you can buy the card in cash (coins or banknotes) from cash machines located at the metro's main entrances/exits. Remember to take a look at the metro map before you embark upon your journey because the station is very busy and it's not always easy to find your way around. If you'd prefer to travel by overground train, it's worth knowing that the R2N train runs between Barcelona Sants station and Barcelona Airport where the station is called Aeropuerto. Buses and taxis are also available just outside the station.

Parking tips

The station has four parking levels, so finding a space for your car hire at Barcelona Sants Train Station won't be as difficult as many large European railway stations. Located on Plaça des Pays Catalans, its well-managed multi-storey car park is open 24 hours a day and features round-the-clock security. At the entrance to the car park, you'll find the payment terminals, so make sure you pay before returning to your vehicle, after which you'll have a limited time to leave the premises. As the car park tends to fill up quite quickly, it's best to reserve your parking space in advance (especially if you are planning to stay a while to visit some of the city's most important tourist attractions, for instance).

If you're planning to park in Barcelona city centre or its environs, please take into account the fact that parking spaces are divided into two specific zones - namely the blue zones and the green zones, the latter of which are mostly reserved for local residents. Blue zones allow visitors to park overnight for free in certain places with a time limit: Monday to Friday from 9am to 2pm and again from 4-8pm. There are plenty of well-located car parks in and around the city centre, including the following: SABA Sants Bonanova (C. de Joan Güell, 209), ByPark (Avda. de Roma, 22), Coliseum (C. de Sant Medir, 2), Dream Barna Flat (C. de Numància, 47-49) and Forus (Travessera de les Corts, 252-254). Be careful of parking fines, which are a hefty €150, plus there's always the chance of getting the vehicle towed away. One of the best places to park in the city centre is SABA Bamsa Rambla Catalunya, while a number of large public car parks can be found in several convenient locations, such as Camp Nou, Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas and Barcelona Harbour. If you are staying in a hotel, make sure you check when making the booking whether or not they have a car park with spaces available for guests.

Useful links

Barcelona Sants Train Station