Blue and green zones in Barcelona: opening hours, prices and ECO discounts

The city of Barcelona, like all major cities, has regulated parking zones. These zones are the Blue Zone and the Green Zone, where you can park but must pay a fee for the time used. In this article we will show you how the Blue Zone and the Green Zone in Barcelona work, what the opening hours and prices are, and the ECO discounts.

Blue Zone in Barcelona

The Blue Zone in Barcelona consists of parking spaces marked by a blue dashed line, usually located in areas with high parking demand. These spaces are intended for “visitors“, meaning vehicles that need to park for a limited period of time, at a cost that varies depending on the area and the time parked.

Barcelona has around 10,000 Blue Zone spaces, divided into four zones, each with a different hourly rate. Zone A covers areas with heavy traffic and high parking demand and is the most expensive. The Eixample and Ciutat Vella are where this highest rate applies, while in areas with lower demand the rates B, C and D apply, the last being the cheapest.

If an extraordinary pollution regulation is in force, the Blue Zone price increases by 2 euros/hour. Zero-emission vehicles must obtain an Electric Vehicle User card, which, in addition to allowing a 100% discount in these zones, means they can park in the Blue Zone up to the maximum permitted time (from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the zone) at no cost.

The general opening hours of the Barcelona Blue Zone are Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00, which are the busiest times in the city. However, these hours may vary in certain areas, such as the beaches, where the zone may also be active on Sundays and public holidays.

It is important to pay close attention to the vertical road signs in each zone, as they state the specific rules for that area. Some stretches of these blue zones may have special characteristics, so it is worth checking carefully to avoid any surprises from a specific regulation for that parking area.

Green Zone in Barcelona

As in other cities, residents have reserved parking areas. These are the so-called Green Zones for residents. Resident vehicles can park in these zones at a price far lower than for any other user. All other users must pay a considerably higher amount than in the Blue Zone. Barcelona has almost 40,000 Green Zone spaces, considerably more than the Blue Zone.

This is meant to discourage “visitors” from parking in areas reserved for residents, so that residents have space to leave their vehicles. Residents of an area may only benefit from this parking within their own zone. If they park in a different zone, they will pay the same rate as any other “visitor” vehicle.

In the case of the Green Zone, there are two zones: Zone A and Zone B. In the first case the hourly cost is 3 euros and the maximum parking time is 2 hours. In Zone B the hourly price is 2.75 euros and the parking time is also two hours. The Green Zone in Barcelona operates from 8:00 to 20:00 without interruption, Monday to Friday, although in some areas Saturday is also included.

To pay for the Blue Zone and the Green Zone in Barcelona you can use the parking meter located in the parking area itself or the apparkB app, which allows payments to be made to the AREA, the department that manages regulated parking.