Peak Hours to drive around Barcelona
Barcelona is a popular tourist destination, and it can get crowded, especially during peak hours and months.
Here are some tips to help you avoid the crowds and have a more enjoyable trip:
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Peak hours: The busiest times of day to move around Barcelona are
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Morning time between 7:30am and 9:30am
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Afternoon between 5:30pm and 7:30pm
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These are the times when people are going to work or school, or coming home from work or school. If you can, try to avoid going to key destinations like airport or the harbor, the during these times.
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Peak months: Although Barcelona has an average of more than 300 sunny days per year, the busiest months to visit Barcelona are the ones with better weather conditions. There are lines and queues all year long, but in Mid-High season, the anticipation time for bookings is much higher.
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Low season: November till March
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Mid season: April, October
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High season: May, June , July , August, and September.
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What are the most busy places in Barcelona?
There are a few places in Barcelona that are always busy, no matter what time of day or year it is. These places include:
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La Rambla: This pedestrian street is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Barcelona. It is always crowded with people, especially in the summer.
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The Gothic Quarter: This historic district is full of narrow streets and alleyways, which can get very crowded, especially during the day.
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The Barceloneta Beach: This beach is a popular spot for sunbathing and swimming. It can get very crowded, especially on weekends.
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The Port of Barcelona: This port is a major transportation hub, and it can get very busy, especially during the summer.
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Key touristic attractions: Iconic places like the Sagrada Famila and Park Guell are almost every day between April and October, full of visitors. Walking around without noise in these areas is almost mission impossible.
Transit crowded places
The busiest times to move around Barcelona by car are during the morning and evening rush hours, which are between 7:30am and 9:30am and between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.
Other busy times include weekends and holidays, as well as special events such as concerts and festivals. As an example, when there is a football (soccer) match from FC Barcelona, the area close to the Barcelona Stadium gets extremely saturated and, even some streets are closed due to the amount of people going to the stadium. The Camp Nou can reach almost 100,000 people so public transport and traffic gets extremely crowded. The Camp Nou is close to the exit of one of the main streets in Barcelona (Avinguda Diagonal) so is worth to check in case you are planning to take a taxi at that time.
Particularly busy areas if you are arriving or leaving towards the airport:
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Diagonal at the entrance of Zona Universitària
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Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes at the area of Plaça Espanya
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If you are planning to Reach Barcelona with taxi, expect 30 min extra time in case you are travelling between peak hours.
If you are arriving by cruise:
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The harbour terminal is particularly busy between 8:30 and 9:30 with long cues specially if several cruises arrive at the same time.
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Although the harbour terminal seem to be close to the barri gòtic and the metro, the walk can be 30 min, so having a private transport is recommended
Other busy areas:
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Entrance in Sarrià from Túnels de Vallvidrera.
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Driving around las Rondes
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Entrance from la Gran via de les Corts Catalanes at Plaça Glories
Atlernatives to driving
There are two main ways to get to Barcelona without taking a taxi or bus: the metro or the train.
If you ever have to pick between one of the two, we strongly recommend taking the train, as it is the fastest and most convenient option (both have similar prices).
It takes about 30-40 minutes to reach Sants Station or Plaça Catalunya, which are both major transportation hubs in the city. Trains depart from Terminal 2 every hour. There is a free shuttle bus that runs between Terminals 1 and 2, so you don't have to walk.
It might seem counterintuitive, but the train leaves from the old terminal (Terminal 2), so you will need to take the free shuttle to Terminal 2 to catch the train. The travel time to Barcelona Sants is about 30 minutes, and to Plaça Catalunya it is about 40 minutes.
Alternatively, you can take the metro. However, based on our experience, the travel time from the city center to the airport is very long (over 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours).
Here is a table summarizing the two options: