Car parking in Seville

Transport

Car parking in Seville can be a challenge because the city center is a maze and it’s very easy to get lost. Morever, in other surrounding neighborhoods, on-street parking is paid and controlled.

Actually, I don’t recommend using a car in Seville. It’s often quicker to move around the city using public transport, whether it’s a bus, the subway, a taxi or my favorite, your legs!

The only reason to rent a car in Seville is just because you plan to travel out of the city and go to other great destinations in Spain (Granada, Cordoba, Madrid, Barcelona or the coast where you can spend a few days at some gorgeous beaches…).

But if you still want to travel by car, check this complete guide on where to book your rental car online.

Parking your rental car in Seville is complex and demands careful planning if you are not familiar with the city. So…

Where can you park your rental car in Seville?

Car parking in Seville can be a challenge due to fact that the City Hall is implementing all sorts of regulations to deter the use of private vehicles and encourage the use of public transport.

Nevertheless, there are still a few options where you can park your rental car in Seville.

1. Free car parks in the outskirts

Seville has 15+ dissuasive car parks open to the public (most of them free of charge). They are the best option to avoid entering the city center suing your car. Instead, you can park there and use the public transport.

You will avoid the hustle of traffic jams, getting lost and spending a fortune in a paying car park or because of a fine.

Here is a map showing the main free car parks (labeled with a green “P” icon):

2. Paying car parks in the city center

This online tool can prove useful if you are looking for public underground car parks. It’s only available in Spanish but it’s extremely easy to use.

All you have to do is type the location (city, address, zip code…) where you want to park your car. Then, choose the arrival and departure dates and times. Finally, click on the blue button (buscar means search).

The website will show you the best results according to this particular location. You can sort them by distance (distancia) or price (precio).

Each result shows the name of the car park, the total number of car spots, how much it will cost you and how far it is. Moreover, if you click on a specific car park and then on the get directions (conseguir direcciones) button, you’ll be sent to Google Maps.

If you park in any of these subterranean car parks, take note of where you are, and what landmarks there are as you exit. It’s easy to forget where you have left your car.

3. On the street

Sure, you can park your rental car on the street. But…

Parking in the center of Seville is almost an impossible mission. Read the “On-street Car Parking In Seville” section below for more information.
Paid parking applies to part of the center of Seville and other areas of the city (Macarena, Luis Montoto, Viapol, Los Remedios). Read the “Zones And Meters” section below for more information.

On-street car parking in Seville

“Is there a chance of free on-street parking in Seville?”

I get this question a lot. Especially from readers who are travelling by car, whether their own or a rental, and have decided to book a vacation apartment in Seville.

Well… The truth is that it’s extremely difficult to find a free space in the center, but it’s not impossible.

Macarena area: around calle Feria, inside the historic center, and outside, north of calle Resolana, towards the Macarena hospital.
San Vicente area: mainly on calle Torneo (which goes alongside the river), and some of the smaller side streets towards the Alameda de Hercules.
Santa Cruz area: virtually impossible, so not recommended. Try east of calle Recaredo (outside the historic center).
Triana area: Calle Pages del Corro and towards the west.

Also, the best time to find parking space on the street is early morning (between 07:30 and 09:00), lunch time (between 14:00 and 16:00) and in the late afternoon (between 20:00 and 21:30), when non-residents leave the city center.

Zones and meters

Most of Seville’s entire street parking is regulated by zones (also called Gestión del Estacionamiento en Superficie or GES). There are blue or green dashed painted lines on the side of the road where parking is available.

The system is the same regardless of the color, who only indicates that there is a high (blue) or low (green) car rotation.

Blue. As a visitor you can stay for a maximum of 2 hours.
Green. As a visitor you can park here for a maximum of 3 hours.

Residents who have paid the annual fee have priority over these spaces and are allowed to park here free of time restrictions.

These zones operate during the following times:

Monday to Friday: 9:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00
Saturday: 10:00 to 14:00
Sunday & public holidays: no service
July & August: Monday to Friday 9:00 to 14:00

You can find parking meters (parquímetros) everywhere in the parking regulated zones. Here is where you must purchase your ticket. Once you have it, place it in a visible area on the dashboard of your car.

You can pay with coins. Note that meters neither accept bills nor provide change. You must have the exact change. Unfortunately, most shops do not provide change when asked, so make sure you have plenty of coins with you.

Alternatively, you can also pay with:

A credit card.
An e-wallet (tarjeta monedero), a special payment card available from the controllers themselves. To charge or top up your e-wallet, use any parking meter.
A smartphone app called apparkya.

Avoid fines

Avoid parking on the Carga y descarga (loading and unloading) areas, unless the times are clearly displayed. The times allowed for parking on these spots are limited and different from the Green and Blue zone hours.

Do not park in pedestrian crossings, corners, or in front of entrances and exits.

Do not double park.

As a rule of thumb, avoid committing any offense. In Seville controllers are everywhere (literally) and you will get fined or your car could be towed away. Better not getting one, traffic fines are heavy!

If you exceed your time in a regulated parking area and are fined, you can often cancel the fine by paying a penalty. You must, however, do it within a limited period.

Purchase a ticket called anulación aviso de sanción from a parking meter. You are generally asked to ‘post’ it in a special slot in the ticket machine. Read the instructions on the parking meter to learn how to proceed.

Your rental car was impounded

If your car has been towed away, there may be an adhesive sticker by the side of the road indicating this. As a non-resident you must first pay the fine in cash before paying the towing (grúa) charge, usually at two different places.

The amount of the fine will vary depending on the size of the car, the area it was parked, and how long it has been impounded.

You will need to ask a policeman or parking controller where the car pound is.

Avoid thefts and break-ins

Having your rental car stolen can ruin your trip, especially if your luggage and personal items were in the vehicle.

Here are some tips to prevent theft and break-ins while you are away. These are valid not only while you are in Seville, but at all times should you decide to go on a road trip around Spain.

Park in well-lit, trafficked areas so your vehicle can be seen at all times.
Put away all your electronic devices and the GPS. Don’t forget the cables and chargers.
Put your luggage and other valuables in the trunk, out of sight.
Turn off the engine, lock all the doors and close the windows at all times while you are not inside the car.
Don’t leave spare keys in your rental car. Thieves know where to look.
Always keep the car papers with you.

If by any chance your rental car is stolen, you must report the stolen vehicle as soon as you notice it. Call the police or go to the nearest police station. Give them all the information about your vehicle (model, license plates, color, etc.) and report any stolen items.

If you don’t speak any Spanish ask a local to help you.

Then, call your insurance company to report your stolen or damaged car.

Finally, call the rental car company to inform them of the situation and ask to get another rental vehicle.

This article is part of a complete tutorial about car rental in Seville where you can read all the information you need to organize your road trip around the country.

Here is a complete summary of all the guide:

1. Should you rent a car or take the train?
2. Driving in Seville: rules and recommendations
3. Do you need an International Driver’s Licence?
4. How to book your rental car online
5. How to find cheap rental rates?
6. Getting to Seville by rental car
7. Visiting Seville by rental car
8. Car parking in Seville