Seville, Spain is a city you’ll want to explore. However, there’s a little hitch to this Spanish gem – parking. Finding a parking spot in Seville can be a bit confusing. It’s not always free, and the city’s winding streets can make you feel lost. Honestly, I usually recommend leaving the car behind in Seville. It’s a great city for walking, taking a taxi, or using public transportation.
But there are times when having a car can be useful, especially for day trips or a road trip through the beautiful landscapes of Andalusia. In those situations, you probably don’t want to spend a lot of time searching for parking as you just want to enjoy the city.
The good news is I have some tips and tricks to make parking in Seville easy, and you can do it all in under 15 minutes. In this article, I’ll explain it to you so that you can make the most of your time in Seville (whether you’re there for 3 days or a week) without worrying about parking.
key takeaways
- Getting a free parking spot in the middle of Seville’s old town can be tough, but it’s not impossible.
- The best place to park on the weekend is in the neighborhood of Isla de La Cartuja.
- You can use the Parkopedia Website to find underground car parks and the Apparkya app to pay for street parking.
I recommend to rent a car in Spain through Discovery Car with free cancellation.
Book your rental car here.
Jump to
Where Can you Park your Car in Seville?
Finding a free parking spot in the heart of Seville isn’t easy.
There are three main reasons behind this:
- Street Layout: Seville’s streets aren’t laid out neatly; they twist and turn, which can make parking a bit tricky.
- Parking Rules: If you’re not a local resident, you might encounter parking rules and access restrictions that could make things harder.
- City Initiatives: The City Hall is working to reduce car usage and encourage public transportation, which has made parking harder than it was before.
But here’s the great news: Seville’s downtown area is ideal for walking. The main attractions are close together, so you can easily explore them on foot, which means you’ll only have to worry about parking once.
Free parking around Seville city centre
If your trip to Seville is a short one, whether it’s just a day trip or a brief stay, here’s a helpful tip: avoid driving your car into the Casco Antiguo (the old town).
Instead, you’ll find many convenient parking areas in Seville that are open to the public, and the best part is, most of them won’t cost you anything. You can park your car there and then use the city’s public transportation to reach the historic center.
Pros of parking on the outskirts of Seville:
- No traffic jams
- Less chances of getting lost
- Free parking
- Very unlikely to get fined
Now, what does that mean?
Park West of the River: I usually park on the side of the river to the left when I visit Seville. That means parking in the neighborhoods of Triana, Los Remedios and Isla de La Cartuja. At Torre Sevilla (Google Maps), in the center of Isla la Cartuja, you can park for free for the first three hours every day. There are many car parks in La Cartuja, but most of them are on Avenida de Carlos III. Another option is to park for free at the Blas Infante Metro station (Google Maps) and then take the metro into town.
Coming from Malaga? Park in the underground parking of Los Arcos shopping centre. (Google Maps)
Paying car parks in the city center
Parkopedia is very helpful when you’re looking for parking in Seville, especially for underground car parks. Just type in your location, and the website will show you the best choices for that place. You can arrange them by cost or how far they are.
The main places to park for free are in:
- Close to Santa Justa Station: There are a few car parks around the train station. Santa Justa Pablo Picasso is a good one. (Google Maps)
- María Luisa Park: If you need to park close to Plaza de España, or if you want to see the Real Alcazar of Seville, there’s a good parking spot just south of Maria Luisa Park called Muelle de las Delicias. (Google Maps)
- Macarena Neighborhood: If you need to park in this area, your best choice is the Parking Saba Hospital Macarena (Google Maps), which is close to the hospital.
- Near Las Setas: If you need a place to park your car in the Alfalfa neighborhood near Las Setas, consider using Parking Imagen (Google Maps). What’s really handy is that you can check their website to see how many parking spaces are available in real time.
Seville’s neighborhood guide : Seville has lots of different areas, and it can be tricky to figure out where to go. Check out my guide to get a better idea of the city’s layout.
Parking on the street
Curious about scoring free on-street parking in Seville? Well, yes, you can sometimes find free street parking in Seville, just as I occasionally manage to snag a spot in Old Montreal, my hometown. However, it’s not something you should necessarily bank on. In popular tourist spots like Seville, many others are looking for the same thing.
Finding available parking spaces in the downtown area that aren’t in blue zones or marked as Carga y descarga zones – loading and unloading zones – can be tough. These spots get taken up fast.
What about parking in Barrio de Santa Cruz? There aren’t many places to park around Santa Cruz. To find parking spaces more easily in Seville, it’s a good idea to explore the quieter parts of the city.
You might want to try parking in these neighborhoods:
- La Macarena and La Alameda de Hércules
- San Vicente neighborhood
- Triana
When is the best time to find street parking? Early in the morning, between 14:00 and 16:00, and late in the evening, when visitors leave the city, are the best times to find street parking.
Seville’s Zones explained
If you’re checking out old forums, you might come across mentions of the « Zona Azul » (blue area). The rules for street parking in Seville have been updated and are now called the GES (Gestión de Estacionamiento en Superficie, roughly translating to Surface Parking Management).
While most people just call it the so-called « blue zone », there are actually three different parking areas, and not all of them are the color of the sky.
These different Seville Parking Zones have different prices and time limits:
- Mar Zone : Very High Turnover. Lets you park for a maximum of 60 minutes.
- Blue Zone : High Turnover. Allows parking for up to 120 minutes.
- Green Zone : Low Turnover. Gives you the longest parking time, up to 180 minutes.
Underground Parking vs Street Parking
Each option has its own perks.
Street parking in the Zona Azul is cheaper, but you can only stay for a limited time.
Underground parking costs more depending on where you are, but you can park there for longer. For example, if you’re in Seville for 2 or 3 days.
Tips on using the car in Seville
- Do not double park.
- Use the Apparkya app to pay for parking in « Zona Azul » zones.
- Avoid parking in Carga y descarga (loading and unloading) areas unless the allowed hours are clearly marked.
- The closer an underground parking lot is to the city center, the more it costs to park there.
- Watch out for gorrillas, these are parking attendants who might ask for a small fee (usually €1) to watch your car on city streets. You don’t have to pay them because there’s no certainty that they will watch over your vehicle.
- Keep your stuff safe by putting your bags and valuable items in the car’s trunk, where they can’t be seen.
Electric Car in Seville
Is it easy to charge an electric car in Seville?
Your place to stay might have parking, but it may not have a place to charge your EV. Luckily, there are places where you can charge your car, and some of them are even free. But it can take a while to find one.
You can make it easier by downloading the Wenea app – it’s the simplest way to find places to charge your car in Seville.
Is it possible for my rental car to get towed?
If your car got towed, there could be a sticker on the road telling you. Just ask a cop or a parking person where they took your car.
You’ll probably have to pay the fine and the towing fee separately.
Read more
Driving in Spain · Driving in Andalusia
Where to Stay · Where to Stay in Seville · Historic Hotels in Andalusia · Where to Stay on the Costa del Sol
Seville Travel Guide · Best Tours
Málaga Travel Guide · Ruins of Acinipo
Itineraries · 7 Days in Andalusia (Classic) · 7 Days in Andalusia (Off the beaten path)
Day Trips · Córdoba · Tangier · Jerez · Cádiz · Granada · Nerja Waterfalls · Las Alpujarras