Parking around all major tourist destinations is costly (€1.5-2.5/hour, €20/day) and the spaces are difficult to navigate, as there are several classes of public parking space, with complicated rules for each class. Cars with French license plates are said to be rarely towed, but follow this at your own risk.
Having a driving map is essential – plan your route before you set off. Navigating with an average tourist map is frequently misleading: many streets are one-way; left turns are more rare than rights (and are unpredictable). As an example, Gran via de Les Corts Catalanes is technically two-way, but in one direction supports only minor traffic: after every crossroad you’ll find the traffic light on the next crossroad turns red by the time you reach it.
Some free parking spots reported by travelers are:
• Near Moll de Sant Bertran (which is south-west from Museu Maritim) – driving at B-10, exit to WTC and make a complete round at roundabout, heading to warehouses – and park next to its employees cars.
• Somewhere near Guell Park.
• Outside of term time, near Universidad.
Getting around by car makes sense if you plan to spend much more time driving outside the city borders than inside it. I suggest you advertising links removed by oldlady