First Impressions of Barcelona·Key Points for Renting a Car Abroad

I've been looking forward to Barcelona since I flew in on the 18th, having heard so much about 'Barca' and 'Sagrada Familia' over the years. When planning the itinerary, I was worried that the beauty of Barcelona would affect the feeling of the rest of the trip, so I left the 'essence' till the end. On the first day of 2024, I left Madrid at 10 a.m. and drove 610 kilometers to Barcelona airport to return the car, ending my 3500-kilometer self-driving tour of Spain and Portugal. Then I took the A1 line of the airport bus to Catalonia Square in the city. When the first sunset of the New Year fell, I arrived at the square. I don't know if it was the aesthetic fatigue caused by the beautiful scenery along the way or the beauty of Catalonia Square was masked by the night, but it was a bit disappointing compared to my expectations. Catalonia Square is located in the old city and cannot escape the narrow roads around it. It is the transportation hub of the city, and the end point of the airport bus is here. In the evening, many people are strolling around, children are playing, and pigeons are being fed. As a tired traveler with luggage, I just wanted to get to the hotel as soon as possible. After a quick look and a few photos, I left. The road surface didn't seem very clean, and the environment was a bit chaotic. I guess I'll get to know it better in the next few days. I spent almost the whole day on the road, and hurriedly ended the first day of the New Year. Now I'll focus on renting a car abroad. Tips for renting a car at Barcelona Airport T1 Terminal: 1. A Sim card is essential. Don't rely on the ones sold on certain treasure platforms, there are shops selling them in the arrival hall of the airport. Don't expect too much data, you won't be able to use much even if the internet speed in Europe is unrestricted. The shop assistant recommended a 30 Euro card, saying it has 150G of data, unlimited in Europe, and can make calls within Europe. 2. When picking up the car, don't use the location navigation provided by the platform or the car rental company when you leave the hall. The interior is multi-layered and the signal is weak, making it difficult to locate. Follow the sign 'Car Rental' (car🚘 up➕ key🔑) to the car rental counter to handle the car pick-up procedures. The counters of international companies are grouped together. After completing the procedures and getting the car key, you will be told where the parking space is, and you can find your 'horse' directly according to the map. 3. The vehicles are parked at the far end of the A parking lot of T1 Terminal, on the B and 1st floors. The A parking lot is accessible to people, but rental company vehicles cannot interact with public vehicles, they have independent entrances and exits, and there is no gate for free entry and exit. Each company has a small office in the parking lot responsible for receiving and returning cars. Key point: At the exit on the first floor, you can send a location on WeChat to keep it, so you won't go into the wrong entrance when you return the car. When returning the car and arriving at the parking lot, pay attention to the entrance of the car rental parking lot on the first floor, which is not the same as the public parking lot, there is a sign. 4. The fuel status when returning the car is according to the agreement when picking up the car. I used to take it full and return it full. This time the contract prepaid for a tank of gas, which has been paid for. I consulted with a Ctrip car rental guy, who suggested I return the car with an empty tank. The staff who received the car asked me to give him cash to refuel. I showed him the contract and said I had already bought a tank of gas. He said the payment could be refunded to me. I said I would fill it up myself. He asked me if I understood English? (The contract is in Spanish), I said I knew a little. As a result, he no longer insisted, and used the tank of gas I bought as a deduction without refunding the money. I won't comment on right or wrong. Can the cash be refunded without a receipt? It's hard to say. 5. Insurance, most platform car rentals are basic insurance. Beginners are advised to spend more money to buy full insurance, which gives a different driving mentality. I rent cars many times, I'm not sure, I handle specific problems according to the situation of the car rental company. Full insurance inspection is simple, basic insurance must be checked, take good photos and videos when you pick up the car yourself, show them to the staff when you return the car and there is a dispute, it can solve the dispute. In short, foreign car rental company staff master the psychology of Chinese people who think their English is poor, use language to bombard and set traps, do your homework in advance, stick to your understanding. Don't pay cash for money. Anything that requires cash payment is suspicious of 'trickery'. 6. Don't rush, read the contract with a translation software before signing. Ask if you don't understand. If there is a dispute, communicate with the booking platform, and leave enough time for pick-up and return. 7. Adding a second driver, child seat, GPS navigation, insurance, fuel are ways to increase costs. We should understand that they are also doing business. Don't argue, stick to your needs. My experience of 'stepping on thunder' in renting a car abroad for more than ten years is for reference. Renting a car and self-driving abroad is not difficult, play to the strengths of Chinese people's driving, avoid the shortcomings of their own language, and keep the initiative of the trip in their own hands.