Guide to Parking in Europe

Hiring a car is a fantastic way to explore your destination as it offers freedom and flexibility as well as the opportunity to explore outside of famous tourist areas and off the beaten track. When it comes to parking up, things can quickly become less clear and more confusing, particularly if you're unfamiliar with the language and the signage.

As you don't want to be fined in the wrong place, and want to reduce the stress of parking abroad, we have created a guide to parking rules in Europe. It's important to know that rules vary not only between countries but sometimes even between cities in the same region, meaning what's free in one area may be ticketed in another.

Parking somewhere new is already stressful enough, you don't need to then be penalised for causing damage whilst parking upon returning the car to the rental company. Although parking fines are not covered, bumps, scrapes and scratches are included in a car hire excess insurance policy from ReduceMyExcess.

Meanings of Coloured Road Markings Across Europe

Understanding the meanings of kerb and road line colours can prevent you from facing avoidable fines. Please double-check the exact meaning of the coloured lines for your destination to avoid making a mistake and receiving a fine, or worse.

Colour	Meaning
White lines	Free parking
Blue lines	Paid parking, often time limited
Yellow lines	Reserved or prohibited
Red zones	Highly restricted, avoid unless preauthorised

Parking in France

In French city centres, you will probably need to use a horodateur, a pay-and-display ticket machine where you purchase a ticket and display it in your car.

French city centres also have something called Zone Bleue (blue zones), which refers to a specific parking area where free parking is allowed for a limited time only. These zones will be indicated by blue road markings and signage. To park in one of France's blue zones, you need to obtain a disque de stationnement (parking disc) that showcases your time of arrival. These discs are available at petrol stations, tourist offices and other similar places. The concept of short-term free parking is to encourage a faster turnover in busy areas.

France also has a system called stationnement unilatéral à alternance semi-mensuelle , which translates to 'unilateral parking with semi-monthly alternation'. As that is a mouthful, it's more commonly referred to as stationnement alterné, alternate side parking. The system works by alternating which side of the road you are allowed to park on based on the date. For example, from the 1st to the 15th of the month, you must park on the side of the road with odd-numbered buildings and from the 16th to the end of the month, everyone must switch and park on the side of even-numbered buildings. The swap normally happens on the 15th and the last day of the month, between 8:30 and 9 pm. This system manages congestion and visibility, which is necessary in older French towns. You may face a fine if you do not adhere to these rules, so make sure to look out for signs that look like the ones below:

Typically, cars park in the direction of traffic, which is actually more than just etiquette as it's part of the Code de la Route (the French Highway Code). If you park against the flow of traffic, this could be deemed as stationnement gênant (obstructive parking) or stationnement dangereux (dangerous parking) depending on your exact location. This might lead to a €35 fine; in severe cases, this could lead to your car being towed or impounded.

Stationnement interdit translates to no parking, and if you return to your car and see you have been issued an avis de contravention, this means you've unfortunately been hit with a parking fine. These tend to start at €35 but may reduce if you pay within 15 days.

Parking in Spain

Spain has a system similar to France's Zone Bleue; they're called the Zona Azul. Spain also hasVerde (green) and Naranja (orange) zones as well as Zona Blanca (white zones).

The Zona Azul is marked by blue lines on the road and signage, with the parking needing to be paid for at a parquímetro , a pay-and-display machine. The parking is also time-limited, usually for two hours.

Green and orange zones tend to be reserved for local residents. Visitors are able to park for a short period of time, but they should expect to pay more to park there. Areas marked solo residentes, exclusivo residentes or reservado a residentes are reserved for strictly residents only. If you park here and you are not a resident, you will probably be met with a fine, or potentially your car being towed.

The white zones are marked by white lines and are free parking areas, most commonly found in smaller towns or on the outskirts of bigger cities. Unless indicated otherwise, there is no time restriction when it comes to parking in the white zone.

Check the rules of your specific destination within Spain, as it may be that the city you're visiting allows free parking on weekends or holidays. Some cities even allow free parking during lunch hours between 2 pm and 4 pm and overnight between 8 pm and 9 am, but double check as you don't want to receive an aviso de multa (parking fine notice).

If you see the words estacionamiento prohibido, this means you can't park there. If you do, you're likely to face a fine. The same goes for if you see a large E (see below) or a diagonal line.

Just like in France, parking against the flow of traffic is not allowed.

Parking in Italy

What Happens If I Receive A Parking Fine on a Hire Car?

If you've been issued a parking fine whilst driving a hire car, the responsibility will still fall on you.

The car hire company will either forward the fine details directly to you or they will request that the authorities reissue the penalty notice to you, in your name.

In addition to the fine itself, the hire company is likely to charge you an administration fee for passing the fine on and processing the paperwork. The cost of the fine will vary.

These fees and procedures should be outlined in your rental agreement, so make sure to review this carefully before you start driving.

Any charges, such as a parking fine or a speeding fine, remain the responsibility of the driver; they are not reimbursable under our car hire excess insurance policies.