Placa Espanya luggage storage

About Placa Espanya

Also known as Plaza de España, the Plaça d'Espanya is one of the most important landmarks in the Barcelona city center. With its wonderful Venetian towers and the stunning fountain (known simply as “the magic fountain”) below it, the landmark’s silhouette is one of the city's most photographed places. It was built in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exposition and has been one of the city’s geographical anchors. Essentially everything in the bustling Sants-Montjuïc district is based around Placa Espanya. 

Looking around the square, it’s impossible not to notice the Arenas de Barcelona. This colosseum-esque former bullring has been converted into one of Barcelona’s best shopping centers, and its rooftop offers panoramic views of the city. You’ll also find locals (and tourists) milling about the area as it’s an easy meeting point. The fact that locals aren’t sick of the place is probably a good sign! 

Placa de Espanya is also exceedingly easy to get to from the rest of the city, with the vast Plaça d'Espanya station lying beneath the monument. Multiple metro lines run directly to the station (known simply as “Espanya”) along with regional train routes. It’s a central hub for Barcelona’s swift bus network as well, making Placa de Espanya a seamless part of getting around the city, even for first-time visitors.

Placa Espanya bag policy 

Being a public square, there aren’t any rules in place for what items you can bring to Placa Espanya. Even if you’re getting up close for that selfie under the fountain, any and all luggage is allowed at Placa Espanya. That doesn’t make it any more convenient to be lugging the bags around Barcelona’s city center. If you’re planning on sightseeing around Placa Espanya, you’ll want to find a place to store the bags. There aren’t any official lockers onsite, so looking into a luggage storage service is the best way to go. 

Does Placa Espanya have left luggage lockers?

While it’s certainly worthwhile to visit, Placa Espanya is more of a monument you’ll experience from street level than a full attraction. There are plenty of luggage storage services operating locations nearby, which is probably your best bet. 

Are there luggage storage facilities at the Barcelona Nord bus station?

There are lockers situated along platforms 1-7 at Estació Nord. You’ll find them next to the information desk. These are smaller in size, so you’ll want to plan accordingly if you need to stash larger items away while sightseeing on travel day. You can find a convenient luggage storage location with a service like Bounce, which will absolutely have facilities near the bustling area around Barcelona Nord. 

What are the best luggage storage services in Barcelona? 

The largest transportation hubs in Barcelona will offer lockers, but this isn’t always the case with stops along a metro line. Certain attractions will have luggage storage services. For example, the National Art Museum will have a cloakroom and some lockers for rent. But many landmarks and sights will be situated in historic buildings that weren’t designed with tourism in mind. Your best bet is a luggage storage service like Bounce. With Bounce, you can conveniently store luggage near Barcelona’s popular tourist destinations, including Plaza de Espana. You can use the mobile app to find and book luggage storage at the most convenient location, and you’ll enjoy premium features like 24/7 support.

Does Barcelona Sants Railway Station have any luggage storage options?

There are self-service lockers in the main hall of Barcelona Sants station. These are, however, fairly small units and won’t be able to accommodate large items or heavy luggage. If you have roller bags or duffles that need to be stored, you’ll need to find a dedicated luggage storage service that can take a wide variety of item sizes. 

How to get to Placa Espanya

Metro

The Espanya train station has a number of platforms where the L1 red line, L3 green line, and L8 pink line all run through. This connects Placa Espanya with the vast majority of Barcelona’s public transportation network. A single metro ride costs about $3.50, making it an extremely affordable option. 

Train

There are regional train services that stop at Espanya Train Station. The commuter rail lines R5, R6, R50, and R60 all stop there. These are less commonly used by tourists but can be useful for travelers staying or working in more residential neighborhoods or suburbs. 

Bus

The 13, 23, 30, 37, 46, 50, 65, 79, 91, 109, H12, and H16 bus routes all stop at Placa Espanya, making it a decent way of getting here. If there is a metro line running from where you’re starting out, this will be much more convenient than the bus as traffic won’t be a factor, but it’s still an option. A bus ride will cost about $3.50. 

Taxi and rideshare

This is the easiest (but not always the quickest) way to get to Placa Espanya. From other parts of the city center, La Rambla, for instance, it’ll take between 10 and 15 minutes in a cab or Uber to get to Placa Espanya. From Barceloneta or El Born, it’ll take between 20 and 30 minutes. Traffic is a factor in Barcelona, especially considering the areas between these attractions are the busiest in the city. Parking won’t be a factor, which is the main reason to spend $15 - $25 on a cab.

Walking

Depending on where you’re walking from, Placa Espanya is easy to get to on foot from other parts of the Sants-Montjuïc district. It’s a lengthy trek from other landmarks like Barceloneta Beach or La Rambla, but you can pretty easily walk from Jardins de Joan Maragall and Castell de Montjuïc. It is Barcelona, so even the longest walk will be delightful.

Driving

Driving is by far the worst way to get to Placa Espanya because there is simply no parking in the area. It might be convenient to get around, but there will undoubtedly be traffic. By the time you find a spot, you could have toured the whole monument and still have time to grab a coffee. For all the same reasons, renting a car to visit Barcelona is simply not worth it unless you’re planning on exploring the countryside. 

How to get to Placa Espanya from Barcelona Airport 

If you’re flying into Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), you can very easily reach Placa Espanya via public transportation. In fact, some might say Placa Espanya is the best way to start your trip. The most convenient way to get here is via the Aerobus A2 line. This shuttle service runs directly to Placa Espanya and only takes 25 minutes. Traffic might be a factor, but the most time it would add would be about 10 minutes. It’ll cost about $7 for the ticket and can be purchased ahead of time or at the airport. 

Things to do near Placa Espanya

Castell de Montjuïc 

From Placa Espanya, it’ll be impossible to miss the commanding Montjuïc looming in the distance. One of the highest points in central Barcelona, this hill provides incredible views of the Mediterranean and city center, and there are acres of green space to enjoy along with quite a few attractions. Most notable is the Castell de Montjuïc, which has existed in some form since 1073 when it was built as a watchtower to warn the city of rival navies or pirates. It’s been rebuilt and expanded numerous times, most recently in the 18th century when it was expanded to its formidable present form. Today, it operates as a military museum and events space, and you can tour the interior along with its ramparts. The grounds surrounding the castle are also beautiful, with groves of pines and gardens that complement the view wonderfully. 

Poble Espanyol 

This “cultural enclosure” was built for the 1929 World Exhibition to encapsulate (almost literally) and showcase Spanish culture with a replica of a ‘Spanish village’ based on traditional architecture and daily life. The highly (and underappreciated) diversity of Spain’s various regions is on full display, as you’ll get to experience the cultural distinctions between Andalucia, Catalonia, Galicia, and other regions by touring various parts of the village and learning about their crafts and linguistic differences. There are almost 120 unique buildings you can explore, with everything from Basque streets to a Catalan monastery. This is a very kid-friendly thing to do, as there are workshops and guided tours geared towards youngsters. 

Luggage storage near Placa Espanya

Walking around Placa de Espanya is one of the true can’t-miss experiences in Barcelona, and it never feels obligatory like so many tourist traps you feel compelled to visit. With its cultural importance to the people of Barcelona and its undeniable beauty, Placa de Espanya is a worthy “first stop” on any Barcelona itinerary. With easy access to the metro and airport, you can head here right from the airport.

In Barcelona’s heat, you won’t want to be lugging the bags around. Finding a place to store your bags for a few hours while you poke around the city is the best way to start your trip. With dozens of locations across the city and (by far) the best features, Bounce is the only way to go for Place Espanya luggage storage.