The new smart system focuses on promoting more orderly, efficient and sustainable mobility at popular landmark
As from this Thursday, operators can use the zonabus.cat website to complete the corresponding procedures for spaces in the Zona Bus, which will be operational from 26 January 2026
Operators will have to record their Zona Bus arrival and exit times using SPRO, the app for professional mobility services, allowing for real-time information on the availability of parking spaces
The Zona Bus 4.0 is the new system for managing tourist coach parking and stops in Barcelona. It comes into service on Thursday, allowing operators to apply for permits and reserve parking on the zonabus.cat website. The new model comes into operation from Monday 26 January 2026, fostering more orderly, efficient and sustainable mobility while improving coexistence between coach operators, visitors and locals at popular landmarks.
The launch of the Zona Bus 4.0. is a step forward in managing tourist mobility in Barcelona. The new smart model will allow for a more balanced redistribution of coach traffic and reduce their impact on everyday mobility in busy areas. It also limits the volume of parking operations per hour at the most popular stops, facilitating a more orderly use of public space and ensuring a more comfortable and organised arrival for visitors. In all, this helps towards a more efficient and sustainable city, ready to manage the challenges posed by tourism.
Daily permits and advance bookings
The roll-out of the Zona Bus 4.0. involves launching a new online booking system for coach operators wishing to use coach parking spaces or the pick-up and drop-off areas. It will now be obligator to book a daily permit before the day of the visit. Advance booking will also be needed via the SPRO app in busy areas where operators wish to make a brief pick-up or drop-off stop. Obligatory daily permits to use the system cost 35 euros, while advance booking in the areas requiring reservations costs 3 euros per operation.
Coach operators wishing to use Zona Bus spaces will have to go to the website before the day of the visit, create an account and request a daily permit for each day they wish to use the system. Advance bookings for spaces that require them must also be made on the website, indicating the expected time slot for each operation.
The unique areas requiring advance bookings are Sagrada Família, Park Güell, La Pedrera, Hospital de Sant Pau, Les Drassanes, Ciutat Vella, Port Olímpic, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) and the Font Màgica de Montjuïc.
The Zona Bus is currently made up of 210 spaces requiring advance booking, 51 of them as pick-up or drop-off spaces and 159 of them for parking. There are also 40 intermodal spaces located further away from the city centre, where advance procedures are not required. These spaces, which do not require advance booking via the website, are located around the Camp Nou, Can Dragó, Bac de Roda and Diagonal Mar.
Monitoring operations through SPRO
The SPRO professional mobility services app will be an essential digital platform for monitoring the availability of spaces all around the city. Once the permit and advance booking are completed, and just before starting the first visit, the driver will have to use the SPRO professional mobility services app to enter the daily permit code and the vehicle’s number plate.
When the coach arrives at the parking space or stop, the driver must use the app to record the arrival and exit times. The cost of each operation will automatically be charged via an easy payment system on the app.
This procedure provides real-time information on the availability of parking spaces thanks to smart systems that provide quality data, optimising the management and use of spaces.
