On days when the weather is gloomy in Mallorca, a trip to the island's capital is often at the top of the to-do list for visitors. Those arriving by car have several options for parking in Palma. However, since parking spaces are limited, it pays to plan ahead. Here are some tips:
- Parking spaces marked with white lines are free of charge. However, these are quite rare and can be found almost exclusively on the outskirts of the city.
- Blue parking zones are subject to a fee and can be used for up to two hours. Parking tickets normally have to be purchased Monday to Friday between 9am - 2.30pm and 4.30pm - 8pm and on Saturdays between 9.30am - 2.30pm. Outside these hours the ORA zones marked in blue are allowed to be used free of charge. Anyone who does not affix a valid parking ticket behind the windshield must reckon with an appreciable fine of 60 euros. However, this can be reduced by half if the fine is paid within 15 days.
- Parking is generally not permitted in yellow marked parking spaces during the daytime (between 8am and 6pm). These spaces are used for loading and unloading.
- There are more than 20 car parks in Palma. Most of them are located around the city centre. But the multi-storey underground car parks fill up quickly, especially when there is a lot of demand or during the weekend. One hour usually costs between 1.20 and 1.80 euros.
- Alternatively, parking spaces at the Sa Gerreria underground car park in Plaça Sant Antoni can also be booked online. This is possible, for example, on the websites of Parclick and Parkimeter. For three days you pay an average of 32 euros per vehicle. This multi-storey car park is located on the city centre ring road, about ten minutes' walk east of the centre, and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Other parking options are, for example, the multi-storey underground car park in the city centre, in the Plaça Major, or at the auditorium.
- If you want to park near the cathedral, you can leave your vehicle in the Parc de la Mar.
- You can park for free at the Son Moix football stadium. It is about three and a half kilometres northwest of the city centre. From here you can take the EMT bus into Palma city for about two euros.
- There is also a Park & Ride car park at the Son Fusteret showground. Bus number 10 runs from there to the city centre.
- If you prefer to avoid using your private vehicle altogether, you can make use of the island's extensive public transport network. Thanks to the trains and the numerous TIB long-distance buses as well as the EMT city buses, there are several ways to reach your desired destination. Due to the increasing demand during the summer months, buses are also used more frequently. All intercity buses arrive at the Estació Intermodal bus station at Plaça d'Espanya in the city centre. By the way: if you pay the driver with a bank card instead of cash, it is cheaper to ride. Visit www.tib.org for more information on the individual bus and train lines.