Although the centre of Barcelona itself isn’t particularly large and can be explored on foot, many of the sights are scattered throughout the city, so you’re bound to make use of the local public transport.

The metro is the fastest option, supplemented by buses, trams and urban and suburban trains. All these modes of transport form part of an integrated system, so you can change between different modes of transport using a single ticket.

The main exceptions are the tourist cable cars, for which you need to buy a separate ticket.

Both Google Maps and the official TMB app work well when searching for connections. You can find service information on the website tmb.cat/en.

A good hotel location can save you more time than even the best-chosen ticket. Ideally, you should stay within walking distance of the metro, preferably in the areas around Plaça Catalunya, Eixample, Sants or Plaça Espanya. You can find further tips in the article on where to stay in Barcelona, or compare hotel offers in Barcelona straight away.

Book a hotel in the centre of Barcelona

Public transport tickets

For the vast majority of visitors, a Zone 1 ticket is sufficient. It covers the whole of Barcelona, the nearest surrounding towns and BCN Airport. Please note, however, that there are special rules for the airport metro, which I describe in the article ‘How to get from Barcelona Airport’.

You can find a map of the zones on the official website:atm.cat/mapa-de-la-zonificacio.

Which ticket to choose

The simplest choice is as follows:

How you’ll be travelling	The best value ticket	Price for Zone 1
Just 1 to 4 single journeys	Single	2,90 eur per journey
Approximately 5 to 10 journeys per person	T-Casual	13 eur / 10 rides
A pair or group, up to 8 rides in total	T-Familiar	11,50 eur / 8 rides
Lots of rides within 24 hours	Hola Barcelona 24 h or T-Dia	11,25 eur online
Unlimited journeys over 2 days, including the airport metro	Hola Barcelona 48 h	16,83 eur online
Plenty of journeys over 3 to 5 days	T-Usual	22,80 eur / 30 days

When purchasing tickets loaded onto a new physical card for the first time, please add 1 eur to the ticket price to cover the cost of the card.

A common mistake is automatically purchasing a Hola Barcelona card for every stay. It’s very handy for a 2-day stay, as it includes unlimited travel and the airport metro.

However, for stays of 3 days or more, the T-Usual is also worth considering: it is cheaper, valid for 30 days and also includes the airport metro. It is, however, personalised, and you must provide your passport or national ID card number when purchasing it.

If you’re going to explore most of the city centre on foot, the T-Casual is usually the cheapest option.

Prices and types of tickets

The table below lists the most commonly used tickets for Zone 1.

Ticket	Price	Validity
T-Dia	12 eur	24 hours
Hola Barcelona 24 h	11,25 eur online / 12,50 eur on site	24 hours
Hola Barcelona 48 h	16,83 eur online / 18,70 eur on site	48 hours
Hola Barcelona 72 hrs	24,57 eur online / 27,30 eur on site	72 hours
Hola Barcelona 96 h	32,04 eur online / 35,60 eur on site	96 hours
Hola Barcelona 120 h	39,24 eur online / 43,60 eur on-site	120 hours
T-Casual	13 eur	10 journeys, 1 passenger only
T-Familiar	11,50 eur	8 journeys within 30 days, can be shared
Single	2,90 eur	1 journey without changing trains
Airport Ticket	5,90 eur	1 metro journey via Aeroport T1 or T2 stations
T-Usual	22,80 eur	Unlimited travel for 30 days, personal ticket

Children under 4 travel free of charge. There is no straightforward short-term tourist discount for older children.

You can find the current prices for integrated tickets on the T-mobilitat website, and prices for the metro and buses on the TMB website.

How to change services

T-Casual and T-Familiar are not packages of individual journeys on a single mode of transport.

A single journey represents an integrated trip during which you can change between the underground, bus, tram and train up to three times within Zone 1.

You have 75 minutes for the entire journey from the time of first validation.

Tap your card again each time you board another service or pass through a ticket barrier. Provided you are still within the time limit and are following the rules for an integrated journey, the next journey will not be deducted.

Hola Barcelona: when it’s worth it

Hola Barcelona allows unlimited travel on the metro, TMB buses, NitBus night buses, trams, FGC and Rodalies trains in Zone 1, as well as the Montjuïc funicular.

It also includes one journey from the airport and one return journey on the L9 metro line.

Validity is calculated in hours from the first validation, not by calendar days. So, if you first use a 48-hour pass on Friday at 3.00 pm, it is valid until Sunday at 3.00 pm.

However, the pass does not include the Montjuïc cable car, the Aerobús or the tourist bus.

• Buy the Hola Barcelona pass for 48 to 120 hours with free cancellation
• Buy Hola Barcelona on the official website – it also offers a 24-hour option and a 10 per cent discount when purchased online

When purchasing via GetYourGuide, the voucher is exchanged for the card at a tourist information office. When purchasing on the official website, you will receive a code to enter into a ticket machine at any metro station – select the ‘Online Collection’ option.

I’d actually recommend buying via the official website, as you can always claim a 10 per cent discount there.

Hola Barcelona is a travel card only.

If you’re planning to visit a lot of paid attractions, do compare it with the passes that include entry fees in our guide to tourist discount cards in Barcelona.

T-Casual, T-Familiar and T-Usual

The T-Casual card includes 10 integrated journeys. The card is not designed for multiple people to travel together, so each passenger needs their own card.

The T-Familiar card contains 8 journeys and can be shared. When travelling as a pair, you simply tap the card twice and two journeys will be deducted. It is particularly suitable for couples or families who will only use public transport occasionally.

The T-Usual offers unlimited travel for 30 days. It is personal and non-transferable; when purchasing a paper card, you must provide your ID number, and you must carry it with you whilst travelling. Nevertheless, visitors from abroad can also purchase it without any problems.

Where and how to buy tickets

You can buy tickets from ticket machines at all underground and train stations. You can pay by card, and many machines also accept cash. For a short visit, the simplest option is the T-mobilitat contactless cardboard card for 1 eur.

You can top up an anonymous card with, for example, T-Casual, T-Familiar or T-Dia. For T-Usual, the machine will issue a special cardboard card onto which you enter your ID number.

You can also manage your tickets via the TMB app, and a compatible mobile phone can be used directly to validate your ticket. For a short stay, however, buying a cardboard card from a ticket machine is usually quicker and easier.

You can pay for a single-journey ticket on the bus using a contactless bank card in the reader by the driver.

You won’t receive a paper ticket, and during a ticket inspection, your purchase is verified via your payment card. The same option is also available at some metro entrances, but don’t expect to be able to pay by contactless bank card across the entire network. This method is only used to purchase a full-price single ticket for 2,90 eur, without a daily price cap.

Metro

The fastest way to get around the city is by metro, which will take you almost anywhere – just make sure you don’t get lost in the maze of different coloured lines.

The Barcelona metro has 10 lines and is the best way to travel longer distances.

As the metro is by far the most popular means of transport, you’ll find detailed information in the separate chapter ‘The Metro in Barcelona’.

Buses and night transport

Hundreds of buses criss-cross the streets of Barcelona. They’ll take you absolutely everywhere, even to places the metro doesn’t reach.

Bear in mind, however, that travelling by bus can be time-consuming, mainly due to the constant traffic lights.

Routes and timetables

You can find maps for specific bus routes and the entire network on the websitetmb.cat/map/bus.

Timetables for specific routes can be found on this page:tmb.cat/buses/lines. Regular daily services run from approximately 5.00 am to 11.00 pm.

Services usually run every 5 to 10 minutes, although at weekends and on outlying routes, the interval may be up to 30 minutes.

Stops and boarding the bus

At bus stops, you will always find timetables and a digital display showing the estimated arrival time for that route.

On standard buses, you should always board via the front door, whilst on articulated buses you can board via the first two doors.

All stops are request stops, so you must wave to the driver before boarding and press the ‘stop’ button well before reaching the stop when alighting.

How do you validate your ticket?

You must always validate your ticket in the ticket validator when boarding the vehicle, including multi-day tickets.

Night buses

Special Nitbus night buses, always marked with the letter ‘N’ and a route number, are the only all-night transport available for travelling around Barcelona. The night service runs from around 23:00 to 05:00 at 20-minute intervals.

Trains

As well as the metro, Barcelona’s underground network is criss-crossed by an extensive network of urban and suburban railways, which you can also use to travel quickly from one end of the city to the other.

You can also use the trains when travelling to the airport or, for example, on a trip to the Montserrat monastery.

All multi-day public transport tickets are valid on all trains in Zone 1.

As with the underground, you must validate your ticket at the turnstile. Insert the ticket into the turnstile; it will pass through and be returned to you. Trains here are operated by two companies:

• Rodalies Catalunya (for example, the R2 line to the airport and most lines across Barcelona)
• FGC (for example, the R5 line to the Monastery of Montserrat)

Trams

You’ll also come across trams in Barcelona. There are two separate networks here: one in the west of the city and one running from the centre towards the north-east.

The trams are modern and fast, and if you have the choice between a bus and a tram, it’s definitely better to take the tram.

You validate your tickets in the same way as on buses, using the validator inside the tram.

Official information about trams in Barcelona can be found on the tram.cat website.

Funiculars

Funiculars are always among the most attractive modes of transport, and in Barcelona you can enjoy them on no fewer than five different routes and in three different types. 

• The Montjuïc Funicular – runs from the Paral·lel metro station to the edge of the popular Montjuïc Park. The same tickets and fares apply here as on the metro, buses and trams; see the section above on ‘Public transport tickets’. Operating hours vary in winter, summer and at weekends; see the official website
• The Montjuïc cable car – the funicular is connected to a modern cable car, which takes you almost to the top of Montjuïc Hill. Here, you’ll need to buy a special ticket for 11 eur one way, or 17 eur return; if buying online, visit 15,30 eur. The first cable car always departs at 10:00; the last departure varies depending on the season – see the timetables

• Aeri del Port cable car – The most famous of all the cable cars is undoubtedly the iconic Teleférico del Puerto, which connects Parc Mirador with Port Vell and offers the best views of the whole city and the sea. Public transport tickets are not valid here either; a single-journey ticket costs 12,50 eur, and a return ticket 20 eur. Operating times again vary depending on the season; see the official website.

• The Cuca de Llum funicular to Tibidabo – this funicular railway takes you up Tibidabo hill, which is full of attractions and points of interest. A single return ticket costs 12 eur; if you wish to visit the attractions on Tibidabo, a return journey on this funicular is included in the price.
• The Vallvidrera funicular – a cheaper way to reach the summit of Tibidabo is this funicular, which forms part of the FGC rail network; multi-day public transport passes are valid on it. In particular, if you do not wish to visit the attractions on Tibidabo, but just the church and the viewpoint, for example, travelling on this funicular is good value for money.

Bike-sharing apps

Barcelona is generally a very cycle-friendly city, so there’s nothing easier than enjoying the beauty of Barcelona from the saddle of a bicycle.

Several companies rent out bikes, with prices often starting as low as 6 eur per day. As well as cycling on your own, you can also try an organised tour of the city or along the beach. Scooters and the little yellow GoCar vehicles are also very popular.

The main city-wide bike-sharing scheme is Bicing, with Bolt also competing in the market.

• Bicing – mobile app on Google Play / App Store
• Bolt – mobile app on Google Play / App Store

The Bicing app is more suitable for locals, as you need to pay a subscription fee, which starts at 50 eur per month.

Taxis in Barcelona

Although taxi drivers have a tarnished reputation in other parts of the world, you needn’t worry about using their services in Barcelona.

All vehicles here operate under fares set by municipal regulations, so prices are clearly fixed and it makes no difference who you travel with. What’s more, if there are several of you travelling together, a taxi can cost about the same as a bus.

A detailed breakdown of fares is available on the websiteinfotaxi.amb.cat/tarifesdeltaxi.

Fares are divided into different periods.

• Weekdays from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm
  • 2,75 eur – base fare
  • 1,32 eur – per kilometre travelled
• Weekday nights (20:00 to 08:00), weekends and public holidays
  • 2,75 eur – base fare
  • 1,65 eur – per kilometre travelled

There is a surcharge of 4,50 eur for journeys to/from the airport and a surcharge of 2,50 eur for journeys to/from Sants station.

The Uber and Bolt mobile apps are also available in Barcelona and offer similar prices to taxis.