Getting around in Barcelona: Metro, bus, tram, taxi

On this page, in addition to information on the means of transport to get around Barcelona, we explain which are the most interesting transport cards and passes for visitors, such as the Hola BCN card, which offers unlimited travel and includes the trip from the airport to the city by metro.

Barcelona has an extensive metro network that is expanding every year and an important bus network. There are also other means of transport such as the tramway, the funicular and the cable car, the latter two of which are more for tourism than for transport as such. The city has a large fleet of cabs. Cabs can be hailed directly on the street by raising your hand or picked up at cab ranks located in strategic places in Barcelona.

Hola BCN! transport card

Imagen

The ideal card for the visitor to Barcelona. With the Hola BCN! card you can travel without limit in Barcelona city and metropolitan area by public transport: metro, bus (TMB), streetcar (TRAM), urban railroad (FGC) and zone 1 of suburban trains (Rodalies de Catalunya), which includes the metro and train to the airport of Barcelona. including the metro and train to Barcelona airport. There are 4 day passes (2, 3, 4 and 5 days):

+ Information

Hola BCN + the AEROBUS

If you arrive at Barcelona airport and prefer to take the AEROBUS instead of the metro to get to the city, consider the Barcelona Transport Pass, which includes the Aerobus ticket, the Hola BCN card and the POPguide app, with more than 100 points of interest in the city.

Single metro and bus ticket

The price of the metro ticket and the day and night bus ticket is 2.55 € (fare 2024). Bus tickets are purchased on the buses and metro tickets are purchased at the metro ticket offices, metro vending machines and customer service centers. Single trip tickets are not integrated and therefore are only valid for the metro (except for the airport metro, which has a different price) or the bus.

Integrated cards or passes

In order to buy a transport card or pass, you must first purchase the T-mobilitat card. Then you can recharge this card with the transport passes you are interested in.

First step: obtaining the T-mobilitat card

Imagen

The T-mobilitat card is a new system for validating tickets and passes for public transport in Barcelona and 35 other municipalities in the metropolitan area. The T-mobilitat allows you to travel with contactless technology. Validation can be carried out using a card or an app. Both the card and the app are like an account where you can buy and add passes.

Obtaining the T-mobilitat online

The process of purchasing this card can be done online, although it is a long and tedious process (which requires sending a copy of the DNI, NIE or passport) not recommended for visitors. Residents of Barcelona and its metropolitan area can purchase online by clicking on the button below.

Obtain the T-mobilitat online

Obtain the T-mobilitat at the metro vending machines

This option is the most recommended and easiest for visitors to Barcelona. Choose the type of card you are interested in (T-casual, T-usual, etc) at the public transport vending machines. At the end of the purchase process you will get the T-mobilitat with the transport pass you have selected. Please note that you will pay the transport pass + 0,50 € for the T-mobilitat card.

These are the most important transport passes that you can recharge in the T-mobilitat:

The T-casual card

Imagen

The T-casual (10 trips) is priced at 12,15 € (zone 1, fare 2024) and is valid for the metro, FGC, day and night buses, Tram, suburban trains and Montjuïc funicular. Once the ticket has been validated, the margin for transferring to another means of transport without paying again (for example from metro to bus, or bus to funicular) is 1 hour 15 minutes.

Where can I buy the T-casual?

• Metro vending machines (except machines at airport metro stations).
• Online purchase: TMB Tickets (joint purchase of the ticket and the holder) and TMB App.
• Stations of other operators of the Integrated Fare System.
• Customer service points of other operators.
• TMB information and customer service points.

To take into account

• The T-casual is a single-person card. This card can be used by several people but not on the same trip, i.e. it can only be validated once for each trip.
• The T-casual card is not valid for the Barcelona airport metro stations and cannot be purchased or withdrawn from the vending machines at these stations. If you want to buy it at the airport, you have to go to the vending machines at the train station in terminal T2.
• Buying the 1 zone T-casual card you can visit all of Barcelona day and night, and travel on the airport train, bus 46 and the night buses, including the N17 and N18 that stop at the airport.

The T-usual card

Imagen

This transport pass is more appropriate for locals but if you are coming to Barcelona for a stay of 2 to 4 weeks, and you will be using the metro and bus a lot, it may suit you. Its price is 42,70 € (zone 1, fare 2024), although it is currently subsidized and costs 21,35 €. With the T-usual you can make an unlimited number of trips on the same means of transport valid for the T-usual, for 30 consecutive days from the first validation.

Where can I buy the T-usual?

• Metro ticket vending machines (except machines at airport metro stations).
• Online purchase: TMB Tickets (joint purchase of the ticket and support) and TMB App.
• Stations of other operators of the Integrated Fare System.
• Customer service points of other operators.

To bear in mind

• The T-usual is unipersonal and non-transferable. When you buy it, you will have to indicate your DNI, NIE or passport number, which will be printed on the card.
• The T-usual card is valid for the Barcelona airport metro stations.
• Buying the T-usual 1 zone card you can visit all Barcelona day and night, and travel on the airport train, bus 46 and night buses, including the N17 and N18 that stop at the airport.

Other cards: for 1 day and for groups

There are other cards that you can take into account to move around Barcelona and that will allow you to move around the city:

• The T-dia can be interesting if you are going to spend only one day in the city, arrive at El Prat Josep Tarradellas airport and want to go by metro to the city from the airport. The T-dia costs 11.20 € (1 zone, fare 2024) and in addition to a round trip to the airport by metro allows unlimited travel for 24 hours on public transport. It is a single-person card.
• The T-grup is a multi-personal card with 70 trips to be made in 30 days. It costs 84,80 € (1 zone, fare 2024). It is not valid for airport metro stations.
• The T-familiar is another multi-person card that allows 8 trips for 30 days. Its price is 10,70 € (1 zone, fare 2024). It is not valid for airport metro stations.

Remember, the price of the metro ticket ticket if you are going to or coming from the airport is different and the T-casual card is not valid.

The Barcelona metro

Imagen

In Barcelona there are 11 metro lines. Eight of them are managed by the City Council (Metro, TMB), and are recognized by the badge:

Imagen

and 3 are managed by the Autonomous Community (FGC), and are recognized by the badge:

Imagen

It is possible to transfer between Metro and FGC lines. Also with the Montjuïc funicular, the streetcar (Tram), suburban trains and all urban bus lines; all within zone 1 (see zones) and with integrated cards (the most common are the Hola BCN card for visitors, and the T-casual and T-usual for locals, although the latter two can also be used by visitors, see section "Integrated cards").

Barcelona metro timetable in 2024

• Monday to Thursday: 5:00 h - 24:00 h.
• Fridays and holiday eves: 5:00 h - 2:00 h.
• Saturdays and Sundays: continuous service from Saturday at 5:00 h to Sunday at 24:00 h.
• Holidays during the week: 5:00 h - 24:00 h.
• Christmas (December 24): 5:00 h - 23:00 h.
• Mas Blau, Mercabarna and Parc Logístic (L9 Sud) and ZAL | Riu Vell, Ecoparc and Port Comercial | La Factoria (L10 Sud) stations operate every day of the year from 5:00 h to 24:00 h, except on 24 December when they close at 23:00 h.

Please note that the last time indicated is the time at which the last trains leave from each end of the lines. Normally, if the station doors are open it means that the last metro has not yet passed through that station.

Other nights with continuous service in 2023:

• Verbena de San Juan ( from June 23 to 24).
• Festes de la Mercè (from September 23rd to 24th)
• New Year's Eve - New Year's Eve (from December 31 to January 1)

Other information of interest: Barcelona's public transport is committed to people with reduced mobility. That is why most stations are fully or partially adapted. Here you can see the stations not yet adapted.

The metro to the airport

Barcelona metro map

Imagen

The Barcelona Bus

Imagen

Barcelona has a large fleet of modern buses that can take you anywhere in the city. Day and night buses (day buses are red and white, night and intercity buses are yellow and white) can be used in combination with other means of transport (see section "The metro" above).

Daytime buses usually start their service at 5:30 am and end around 10:30 pm. Night buses run between 10:30 pm and 5:30 am. At most stops there is a digital panel that indicates the time it will take the bus of each line to arrive at that stop.

Fare

Timetable of each bus line
Adapted buses
To travel by bus from 22:30 (NitBus) and to travel to satellite towns. 
Tourist bus

Barcelona Tramway

Imagen

There are two sections of streetcar (called Tram) in Barcelona (Trambaix and Trambesòs) which are divided into 3 lines each. The Trambaix starts at Plaza Francesc Macià and reaches towns such as Cornellà and Sant Feliu in the Baix Llobregat region. The Trambesòs starts at Ciutadella Park and Vila Olímpica and reaches Badalonà and Sant Adrià del Besòs. Remember that the streetcar is integrated into the overall transport system, so you can use the integrated passes. More information about the streetcar.

Barcelona has another streetcar line with a recreational/tourist character. It is the tramvia blau (blue streetcar). It is an old streetcar with a single car whose route runs along the Avinguda del Tibidabo, between the squares John F. Kennedy and Doctor Andreu. The Tibidabo Funicular starts at Doctor Andreu Square. Timetables and fares.

Funiculars and cable cars

Imagen

Barcelona has two funiculars: Montjuïc and Tibidabo.. The Montjuïc funicular can be taken from the Paral.lel metro station (L2 and L3), on Avinguda del Paral.lel and takes you to the mountain of Monjuïc, near the Fundació Miró and the Olympic stadium. It is integrated in the metro network. The Tibidabo cable car links the Plaza del Doctor Andreu (with excellent views of the city) with the Tibidabo amusement park.

There are two cable cars and you can take them at the Montjuïc mountain.. One goes to Montjuïc castle and the other to Barceloneta, next to the beach, passing by the port and the World Trade Center. Very good views of the city from both.

Buy Montjuïc cable car tickets

Buy Barcelona cable car tickets

Barcelona cabs

Imagen

Barcelona cabs are easily recognized by their yellow and black colors. A green light and a "free" sign indicate if they are available. There are cab ranks (e.g. at Plaça Catalunya), but the easiest way is to wait for a taxi with a green light and raise your hand to stop. Cabs are usually easy to find except sometimes on Friday and Saturday nights in the most central areas (Ramblas, Gótico, Plaça Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia). They do not accept more than 4 people. Dogs can be transported as long as the cab driver accepts them.

Cabs are available 24 hours a day. The average price of a trip in the city is 12,00 € and the minimum fare is 2,60 €. Some stops (airport, stations, night supplements...) and services (luggage, dogs, nights) are charged separately. Prices are not negotiated, they are those marked by the taximeter. There are also 2 closed fares: the so-called T3, which can only be obtained from apps of several cab companies, and the T4, the fare from the airport to the port of Barcelona, which is 45,00 €.

Calculate price

You can also order a cab by phone. These services are usually fast and reliable. Hotels and restaurants usually take care of calling them on request.

Compulsory and free transportation in Barcelona cabs

• Suitcase < 55 x 40 x 20 cm
• Wheelchair
• Guide dog
• Children's chair
• Card payment
• Receipt