Big guide: How to travel around Barcelona?

There are many ways to travel around Barcelona - the city offers a comprehensive one a network of metro lines, trains, buses, trams and even cable cars. You can also walk between a lot of places and sights here, because at the center, the famous La Rambla a port and beaches they are relatively far from each other. My tip is definitely bikes. But let's take a look at all the possibilities one by one. 

How can you travel around Barcelona?

• Walking on foot
• Public transport: metro, buses, trams, trains
• Tourist bus
• Taxi, including Uber and other services
• Round
• Cars

Walking on foot

Although Barcelona is a vast city and it might seem that you can't hit a shot without a zoom, the opposite is true. Well, at least if we're talking about center and its immediate surroundings. After all, how else could you soak up the beauty of this metropolis than if you walk nicely on your own feet, at your own pace?

If you would like to walk through the center itself, know that it is not a large area - you can do it from Plaça Catalunya La Rambla to the port about 15 minutes, besides you can walk through the old gothic quarter Barri Gotic, stop at La Boqueria market or visit a nearby one Güell Palace, or go in the opposite direction to shopping street Passeig de Gràcia to others Gaudí's buildings like Casa Batlló or La Pedrera. I definitely recommend walking through the narrowest center in order to really soak up the atmosphere of the city and get closer to the locals... 

What struck me on my first visit to Barcelona was a kind of traffic discipline, somewhat unusual for other southern cities. If you've ever visited Italian or Croatian towns full of winding narrow streets, honking cars and occasionally suicidal bikers, you know what I'm talking about. Barcelona is completely calm in this regard, the streets are wide enough, clear, there are enough sidewalks or paths everywhere – you definitely don't have to worry about your health. In addition, if you move in neighborhoods such as Eixample, where the streets are nicely perpendicular to each other, it is almost impossible to get lost.

Public transport in Barcelona: metro, train, buses and trams

The cheapest means of transport in Barcelona is – quite unexpectedly – ​​public transport. Thanks to it, you can move beautifully everywhere within the city and beyond.

Local public transport is not only the cheapest, but also the most efficient: the individual types of transport (metro, buses, trains, etc.) often connect to each other nicely, and wherever you want to go in the city, you will definitely find a suitable connection.

If you would like to plan your trips in advance using an application such as the home IDOS, I will have to disappoint you at the outset - there is nothing like that here, and unfortunately even the official applications do not always search for the most advantageous routes and connections. What worked best for me was to look for a connection in the city at Google Maps.

Barcelona public transport map - metro, train, buses, trams - click to enlarge and download

Within the elaborate integrated transport system with several zones you can travel by metro, bus or even train with the same ticket. And if you buy e.g. T-casual ticket, you can travel really cheap.

How much are the tickets?

The ticket available in Barcelona is a whole lot. In order not to have to study them all, I will list below the ones that are most attractive for tourists heading to the city for a few days: 

• single ticket for €2,90 – one ride anywhere after Barcelona in Zone 1. This is an emergency ticket that you purchase either by mistake or on purpose when you have no other option (e.g. your other ticket has expired or you have used up all rides on another ticket). Valid only on metro (excluding airport stops), bus or Montjuïc cable car. Does not apply to train from the airport. The ticket is transferable, but transfer will be possible if you only use the lines of one operator (TMB, FGC,...). I do not recommend the ticket. 
• a T-casual ticket with 10 rides for €12,15 – for me, the best public transport ticket for tourists who are in the city for a few days. They describe it in detail in a separate article.
• T-familiar ticket for more people with 8 rides for €11,50 – if you need more flexibility like T-casual, try this one. You can also find more information about her in the article above.
• T-group ticket with 70 rides for €91,00 – this is similar to T-familiar, but for large groups, when all members can share one ticket
• day ticket T-dia for €12,00 – if you need to travel around the center a lot and don't want to deal with any rides, buy a day ticket with an unlimited number of rides. But so far I haven't met anyone for whom it would be worth it :-) 
• 30-day T-usual ticket for €22,80 – a ticket for those who plan to be in the city for a long time (e.g. for work or school) and need unlimited transport. This one offers 30 days from the moment of the first marking and you will need a national ID or other proof of identity to purchase it. 
• tourist cards, for example Barcelona Card for €55 or Hola Bacelona €17,50 – although they are not classic tickets, they do include public transport fares, more in a separate article

What is it like when I travel with children?

If to Traveling to Barcelona with children, you won't save much on the fare. That is, if your descendant are not less than 4 years old - then travel by public transport for free. In this case, as a parent, you must prove yourself with the child's identity card or passport, where the child is registered. If she has a child more than 4 years, you must buy him a normal ticket. In Barcelona, ​​tourists simply do not distinguish between child and adult fares.

As can be seen from the text above, if you are heading to Barcelona as a tourist for just a few days, you really should the mentioned one pays the most T-casual ticket or any of tourist cards. 

Where to buy public transport tickets?

• The safest option for buying tickets in Barcelona is the ticket machines, where you have the widest selection. You can find them at every metro station, train or larger bus station. The advantage, of course, is that they are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can pay by card or cash at the ticket machine. 
• You can buy tickets immediately upon arrival at the airport. But there is only one big ticket machine here and you can find it before entering the train platform at Terminal B.
• If a one-time ticket is all you need, you can buy it from the driver, e.g. when you get on the bus; it is possible to pay by credit card. 
• You can also buy physical tickets at newsstands and offices TMB information centers a Barcelona Turisme.
• You can also buy tickets for public transport in Barrcelona online - there is an app for your mobile phone (Android i iOS) or you can head to the TMB website, where you buy tickets. But I'm deliberately putting this as a last resort, because even if you buy tickets online, you have to pick them up in person. I.e. you have to go to a place where tickets are sold, tap or tell the code there, and only then you will receive your ticket. That's not very practical, is it? Looking forward to fully digital tickets being available...

Get to know the zones in Barcelona

When buying a ticket, the machine will ask you for the number of zones where the ticket should be valid. If you will live directly in Barcelona and the wider center, always choose zone 1. In the case of the TMB zone system, such a ticket also covers travel from/to the airport by train or bus. If you are not sure if 1 zone will be enough for you, look at the article, where there is a map and a seat of all the places with the respective zone. 

Metro in Barcelona

The metro will be on your visit to Barcelona the number one means of transport. Its dense network will get you exactly where you need to go. In addition, the local underground is well connected to other means of transport. Just be careful not to get lost in the maze of different colored lines – there are 12 in total and they are served by two different transport companies!

You can find metro stations marked on the map above. In order to use the metro, you have to go through the turnstile at the entrance, where you insert your ticket, otherwise you won't even be allowed inside. I definitely do not recommend that you try to go through the turnstile at one sign with several people - you will often encounter inspectors at the exit of the subway and you would not avoid a fine. 

Metro, the cheapest transport in Barcelona

If you don't know how to do something, we recommend it search for information on the relevant station, or subway worker in colorful vest. They can be found at larger interchanges (e.g. at the airport in the suburban train station) and are always happy to give advice. You can usually communicate with them in English. Definitely talk to them, if only because they'll give it to you for free Barcelona public transport map. These are also freely available in larger metro stations (you can also find all the important maps here on my website).

The metro does not run late at night, so you have to look for buses or wave to one of the many passing taxis.

Metro operating hours

• Monday to Thursday: from 5 am to midnight
• Friday and the day before a public holiday: from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m
• Saturday: all day from 5 am
• Sunday: from midnight to midnight, i.e. all day
• Holidays (January 1, June 24, September 24 and others): from 5 am to midnight
• December 24: from 5 am to 11 pm

You can find more about the metro in Barcelona in a separate article.

Want discounts? Buy tourist cards

If you know that you will be using means of transport for transport around Barcelona for several days and at the same time you are interested in the sights, it is worth buying one of the so-called tourist cards. The cards provide not only free transport around town, but they also provide discounts in more than 70 museums, shops and restaurants. You can find more about tourist cards in a separate article.

Buses in Barcelona

The main bus hub is Plaça Catalunya, which is surrounded on all sides by boarding points of various lines radiating to the whole of Barcelona.

Buses run very often during the day, and several circular routes operate at night, which will get you to most places, but it often takes a long time (the buses go around a long circuit). In addition, the tangle of lines can be quite confusing for tourists.

At night, I therefore recommend taking a taxi, which is definitely not as expensive as you might expect and will take you to the destination quickly and without problems. If you drive three to four, the fare for one will cost you about the same as the bus. Taxi drivers usually don't speak much English, but if you have a dictionary with basic Spanish words, communication shouldn't be a problem. It is also often enough to say the name of the street and the drivers will find their way around without any further guesswork.

Tip: To board the bus, use only the front door, where the ticket marker is usually located. 

In general, if you stay somewhere close to the center and the surrounding area, you won't use buses much, because everything is perfectly accessible by metro. For tourists, buses make more sense, especially at night, when a direct bus can be a faster choice to get to the hotel than the metro with several transfers... 

Trams in Barcelona

Barcelona also has two separate tram routes (Trambaix and Trambesòs), on which 6 lines operate, marked as T1 to T6. The map below shows where trams operate within the city. 

Map of tram lines in Barcelona - click to enlarge

As part of moving around the city, you will use the trams rather sporadically, if at all - again it depends on where you will be staying and where you need to get to. Trams usually run in the wider center or where the metro or other types of public transport are not easily accessible. 

Trams are used similarly to buses: after boarding, you have to find a marker and insert the ticket in it to "write down" the journey. 

Tram stops in Barcelona

All tram lines in Barcelona - click to enlarge

Trains in Barcelona

Trains are part of the integrated transport system in Barcelona. But as tourists, you will use them to move around the city at least. Actually, many people come into contact with them only when on the way from the airport, when I recommend using the comfortable suburban train. Or you can take the train on the way to Cosmocaix or Tibidabu, because directly from the center on Pl. Catalunya the L7 train line departs, which can be used perfectly for these trips. 

But trains are a great option for trips outside the city, for example, if you want to visit one of the seaside resorts - you will often find a nicer and less populated one beaches than those in Barcelona.

Do you have enough time? Take a train to the sea!

Directly from the center of Barcelona, ​​dozens of trains run north each day to popular beach resorts on Costa Brava: in about an hour you can be in Calella, Malgrat de Mar, Blanes or Lloret de Mar. More about traveling by train to the sea

If you intend to travel exclusively by train, get acquainted with the price of tickets. This is determined similarly to other types of public transport based on the number of zones through which you will travel. Oh and beware - the zone layout is a bit different for the trains as they are run by a different company - you can find this mentioned in the article on zones, which I also have here somewhere.

Train operating hours (FGC - Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya)

• Monday to Thursday: 5:45 - 0:05
• Friday to Saturday: 5:50 a.m. - 2:15 a.m
• Sunday: 5:50 - 0:02

Tourist bus (Tourist Bus)

A very smart and popular means of transport in Barcelona is the so-called Bus Turístic (hop-on hop-off bus), or tourist bus with an open roof. You can jump into it at one of the many places around the city and let the wind blow you (which, by the way, is a very refreshing experience in the otherwise sun-warmed steamy Barcelona), listen to the interpretation of the monuments in several world languages ​​and watch all the action from a nice height.

A daily Bus Turistic ticket will cost you €33, two days €44. The advantage is that you can get off at any monument and when you've seen it, just get on the next bus and go on happily. Tourist buses move along two circuits and offer over 40 stops at all important ones Barcelona monuments and places. The attached map will tell you more about them.

My advice: A Bus Turistic ticket is worthwhile if you are going to Barcelona for a long weekend, for example, or if you have little time to explore the city. The bus will take you from monument to monument, saving you a lot of time. You can buy tickets online with a 10% discount compared to buying on the spot.

As a tourist with a ticket, you can switch between the two circuits at will - it's up to you which route you take. 

Map of all tourist bus routes with individual stops

Taxi in Barcelona, ​​Uber, Bolt and more

Classic taxi

While the reputation of taxi drivers is very bad in the Czech Republic, you don't have to be afraid to use their services in Barcelona. The reason is that all taxi vehicles have city-mandated same rates, so it doesn't matter who you go with. Moreover, all the cars look the same – they are black and yellow. So you don't have to be afraid to stop any free vehicle on the street. If you still think something is strange, ask the taxi driver to give you a receipt before you make the payment – ​​everything will be written down there. 

More about taxi rates in Barcelona + calculator >>>

Map with list of habitats

Alternative carriers like Uber or Bolt

In addition to classic taxi services in the city, you can also use alternative carriers operating through Mobile application. But due to various regulations from the city, they don't exactly have a bed of roses in Barcelona. For example Uber worked here several times, but is currently not here. 

If you want to be sure of the car and know how much you will pay in advance, I definitely recommend downloading one of the applications and ordering through them. It operates in the city, for example Cabify or free now (formerly MyTaxi).

They are quite unknown in the world, but in Spanish and German speaking countries these companies are quite strong and popular. Both have their apps to download, so if you would like to order a taxi from the comfort of a mobile app and know the price in advance, I definitely recommend trying one or the other. More about mobile taxi apps in Barcelona.

If you would like to use shared scooters, check out the Bolt app.

If you are looking for classic car sharing (ie you rent a car directly from people or companies), try the service GetAround. For longer domestic journeys (e.g. if you would like to go from Barcelona to Madrid or elsewhere) I can again recommend it Blablacar, which is also known in our country.

Frequently asked questions about taxis in Barcelona

How to catch a taxi on the street?

Just like anywhere else - just wave at him. If he is free (watch if he has a green light on the roof and a sign LLiure), will stop you. 

While walking around Barcelona, ​​you will see a lot of yellow and black taxis, but typically in the centre it will be a problem to come across any free one. Downloading an app like Cabify or FreeNow is a guarantee of getting you where you need to go - I wouldn't rely too much on catching a taxi on the street. (Of course, this does not apply to places like airports where they have taxis their habitats, so at on the way from the airport to the center you don't need to book anything in advance).

Do taxis in Barcelona accept credit cards?

Yes, most taxi vehicles have terminals so you can actually pay with a credit or debit card after the ride is over. 

Are taxis safe in Barcelona?

Yes! Since the taxi service is a regulated business, you don't have to worry about traveling by taxi. The taxi drivers here are honest and if you happen to feel that the resulting price is not right, look at the receipt that you should receive after each ride and ask what you actually paid for... Many tourists do not know that taxi drivers have the right to charge e.g. .surcharge for travel to the airport. meet official Barcelona taxi rates and all surcharges, so that you are not surprised. 

Is there Uber in Barcelona? 

Yes Uber is currently operating in Barcelona. It was here in the past, then it wasn't, that happened several times, and now you can find its cars here.  

Barcelona by bike

My tip and recommendation for getting to know Barcelona is traveling by bike! If you don't have a downright bad relationship with bikes, definitely give it a try, you won't regret it. Thanks to the bike, you won't be dependent on anyone or anything, and you can get almost everywhere - in the center, for sure, and if you're a bit physically fit, you can also visit Park Güell whether on Montjuic.

Barcelona is generally a very cycling-oriented city, which can be seen in the number of cycling routes which the total exceeds 150 km. In the city center there are cycle paths everywhere (even on all the main streets there are cycle lanes) and if you ride on the pavement, people are used to cyclists and tolerate them. 

After all, during your walks around Barcelona, ​​you will surely soon notice places with red and white bikes, on which young and old, in suits and sweatpants, are driving around. This urban bikesharing service Bicing is unfortunately prohibited for tourists. However, if you want to enjoy Barcelona from the seat of a bike, you don't have to worry - there are several rental companies in the city.

What is worth experiencing is a bike ride along the beaches. It is especially worth it in the morning, when you can meet a lot of runners, people on skates or families with children. The advantage of such a journey is that it is possible stop anywhere, lock the bike (watch out, even the seats are stolen a lot!) and go out for a swim, eat or have a drink at one of the beach restaurants. 

And now to what you are probably most interested in - the prices. These are relatively favorable. A bicycle rental for the day costs approx. €15. Of course, you can rent a bike for a much shorter period of time, but if you really want to enjoy Barcelona, ​​you won't even get around it properly in a day. Inquire about the prices at the individual rental offices and, above all, inspect the bike before renting it. In my experience it is the quality of the bikes offered at a similar price varies widely – from old unsightly shoulders to multi-speed cruisers.

Want to know more? Read my detailed article: Bike rental in Barcelona >>>

Traveling with your own car in Barcelona

Getting to know Barcelona by car is probably the best way the least appealing option. Traffic in the city is very heavy and you also have to worry about where to park, how much it will cost, etc. I do not recommend this option. It is best to leave your car in one of the parking lots and jump on public transport. 

When traveling in your own car, you must of course have a driver with you valid driver's license. He is in town top speed 50 km / h. When traveling by car expect possible traffic jams, which are the order of the day here.

To enter the center of Barcelona with your own car, you also need a so-called eco plaque. Low-emission zones have been introduced in the center of Barcelona and the wider area, and all vehicles must be registered and have a paid plaque. More information + registration.

Parking in the guarded parking lot costs approx €2 per hour. I have more about parking in a separate article.

Video - transport in Barcelona

If you'd rather watch a video than read, I've prepared a video summary of the article for you.

Attention, this video is from 2018 and some information may not be valid!