Barcelona has an efficient public transport system made up of a variety of options include the metro, trains, buses etc which should make your stay in this city even more enjoyable. Consider getting the Barcelona Card when you come here for free unlimited transport and discounts on entry to attractions. The Barcelona Tourism association sells the cards. You get free use of the metro, city buses, trams and trains from the city to the airport. If you go via Aerobus to the airport you receive a 20 % discount. You also save on museum entry, shopping, restaurants, cultural shows. You can purchase 2 to 5 day passes online or at any tourist office in the city.


AIR
Barcelona’s airport (www.aena.es) is 14 km south-west of the city centre at El Prat de Llobregat and well connected to other European cities. Most travellers fly in and out of Barcelona or Girona to get to other parts of Spain as the cheap airlines like Ryan Air (from Girona) and EasyJet (from Barcelona) provide closest access to the city.

Driving
To get from the airport to the city or vice versa you could easily drive. It is well sign posted and not far. Useful roads include the C-31 Barcelona-Castelldefels road that leads to Barcelona Airport, and connects with the C-32 Barcelona-Sitges road. From the Avinguda Diagonal, the Ronda de Dalt and Ronda Litoral ring roads also connect with the C-31. It should take 20-30 minutes from the city centre, depending on traffic. You can also take a taxi or pre book airport transfers with your airlines or other providers. Ask at your hotel/guesthouse.

By train

 

 

Terminal C: Iberia’s Madrid-Barcelona shuttle service and Iberia Regional flights.

TRAIN
Barcelona is well connected with other European cities such as Geneva, Paris, Zurich and Milan, and to destinations in Spain. There’s even a high-speed train to Madrid, southern and eastern Spain. Within the city there is a good metropolitan rail network so you can get around easily.

Estaciós Sants Railway Station
Most domestic trains in Spain s at Estaciós Sants (metro Sants-Estació, Liceu or Drassanes), the main railway station. It is also the terminus for the high speed trains within the country. National lines include:
AVE: Barcelona – Tarragona – Lleida – Saragossa – Madrid.

Trains run daily to all major cities in Spain including:
Madrid (6.5-9.5 hours, 6 daily)
San Sebastian (8-10 hours, 2 daily)
Valencia (3-5 hours, 10 daily)
Granada (8 hours)

Signs in the train stations will be in Catalan and Spanish. Arribades/llegadas is arrivals and sortides/salidas is for departures. Tickets and information are available at train stations or from the RENFE office in Passeig de Gracia metro station. The office is open daily 7am-10pm (9pm Sunday). Some day trips from Barcelona by train include the Monestir de Montserrat, 50km north west of Barcelona and Figueres (where the Dali museum is).

See http://www.adif.es/es_ES/index.shtml for details of the major railway stations in Barcelona.

SUBURBAN TRAINS
There are two suburban train networks, both operated by RENFE (http://www.renfe.es) and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (http://www.fgc.es).
The RENFE network is known as Rodalies in Catalan and Cercanias in Castillian Spanish and acts like an express metro. Most people use these trains to get to the airport and beach resorts like Castelldefels and Sitges. RENFE’s C-3 and C-4 Rodalia suburban train lines between Torre Baró and Barcelona-Sants stations are included on the T-DIA and T-MES multi-trip tickets.
Prices for other routes are based on a zone system. Trips inside the city lie within zone 1, beyond the city includes zone 2, zone 3 is the beach like Castelldefels and zone 4 includes the airport and Sitges. There is a map on the RENFE site indicating the zones. Prices increase on weekends and public holidays.

THE FGC network operates throughout Catalunya and within Barcelona. There are two branches terminating at Catalunya or Espanya where it connects with the metro. The lines originating at Catalunya are useful for visiting areas to the north of the centre. Urban routes operated by FGC are covered by multi-trip tickets, whereas longer trips are priced according to the distance travelled. Urban trips covered by travel passes include lines U6 (Catalunya-Reina Elisendra), U7 (Catalunya-Avenida Tibidabo) and lines S1 and S2 between Catalunya and Les Planes. There is a map of the network on the FGC site.

METRO
There are metro stations all around the city for the best means of getting around. The metro system has five lines and most ss are close to major attractions and budget accommodation. There is a map of the metro at the following website – http://www.tmb.cat/img/genplano.pdf

The system operates:
Mon-Thurs, Sun & holidays: 05:00 – 24:00.
Fri, Sat and Holiday evenings: 05:00 – 02:00.

Tickets can be purchased from offices and vending machines inside Metro Ss. Newsagent’s kiosks sell T10 and T50/30 tickets. Ticket prices are listed in the ticket section below.

BUS
Estació del Nord (www.barcelonanord.com) is the terminal for most domestic and international buses to Europe and North Africa. It is at Carrer d'Alí Bei near Arc de Triomf metro station (L1 or Bus 54). Tel. 902 260 606/ 902 303 222. Open 24 hours.

Some international buses leave from Estació d’Autobuses de Sants (www.adif.es) beside the Estació Sants train station (Metro L3 and L5, Buses 27, 30, 32, 43, 44, 78 and 109). This station handles buses to Montserrat and some international services.

Buses go to most main cities throughout Spain at regular intervals. Some destinations include:
Madrid (7-8 hours)
Zaragoza (4.5 hours)
Valencia (4.5 hours)
Granada (13-15 hours)
International destinations include London and Paris.

TMB (http://www.tmb.net) operates most of Barcelona's buses. Most people use the metro during the day and buses at night when the trains s running. The nitbusos (night buses) run from 11pm to 4am when the metro is closed. Most routes terminate near Plaça de Catalunya.

The Barcelona Bus Touristic is another way of getting around. These double decker buses s at 44 places around the city and with a ticket you can get on and off wherever you like. Prices start from €18,90 for a one day pass. Purchase tickets online at the link provided, go to the travel agencies or tourist information places like Barcelona Tourism.

HITCHING
Hitching from Barcelona is not that easy. If you’re heading for destinations north of the city like Girona or Paris make your way to Avenida Meridiana to get traffic bound for the A7 (metro to Fabria y Puig). To get to Madrid or Valencia take the metro to Zona Universitaria and pick a spot where auista bound traffic can safely s. Barnas is a local ride-sharing agency in Barcelona who can arrange lifts for you for a small fee. But it should still be cheaper than public transport. They are located at C Sant Ramon 29 (metro: Liceu). You could also phone them on tel. 93 443 06 32 or 606 96 91 97. http://europe.bugride.com is a web based ride sharing agency that also operates in Spain.

DRIVING
Check our our pages on driving for more details on parking and driving. The A7 heads north out of the county. Traffic is restricted in the city centre, so it's best to park a little out of town and walk around - parking in the more central areas is very expensive.
Auto Europe rents cars around Europe including France.

MOTORCYCLE
This is a better option for moving around as bikes are easier and cheaper to park.
Useful links include:
http://www.motoespana.com
http://www.motorbikerentals.com

BIKING AND WALKING
There are hundreds of kilometres of bike lanes in Barcelona. And you can take your bike on public transport at certain times of the day. On working days this is roughly 5am-6.30am, 9.30am-4.30pm and after 8.30pm. On weekends, public holidays and all through July and August there are no restrictions but you must go to the end carriages. The Montjuïc funicular railway has no time limitations. On Rodalies suburban lines you are permitted with bikes Monday to Friday until 3pm, on weekends at anytime unless the train is full.

You can get a map of Barcelona bike paths at:

http://www.bcn.es/bicicleta/en/bici_carrils.html

Here are some bike rental places and other useful links:
www.fattirebiketoursbarcelona.com (tours of Barcelona both guided and self guided)
http://www.barcelonaconnect.com/showlevel1.asp?pid=59 (good info on cycling in Barcelona)
Drop Bikes: C/ Roca, 26 bajos (off Rambla) Tel: 93 183 5291, www.drop-bikes.com

Segway Tours, Baixada del Caçador, Local nº2 Tel: 932 689 536, www.spainglides.com
You can get a full list of rental points at the BCN website.

TAXI
Taxis are available around the city.

TICKETS
Buy your tickets before boarding buses at tobacconists, newstands, major bus ss or vending machines. Tickets are purchased in time periods. Train tickets must also be purchased before boarding.
Barcelona's public transport network has a number of multi-trip tickets which are a better deal than single-trip tickets which cost €1 for each trip.
T-10 is valid for 10 journeys in zone 1 for a 75 minute period. You can change lines between bus, metro and Renfe and FGC train lines. €5.60
T-DIA gives you unlimited number of journeys on the day of issue. It can be used on TMB and EMT buses, the metro, urban FGC train lines, the Funicular de Vallvidrera and RENFE's C-3 and C-4 Rodalia suburban train lines between Torre Baró and Barcelona-Sants stations. €4.20
T-50/30 is valid for 50 metro and urban FGC train line journeys over 30 consecutive days. You can change lines but only during a one hour period i.e within an hour of starting your journey you change from a FGC train to the Metro it counts as a single journey. €23.40
T-MES is valid for an unlimited number of journeys in a one-month period on TMB buses and metro lines, urban FGC train lines, the Funicular de Vallvidrera, night buses and RENFE's C-3 and C-4 Rodalia suburban train lines between Torre Baró and Barcelona-Sants stations. To use this ticket you need a "Targetren" or TMB's Identity Card. €36.30

Single €1.10 - 1 single use (can be used on TMB bus also)

T-10 €6.00 - 10 unlimited

T-Día €4.60 - unlimited 1 day

T-Mes €38.80 - unlimited 30 days

T-50/30 €25.00 – 50/30 days

T-Familiar €36.70 - 70 30 days (for use by more than one person)

T-Jove €90.65 - unlimited 90 days (for under 21 years)

T-Trimestre €106.70 - unlimited 90 days
2-Days: €8.40

3-Days: €11.80

4-Days: €15.20

5-Days: €18.20

 

These tickets may be used for any means of public transport (Metro, TMB Bus and FGC urban lines). The 2-5 day passes can be purchased from the Barcelona Tourist Information Offices also.

 

Montjuic cable car: single € 3.60, return € 5.00

FERRIES
The Port de Barcelona (www.apb.es) has nine passenger terminals for cruise liners and ferries which connect Barcelona with the Balearic Islands and the main harbours in the Mediterranean such as Genoa, Rome and Algiers-Oran.

Services to/from the Balearic Islands:
Acciona-Trasmediterranean: Tel. 902 454 645, www.trasmediterranea.es
Balearia: Tel. 902 160 180, www.balearia.com
Iscomar: Tel. 902 119 128 - 971 437 500, www.iscomar.com

Services to/from Genoa and Tangier: