Guessing how to use public transport in Barcelona?
Public transport in any city can be an odyssey, but with this complete guide to getting around Barcelona we’ve got you covered.
Moving around Barcelona is easy and also fun thanks to its public network of commuter trains, buses, metros, trams, and even a cable car.
You’ve booked your apartment with bizFlats, but now you probably have any questions like, how much is public transport in Barcelona? And, what is the bus timetable?
Read on to find the answers these questions and more!
Table of Contents
Public transport in Barcelona: Metro
There are a total of eight metro lines throughout the city to take you from one side to the other. The metro is often the transport of choice for locals and tourists alike thanks to its 161 stations dotted around the city and reduced waiting times. It is truly a quick and easy way to get around.
Metro tickets
When getting your ticket, it’s important to know that the city’s public transport system is integrated, meaning its tickets are valid for all modes of public transport (metro, bus, commuter train and tram), for a duration of 1 hour and 15 minutes. What’s more, if you’re staying within the city a Zone 1 ticket will suffice.
Tickets can be bought from the ticket offices or machines located in the stations themselves. Don’t forget to insert your ticket into the ticket turnstile to access the platforms. In every station you’ll find a map and list of stops for the line you’re travelling on.
Types of public transport ticket
Choose your tickets depending on how long you’re staying in the city and how many trips you need to make. As mentioned, these tickets are valid for the city’s tram, bus and metro services:
- Single trip: €2.40
- T-Casual: €11.35 (10 trips)
- T-Usual: from €40 (unlimited, 30 days)
- T-Familiar: €10 (8 trips, interchangeable)
There is also the exclusive Hola Barcelona ticket starting at €14.67, and valid for 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours, which gives unlimited travel throughout the city and includes the airport train and Montjuic cable car.
Metro timetable
The Barcelona metro runs from 5 am to midnight on Monday to Thursday, Sundays and bank holidays (you can check a list of local holidays for 2021 here). On Fridays and the eve before bank holidays it runs from 5 am to 2 am.
Public transport in Barcelona: Buses
With more than 1,000 buses, getting around Barcelona couldn’t be easier. What’s more, these hybrid vehicles are better for the environment and are one of the cleanest bus services in Europe. We recommend checking the official bus map here so you can plan your trip.
The buses in Barcelona have a number and either the letter V (vertical), H (horizontal) and D (diagonal) depending on the direction they travel in the city or N (night) for the nocturnal buses, which run every half hour after 10.40 pm.
To know which bus you should take from one place to another you can use this website: Vull Anar
Bus tickets
The tickets for the bus are the same as those mentioned above for the metro and can be bought at metro stations, ticket machines at bus stops and stations, and online and on the TMB app. Don’t forget to validate your ticket once on board.
Bus timetable
The timetable depends on the particular bus line you wish to take. The majority start between 5 am and 8 am and run until 10–11 pm.
Barcelona Tourist Bus
The Barcelona City Tour is the city’s official hop-on hop-off service for tourists. Tickets start at €27 for adults and €14.40 for children and can be bought online here.
These red double-decker buses run from 9 am to 7 pm and offer a West route (including La Rambla, Montjuic and Camp Nou) and an East route (including the Sagrada Família, Tibidabo and Park Güell).
Airport Public transport in Barcelona
There are several ways to get to and from the airport in Barcelona.
– The metro line (L) runs to both T1 and T2 and a one-way ticket is €5.15.
– The aerobus service, which starts and ends at Plaça Cataluña (and has several stops in the city) also goes to T1 and T2. A one-way ticket costs €5.90 and a round trip is €10.20.
– The train service (R2 Nord) runs from Passeig de Gràcia and Sants Estació and takes around 20–25 minutes. You can check the timetable here and a single ticket costs €4.60.
Electric motorbikes: getting around Barcelona
Barcelona also has many electric motorbikes that can be rented by the minute. Beat the traffic and get from A to Z easily and quickly with this sustainable form of transport. Check out the following apps that operate in Barcelona to compare availability and prices.
- Ecooltra
- Yego
- SCOOT
- Muving
- Acciona
- Reby
For more information about the costs of public transport you can check out our article on the cost of living in Barcelona here and getting a taxi in Barcelona here. We hope this article makes getting around Barcelona a lot easier!