Get around in Barcelona

Here’s your ultimate Public Transport Guide in Barcelona. Let’s figure it out how it works and what will be the best Travel Card to buy for your trip to Barcelona.

To begin with, we have 9 means of transport:

1. Bike
2. scooter
3. Metro
4. Bus
5. Train
6. Tram
7. Fonicular
8. Taxi
9. Hop on Hop off

Here we will see:

• Which transport card to buy
• How to get from/to airport
• Where to buy transport cards
• My advice before deciding which transport card to buy:

Get Around in Barcelona by Bike:

I would say everyone use a bike in Barcelona to go somewhere. The public bike system is prepared for short trips no more than 30minutes so that can give you an idea of how big Barcelona is. It’s around 20 minutes to be somewhere.

But unfortunately (for you travellers) the public bike system are ONLY FOR RESIDENTS.

So for you travelers, you’ll need to rent a bike in a bike shop. I would definitely return it everyday and not keep it with me because bikes are frequently stolen in the streets, specially at night if they sleep outside so… that’s my advise.

Or you can even book a tour with a local, who knows exactly where to take you where the bike lines are.

Rent a bike in Barcelona for around 5€ a day- You also have electric bikes!

Get Around in Barcelona by Scooter or Motorcycle:

This is the way we locals go as well. There are many applications to use them in town, we can even take this scooters or bikes from the street everywhere. But for travellers like you, you can rent them in a rental house as this apps are for residents.

Rent a scooter in Barcelona for around €25 a day-

Get Around in Barcelona by Metro:

Our metro system is really good. Don’t be afraid of taking the metro. It’s simple, it has A/C and everything is super well signposted.

We have 8 lines and they all have access for people with disabilities or for families with baby strollers.

• Sunday to Thursday from 5 am to 12 am.
• Friday from 5 am to 2 am.
• Saturday from 5 am and open all night.

Price for Single ticket (without any discount) 2,4€

Download Barcelona Metro Map

Get around in Barcelona.

Get Around in Barcelona by Bus:

Public buses are also an amazing way to get around in Barcelona. They also have A/C and you can see the next stop on a screen, to make sure where to get off. You will need Google Maps to help yourself. Every bus stop has also a screen to check when the next bus will come so you know how much time to wait. It’s not as fast as metro, because it depends on traffic jam but at leats you can see Barcelona from the bus.

After 10pm, we have the night buses (NitBus), so you can get around in Barcelona by bus, the 24/7.

Price for Single ticket (without any discount) 2,4€

Get Around in Barcelona by Train:

Train in Barcelona is more for locals, I don’t think you’ll use it much because they go outside the city but I think it’s important to know that there’s a train to and from the airport. Sants is the biggest international train station in Barcelona, so if you’re coming by train from another country you’ll stop there and it’s in the city centre.

You can easily go by train to Sitges, Tarragona, Girona and Montserrat (there’s a whole video about how to get to all those places)

Price for Single ticket (without any discount) 2,4€

Get Around in Barcelona by Tram:

Here we have good news!

The tram is the least used transport option because we don’t have many tram stops in the city centre, UNTIL NOW!

A new city project was approved and now the tram will connect the whole Diagonal avenue, the avenue that crosses the whole city. But we will have to wait until 2023.

In case you need to use it, it also works perfect and it’s nice because not being underground it allows you to see the city.

Get Around in Barcelona by Fonicular:

Don’t you get confused by the Montjuic Cable car, Teleferic del Port (Aeri del Port) & Montjuic Railway Fonicular!

The one that is part of the public transport of Barcelona is the Montjuic Fonicular Railway, so you don’t need to pay for it separately. If you have a transport card it will be included. It goes from Paralell metro station L3 or L2 towards Joan Miro Museum at Montjuic Mountain.

Montjuic Cable Car is €12.78 the round trip, including 3 stops: Parc de Montjuïc, Mirador & Castell de Montjuïc

Teleferic del Port is 11€ one way and 16.50€ the round trip from and towards:Miramar station & San Sebastián Tower.

Get Around in Barcelona by Taxi:

Taxi is of course the easiest way to move around in Barcelona. Here we use 2 apps Cabify and Free Now,  because Uber is not in the city anymore.

With these apps you’ll see the route and the cost as well, so it’s very safe and easy.

Minimum Taxi fare through radio-station or aplication is 7€ so only in case you want a short trip is better to take a taxi from the street. Each trip can be in between €8.00 to €15.00 as the average price for rides within the city.

From the airport to the city center you’ll be charged about €35.00 to €40.00 with the app. There may be an extra charge applied for rides to the airport, large luggage, or night fares if you grab a taxi from the street. If you pay with credit card, let the driver know in advance!

Get Around in Barcelona by Hop on Hop off bus tour:

People love taking the Hop on hop off bus tour. We have 3 routes in town. One along the beach which is the shorter, another around Montjuic Mountain area and the third one near Park Güell and Tibidabo.

It may take from 5 to 25 minutes the waiting for the next bus and each route without stopping takes almost 2:30 minutes depending on traffic. So literally you can spend 1 entire day on the bus.

Something I didn’t like about the hop on hop off but tour is that it actually doesn’t reach Park Güell and Tibidabo, and the way up by foot is hard.

Prices from €28.00

Barcelona Bus turistic routes hop on hop off

Best options to get around in Barcelona.

Single ride in Barcelona is 2,4€, but if you buy any of this cards, you get very good deals in transport:

I would like to start with the traditional Barcelona day card for tourists Hola BCN & T-día

• The Hola BCN allows you to travel unlimited by public transport (bus, metro, train, tram, fonicular Montjuic) for 2, 3, 4 and 5 days.

2 Days are 15€ per person and this allows you also to get from and to airport by metro. That’s important to consider, as the single ride from Airport by metro is 5,15€ and a 10 trips card T-Casual is 11,35€).

As I said before many times, check the map, check my video “2 days in Barcelona” because if you are a walking person, maybe you don’t need a card like that to get around in Barcelona.

• The T-Día is absolutely worth it. It allows you to travel unlimited by public transport (bus, metro, train, tram, fonicular Montjuic) for 1 day for 10,50€. Considering the single ride from Airport by metro is 5,15€ and a 10 trips card T-Casual is 11,35€, it makes total sense.

• The Barcelona Card is more expensive. 43€ to travel unlimited by public transport (bus, metro, train, tram, fonicular Montjuic) for 2 days. Allows you also to get from and to airport by metro & you get almost to all the museums for free + a lot of discounts in attractions & activities. I would decide before hand what I want to see in Barcelona, to make sure I’ll take advantage of this card.

• The T-Casual it’s a personal card that allows you to travel 10 trips (bus, metro, train, tram, fonicular Montjuic) except metro to/from airport. 11,35€
• The T-Familiar is a multiperson card that allows you to travel 8 trips (bus, metro, train, tram, fonicular Montjuic) except metro to/from airport. €10.00

How to get to/from Barcelona airport “El Prat” to/from Barcelona city centre.

• Taxi: Quick and easy. Around 35/40€. Use these taxi apps: Free Now or Cabify
• Aerobus: Official airport transfer. Every 5mins. One way 5,9€. Last stop Plaça Catatunya right in the city centre.
• Metro: Single ride 5,15€ unless you have a travel card (Hola BCN card, T-Día or The Barcelona card) they include the ride.
• Train from terminal 2: Single ride 2,4€ unless you have a travel card (Hola BCN card, T-Día or The Barcelona card or a T_Casual), they all include the ride.

My advice before deciding which transport card to buy:

You can check the hop on hop off bus tour map or watch my video “2 days in Barcelona” to select the attractions you would like to visit.

This will give you an idea of how far the attractions are from each other and how much you would like to use public transportation, taxi or walk towards them.

Where to buy transport tickets to get around in Barcelona?

• You will be able to buy your tickets online with 10% discount in almost all of them
• In train and metro stations machines
• Tabacs shops around the city.
• On the bus only a single ticket for 2,4€.

Hope this help you to get around in Barcelona! Please leave your comments below if you have any questions or any better idea 🙂