Everything you need to know about getting around Barcelona

27.11.2024 - 13:29 / lonelyplanet.com

Nov 27, 2024 • 5 min read

Barcelona is Spain’s second biggest city. Though it's relatively small compared to other major cities around the world and much of the center is walkable, you'll still need to embrace public transport to see many of the major sights.

Fortunately, the city is home to one of Spain’s best public transport systems, providing fast, easy and efficient ways of getting around, from Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, up to Park Güell and around Montjuïc Hill. Here is everything you need to know about the best ways to travel around Barcelona.

The metro is the easiest way to get around Barcelona, covering most of the city and many of the main tourist sights. The fast and efficient network is made up of 12 lines (eight operated by TMB, four by FGC), with 180 stations that extend from the center into the suburbs. It runs from 5am to midnight from Sunday to Thursday, until 2am on Fridays, and all night on Saturday.

A single ticket costs €2.55 Euros (US$2.68), but if you’re going to be traveling around a lot, it’s more cost-effective to buy a T-casual card that gets you 10 journeys for €12.15 (US$12.75). Transport cards can be bought at the machines in the metro stations and can also be used on the buses, trams, Rodalies and FGC trains.

If you need to get across the city quickly, skipping over several metro stops at once, the Rodalies trains are your best option. The main Rodalies stations that are useful for visitors are Sants, Passeig de Gràcia, Estació de França and Estació d’Arc de Triomf. The Rodalies trains are also the best and quickest way of reaching the airport, although you will need to buy a separate airport ticket. The airport line R2 runs through Passeig de Gràcia and Sants.

These trains also run throughout the region, so are the best option for day trips to other towns and getting out into the countryside or nearby beaches. Be aware though, if you only have a ticket for zone one and you leave it, you will need to buy a separate Rodalies ticket from the machines in the stations.

Buses are handy in areas where the metro stops are few and far between or you’re trying to get across the city rather than up and down. They’re particularly useful when getting up to Gaudí’s Park Güell or down to the beach areas and around Poblenou and Diagonal Mar. Buses don’t have a fixed schedule but timings are similar to the metro with slightly fewer running on weekends.

Night buses are the best way of getting around after the metro and day bus services have stopped. They run all through the night from around 10pm to 6am. All-night bus lines pass through Plaça de Catalunya, so this is the best place to head to if it’s late and you need to get back to your hotel.

As well as the Rodalies, Barcelona also has the FGC