Barcelona is a beautiful city with plenty of tourists visiting it from all over the world. The traffic can be heavy, so public transportation is a great way to save money and move around efficiently. Here is a guide on how to ride public transportation in Barcelona.
How to get from the EL-Prat airport to Barcelona by metro.
The easiest way to get from the airport to the city center is by metro. You can take the metro line L9 Sud, which connects the airport to the city center. The metro runs every 7-8 minutes and takes about 30 minutes to reach the city center. You can purchase tickets at the airport or any metro station.
The Hola Barcelona Pass - prices and where you can buy it
The Hola Barcelona Pass is a great way to save money on public transportation in Barcelona. The pass allows you unlimited travel on the metro, bus, and tram systems in the city. You can purchase the pass at any metro station or the airport.
The prices vary depending on how many days you want the pass for:
2 days (48 h) €14.76
3 days (72 h) €21.42
4 days (96 h) €27.90
5 days (120 h) €34.38
You can buy the pass on their website with a discount, holabarcelona.com, then pick your pass at their machines.
Hola Barcelona can be used
- on the metro and the bus (TMB)
- the urban railway (FGC, Zone 1),
- the Montjuïc funicular,
- the tram (TRAM),
- and the regional railway (Rodalies de Catalunya, Zone 1)
The Montjuïc Cable Car is not included in the Hola Barcelona Pass, but you do receive a discount if you buy the tickets on their website: www.holabarcelona.com/tickets/cable-car-montjuic-barcelona
The ride from the El-Prat airport to Barcelona city center is included in the Hola Barcelona Pass. If you decide not to get this pass, the metro journey from between the airport and the city will cost you €5.15/ride.
The L9SUD Metro line is one of the busiest metro lines in Barcelona. The metro runs from early in the morning until late at night, with trains running every few minutes. Here you can find the full schedule, the stations, and the map: www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona/metro/-/lineametro/L9S
Finding the best route using Google Maps
Google Maps is a great way to find the best route to take on public transportation in Barcelona. Simply enter your starting point and destination, and Google Maps will show you the best route to take, as well as the estimated travel time.
Everything you need to know about riding the Barcelona metro.
- You can recognize the entrance to the metro by the red M sign.
- If you don’t have a ticket or a pass, you can buy one at the ticket machines, or the vendors’ office, for 2.40 euros per ride.
- After you validate your ticket at the barriers, the doors will open, and you can go ahead and enter. Once you enter the metro, you will no longer need to validate your ticket, so you can just put it back in your wallet.
- Now, about your wallet. Barcelona is a big city, and like most big European cities, it’s very popular amongst pickpockets. So, make sure you watch your belongings, especially on the subway, and in other crowded places.
- When you reach your destination, follow the signs to find your exit (sortida), and get out through the doors with a green arrow. When leaving the station, the ticket barriers open automatically; you don’t need to insert your ticket again.
- The metro schedule. Barcelona has a busy nightlife, so during the weekends, the metro works at night time as well.
Barcelona Metro schedule:
Everything you need to know about riding the bus in Barcelona.
- If you don’t have a daily or weekly pass, you can buy your ticket from the driver. On TMB buses you can pay both in cash or by card.
- You always enter the bus through the front door and exit it through the back.
- After entering, you need to validate your ticket by inserting it in the validating machine.
- In the bus station, when you see the bus approaching, wave. The driver might not stop unless signaled, or unless someone on the bus wants to get off.
- Which brings us to our next point, when you approach your destination, press the red button, so the driver knows you want to get off at the following station.
- Make sure you take the bus in the right direction. You can follow all the stations on Google Maps, as you’re traveling toward your destination.
- After midnight, there are night buses available. They are operated by “Nitbus” and are named N0, N1, etc. – They are not included in the Hola Barcelona Travel Card.
- A single ride costs €2.40, but you’ll get a better deal if you buy a daily, or weekly pass.
The Barcelona cable cars with the fares for a roundtrip.
Barcelona has two cable cars, one to Montjuic Castle and the other servicing Port Vell, known as the Teleferic del Puerto.
A roundtrip on the Montjuïc cable car costs €13.50 and 16.50 € on the Port Cable Car.
We highly recommend the Montjuïc cable car, and visiting the castle, as the views from up there are amazing.
What are the public transportation tickets in Barcelona.
There are several different types of public transportation tickets in Barcelona, but the best option for tourists is the Hola Barcelona Pass. Here, you will find all the tickets available, so you can choose the one that’s best for you: https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-fares-metro-bus
