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TRANSPORT |
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Hotels in Barcelona |
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Vacation Rentals in Barcelona |
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Apart from the medieval Barri Gòtic where you'll want to (and have to) walk, you'll need to use Barcelona's excellent transport system to make the most of what the city has to offer. The system comprises the metro, buses, trains and a network of funiculars and cable cars: to sort it all out, pick up a free public transport map (
Guía del Transport Públic de Barcelona
), available at the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) office in Universitat metro station (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm), at any of the tourist offices, or at the city information office in Plaça de Sant Miquel; the map is also posted at bus stops and metro stations. Detailed information is also available by telephone (tel 010) and on the internet (
).
On all the city's
public transport
you can buy a single
ticket
every time you ride (¬1), but even over only a couple of days it's cheaper to buy a
targeta
- a discount ticket strip which you either pass through the box on top of the barrier or punch in the machine at the metro entrance or on the bus and are available at metro station ticket offices and at FGC stations. The T-10 ("tay day-oo")
targeta
(¬5.40) is valid for ten separate journeys on the metro, buses, FGC and RENFE Rodalies trains, but not on night buses. These tickets can be used by more than one person at a time - just make sure you punch it the same number of times as there are people travelling. Each ticket or fare is now valid for one trip, which can combine various bus, train and metro connections (up to four in one trip). A transit plan divides the province into six zones, which reach as far out as Vic. The entire metropolitan area of Barcelona falls within Zone 1, El Masnou is in 2E, Sitges in 3A and Montserrat in 3C.
Other
travel passes
are available at station ticket offices and valid on the buses, metro, FGC and RENFE Rodalies: the T-Dia (for 1 zone: 1 day ¬4.10), the T-50/30 (for 1 zone: 50 trips within a 30-day period, ¬22.30) or the T-Mes (for 1 zone: 1 month, ¬35.10) - for the latter you'll need a transport ID card, available from the TMB office at the Universitat metro. Anyone caught without a valid ticket is liable to an on-the-spot
fine
of ¬30.10. In addition, you can buy a T-3 Dies (valid for 3 days; ¬10.30) or a T-5 Dies (valid for 5 days; ¬15.70), but these are valid only on buses and metro and cannot be used to combine the two mediums on one fare.
Travellers with disabilities: getting around the city
Travellers with disabilities will find it easier to get around Barcelona than most other Spanish cities, but that's not saying a great deal. For specific
information
, contact the Institut Municipal de Disminuits, c/Llacuna 171, 3º (tel 932 918...
read more >>
The metro
The quickest way of getting around Barcelona is by the modern and efficient
metro
, which runs on five lines; entrances are marked with a red diamond sign. Its
hours of operation
are Mon-Thurs 5am-11pm; Fri, Sat and the day before a...
read more >>
Buses
Bus routes
in the city are easy to master if you get hold of a copy of the transport map and remember that the routes are colour-coded:
city centre buses
are red and always stop at one of three central squares (Catalunya, Universitat or...
read more >>
Trains
The city has a cheap and efficient commuter train line, the
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC
), with its main stations at Plaça de Catalunya and Plaça d'Espanya. You'll use this going to Montserrat and Tibidabo; it's also...
read more >>
Funiculars and cable cars
There's a
funicular
(¬1.50 one way, ¬2.30 return) and
cable car
(¬2.90 one way, ¬3.80 return) of use when going to Montjuïc, and there's also a
tram
(¬1.70 one way, ¬2.40 return) and funicular service (¬1.80 one way, ¬3...
read more >>
Taxis
Black-and-yellow
taxis
(with a green roof-light on when available for hire) are inexpensive, plentiful and well worth using, especially late at night. There's a minimum charge of ¬1.80 (¬2 evenings, weekends and holidays) and after that it's...
read more >>
Driving and vehicle rental
You're not going to need a
car
to get around Barcelona, but you may want to rent one if you plan to see anything else of the region - though note that the coastal roads in summer are a nightmare; stick to buses and trains if that's as far as...
read more >>
Cycling
Taking your own bike can be an inexpensive and flexible way to get around Catalunya, and is one of the best ways to take in Barcelona's far-flung sights. Despite the fact that the Spanish are keen cycling fans, they tend to see it more as sport than...
read more >>
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