The Public Transportation system here in Barcelona, much like in a lot of other cities internationally, is extremely well managed and easy to use – a boon for anyone planning on staying in Barcelona for a brief period. Whether you are only staying short term and need an easy way of navigating the city, or have found an apartment to rent in Barcelona and don’t want to add the cost of your own car or bike to your budget, the many modes of public transportation that are available at a low cost to the commuter make for a great alternative transport option. Collectively the different modes of public transportation stretch across all of Barcelona and continue to the surrounding towns and regional areas outside the city centre. Whether you intend to use public transport as a simple commute to work, or travel to the attractions that lie on the outskirts of the city, there is a public transport option available.
All the modes of public transport in Barcelona, which include the Roadalies de Barcelona (a series of train lines operated by two different companies, the FGC and the RENFE), the TMB (which includes the subway system of Barcelona and a series of buses as well), the FGC buses and the Tram system are all reliable and easy to understand and use, even for English-only users. All the different modes share an integrated ticketing system, so commuters are able to ride all of the different options of transport and even make connections on a single voyage using a single ticket (A single voyage is defined as a trip in a single direction, so keep in mind if you start travelling back the way you came it’s considered a new voyage). There are several different ticketing options available, and just like back home (wherever that is for you) there are multi-ride tickets available.
The most popular ticket used is the 1 Zone T10 ticket. For €9.75, the T10 allows you 10 trips (a single voyage will cost you €2.15) at a discounted price. Valid for everywhere in the city centre, the T10 can be purchased from ticket machines at all metro stations, train stations and some major bus stops also. If you are planning on using public transport more than once a day, other ticketing options are available. The T50/30 costs more than the T10, but gives 50 trips for a further discount per trip and is valid for 30 days. If you only intend to ride intermittently or aren’t staying in Barcelona long enough to ride 10 times, you can purchase single tickets as well. If you are only staying for a few days as a tourist, the HolaBCN! tickets might be a worthy investment. There are 4 different HolaBCN! tickets:
- 2 days for €14
- 3 days for €20.50
- 4 days for €26.50
- 5 days for €32
You can use metro, bus, tramway and some trains with those tickets. The 2,3,4 or 5 days start from the first time you use the ticket. If you want to make a good deal, you can purchase those tickets online before your trip on the Barcelona Smart Moving page. Not only do they offer you a 10% discount on HolaBCN! but also on other tickets you can buy on their website such as the Barcelona City Tour Bus or the Montjuïc cable car. Isn’t that perfect to avoid long lines and stress during your holidays ?
Regardless of what ticket option you decide on, decide on one. Riding public transport here without a valid ticket can, and often does, result in a €200 fine, so buy a ticket and keep it with you to avoid trouble. The only tickets you can share with other people are the T10 and the T70/30. All the other tickets can be used by one person only. You have to enter your ID number in order to get them.
Services provided by the public transport here are also very regular. Most metro lines will have cars every four minutes (approximately) and they operate til Midnight Sunday – Thursday, til 2am on Fridays and all night on Saturdays. Travel on the metro also tends to be quite rapid, with an approximate commute of 2 minutes for every station, meaning it’s possible to traverse the city in 20 minutes or less. The city also operates night-buses for the times when the metro and train lines aren’t operating, which means that it is possible to survive entirely using public transport in Barcelona.
There are plenty of sites on the internet that will assist you in navigating using the public transport. The Roadalies de Catalunya and TMB sites have detailed maps of the areas that they provide services to, and both also have voyage planning programs that will help plan exactly how to get to where you want to go. Most of the public transport stops in the city also include local maps of the area that they service, and even people with no Spanish or Catalan will be able to decipher the information they provide. All in all, Barcelona boasts one of the best public transport systems in Europe and with its ease of use and low cost, is a fantastic tool for anyone staying in Barcelona.