Understanding the metro in Barcelona is fundamental to having a good holiday.
The 11 lines (eight classic lines and three overland trains) are as prompt as any metro system in Europe and perhaps more importantly – they’re air conditioned.
The only complaints you hear aside from spoiled locals who have never commuted a day in New York or London are tourists getting ripped off buying €2.20 single tickets.
After reading my Barcelona metro guide you won’t be one of them.
Barcelona Metro Map
Click the button below to enlarge or download your very own Barcelona metro map.
You can also grab these at the Barcelona Tourism Office at the airport or any metro stop.
Barcelona Metro Hours
| Day | Hours 2019 |
| Monday to Thursday | From 05:00 to midnight |
| Friday | From 05:00 to 02:00 (Saturday) |
| Saturday | From 05:00 all night |
| Sunday | From midnight to midnight |
| Holidays: Jun 23-24, Aug 15-16, Sept 23-24, Dec 31, Jan 1 | All day/night |
For those not fond of graphs here it is again:
The Barcelona metro opens daily at 5:00 am with the last train departing at 12:00 midnight. On Fridays and holidays trains run until 2:00 am.
There is all night service on Saturday evenings and holiday days of the 23rd of June, 15th of August, 23rd of September and New Year’s Eve.
Service is limited on Christmas Eve till 11:00 pm.
Frequency
- During the day trains run every 2-4 minutes
- At night trains run every 6-10 minutes
Barcelona Metro Tickets
To buy tickets for the Barcelona metro you’ll need to use the machines found at station lobbies. Tickets are valid for the entire Barcelona transport network including metro, bus, tram, and Montjuic funicular lines.
There is a supplemental charge for the Barcelona airport metro to the city centre: €4.50.
Tickets can be purchased using cash or credit/debit card.
All tickets have a 75 minute validity.
Prices
Locals typically buy single zone 1 tickets for €2.20 or a T-10 ticket (10 rides in zone 1) for €10.20.
FYI: The T-10 will no longer be available starting on January 1st, 2020. It will be replaced by a card called the T-Casual. The T-Casual will not be interpersonal. It will cost €11.35 for two trips.
Tourists tend to buy the all-inclusive transport card the Hola Barcelona Card: with unlimited travel on the metro, bus, tram, funicular, and airport transport.
Prices start as low as €6.84 a day.
You can save 10% on your Barcelona travel card buying directly from my web shop.
Here you get the lowest prices while giving me a small commission to cover server costs and the effort and time I put in… if you would like to help the blog please reserve using the button above.
Zones
The Barcelona transport network encompasses 6 zones.
Zone 1 includes the city centre and virtually all of the city’s main attractions and best areas to stay. The odds of you leaving this area are extremely low.
Single ticket prices increase exponentially at €3.00 (Zone 2), €4.00 (Zone 3), €5.10 (Zone 4), €6.50 (Zone 5), €7.60 (Zone 6) respectively.
Here is the Barcelona metro zone map.
Barcelona Metro Passes
You can buy single tickets for €2.20 but the price and ticket machine lines are hardly ideal. I always suggest tourists pick up a discount transport card that gives you unlimited metro access like the Hola Bcn or Barcelona Card. They save you time and money.
You can always go with the T10 but unlike the passes above it’s not valid for the airport.
Find out which discount card is right for you by clicking the banner below:
Barcelona Metro Lines + Attractions
L9S Metro (Orange Line)
The newest Barcelona metro line connects the city to both terminals of El Prat Airport.
It isn’t the fastest line and won’t take you to many of the main hotel, Airbnb, and hostel neighbourhoods in the city – it is primarily used for residents getting home to the outskirts.
If you want to get super central you’ll need to change lines.
Connections: the orange line meets the red line (L1) at Torrassa station, the blue line (L5) at Collblanc, and the green line (L3) at Zona Universitaria
L1 Metro (Red Line)
My favourite line crosses the city from east to west and stops in some of the city’s great meeting points like Arc de Triomf (Ciutadella Park), Plaça Catalunya, and Plaça d’Espanya.
Finding a holiday apartment along this line is about as convenient as it gets, as you’ll be able to get around with ease.
Connections: the red line meets the yellow line (L4) at Urquinaona, the green line (L3) at Plaça d’Espanya, the purple line (L2) at Plaça Universitat, and the blue line (L5) at Sagrera and Plaça de Sants.
L2 Metro (Purple Line)
This line connects neighbouring city Badalona with Parallel.
The main points of interest along this line are the Sagrada Familia, Passeig de Gracia and its famous Gaudi buildings La Pedrera and Casa Batllo, and the glitzy neighbourhood of Eixample and the rough and ready Raval.
Connections: the purple line meets the yellow line (L4) and green line (L3) at Passeig de Gracia, the blue line (L5) at Sagrada Familia, and the red line (L1) at Plaça Universitat and Clot.
L3 Metro (Green Line)
This line sort of twists its way around the city in a U-shape and serves quite a few main attractions.
Along the green line you’ll find three stops on the famous La Rambla: Plaça Catalunya, Liceu, and Drassanes. You’ll also get to the main shopping district at Passeig de Gracia and Diagonal. A few stops along you’ll reach Plaça d’Espanya and the Magic Fountain.
You’ll also get to Park Guell (Vallcara), Barcelona FC’s stadium Camp Nou, and Labirinto di Horta Park (Mundet).
Connections: the green line meets the blue line (L5) at Diagonal, the red line (L1) at Catalunya and Espanya, the yellow line (L4) at Passeig de Gracia, and the purple line (L2) at Parallel and Passeig de Gracia.
L4 Metro (Yellow Line)
Arguably the most popular of Barcelona metro lines is most useful serving the city’s best beaches. Be careful! Especially in the summer the line can get quite busy.
Along the yellow line you’ll find the bohemian Gracia neighbourhood, the Gothic Quarter‘s central square and its Barcelona Cathedral, the upper parts of the city and the Bunkers lookout, and the nightclubs and casino of the Port Olimpic.
If you’re looking for a great beach holiday grab your accommodation along the yellow.
Connections: the yellow line meets the red line (L1) at Urquinaona, with the purple line (L2) at Passeig de Gracia, with the green line (L3) at Passeig de Gracia, and with the blue line (L5) at Verdaguer.
L5 Metro (Blue Line)
I would call this one the business line as it takes people from residential areas into the centre.
The main stop here is Barcelona’s biggest train station: Sants. From here you’ll be able to get a train to the airport, Madrid, or even France. You’ll also get to Camp Nou at Badal station and Sagrada Familia is home to Barcelona’s famous church.
Connections: the blue line has connections with the green line (L3) at Diagonal, the yellow (L4) at Verdaguer, and the purple line (L2) at Sagrada Familia.
Barcelona Metro Tips
- Avoid taking it during rush hour (8:00-9:00 am and 6:00-7:00 pm).
- Changing lines could leave you a long walk at Plaça Catalunya, Passeig de Gracia and Sants.
- Always walk further up the platform for more carriage space.
- Miss the last train? There’s probably a night bus to get you back.
- A good rule of thumb is to calculate 2 minutes per metro stop to get your travel time
Safety
In general the trains are well kept and quiet.
The only thing you’ll need to worry about, as mentioned before, are the petty thieves operating in tourist areas – mainly in and around the stations at Liceu, Drassanes, Placa Catalunya, Passeig de Gracia, and Sants.
Use common sense and you’ll be fine.
Get On Board in the Comments Below
Bum steer on your Barcelona metro pass?
Not sure which Canadian-Ethiopian fusion restaurant within 3 minutes walking from the northern beaches would suit your vegetarian celiac boyfriend on crutches? I’m here 😉
Drop me a line any time.
recent
T10 is valid indefinitely within a calendar year (however the card will expire one month after the new tariffs are released in January each year) and can be shared with other members of your group. In order for each person in your group to use the same T10 you have to put the card in the ticket validation machine and then pull it out completely – this will open the sliding doors to allow you to pass through. Leave the card on the machine surface however for the next member of your group to use the T10. Each time someone in your group uses the T10 it counts as a separate journey and the journeys are printed on the back of the ticket during validation.
Ash
Yes! This is truth 🙂
Elaine Lee
Hi Ash!
My husband, Richard, reached out to you last week about our hotel we booked for a couple of nights in October 2020 at Chic and Las Ramblas. In your opinion, what is the best transportation to take from the airport to the hotel and then from the hotel to the cruise terminal? And what would you suggest we visit during the couple of days we will have to sightsee prior to getting on the cruise ship? Thanks!
Elaine
Ash
Hi Elaine,
To get to your hotel I’d grab the Aerobus to the last stop Plaça Catalunya and then from here it’s a short 10-12 minute downhill walk.
To get to the cruise terminal you can simply walk down La Rambla to the Columbus statue and from there you can grab the cruise bus which is scheduled in coordination with cruise ships leaving.
As for the sightseeing… did you have anything particular in mind? This whole site is dedicated to explaining what there is to visit in Barcelona 😉
I would start with my list of top things to do.
Cheers,
Ash
Shaun
Firstly can I echo the comments of others, what an informative site
We arrive at BCN at 1635 on Sat 23/11 and are staying at Hotel EuroPark until Tuesday 26/11 when our flight departs at 1355.
I am just trying to work the best and most economical way of the two of us travelling around you great city for the first time using public transport.
Any thoughts ?
Shaun
Ps Having seen the recent news can I also stay safe !!
Ash
Hi Shaun,
Thanks a lot for writing with your very nice comments… I have stayed safe so far! Hopefully we’re in the clear for now.
About getting around I can say you’re super central so can do a bit of walking… but if you’re going to be doing the full sightseeing package it’s certainly OK to grab a 72 hour Hola BCN unlimited transport card because it’ll cover your airport transport and it’s less hassle doing it this way.
That said, if you’re going to be doing a lot of walking or not seeing too many sites there’s no shame in grabbing the T-10 card which is interpersonal and gets you ten trips for just over €10.00.
Your choice 🙂
Cheers,
Ash
CheapTraveler
In order to save some money, is theoretically possible to use just 1 Hola Barcelona card for 2 people? Is there a way they monitor how many times the card is used at one station?
Ash
Hello Cheap Traveler,
That would certainly be short sighted on the part of the provider of this service 😉 Of course, you’re only allowed to use it once per station so will need one per person. This is registered automatically by the system and impossible to work around.
Ash
Amanda
Hi there! I’m so happy I stumbled on your site. Is transportation to TIBIDABO AMUSEMENT PARK (on Metro T2A) included in the Hola BCN card? I can’t seem to locate the route. Thank you!
Ash
Hello Amanda,
I’m happy you stumbled upon the site too, hope I can help 🙂
In my article on Tibidabo I explain how to get up there on the cheap with your discount pass… it’s the third option! Please take a look and let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Ash
David
Hi Ash,
Thanks for all the great posts… getting a lot of useful info (that we are in desperate need of at the moment). My wife and I will be bringing our 2 and 4 yr old girls to BCN for a month (5/27-6/27)… we’re trying to figure out what the best/cheapest ticket option is for the whole month. Looks like its either the Hola BCN or T-10 card. What would you recommend?
Thanks!
David
Ash
Hi David,
Thanks so much for writing in with the kind words 🙂
First of all know that kids under 4 ride free on the TMB network so no need to worry there. About which pass for the adults though it’s tough to say without knowing… where are you staying? A lot depends on how central you are because your amount of trips can add up if you’re a bit far out. How much site seeing will you? Do you anticipate being out and about a lot?
I would usually recommend an Hola BCN at the beginning for a few days while you get your bearings and then decide from there. At any rate though if you give me a better idea on your business in the city I can maybe suggest better 🙂
Cheers,
Ash
David
Hi Ash,
We are staying in the Eixample neighborhood and will most likely be on the move most days going around the city to local parks/site-seeing. We’ll probably be doing a day trip out of the city once or twice a week, but mostly staying around the main attractions in the city. Let me know if that narrows things down at all.
Thanks!
Ash
Hi David,
In this case since you have so much time I would play it two ways… I’d start a 3 day Hola BCN pass for the heavy sightseeing days, while you get your bearings etc, and then gauge the usage. If at this point you’re not getting full value for the pass I’d switch to the T-10 and use it that way.
Locals all use the T-10 for their standard commutes (about 2-3 rides max per day) and I imagine as you’ll be doing less and less travelling and more walking as you become experts this is all you’ll need.
Cheers,
Ash
Julie
Ash,
I feel like I need to keep saying what an amazingly useful, informative and comprehensive site you have created. Gigantic kudos to you and I am so appreciative of all of the information in one place. With the information on your site, I have planned almost my entire trip. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. So one last question, or maybe two. We will be arriving into BCN and staying at the AC Barcelona Forum. We will have a Hola BCN 2 day card and I believe that taking the R2Nord to Passeig de Gracia and switching to the metro to the L4/El Maresme Forum exit is the best public transportation option. Do you agree? Also, on our last day our flight leaves from BCN at 6:30pm to Newark. I feel we should be on the train to the airport no later than 3pm and considered storing our bags at Locker Barcelona and having a stroll through the Park de la Ciutadella with brunch at Picnic. Do you think that is a good time frame? If you are free, you are welcome to join us for brunch.
Thank you, Julie and family
Ash
Hi Julie,
Thanks so much for the kind words… it means a lot and makes all of this work worthwhile 🙂
Regarding the airport transport you’re absolutely right… this is the easiest way to go about it using the Hola BCN card. No need to involve any buses or trams (which Google tends to do) to complicate things.
As for the last day you’re right again… I’d aim to be there 2-2.5 hours in advance which means shooting to leave via train at Passeig de Gracia at 3 pm is the best bet. Just make sure you’re mindful of the hour since the trains only run twice an hour (at :02 and :32)… if you get there a minute late you’ll be losing 30 minutes waiting for the next one.
About brunch did you mean that you’d be having a picnic in the park or are you referring to a restaurant?
At any rate this is perfectly fine, just make sure you give yourself a decent amount of time to get back to Passeig de Gracia (about a 30-40 minute walk or maybe 15 minutes via metro). About the invitation not knowing the exact date I can’t say… I am in and out of BCN quite a bit at the moment and will be all summer but if I can’t attend I will no doubt be there in spirit 😉
Ash
Ron
Hi, thank you for a marvellous website!!! A quick question, for the Metro you have mentioned “Service is limited on Christmas Eve till 11:00 am”. Is that a mistake and was it meant to be 11:00 pm instead of am? The TMB website lists it as 11pm for the metro on 24th December.
https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona/operating-hours-metro-bus
Ash
Hi Ron,
My hero! You’ve discovered a typo that I’ve now updated… sorry for the confusion, it is indeed open till 11 pm on Christmas Eve.
Ash
Connie Morreale
I am so confused by the many things I’ve read on different sights. The best fit for us will be the T10.
I was under the impression it could get us to the airport via the RENFE.
Is this true. Also, the same question in reverse….from the airport to Passeig d Gracia
Ash
Hi Connie,
Yes there is a train from airport to city centre (Sants, Passeig de Gracia, or Clot) and vice versa… it can be used with the T-10.
For more info check out my airport train portion of the airport guide.
Ash
Connie Morreale
Boom!! What a relief…thanks
simon
HI there ,
Im going to barcelona from thursday to monday morning, staying in badalona, whats the cheapest ticket option to get from badalona to barcelona and also airport connections!many thanks.simon
Ash
Hi Simon,
Depending on where you are in Badalona the best and cheapest way to get to central Barcelona is simply using the purple line of the metro – this is still Zone 1 of the TMB system and so it won’t be any more expensive for you. From the airport you’ll have to grab the Aerobus to Plaça Catalunya and then walk 200 meters up to Passeig de Gracia station to grab the purple line of the metro… from here you’ll get to Badalona in about 30 minutes.
If you could let me know exactly where you’re staying in Badalona I could give you some more precise indications…
Ash
Haine
Sorry another question, can the T10 be shared between two or several people?
Thank you!
Ash
Yes, T10 cards are interpersonal! Just pass it back to your friend or family member on the metro or re-reun it in the machines as many times necessary on the bus.
Caroline
Hi!
I’m going to be spending a semester in Barcelona and will be using the metro a lot I’m sure. Which pass would you suggest I use? Is there a pass that would last me that amount of time?
Ash
Hi Caroline,
If you’re looking for a transport with no tourist stuff know that all locals use the T-10 card (9.95 for 10 rides)… it ends up being the cheapest straight up metro pass.
You could also go for the 50-30 (50 trips in 30 days for 42.50) if you’re certain you use it a lot.
I suggest you start with the T-10, calculate how many trips you’ve used, and see if you need to ‘upgrade’ to the 50-30.
Best of luck 🙂
Ash
Karolina
Hi there,
Myself and my boyfriend are visiting Barcelona in August. We’ll be staying there for 7 nights, and most likely to use the metro as our main public transport option as we’re staying near the Europa/Fira station.
What is the best travel card that you’d recommend us to purchase? As well as that, I’d like to visit Monseratt too. Do the travel cards include trains too?
Thanks!
Ash
Hi Karolina,
For a straight up and no-nonsense transport pass I would recommend getting a 120 hour Hola BCN Card. For the last two days you could consider getting an additional 48 hour card.
It’ll take care of your airport transport + all your metro, bus, and overland train needs. Such low hassle and it’ll save you money if you’re getting around a bit.
If it’s your first time visiting though and you’ve got a lot of the main attractions in mind then I’d recommend taking a look at the Barcelona City Pass.
First off it includes entrance to things you’re going to see anyway. Second, it lets you book everything from the comfort of home and skip lines (long in summer) at the best attractions. Third, it’ll give you a 20% discount voucher for pretty much anything you’ll do in Barcelona including Montserrat.
While it isn’t a transport card it does give you 20% off the aforementioned Hola BCN Card.
If you’re seeing Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, and want a cool bus tour + plan on seeing Casa Batllo, Casa Mila’ and others this is the best way to save money and time.
Again, feel free to write me with a list of what you want to see and I can tell you better. But with seven days I imagine you’re seeing a ton of stuff so you might as well save 20% on all of it 😉
As for Montserrat the standard travel cards aren’t valid since it’s outside zone one – but travel instructions/tickets will be available in the tour packages offered with the City Pass, or any other for that matter.
Cheers,
Ash
Julianne McKell
In June we will be arriving on a cruise ship that will be docked from 12-8pm. Is the Hola BCN card a good deal for that length of time? Would it cover the cost of the shuttle from the port to the metro station?
I have looked at the Hop On Hop Off option but my concern for that is figuring out when we will be near the Sagrada Familia. We will be buying the tickets online sometime before we leave. I have read that it is better to tour the Sagrada Familia first thing in the morning (which isn’t an option for us) or later in the afternoon. So, I would guess that going straight to the Sagrada Famiia would not be the best choice.
What would you suggest?
Thanks!
Ash
Hi Julianne,
Thanks for writing
Even with the cheapest Hola BCN (48h) I just don’t think you’ll get the kind of value to make it worth it in only 8 hours. Especially if you’re gonna take the Bus Turístic.
In fact, aside from transfer from the port you could use the Bus Turístic as your sole means of transport and keep that money for a nice lunch, or god forbid an emergency taxi back should things not go as planned
First I’ll ask you to find out (if possible) which ferry dock you’ll be arriving at.
If it’s either the WTC (World Trade Centre) dock or the Sant Bernard dock you’ll easily be able to walk to the nearest Bus Turístic stop.
If not, I’ll recommend taking the PORTBUS (€4 return) to the Bus Turístic stop at the Christopher Colombus statue. It’s usually less wait and cheaper than a taxi.
For the Sagrada Familia you’re a bit handcuffed on the time but it’s a necessity.
My main problem with the crowds is that it creates giant hour long lines – if you buy your tickets in advance online like you say you’ll avoid this problem. So visit away even in the afternoon
I would grab the Bus Touristic from the port and go immediately to Sagrada Familia and get that out of the way (your guided tour can be easily timed for about 2 pm or even a bit later).
After 90 minutes you’ll have 3-4 hours to get back on the bus and admire some sights and even get off to admire a couple up close (Park Guell and Casa Batllo would be my recommendations) or have a snack.
The time restrictions certainly aren’t ideal but it’s doable!
Ok, let me know if you have any other questions about your Barcelona stop over because I’d be happy to help.
Cheers,
Ash
Julianne McKell
Thanks, Ash! I appreciate your advice. Do you recommend using the Tourista buses? If we choose not to use the Tourista buses but instead use the metro would it be a more efficient use of our time? And if we go that route, would it be better to buy the BCN pass or the 10 ride card?
Thanks!
Julianne
Ash
Hi again Julianne,
I don’t think the metro would be a more efficient use of your time unless you had one more very specific attraction in mind that you just had to visit (as in, visit properly). In this case you could get a T-10 (better value than Hola Bcn) and very systematically visit what you want.
The question becomes… what exactly are you hoping to see?
If you have one or two more specific attractions you can’t miss I can let you know the best way… but if you’re unsure and just want to see a bit of everything then the Bus Turistic is a good option and one I always recommend to cruise ship passengers on little time.
Also, once the PORTBUS drops you off you’ll have to walk up to Drassanes metro station, take the green line up to Passeig de Gracia, and then change to the purple line to get to Sagrada… you’ll essentially be skipping over the entire city centre by staying underground, which would be a shame because the city is really alive these days! It will also likely be a bit slower. Not too mention stuffy.
Anyway, let me know a bit more about what you wanna see and maybe I can get the perfect itinerary arranged… if not in the meantime I’m recommending the Bus Turistic.
Cheers,
Ash
Sharon
This may be the dummiest question you have ever had BUT how do you know that the train you are catching on whateve line you choose IS going TO rather than going AWAY from your destination BEFORE you get on it?
Ash
Hi Sharon,
Not to worry, there are no dumb questions only dumb answers, so I’ll try and do my best here 😉
In order to know the direction your train is headed you simply have to look at the signs posted in the metro – the stops which have already been completed (that is, the ones behind the train and in the opposite direction) will be displayed in white, while the stops the train still has to make will be displayed in colour.
Here’s an example of the sign:
Also, when you get on the train… over every second door there’s an additional line map. The stops which have already been completed will be illuminated by a red light, while the ones to come will not be lit up in any way.
OK! That’s that… if you have any more questions I am here! 🙂
Happy New Year,
Ashley