Barcelona is a great city for walking. It's wide boulevards and narrow back for alleys offer countless hours of aimless wandering. However, Barcelona is also diverse geographically and many of the main sights and attractions are located quite far away from each other. This is where the efficient and expansive Barcelona public transportation system comes into help.
Featuring four main modes of transport: metro, bus, commuter trains, and trams; the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) offers cheap and safe mass transportation 24 hours a day. This guide will give a brief overview of these transport systems and how to make the best use of them. Believe me; this guide will come in handy whether it's so hot outside you can't take another minute of walking without drowning in a pool of your own sweat, it's pouring rain, or you simply want to get from one part of the city to another quickly and easily.
Barcelona's quick and efficient metro system
General info
Opening hours for the metro, commuter trains, normal bus lines, and trams are Sunday to Thursday from 5:00 am until midnight; Friday from 5:00 am until 2:00 am; and Saturday the system is open 24 hours. There are night buses (called Nitbus) that run all night every night. All night buses begin or end in Pl. Catalunya. Always check inside the stations, as hours may be extended for special events and festivals happening in the city. All of the different modes of transport operate with an integrated ticket system, which means tickets may be purchased anywhere and used on any transportation within the city of Barcelona. Individual tickets for zone 1 (Barcelona metropolitan area) may be bought for 1.35€, but the best value for most visitors is to purchase a T-10 ticket, which is valid for 10 rides and may be shared for 7.70€. The day tickets are generally not worth the money. Your ticket entitles you to make transfers within 1 hour and 15 minutes of its initial validation, as long as you don't return the direction from which you came. If you are taking the commuter trains outside of the city, check the zone map to find out the type of ticket you need to purchase.
Metro
The easiest public transport option to use, the underground train network is made up of 5 major lines each indicated with a number and a color (L1, red; L2, purple; L3, green; L4, yellow; L5, blue). All lines connect with each other line at at least one station, making transfers easy. Stops are located near all major attractions, and in general you are never more than 15 minutes walking away from a metro stop anywhere in the city. During peak hours, trains run every 2-3 minutes; but on weekends and off hours waits may be longer- between 5 and 10 minutes. A map of the subway system is available here.
Commuter trains
Run by two companies; Renfe (the Spanish national rail company) and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC), which is the Catalan government's train network; offer both urban and suburban service- connecting the urban center with the small cities outside of Barcelona, as well as the more remote districts of the city itself. Renfe's Rodalies commuter train service can take you to the airport (from Sants station, and other city center stations) and to some great beaches outside the city (Sitges, Platja de Castelldefells, Montgat, amongst others). The FGC serves the quiet, Parte Alta (uptown) of Barcelona, as well as the cities in the interior of Barcelona province. FGC can also take you to Montserrat, Vic and other sights mentioned on this blog.
Buses
The bus network is vast and extensive. For all intensive purposes it is much simpler to use the metro system. However, if you do have the urge to take the bus, simply ask for a map on the bus or in any metro station with an attendant, and you can rather easily plan your routes. The waiting times for buses varies from 5-30 minutes depending on the line and time of day. We do, however, recommend the Nitbus (night bus) service which offers all night service every day of the year. All night buses start or end in Plaza Catalunya, so it is simple to take a bus to your Barcelona apartment from the city center.
Trams
There are two tram networks, though the one you are most likely to use as a visitor are the two lines which serve the beach area of the city. From the metro stop Glories or Marina (L1) you can catch trams that will drop you off near Poblenou, the Forum, the Diagonal Mar shopping center, and many of the city's beaches. The tram is a convenient way to get around this part of the city where metro stops are more scarce.
