Fares on Barcelona’s public transport network are based on zones, much as they are in London and Paris. Unlike London, the entire city of Barcelona and some adjoining towns are within Zone 1. Zones 2 to 6 cover surrounding towns and cities, which are also included in the integrated fare system.
Different maps, different zones
Many people don’t realize that the zones on the ATM map (Barcelona’s metropolitan transport system) aren’t exactly the same as those on the RENFE map (Spanish train network).
The differences are minor and only affect a few stations, so it’s hard to spot if you check the individual maps online.
However, if you compare the maps side-by-side, you’ll see that there are several discrepancies. One of which is especially interesting for budget-minded travellers visiting Barcelona.
Firstly, Sitges and Mataró are both in Zone 3 on the ATM map and Zone 4 on the RENFE map. More importantly, Barcelona airport is in zone one on the TMB map and zone 4 on the RENFE map!
This means that if you purchase a single RENFE ticket from the airport to Barcelona Sants train station, it will cost you €4.60, whereas if you purchase a T-casual travel pass (10 journeys by bus, metro, tram and train), the same journey on the same train will cost just €1.22.
Another advantage of the T-casual is that it allows you to transfer to the metro or bus as part of the same journey, whereas the single train ticket or Bonotren only covers the train.
Important information about the L9 sud Airport metro
Despite the fact that both airport metro stations are within ATM zone 1, neither the T-casual nor the standard single metro ticket is valid for the airport metro stations. Instead, you have to purchase a special airport ticket, which costs €5.50 for a single journey and is only valid for the metro*.
If you do decide to use the metro to get to and from the airport, you should think about purchasing a Hola Barcelona Travel Card, which allows unlimited transport within zone 1 by metro, bus, train and tram and costs €16.62 for 48 hours when purchased online.
Find out more about Barcelona sightseeing passes and discount cards
If you mistakenly use a standard single-journey ticket or a T-casual to travel to one of the airport metro stations, you will have to purchase an airport ticket in order to be able to exit through the ticket barriers.
*Note: The T-casual and standard single journey tickets are valid when travelling to or from any of the other stations on the L9 sud metro line. You only need the special airport metro ticket when boarding/alighting at the airport T1 or T2 stations.
Zone two towns which sometimes count as zone one
If you look carefully at the ATM zoning map, you’ll see that some areas of Zone 2 (2A, 2B and 2C) are coloured dark green, the same as Zone 1.
The 18 towns in these areas are covered by the Tarifa Metropolitana (Metropolitan Fare). This means that if you use one of the travel passes issued by the ATM and start your journey in zone one, the towns are effectively in the same zone, and you can use a one-zone pass. On the other hand, if you begin your journey in zone two or more, then they are in zone 2.
This might sound confusing, but it basically means that if you are travelling from the city centre, then these towns, which are effectively suburbs of Barcelona, are in zone one. On the other hand, if you are travelling from outside Barcelona, they are in zone 2, which also saves you the price of an extra zone.
How many zones? Which ticket do I need?
As can be seen from the maps linked above, there are a total of six transport zones radiating out from Barcelona city centre.
When you purchase a single-journey ticket, you can simply select your destination; no need to worry about which transport zone it’s in.
If you will be travelling outside of Zone 1 and want to save money by purchasing a multi-trip travel pass (T-casual, T-Jove, etc…), you will have to decide the number of zones needed.
To do this, you simply need to work out how many successive zones you will be travelling in, to a maximum of six zones.
For example, if you will be travelling from Barcelona (zone 1) to Mataró (zone 3), you need a 3-zone ticket, travelling in zones 1-2-3.
From Calella (zone 4) to Blanes (zone 5), you need a 2-zone ticket, travelling in zones 4 & 5.
The only exception is if you will be travelling between two consecutive stations, which happen to be in different zones. For example, from the last station in Zone 3 to the first station in Zone 4. In this case, you only need a 1 zone travel pass.
As always, if you’ve any questions, comment below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
All prices and fares mentioned in this post were checked and updated in February 2024.
Hi Richard,
We (3 persons) are going to BCN on 26 March and will stay for 5 days at En Grassot. Can we use T10 multi-trip ticket to travel from the airport (T2) to our hostel? If we can, how many transport means we must change and at which station or stop?
I am looking forward to your respond.
Thank you very much.
Xuan
Hi Xuan,
Yes, you can use a T10 to get to your hostel. You only need to purchase one because it can be shared by up to 10 people travelling together. Just make sure you validate the T10 once per person at the ticket barriers.
Take the R2 nord train from the station at terminal 2 to Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia (the 4th stop). From here you need to catch the L4 metro (yellow line) towards Trinitat Nova.
Depending on the exact address of your hostel you should either get off at Verdaguer (2nd stop) or Joanic (3rd stop).
It’s old information. Now you need to use T-familiar ticket for multi person. Old T-10 is T-casual — it’s for 1 person.
Hi Andrii,
Thanks for your comment.
As you say, the T-10 was phased out in 2019, but the comment above is from 2018.
Dear Richard,
I will travel to Barcelona with my three friends from December 2 to December 4. We will arrive at El Prat Airport (info about terminal number is not available yet). Our apartment is located near Sagrada Familia. Can you please advise if and what kind (zone?) of T10 is suitable for us or whether is there cheaper solution to transport through Barcelona? Can we also use T10 to go to Camp Nou from our apartment near Sagrada Familia? We spend in Barcelona only one whole day as we will land on Dec 2 in the afternoon and go back on Dec 4 in the morning.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Roman,
The airport, La Sagrada Familia and Camp Nou are all in transport zone 1 on the TMB map so you can use a 1 zone T10 for all three.
Whether the T10 is the cheapest option for you depends on how much you will be using public transport during your stay.
Generally the T10 is a good option but since you are arriving mid-day on Saturday and departing at mid day on Sunday you could also consider the 48h Hola Barcelona travel pass which costs €13.77 when purchased online and offers unlimited journeys on the metro, train, bus and trams within zone 1. Whereas the T10 costs €9.95 for 10 journeys. Which will work out cheapest depends on how many journeys you think you will be taking.
More info about how to get from the airport to your hotel here.
You cannot use t10 to get on metro at the airport even tho it’s in first zone of metro – you have to buy different ticket, specially created for airport stations (I think it costs around 4 euro for single journey). But you CAN USE t10 to get from airport on renfe R2N line. How weird it doesn’t sound- that’s the way I am always doing, after confirming info with employees on station. And then it’s up to you – you can change from R2N to L9sud on next station, or you can carry on on R2N to Sants-Estació and from there take whichever metro line you fancy ;)
Hi Aga,
Thanks for sharing this very useful bit of information!
Unfortunately this article was written back in 2013 before the L9 sud metro line was built.
I will update the post ASAP and include a short section about the airport metro.
Thanks again for your comment!
You are very welcome! It’s always good to have that info – I remember when I was first time in Barcelona I was very confused with public transport but there was no one to really explain me how it works ;) so if I can help with any tips and tricks – I will gladly do so :)
Have a lovely day!
Hello Aga,
I could use some advice from the BCN el prat airport to Well And Come Hotell Botuiqe.
Hi Trang,
I’ve answered your questions over on the other post.
Hi Emma,
The Aerobus stops in Plaça de Catalunya in front of a large department store called El Corte Inglés. One of the entrances to the metro/ train is just in front of the entrance to the El Corte Inglés (left hand side as you look at it from the Aerobus stops). As you enter the station concourse the ticket barriers that give access to the train station are in the middle, just after a small bar / café. The entrance to the metro is at the other end of the station concourse (after you haver walked past the entrance to the trains).
If in doubt, there are ticket offices and an information desk on the left hand side where you can ask.
Arenys del mar is in ATM zone 4.
By the way, you may already have considered this but I just thought I’d mention it, you could also take the train from T2 to Barcelona El Clot Aragó then the train from there to Arenys del Mar. Depending on timings and which terminal you arrive at it might take slightly longer than the Aerobus but since you plan to buy the T10 it would save you a few Euros plus you wouldn’t have to worry about finding your way (just change from platform 2 to platform 4). Check timetables here
Hi,
I am looking for a little help please if possible. I will be arriving in Barcelona on 22nd October. I am staying in Arenys de Mar. My plan is to take the aerobus from my terminal to placa catalunya and from there take the R1 train to Arenys de Mar however I am worried about how I initially get to the station? From what I have read the metro lines are in the same station? So I am also worried about how easy it will be to find the correct area to catch my train. I would like to purchase the T10 pass but I am unsure what zone this falls under? Any help would be greatly appreciated please.
Thank you Emma.
Thanks Richard for the reply. It was very helpful. Hopefully we are coming on 15th October :)
So I can buy T10 Zone 1 from airport and take bus 46 to the Martorell Enllaç then walk to the Gornal. Then we can use rest of T10 Zone1 for our trip in Barcelona city, am I right?
Now about the Zone 4 ticket, each single ticket is 5.10 Euro, and the T10 zone 4 is 34.45 Euro. As you know we only come to the Piera once and come back a week later means we need four tickets. Now can we use Zone 4 ticket (totally four tickets here for return trip) to Monastery as you mention? (as total 8 tickets now, T10 price can work for us). If the combined ticket with cable-car is cheaper then it means we only need those 4 tickets? So the T10 would not economic for us? Do you know any touristic places which my wife can also go easily by Zone 4 tickets which will be remained from our T10 Zone 4?
I have three general questions, Sorry if I ask it here in this topic.
Is there any cheap taxi app here in Barcelona like Uber? Uber still is the cheapest way to take a taxi?
Also we want to buy only one pre paid sim card at the airport with call and data (I can say 500M
data would be enough), what is the best money value option?
How much is the villages around Barcelona like Piera is safe? Do we need to be worry or be more careful if she just explore the area whole the day by herself? In respect that she dose not know any handy language rather than English.
Many thanks in advance
Hi Ehsan,
That’s correct since it’s only the train map which puts the airport in Zone 4. However if you are going to be taking the bus number 46 I suggest you take it to Plaça Europa and then catch the R6 train from Europa / Fira.
Remember, you can’t purchase the T10 on the bus. If you land at at Terminal one then you can buy it at the tobacconist. If you land at T2 then you’ll have to purchase the T10 at the train station and then double back on yourself. Since the bus ticket only costs €2.15 you might decide to wait and purchase the T10 when you return to Barcelona and buy a single ticket from the bus driver.
By the way the 10 day strike never came to fruition, the trains are currently running normally. Having said that this could change, I suggest you check again the day that you travel.
Another place which is nearby that your wife might like to visit is Colonia Güell which is on the R6 line and only 2 zones away so no need for the 4 zone T10 either. (If you travel from zone 4 to zone 2 you only need a 2 zone ticket since you pay for the number of transport zones that you travel through). Sitges is also very nice (6 zone ticket).
Uber etc. are banned in Barcelona, there are a few taxi apps which operate with regular taxis. A friend of mine always recommends mytaxi but I’ve never used it myself, I prefer to use public transport wherever possible.
The only place that I know at the airport which sell SIM cards is the Crystal Media Shop (they have shops in both terminals). Looking at their website they sell prepaid SIMs for Vodafone and Orange. I’m not sure how their pre-paid tariffs compare but I’ve used both networks and outside the city Vodafone has better coverage.
As for the safety part of your question. I guess you’ve seen the TV reports about what has been happening here over the last few days right? It’s certainly a worrying and unhappy time for people living here but, despite what you may have seen on TV, this is basically a political problem which has been handled extremely badly. Apart from the demonstrations and the general strike, life carries on as normal.
Obviously you have to make your own judgement but the Catalan and Spanish people are peace-loving and friendly people and there’s no need to worry about security. Just avoid any protests or demonstrations and you’ll be fine. Depending on the outcome of the next few days there may well be more industrial action (strikes) it’s impossible to know exactly how this is going to play out at the moment. Feel free to check back here again nearer to your arrival date and I’ll update you.
English is fine, as I said above people here are friendly and even if they aren’t fluent in English they will do their best to help you.
Hi Richard,
I am coming with my wife to Barcelona soon but I still am unable to solve the transportation problem. Very appreciate if you can help us. In the morning we would arrive to the Barcelona airport, then we should go to our accommodation which is near Piera (exactly 08784 Piera, Barcelona, Spain). I know that from the Piera station to the accommodation there is no public transportation and its about 1 hour walking. Do you know that I can find any local taxi there? Anyway, getting to Piera from Airport is a main question now. It is in the zone 4 I guess, so should we buy T10 Zone 4?!
Moreover, after we arrive there I have five days workshop in Els Hostalets de Pierola. I have no problem in this part because some one will drive me to the place every day. But the main problem is my wife, she wants to explore the area such as Montserrat in that case I have no idea again what is the best public transportation strategy? I know that this rural area is not well supported by public transportation but what is the other options? Do you know any cheap bike or car rental on that area? how can I find? Also After 5 days we would come back to Barcelona city and stay there for 3 days and finally head to the Airport. Sorry if I added many information here but your comment can be very helpful.
Cheers,
Ehsan
Hi Ehsan,
I’ve never been to Piera so I don’t know about the availability of taxis but I would expect there to be taxis available during the day from any train station. Your hotel should be able to give you the number of a local cab company.
The reason that you are having difficulty finding the route is because there are 2 local train companies in Barcelona. One is the FGC and the other is RENFE (Rodalies).
Piera is on the R6 line which is operated by FGC and the train station at the airport is on the RENFE line R2 nord.
To make the change between the two, the quickest way is to take the train from the airport to Bellvitge train station (second stop, more information here). You then walk about 250m to Gornal station on the FGC line L6.
Single train tickets don’t allow you to change trains so, as you have said, if you plan to use the train from the airport and you will also be returning by train then the 4 zone T10 will work out cheapest. Alternatively you could take the bus from the airport in which is only a one zone journey in which case it might work out cheaper to buy single tickets. Remember that you only need to purchase one T10 and share it between you.
If you will be arriving within the next 10 days then you should be aware that RENFE Rodalies are on strike until the 13th so there will only be 33% of the usual trains running (minimum service). FGC will be working normally from tomorrow onwards. (Today was a general strike to protest against what happened in Barcelona on Sunday)
To get to Montserrat you can take the R6 train from Piera to Martorell Enllaç and then the R5 to Aeri de Montserrat. From here there’s a cable-car up to the monastery. Ask at the train station to see if there are combined tickets which include the train and the cable-car. There are from Barcelona but I don’t know whether there are from Piera.
The only car hire company that I’ve used from Barcelona is Europcar. They aren’t particularly cheap but they have offices at the airport and in my experience are a reliable company.
Hi Richard,
My name is Caleb. I’m from Niger. I came to Barcelona for studies and I stay at Carrer de Lancaster. The school I will be attending is EU business school Carrer de Gabduxer. The metro is a 3 mins walk from my place and from the Google Maps it’s two trips by train and arrival time is approximately 23mins.
What kind of ticket should I get for this. Is a T10 individual or integrated ticket the best? Secondly how is a trip calculated because I checked a transport site and it said one trip on a card is approximately 1hr20min.
Thank you.
Hi Caleb,
Depending on your exact address, I guess that Google is telling you to catch the L3 metro then change to the FGC train line right?
Assuming that you will be making this journey several times then a 1 zone T10 is definitely the best choice.
The T10 allows you to change from one mode of transport to another (say from metro to tram to bus etc… ) and it will only count as one journey as long as the entire journey doesn’t take longer than 75 minutes. Since your journey only lasts 23 minutes you are well within the 75 minute maximum time limit.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for all info. Very helpful. I will be in Barcelona in mid Sept. Will use train from airport to El Clot-Arago, which is the last stop of R2 nord. Should I purchase T10 for the trip? Btw, I did not note how much cost for one T10 ticket. I assume the ticket cover 10 single trips, correct? Thank you very much for your help.
Hi Annie,
Thanks for your comment, I’m glad you found the post helpful.
To avoid any possible confustion I just wanted to mention that Barcelona El Clot Aragó is the last station within Barcelona but it isn’t the last stop on the R2 nord line which continues all the way to Maçanet.
The one zone T10 costs €9.95 and allows 10 “integrated” journeys which means that you can take a combination of (for example) train and metro and it will count as just one trip.
The T10 is a good choice because it works out at half price compared with purchasing individual tickets and is valid for the airport train. If you think you will be using public transport a lot (more than 6 times per day) then you could also consider the Hola Barcelona! Travel pass (see info and links in this article for more information).
Hi Richard,
Thank you very much for your clarification : ) you are the best!
Hi Richard!
Can you tell me if T70/30 can be used for train from airport El Prat to city centre?
Hi Miriam,
Sorry for the late reply, unfortunately the anti-spam software wrongly marked your comment as spam.
To answer your question: Yes you can use the T70/30 on the train from the airport.
Hi ,can someone confirm whether its possible to buy a 5 zone T10 ticket at the airport terminal 2 and use it on the Segles bus to get from Barcelona airport to Santa Susanna please?
Thank you
Hi Cecilia,
Yes, you can buy a 5 zone T10 from the ticket machines at the train station at terminal 2.
Hi! Can you please tell me, what is the cheapest way to get from El Masnou to Girona? Thank you!
Hi Csilla,
The cheapest way is to take the RG1 commuter train which runs direct from El Masnou to Girona and costs €7.70
The train departs from the northbound platform (the one nearer the sea) and takes about an hour and 40 minutes.
Thank you very much!
Hello Richard
I’m going to Barcelona for a week and thought to buy 5 days /120 h travel card, but I’m a bit unsure if the places we’re going to are through 1 zone. Our hotel is Sercotel Hotel Ciutat De Montcada, at Carrer de Verdi, 12, 08110 Montcada i Reixac, and we are going to travel from the hotel with all different transports to the tourist places such as: La Sagrada familie, Noucamp, barcelona zoo, Placa de catalunya, Rambla. Do you think it’s wise to buy 5 days travel card, and are all the places in 1 zone?
Thank you :)
Hi Nahrain,
Montcada i Reixac and all the attractions which you have listed are all in zone 1 and are covered by the Hola Barcelona travel pass.
Generally speaking, the Hola Barcelona pass is worth buying if you will be using public transport more than 6 times per day or if you will be catching the metro from the airport.
If not then it will work out cheaper to purchase T10 travel passes.
In your case, judging by the places which you have listed during a one week visit I recommend you purchase a T10 then once you have used the ten trips purchase another as required…
Hi Richard
We’re currently in Barcelona, but are travellng down to salou and looking at a train straight through
Would a T-10 zone 1-3 be available for this trip
Thanks
Hi Richard,
The T10 isn’t valid for Salou. I suggest you take a regional express train, tickets cost €8.80 and can be purchased on the day from the machines at the train station. The journey takes an hour and a quarter. Timetables here
If there are a group of you travelling then you could purchase a Bono 10 ticket to Salou. These are also purchased from the renfe ticket machines at the train station (only available from the orange and black machines). Unlike the T10s which are based on zones, you have to specify the destination when purchasing a Bono 10.
Hi Richard , I am travelling to barcelona on the 29th August. I would like to know how to get to Fira Centric Apartments from the airport. I would also like to know which travel card would be better for travelling in barcelona as we have 3 children also.
Hi Sazeda,
Assuming that there are five of you travelling then I’d recommend a taxi which should cost you just under €30.
If there are less in your group then the aerobus would be a good choice, more info. here.
Which travel card is best depends on how many journeys you think you will take per day. If you will be taking public transport more than 6 times per day then the Hola Barcelona! card is good value. If you don’t think that you will be using public transport so much then a T10 will work out cheaper. For larger groups and longer stays then the T70/30 can be a good choice.
Children under 4 years old travel for free.
Hi Richard,
My wife and I are travelling Barcelona in the coming 19 July for 6 days. We mainly will visit places in Barcelona City Center but will also go to Figueres and back to Barcelona in one of the days. Do you have any recommendation on what tickets we should buy in this case? There are Barcelona Express Card, T10? and maybe even more types, quite confusing.
Would you mind give us some advice? Thanks a lot.
Regards,
John
Hi John,
For visiting Figueres I recommend you take a middle distance or regional train from Barcelona Sants station. You can purchase the tickets from the machines at the station on the day. The journey takes about 1 hr 50 minutes by MD train or 2 hours 10 by regional trains. The Salvador Dali Theater Museum is walking distance from Figueres train station.
The decision as to whether it’s worth buying a Barcelona Card, Barcelona City Pass or Barcelona Card Express etc. depends on which places you intend to visit in Barcelona.
Without knowing which sights you plan to see it’s impossible to recommend one ticket over the others.
For travel within Barcelona the 1 zone T10 is a good choice and unless you plan to use public transport more than 6 times a day (unlikely during a 6 day stay) will work out cheaper than the Hola Barcelona travel pass. The only exception is if you plan to take the metro from the airport.
Hi Richard,
Thanks a lot for your information. It helps a lot.
Hi Richard
we are traveling from Barcelona Sants to Figueres tomorrow with a party of 4. From Figueres we will travel in the afternoon to Girona and then back to Barcelona in the evening. If we purchase the Bona10 to figueres, would we be able to use it on our way back from Girona to Barcelona? I think that that would still be cheaper than buying all single tickets. any advice?
Hi Joke,
You could use the Bono 10 for part of the journey but it would count as a whole journey ie. from Figueres to Girona would be one of the 10 journeys then Girona to Barcelona would be one of the 10 journeys.
The single ticket prices for these journeys on rodalies are: Barcelona to Figueres €12 Figueres to Girona €4.10 Girona to Barcelona €8.40
The Bono 10 Barcelona Figueres costs €87.60 for 10 journeys.
As you can see, you would make a small saving as long as you ensure that you use the Bono 10 for the most expensive legs of the journey and then purchase 2 single tickets from Figueres to Girona.
The single tariffs for 4 Barcelona to Figueres tickets plus 4 Girona to Barcelona tickets and 2 tickets from Figueres to Girona (total 10 journeys) would cost a total of €89.80.
As you can see this would save you €2.20 in total.
I am going from BCN T1 to Santa Susanna and want to use the Sagales bus as its direct. I was told by Sagales that their airport service, 603 613 614 accepts T10 zone 5. This means that the info you provided about picking up T10 card at tabac is very useful. If you buy a ticket on the bus it costs €11 each.
I wonder if its worth buying the T10 zone 6 as we may wish to visit Girona or Sitges. The Sagales service goes to Girona but I don’t know if its within the 6 zone system.
Tarragona is outside the zone 6 but can you buy a renfe ticket to make up the difference?
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for sharing the information about the Sagalés bus to Santa Susanna.
Unfortunately Girona is just outside of the ATM Barcelona travel zones.
As far as I am aware it is not possible buy a suplementary ticket to make up the difference between the T10 and the renfe fare.
As you say you could use a 6 zone T10 to get to Sitges. Remember that when calculating the number of zones you need to purchase you have to count the number of zones that you will pass through (to a maximum of 6).
This means that if you travel from Santa Susanna (zone 5) to Mataró (zone 3) you only need a 3 zone ticket (travelling through zones 5, 4 and 3) whereas if you travel from Mataró (zone 3 to the north of Barcelona) to Sitges (Zone 3 to the south of Barcelona) you need a 5 zone ticket (travelling through zones 3, 2, 1, 2, 3)
The T10/30 is accepted on the Girona or Figueras bus, which is annoying as I think its €100 or €120 for 10 journeys from Barcelona. We are a party of three so we would use 6 of them.
We would need one T10 5 zone and one T10/30, for visiting Barcelona and surrounding s.
Hi Patricia,
Is this a ticket sold by the Sagalés bus company?
I’ve seen on their website that they sell quite a few multi-trip tickets in addition to the ATM Barcelona ones including a T10/120 between Barcelona and Figueras.
I have seen mention of both Sarfe and Sagales specific multi journey fares, but I was talking about the ATM integrated ticket T10/30. That probably isnt available at the airport, but from a Rodalies station machine.
I asked on tripadviser if my T10 zone 5 could be bought at the Tobacconists in T1 and Joan G Travel Expert very kindly confirmed that they sell every T10 zone card.
Hi Patricia,
You might want to check that with the experts at trip advisor because I have already checked on both the TMB website and Rodalies train site but they don’t mention a T10/30 ticket.
The Sagalés link in my previous comment included a T10/30 for the ATM Àrea de Girona but as far as I’m aware that will not cover you for Barcelona.
If the experts at trip advisor can’t sort it for you let me know and I’ll check at the train station on my way to work next week.
Hi Richard, we are both right. I found a link in English which shows that there is a Girona T10 system which according to the map links with Barcelona scheme at Macanes.
http://rodalies.gencat.cat/en/tarifes/servei_de_rodalia_de_girona/generals/servei-integrat-atm-girona/
I meant Macanet-Massanes.
Hi Patricia,
Although the train lines link at Maçanet-Massanes, I don’t think a T10/30 for ATM Àrea de Girona will cover you as far as Barcelona.
I have done a Google search (in Catalan, Spanish and English) and can only find information about the T10/120s Barcelona-Girona and Barcelona Figueres which only seem to cover the buses (Sagales / Sarfa).
I think that the fastest way to get a difinitive answer is going to be to check at the train station tomorrow.
Hi Patricia,
I stopped by the customer service office at the train station this evening and was told the following:
The RG1 connects Barcelona to Figueres but once the train leaves zone 6 (after Maçanet-Massanes) it is considered a regional train instead of rodalies.
This means that beyond this point neither the 6 zone T10 nor the 6 zone bonotren are valid.
Instead you have to either purchase a single ticket to the destination or a Bono 10 to the destination.
A single regional train ticket from Barcelona (Plaça de Catalunya) to Figueres costs €12 the bono 10 costs €87.60.
A single regional train ticket from Barcelona (Plaça de Catalunya) to Girona costs €8.40 the bono 10 costs €61.45.
They also confirmed that the Bono 10 tickets can be shared between 2 or more people and mentioned that you can only purchase them from the black and orange renfe / rodalies ticket machines not from the grey and red rodalies/ATM machines.
I’ve uploaded some photos of the different types of ticket machines here so you can see what I’m talking about.
Note that these are renfe train tickets and aren’t valid for metro or buses.
Hope this helps :-)
Hi Richard,
We are a group of 6 people arriving at Barcelona airport at 10.p.m on saturday. We have booked a hotel in Granollers. I see taking train is more economical compared to cabs. I saw your comments that says one has to take R2 rails to reach Granollers from airport. But i am not able to understand the starting point of these rails. Does it start from airport?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Sahana
Hi Sahana,
The train departs from the train station at terminal 2. If you will be landing at terminal 1 then you can take the free shuttle bus to terminal 2. Check out this post which gives more info about the airport train and how to get to the train station from both terminals.
Trains run every 30 minutes and take about an hour to get to Granollers (theres a link to the train timetable in the article linked to above).
Re. the taxi, just thought that I’d let you know that there are usually some 6 seater taxis available at the airport.
Hi Richard,
I keep seeing on other information sites, that with the T10, you cannot use that ticket for the metro stops at Barcelona Airport. So how does that work then when getting from the airport into town using the T10 (as you mentioned it is only 1 euro from the airport when buying the T10? My husband and I will arrive on Sunday the 18th and will be traveling from Terminal 1 to Lesseps Metro Station.
Thank you in advance.
Hello Felisha,
That is correct, you can’t use the T10 at the airport metro stops. You CAN however use it on the airport train!
Also, if you are lucky with the connections the train may actually be a faster way of getting to Lesseps.
Take the free shutttle bus from T1 to the T2 then the R2 nord train from the airport train station to Passeig de Gràcia. At Passeig de Gràcia change to the L3 metro line to Lesseps.
The entire journey counts as 1 trip on the T10 and will therefore cost just under €1. More information about the airport train and the free shuttle bus between airport terminals here.
Hi there, I’m arriving in Barcelona for a few touristy days on Monday (arrival at T2 at noon) and my accommodation is near to Llucmayor metro station. I want to be able to travel daily to the city and around the main sights and also to the beaches on some days (Mar Bella naturist beach). What would you suggest would be the most economical travel card option please?
Many thanks for your assistance.
Hi Rebecca,
Unless you plan to use public transport a lot (more than 6 journeys per day) I recommend you purchase a 1 zone T10.
You can use this on the train from the airport to get to your hotel. Take the train from T2 to Passeig de Gràcia then the L4 from there to Llucmajor metro station and your hotel. More information about the airport train here.
To get to the Mar Bella naturist beach take the L4 metro to Poblenou which is a 10 minute walk from the beach.
Hi!
If i have T10 ticket. can i get to aiport by renfe From arc de triomf lines R1 or R3 or R4 and change train in station Sants to lines R2?
Hi Peter,
Yes, that is correct.
Hi Richard,
I will travel to Barcelona with my husband and daughter. We will arrive at El Prat Airport Terminal 1 at 8 am. Our hostel located near Plaza Catalunya. We will stay at Barcelona for 1 day, then go to another Europe countries. In the end of our Europe journey we will back to Barcelona again and stay for one last day before going back to our country from El Prat Airport.
My questions:
1. Can you suggest for the cheapest transportation card for exploring Barcelona city?
2. How much do I have to pay for T10?
3. Can I use T10 to go to Camp Nou from my hostel?
Thank you.
Hi Niki,
1) This depends on which airport terminal you are arriving and departing and how you plan to transfer to / from your hotel and how much you plan to use the metro during your stay in Barcelona.Generally speaking, unless you plan to use the L9sud metro from the airport or travel a lot on public transport the T10 will be a good bet.
2) The 1 zone T10 costs €9.95 for ten combined journeys by metro, bus train and tram.
You didn’t say how old your daughter is but if she’s under 4 she can travel for free.
3) Yes you can use the T10 to get from your hotel to Camp Nou. Take the metro L1 to Plaça de Sants then the L5 from there to Collblanc.
Hi Richard
We are flying into Barcelona on the 12th and staying at Canet de Mar for 4 days. We will be travelling frequently all over. Which would be the best travel card to get?
Many thanks
Nikki
Hello Nikki,
In order to be able to tell you which travel card would be best, I need you to tell me how many people are in your group and which towns you plan to visit and how many times if you intend to visit any of them more than once.
Also, I assume that you mean Barcelona El Prat airport not Girona airport right?
The reason I ask is that Ryanair and some other budget airlines refer to it as Barcelona Girona airport which can be confusing.
Hi Richard
Theres just the 2 of us and yes its the El Prat airport. We will be going into barcelona, other than that we’re not sure yet where else. Think it may just be a case of playing it by ear and see where we fancy at the time if that mskes sense , I did manage to figure out we get the R2 nord service from the airport and I did read that its easier to change to the R2 at El Clot Arego instead of Sant as its less busy. I assume that we just buy 2 tickets at the station to canet de mar.
Regards
Hi Nikki,
I agree with the recommendation to change from the R2 nord to R1 at El Clot-Arago station. Not only is it less busy, it’s also smaller. Your train will arrive at platform 2 and the train de Canet de Mar leaves from platform 4. You just need to go up the escalator (or lift) turn left and go down the escalator/lift to the other platform.
When you board the train at the airport it’s best to stay near the back of the train (near the ticket barriers) since the escalator and lift at El Clot Arago are at the rear of the train. This will save a little walking.
Note that not all R1 trains go as far as Canet de Mar, some stop at Mataró. If you end up on one which terminates at Mataró just wait for the next R1 train.
The trains that terminate in Mataró normaly arrive at platfrom 4 (at Mataró) the trains which continue on to Canet de Mar normally stop at platform 1.
You could purchase single train tickets at the airport – it would cost €4.10 per person.
You could also think about purchasing a 4 zone T10 ticket which could be shared between the two of you and allows you to transfer between the train, metro, bus or tram. For example if you travel from the airport to Canet de Mar by train on the first day then on the second and third day travel to and from Barcelona that would be a total of 10 journeys and works out at €3,45 per trip per person.
Not a huge saving I admit, but has the advantage that when you arrive at El Clot Arago the T10 would allow you to transfer to the L2 metro to La Sagrada Familia (for example) and it would be included as the same journey.
You would then purchase single train tickets to return to the airport on the last day.
Note that there is also a 4 zone bonotren which is cheaper than the T10 but which doesn’t allow transfers of any kind. This means that if you used the bonotren to travel from the airport, when you get to El Clot Arago you should exit through the ticket barriers then enter again thus stamping the ticket again as a separate journey before continuing on to Canet de Mar.
Hi Richard
Thank you so much for all the info and explaining it all, its a great help
Regards
Nikki
Hi Richard, my husband and I will be arriving in Barcelona this week and staying near the metro Line Jaume I in the Gothic Quarter. We are staying for 4 nights and will probably be walking to most places. What is the cheapest train/metro ticket to buy? We plan to return to the airport by metro as well. I’m confused about the L9 Sud line or the airport train? Are they different? Thanks in advance!
Hi Lisa,
Since you will be mostly walking I recommend that you purchase a T10 travel card which can be shared between the two of you. You can purchase the T10 from the ticket machines at metro and train stations and at tram stops (they accept cash and cards).
The T10 covers 10 combined journeys by a combination of metro, commuter trains, tram and bus and works out at just under €1 per journey.
Yes, the L9 sud metro line is different from the R2 nord train line, you’ll find more information about them in this post.
It’s worth mentioning that the T10 is not valid for the metro to the airport but it is valid for the train to the airport (crazy I know).
To use the T10 to get to the airport from Jaume I you should take the metro L4 to Passeig de Gràcia then the train from there to the airport T2. If you are departing from terminal 1 there are free shuttle buses between terminals. There’s more information about how to get to / from the airport in the post I linked to above.
Hi Richard,
Would you please inform me how can I transfer between barcelona centre ( for example: Clot / Passeig de Gracia or Stant Estacio ) and Barbera Del Valles District .Please let me know if I can use T-10 tickets for this routes or not and also I would like to know that in which zone is Barbera Del Valles Distict located and how far is it from city centre.
By the way, just one more question: is the BCN travel card valid for the above routes?
Hi Mark,
Barberá del Vallés is located 16km from Barcelona. It’s in transport zone 2 so the HolaBCN! travel pass isn’t valid but you can use a 2 zone T10.
The R4 regional train line connects to Plaça de Catalunya (timetable) and there are inter-urban bus services.
Thank you again Richard.
Hi Richard,
Another traveller seeking your excellent advice, my wife and I are arriving at T1 at lunch time 4th June for 5 days and the nearest 2 stations easily walkable are Marina and Bogatell in the Marina area. We hope to get about Barcelona using metro etc.
What do you recommend for the best route to these stations, we were looking to get the multi use multi day ticket for us both to use.
Thanks in advance
Hi Norman,
Which multi trip ticket do you mean? The Hola Barcelona travel pass or the T10?
If you mean the Hola Barcelona then I suggest that you take the metro L9 sud to Torrassa metro stop and then the L1 from there to the Marina.
If you mean the T10 then take the free shuttle bus from T1 to T2 followed by the R2 nord train from the train station at Terminal 2 to Barcelona El Clot Arago train station. Then take the L1 metro from Clot to Marina. The Clot metro station is linked to the Clot Arago train station.
Both options should take about an hour and a quarter.
You’ll find lots of useful information and links in this post.
If there’s anything that’s unclear feel free to ask.
Hi Richard,
I intend to stay in San pol del mar for about one week. So I’ll have frequent transfering to the centre of Barcelona during these times. Would you please inform me firstly in which zone this area is located and secondly which way is the most economical way for transfering and thirdly how far is this area from central Barcelona.
Thank you
Hi Mark,
Sant Pol de Mar is approximately 50km north of Barcelona.
The best way to get there by public transport is to take the train, line R1. The train lines run right alongside the beach for most of the route making it a very pleasant journey.
Note that some R1 trains terminate at Mataró or Calella which are south of Sant Pol so you should check the timetables via the links in my previous reply.
Sant Pol de Mar is in zone 5 on the renfe map so a single ticket will cost €4.90. Since you will be travelling several times then a 5 zone bonotren will most likely work out cheaper at €33.50 for 10 trips.
The train stops at the following train stations within central Barcelona; El Clot Arago, Arc de Triomf, Plaça deCatalunya and Sants.
Depending on your final destination you may want to purchase a T10 travel card which allows 10 combined journeys on a combination of train, bus, metro and tram.
Sant Pol de Mar is in zone 4 of the TMB map so a T10 will cost €34.45. With this ticket you can (for example) catch the train to Plaça de Catalunya then catch the metro from there to your final destination within Barcelona and it counts as one journey.
Hi richard,
Thank’s alot. You have always helped me to get useful information by your obvios and nice answers.
Good luck.
Hi Richard, I would like to know wether GRANOLLERS is covered by HOLA BCN card or not. If it is not, please let me know that which way is the best economical way to transfer between this area and Barcelona centre.
Hi Mark,
Granollers is in transport zone 3 so you can’t use the Hola BCN! travel pass which is only valid within zone 1.
The R2 commuter train line runs from Granollers centre to Passeig de Gràcia, a single ticket will cost €3,40. Timetables here.
If you will be making the trip frequently it may work out cheaper to purchase a bonotren (more info here) or if you will be connecting to the metro then maybe a 3 zone T10. (More information and prices here)
Alternatively the bus company Sagalés run several bus routes between Barcelona and Granollers. Timetables and prices here.
Thank you Richard
Hello Richard,
We are a large group of about 18 people and are arriving in Gate 1 Barcelona Airport. We will be staying in the area of Eixample. Which ticket would you recommend for us?
Also we were thinking about doing a day trip to PortAventura Water Park one day..
Thanks in advance for your response!!
Hi Alex,
For that size of group I think that the best bet is to go to the airport taxi rank and catch 3 taxis. Six seater taxis are fairly common in Barcelona.
There’s no need to book, just go to the taxi rank and ask the taxi warden whether there are any 6 seater taxis available.
Depending on where you are staying in the Eixample the fare will work out at about €6 per person (it’s a pretty large neighbourhood so prices will vary).
Alternatively you could save a bit of money by taking public transport, which is best will depend on where you are staying exactly, more info here.
I’m not an expert on PortAventura but RENFE (the Spanish train company) sell combined tickets which include the train and entrance to the park for €47 for adults and €40 for children. More info here. Timetables here. It’s not the fastest way to get there but the train basically works out being free.
Hi Richard,
Two adults arriving friday 11:00am going from airport to sant cugat(near volpellers train station) staying for 3 day.
what’s the best option for daily trips to the city centre etc – the T-10 card or the 3 day “Hola BCN?”.
Many thanks
Hi Mah,
Sant Cugat is in ATM transport zone 2 so you won’t be able to use the Hola Barcelona travel pass to get there because it is only valid for zone 1.
I’d suggest that you purchase a 2 zone T10 which you can use to get from the airport to your hotel and then to transfer from your hotel to the city centre each day.
Then purchase a 1 zone travel pass as needed for traveling within the city. That way you won’t consume the 2 zone card unnecessarily for shorter trips.
Remember that the T10 ticket can be shared between the two of you, just pass it through the ticket barrier once per person.
To get to your hotel from the airport: Take the train from T2 to Passeig de Gràcia train station. Then the metro (green line L4) from there to Plaça de Catalunya (one stop). Then take the FGC train (lines S2 or S55) to Volpelleres. This whole journey counts as one trip on the T10.
More info. about the airport train here
Hi Guys
I would appreciate your help regarding Barcelona transportation a lot. We are arriving next week and staying nearby Montmelo. To be precise ibis Barcelona Montmelo Granollers, would HOla BCN card cover R2 train from airport to Montmelo as well? is Montmelo in Zone 1? I can’t really understand precisely. Many thanks in advance.
Hi Sedat,
Montmeló is in zone 2 and Granollers is in zone 3 so unfortunately they aren’t covered by the Hola BCN travel pass.
hi
we are staying at Novotel Sant Joan despi for 5 days
what’s the best option for daily trips to the city centre etc – the T-10 card or the 5 day “Hola BCN?”
(i assume we only need zone 1 on the t-10?)
what’s the best option for getting from Airport (terminal 2B) to the hotel ?
thanks
Alex
Hi Alex,
Although Sant Joan Despi isn’t exactly central it’s still in TMB transport zone one so you can use either a 1 zone T10 or the HolaBCN travel pass.
To decide which is the best way to get from the airport to your hotel you have to choose between fast or cheap.
The fastest option is a taxi which will take about half an hour and cost a little under 30€.
Cheapest way is public transport, the most convenient of which would be the L77 bus which stops near your hotel.
From your hotel to the city centre you have the L78 bus and the T3 tram nearby.
My rule of thumb for choosing between the T10 and the HolaBCN travel pass is that if you think you will be doing 6 journeys or more per day then the HolaBCN is worth it.
This year the deal changed slightly because the days are now periods of 24 hours from first use instead of calendar days which makes it better value than before.
To be honest, when staying for 5 days, if you plan your days logically I doubt that you’ll need to use public transport that much.
The thing that the HolaBCN card has in it’s favour if you decide to take the L77 from the airport is that you can purchase it online and collect it from the Barcelona Tourist information office in T2B (Next to the black horse statue) whereas the only place at terminal T2 where you can purchase the T10 is at the train station.
many thanks for the useful info Richard
Hi Richard,
Can I buy the T10 on arrival at the airport ? We are flying in from London, and it seems T10 is the best cheapest option.
Our apartment is on Carrer Sant Pere Mártir, 46 Barcelona Spain. We plan to use that Sunday to bring our son to the beach . Then Mon Tues just around town. Wed back to airport early morning.
Many thanks
Hi Sumi,
Yes, you can purchase the T10 at Barcelona airport.
Either from the ticket machines in the airport train station at terminal T2 or from the tobacconist at terminal T1.
Two adults arriving sunday 3pm going from airport to la ramblas staying until friday morning, then returning to the airport. What is the best value transport option for our stay. Last year we took the bus then metro to our hotel in El Raval and walked everywhere. All advice welcome. Many thanks
Hi Maddie,
As you will have found out the last time you were here, Barcelona’s a great city for walking. Since you are staying for 5 days I’d suggest you buy a 1 Zone T10 card and use a combination of the public transport system and walking.
The T10 allows 10 combined journeys (i.e. if you take a train then change to the metro it counts as one journey) on Barcelona’s metro, tram, bus and local commuter trains. You can share one T10 between 2 people by passing it through the ticket barrier once for each of you. Then when it runs out just buy another one. As mentioned in the article, the Zone 1 covers all of Barcelona plus some other towns like Badalona. If you want to visit other towns like Girona for example (one of my favourite day trips) then you’ll need to buy a separate ticket.
In order to be able to give you the best possible advice for how to get to your hotel, I need to know which airport terminal you will arrive at and the exact location of your hotel since La Rambla is about a mile long. Bear in mind that the T10 mentioned above is not valid for the L9 sud metro from the airport but is valid for the airport train.
This post about how to get from Barcelona airport to the city centre should help you decide. If not post back with your hotel and terminal details and I’ll give you some more specific advice.
Have a great time in Barcelona.
There are 11 travelers traveling in June arriving in Barcelona around 7:30pm. We will need to get to our apartment I believe located near the gothic quarters. What is the best ticket to purchase? Should we go by train or bus. During our stay, we may need bus tickets as well.
Hi Ara,
It’s impossible to give you a good recommendation as to which is the best mode of transport without knowing where you will be staying. The Gothic Quarter is quite a large area, some parts are best reached by train / metro, others by aerobus.
In general, for large groups taxis are a good option because they aren’t expensive when shared between four or five people. A taxi from the airport to the gothic quarter will cost about €30. Although most taxis at the airport seat 4 people there are some 5 or 6 seaters available. Ask the taxi marshal to call two for you.
Let me know the address of your accommodation and which airport terminal you arrive at and I’ll give you some more ideas.
For transport while in Barcelona. Most locals use the T10 travel card which covers metro, bus and urban trains. The 1 Zone T10 costs €9.95 for 10 journeys and can be shared between several people. This works out at less than half the price of purchasing single tickets for each journey.
If you think that you will be using the metro / bus a lot then you could purchase a Hola BCN! transport pass. This works out cheaper than the T10 if you will be using the bus / metro more than 6 times per day.
Super helpful-especially as I was hoping to visit Sitges. Thank you again for your site!!
Hi Erica,
You’re welcome, thanks for the feedback.
Enjoy your stay in Barcelona, if you have any questions just ask.
The zones are different depending on the ticket you purchase. The applicable tickets are shown under each map.
Hello M. Swann,
You’re absolutely right.
The surprising thing is that if you look closely at the 2 maps you will see that the zones on the RENFE “rodalies” train map aren’t the same as the zones on the TMB map. This means that although for most local train journeys you should buy a RENFE ticket, in some cases it works out cheaper to buy a TMB travel card.
Thanks for your comment and happy travels