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 start your journey in zone one, the towns are effectively in the same zone, and you can use a one-zone ticket or travel pass. On the other hand, if you begin your journey in zones 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, also saving 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, I have a question about the T10 ticket. How can I use it to go from the airport to the city centre? Will I have to pay the extra for the airport metro services? Or is there any other way by using just the T10 ticket.
Thanks
Hi Kyrie,
You can use the T-10 to get to the city centre either by taking the airport train (from terminal 2) or the number 46 bus from either terminal. Both of these are covered by the T-10 at no extra cost.
Of the 2 I normally recommend the train because its faster, more comfortable and there’s more space for your luggage. Plus the bus only goes as far as Plaça d’Espanya.
If your flight lands at Terminal 1 there’s a free shuttle bus to terminal 2.
There’s more information about both these options in this post.
By the way, today it’s been announced that the T-10 will be cease to exist on Jan 1st, 2020. Apparently, it’s going to be replaced by a new ticket called the T-Casual which will be similar to the current T-10 pass.
The only differences which I noticed when reading the limited information which is available at the moment are that the T casual will be unipersonal (ie. you won’t be able to share it with others) and it will be slightly more expensive.
As soon as this comes into effect I will, of course, update the relevant posts on this site.
Hi there, I would like to ask for some info if possible, not sure if I’ve asked in the correct place?
Hello, would you be able to give me some advice please on the best tickets /prices to get and travelling advice? We are 2 adults going to be stopping in Calella in Sept 2020 so doing a lot of research before then to get an idea of travelling around….
We are staying in hotel in Calella for 7 nights and will be using public transport….
So we will be going from airport to Calella – R2NORD Train to El Clot, then R1 to Calella (am I correct?) (Same back on last day)
Then for rest of week – 1 day back to Barcelona to go up Montserrat, 3 other day trips to Barcelona to explore zoo & sites & 1 or 2 days up in Blanes and Lloret de mar/Tossa De Mar
I’m not sure on best ticket options….. single tickets, the T-10 etc
Also how do zones work?
any info you can give I’m very thankful for, marc
Hi Marcus,
Yes, this is the correct place to ask ;-)
And you are correct, the best way to get to Calella from the airport by public transport is to take the R2 to Barcelona El Clot Aragó followed by the R1 northbound to Calella (departs from platform 4).
For the journeys between Barcelona and Calella (including the airport) I recommend you purchase a 4 zone T-10 which costs €35.25. From what you have said you will be travelling to/from Barcelona 10 times so one T-10 each will be a perfect fit.
On the day you go to Montserrat, you need to catch the R1 to Plaça de Catalunya followed by the metro L1 (red line) to Plaça d’Espanya where you can catch the train to Montserrat.
There are several combined-ticket options for visiting Montserrat. I think that the best value option is the Trans Montserrat ticket which includes the train to Monistrol de Montserrat plus the cable-car to the monastery and then the Sant Joan Funicular which takes you higher up the mountain.
From Calella to Blanes and Calella to Tossa, which is a 2 zone journey, you’ll be best off purchasing single tickets on the day. Note that there is a combo-ticket which covers train plus bus to Tossa de Mar and works out slightly cheaper than purchasing separate train and bus tickets. They can be purchased at the station in Calella.
The way that the zones work is (fairly) simple. You need a ticket which covers the number of zones that you will be travelling in. So, from Barcelona (zone 1) to Calella (zone 4) you need a 4 zone ticket, travelling in zones 1-2-3-4. From Calella (zone 4) to Blanes (zone 5) you need a 2 zone ticket, travelling in zones 4 & 5.
Hi Richard,
Hope your well.
Me and my partner are visiting Barcelona for 9 hours. We land in T1. I understand the part we have to go to T2 to get the train into the city. We want to get a ticket we can use to go into the city centre and come back. What is the cheapest and easiest way? If we buy the T10 ticket can we use that on the way back and will be able to come back to the same location we departed from (T2)?
Thank you in advance
Jay
Hi Jay,
Yes, you can use the T-10 to take the train back to the airport followed by the free shuttle bus to terminal 1.
Purchasing a T-10 would be the cheapest way but, since you are here for such a short time and arriving at terminal 1, it might not be the best way.
I’m thinking that since you only have 9 hours, it might be worth your while spending slightly more money to save time.
I recommend you start by deciding roughly what you want to do while you are here and then read this post before deciding which transport to use.
We are staying in salou next week & want to vist barcelona & sightsee in zone 1 is there a ticket that will cover both transport needs or should we buy 2 seperate tickets if we buy one T 10 ticket can we both use it on the same journey ? Thanks all your info is so helpful lesley
Hi Lesley,
There’s not a combined ticket which will cover the journey from Salou to Barcelona and then let you travel around within Barcelona once you’re there. So as you say, you should buy separate train tickets for the journey from Salou to Barcelona and then a 1 zone T-10 for moving around in Barcelona.
You can share one T-10 between you, you just need to validate it once per person for each journey. You do this, either by inserting the ticket in the turnstile (metro and urban trains) or in the validating machines (buses and trams). Each time you validate the T-10 it gets a number stamped on the back, the last digit is the number of remaining journeys.
More info about the T-10 and other passes in this post.
There are three diferent types of train which can take you from Salou to Barcelona: Talgo, Regional Express and Regional.
I recommend that you take either the Regional Express which costs €8.80 and takes about an hour and twenty minutes or the Regional which is slightly slower and costs €7.70.
Once in Barcelona, Regional and Regional Express trains stop at the following stations: Barcelona Sants, Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia and Barcelona Estació de França. Depending on your plans, your best choice will probably be Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia station which is close to La Pedrera and Casa Batlló and a 10 minute walk from Plaça de Catalunya and La Rambla.
The Talgo isn’t such a good choice because it’s more expensive but only slightly faster than the Regional Express trains and only stops at Barcelona Sants.
The train journey’s quite scenic as it mostly runs along the coast. To get the best views make sure you sit on the right hand side on the way to Barcelona.
Hi!
Great blog!
I need to travel from Mataró to Sagrada familia Monday-Friday every week.
What would you think would be the best way to get there?
I’m happy to go by train/bus – whichever is more cost effective .
Thanks in advance
Emma
Hi Emma,
Your best choice will either be the R1 train or one of the Express buses, routes E11.1 and E11.2 to Barcelona followed by the metro.
There are trains every 10 minutes at peak times. Take the R1 south to Barcelona – El Clot Aragó. You then transfer to the L2 metro 2 stops to Sagrada Familia.
The total journey time will be about 45 minutes. R1 trains with final destinations of either Hospitalet de Llobregat or Molins de Rei stop at Barcelona el Clot Aragó train station. The metro station is called simply Clot and is linked to the train station.
Train times here
Both E11.1 and E11.2 are direct express buses (non-stop via the motorway) from Mataró to Plaça de Tetuán in Barcelona. From here you take the metro (2 stops on Line 2) to Sagrada Familia. Depending on where you board the bus in Mataró, this will also take about 45 minutes.
Both the train + metro or bus + metro count as 1 journey on a 3 zone T-10 travel card which costs €27.40 (more info about the T-10 in this post). Depending on how long you will be here for, you could also consider a 3 zone T mes.
As you can see, both options will cost the same and take about the same length of time so which you choose will depend on where you’ll be staying in Mataró.
The bus stops are listed in the timetables I linked to above, the train station is near the port.
Bear in mind that, despite the fact that the T-10 and T-mes are both valid for travel on the E11.1 and E11.2 buses, you can’t purchase them on the bus. The driver only sells single bus tickets.
You can buy T-10 and T mes passes at train stations, metro stops, tram stops and some tobacconists. So if you want to use the bus + metro combination it’s best (cheapest) to purchase your T-10 beforehand.
Hope this helps, let me know if anything’s unclear.
Hello!
I have recently moved to vilanova i la geltru and work in tarragona, do you have any idea how monthly passes work for this journey! Its causing me a headache haah
Thanks in advance!
Daniel
Hi Daniel,
Regional and Regional Express trains stop at both stations. You’ll see several lines mentioned on the timetables including R2, R14, R15 and R16.
The monthly ticket for Regional Express is valid for both classes of train so I recommend that you purchase this one:
Abonament Mensual Regional Expres price: €76.30
You can purchase the ticket from the machines or ticket office at the station.
Hope this helps, if you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Hi, Richard –
I purchased the Hola Barcelona! tickets online for my family and when I picked them up, I was told they would not work for the buses in Castelldefels, where we are staying. However, I can’t find any information online to indicate that we wouldn’t be able to use them for the buses here. Can you help clarify this for us?
Also, we used our cards to get onto the train from the airport and while waiting, my husband exited to buy some waters for us, then his card would not let him back in. The same thing happened to me when I exited the train station later at another stop to use the restroom. Is there a reason the cards wouldn’t let us back in after being used to exit? Is there a solution for this that will allow us to exit and re-enter if needed? (The ticketing person had to let my husband back in and I had to use another of our family’s cards to get back in.)
Hello Marlena,
The Hola BCN! pass can be used on buses run by the TMB but not by other bus companies. The bus to Casteldefells from the airport is run by the company Busbaix.
I’ve not heard of the not being able to re-enter the station problem that you have described, I imagine that there’s a time limit for re-entry at the same station but will try and find out and let you know.
I was going to suggest that you ask staff at the station to open the gate and let you back through, but I see you already thought of that ;-)
Hi Richard.
I happened upon your post through another and I wondered if you can confirm what I think to be true.
My husband and I are traveling from the US and will be in Barcelona for three night then heading to Valencia, then on to Madrid in October. As this is a birthday surprise for my husband, I’m tasked with getting all my t’s crossed and my i’s dotted EARLY!!!
So, should I purchase the T-10 pass with a one way from Airport to get us into Place de Catalunya on the L3 and use it for the rest of my stay?
Next, what do you consider the best way to then travel from Barcelona to Valencia? I’ve been scouting out Omio, but so unsure.
Lastly, what are your thoughts in getting from Valencia to Madrid? I’m organizing an 11 day by day itinerary and wanted to hit all important MUST SEE attractions. You seem knowledgeable about getting around, thought I’d pick your brain about sightseeing and anything else of value.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Hi Rochelle,
I’ll try and answer your questions in order
Q1. Should I purchase the T-10 pass with a one way from Airport to get us into Place de Catalunya on the L3 and use it for the rest of my stay?
It depends. The T-10 is a good choice for public transport in general but, since you are coming from the US, I expect your flight will probably land in Terminal 1 in which case you might prefer to take the Aerobus to Plaça de Catalunya which is direct, faster and not that much more expensive.
Breaking it down
BCN Terminal 1 to Plaça Catalunya using the T-10
Cost: €1.02 (the T-10 costs €10.20 but is valid for 10 journeys)
Route: Shuttle bus from T1 to T2 (duration 10 minutes, every 5 minutes), walk to train station (5minutes) train to Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia train station (duration 22 minutes, trains depart every 30 minutes) transfer from train to L3 metro (5 minutes). Metro to Plaça de Catalunya, 1stop (duration 2 minutes, every 5 minutes)
If you haven’t got too much luggage, it would take about 10 minutes to walk from Passeig de Gràcia train station to Plaça de Catalunya.
BCN Terminal 1 to Placa de Catalunya by Aerobus
Cost: €5.90
Route: The Aerobus is direct from BCN T1 to Plaça de Catalunya. Duration 35 minutes, departures every 5 minutes
More information about airport transfers and the Aerobus in this post>>
In general, the T-10 will be a good choice for getting around Barcelona during the 3 days that you are here.
More information about the T-10 in this post>>
Q2. What do you consider the best way to then travel from Barcelona to Valencia?
I think the train is the best choice, the EUROMED trains are comfortable, take just over 3 hours and are pretty cheap when purchased in advance on the RENFE website. I just checked prices for October and there were EUROMED tickets available from as little as €13.60 up to €27.35 depending on what time of day you want to travel.
Q4. What are your thoughts in getting from Valencia to Madrid?
High-speed train. The AVE takes approx. 1hr 45 mins and, once again looking on the RENFE site, prices are currently between €21 and €45 during October if purchased now.
You should also read this post>>
By the way, it may seem obvious but you can’t use the T-10 in Valencia or Madrid (I only mention this to avoid possible confusion because someone has asked before)
Q5. I’m organizing an 11 day by day itinerary and wanted to hit all important MUST SEE attractions. You seem knowledgeable about getting around, thought I’d pick your brain about sightseeing and anything else of value.
The must-see sights vary depending on what you are interested in but in general for Barcelona I’d suggest:
Sagrada Familia (it’s essential that you book your tickets in advance)
Park Güell (best to book in advance)
Casa Batllo (best to book in advance)
La Pedrera (best to book in advance)
Palau de la Musica Catalana (book a tour)
The Gothic Quarter
La Boqeria (farmers market)
Barcelona Cathedral
Montjuic & the Castle
MNAC museum
Santa Maria del Mar
You could also take a look at this post which should give you some more ideas.
Once you’ve decided on a rough itinerary you can use the calculator in this post to see whether you could save money by buying a sightseeing pass.
Hi Richard
Sorry for bothering you, but I’d like to ask a question or two.
Although I did a lot of research I am really confused about the public transport system.
I am traveling with 3 of my friends to visit Barcelona and the nearby region, but we are going to stay in Vilassar de Dalt(Zone 2e correct?) and travel from there with public transport.
Simply put: If I buy a ticket like this:
https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-fares-metro-bus/single-and-integrated for example the T-10 for the correct zones can I use every types of buses or trains? More specificaly I found that r1 train and c3/4 bus would be good for us(I think).
https://www.moventis.es/es/lineas-horarios/linea-autobus-c-34-vilassar-de-dalt-premia-de-mar-barcelona
But c3/4 is operated by moventis. And I am confused because there seems to be a lot of different transport service providers.
So do I need to buy a different ticket to use theirs and others services? If so, is there a list somewhere which ones can I use and not with a t10?
If I may also ask, we plan to visit Blanes and Tibidabo, do you have any suggestions for us travel wise from Vilassar de Dalt or Barcelona?
Many thanks in advance. You and this site is really helpful. Am happy to have found you.
Best regards,
Attila
Hi Attila,
Yes, you can use a 2 zone T-10 on the C3/4 buses from Barcelona to Vilassar del Dalt.
There’s a list of the companies which participate in the ATM integrated ticket system here
To get to Tibidabo from Vilassar del Dalt take the C3/4 to Barcelona (Ronda de la Universitat) then walk to Plaça de Catalunya where you catch the FGC train (S1 or S2) to Peu de Funicular (make sure you are in one of the middle carriages because the platform is short) then catch the funicular to Vallvidrera Superior. From here you catch the 111 Bus which stops near the park.
The entrance to the FGC station at Plaça de Catalunya is in front of Cafe Zurich.
The entire journey should take between an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half which means that it counts as one journey when using a 2 zone T-10.
From Vilassar del Dalt to Blanes, take the C30 bus to Premià de Mar train station and then the R1 train to Blanes (this is a 4 zone journey)
That list is so awesome. Thank you for your quick reply and for the help you provide to everybody here. I am very grateful.
You’re welcome
je passe un séjour a Barcelone en famille et cette année pour le transport j’ai acheté une carte T-mes 2 zones.
ma question est ce que peu prendre n’importe quel moyen de transport pour me rendre aux villages de la zone 2 .
merci
Hi Elhassane,
Unfortunately, my French is almost nil, when I copied your question into Google translate it came back as:
I spend a holiday in Barcelona with my family and this year for transport I bought a map T-my 2 zones.
my question is what can I take any means of transport to get to the villages in Zone 2?
thank you
So if I understand right, you want to know what modes of transport the 2 zone T-10 ticket is valid for, right?
Basically, it’s valid for TMB and other affiliated companies buses (including extra-urban but NOT the Aerobus), RENFE commuter trains (R1, R2 etc) and other RENFE regional trains, FGC trains, Barcelona metro and trams.
If you let me know which routes you plan to use I’ll tell you whether you can use the 2 zone T10.
Hi Richard,
I hope this message finds you well. I’m in Barcelona and going back in a few days but still confused about the public transport system in here. I’ve got a T 70/30 card so I guess this card allows me and my wife to use the L9 metro line to the airport. However I’m staying near Plaça Catalunya so it will not be very easy and short for me to take the metro from here to the airport T2. Do you know if we can use the T70 ticket on RENFE trains? Also can we use this for 2 people for transferring to the airport?
Thanks in advance,
John
Hi John,
Yes, you guessed right, both you and your wife can use the T-70/30 to go to the airport on the L9 metro (don’t forget to validate it once per person when travelling)
Yes, you can use the T-70/30 to travel on RENFE commuter trains (called Rodalies) this includes the R2 Nord line to the airport.
Yes you can use it for 2 people transferring to the airport.
From Plaça Catalunya train station you can take any of the following lines to Barcelona Sants R1, R3 or R4.
All three of these lines stop at Barcelona Sants so just get on whichever arrives first (look out for trains going towards l’Hospitalet or Molins de Rei).
Whichever of the lines you end up catching, when it gets to Barcelona Sants (one stop) it should arrive at platform 7.
The train to the airport normally departs from either platform 9 or 10 (check the screens on the platform) final destination Aeroport
Hi :)
I am still a bit confused about the zones. If I want to ravel from the airport to the Ibis Ripollet near the station Cerdanyola del valles (which is in zone 2?) which ticket do I need and is the Hola Card Barcelona a good option or does it not work because the station is in zone 2 ?
Thank you in advance
Ella
Hi Ella,
From Barcelona airport to Cerdanyola del Vallès counts as 1 zone on the ATM system but, assuming that you won’t be using the airport metro, I’d recommend the 1 zone T-10 unless you expect to use public transport a lot during your stay.
Take the R2 Nord train from terminal 2 to Barcelona Sants followed by the R4 to Cerdanyola del Vallès (probably departing from platform 8 but check the screens at the station)
More information and a comparison of the 2 tickets in this post.
Hi mate,
Just one quick question. I will be Monday in Spain for few days with my wife, and we did the hotel booking reservation in Caldes D’Estrac. I intend to buy the T10 ticket (zone 4) but the thing that I don’t understand is, once I take the R2N to Sants from Barcelona Airport and then I switch it with R1, for both of the trains one ticket validation is enough? Or do I need to validate once for first train and then again for the second one.
I know it sounds stupid but it kinda of lost me.
Thank you!
Hi Alex,
Firstly, the ATM map zones have changed this year and Caldes d’Estrac is now in zone 3 so you only need a 3 zone T-10.
Secondly, it’s best to change trains at Barcelona El Clot Aragon train station (5th stop) which is a smaller station than Sants and less busy.
The train from the airport arrives at platform 2 and the R1 north to Caldes d’Estrac (often refered to as Caldetes) departs from platform 4. You don’t need to validate your ticket again here, just take the lift or escalators up from platform 2 then turn left and take the other lift or stairs down to platform 4.
You don’t go through the ticket barriers at Barcelona El Clot Aragon station.
By the way, some northbound R1 trains terminate at Mataró which is 2 stops before Caldes d’Estrac. If you catch one of these trains you just need to wait at Mataró for the next northbound train which will depart from platform 1 at Mataró station (trains which terminate in Mataró normally arrive at platform 4).
There’s more information about the airport trains in this post.
By the way, this Monday is a public holiday in Barcelona and trains will be running slightly less frequently than on “normal” weekdays.
Hope this helps, if there’s anything that you’re unclear about feel free to ask.
Hi Richard,
We are a group of 5 adults and planing to go to Barcelona only for 1 day from Calella to see the city.
Probably the best ticket for us is T-10. Am I right?
I read that T-10 is a multi-person travel card valid for 10 intermodal journeys from 1 to 6 zones, passengers have 75 minutes between the first and last validation. What do you think is this 75 minutes enough to reach Barcelona and check out? Do we have to check out? How does it work? Is this T-10 card enough 5 of us to use and go to Barcelona and back to Calella (2×5 travel)? Or it’s better to buy a RENFE train ticket or Bonotren?
At Barcelona 3 of us want to see the downtown meanwhile 2 of us want to see the Camp Nou. Is it better to buy a singe ticket, or also buy another T-10? Or can you suggest a totally different solution?
Can you explain me the check in and check out process on train, metro and bus to avoid unvanted subtraction on T-10?
Thanks in advance!
Zso
Hi Zsolt,
I’ll try and answer your questions in order:
Q. We are a group of 5 adults and planing to go to Barcelona only for 1 day from Calella to see the city.
Probably the best ticket for us is T-10. Am I right?
A. Possibly, it depends on where your final destination is in Barcelona. If you just want to take the train from Calella to Barcelona Plaça de Catalunya then the 5 zone Bonotren is very slightly cheaper. The advantage of buying a (4 zone) T-10 is that you could transfer to the metro at no extra cost.
Q. I read that T-10 is a multi-person travel card valid for 10 intermodal journeys from 1 to 6 zones, passengers have 75 minutes between the first and last validation. What do you think is this 75 minutes enough to reach Barcelona and check out?
A. The 75 minute time limit is for a 1 zone T-10, to travel from Calella to Barcelona you’ll need a 4 zone T-10 which allows 120 minutes from the start to the end of the journey. This is more than enough time.
Q. Do we have to check out?
A. Yes, you have to pass the ticket through the barriers when leaving the train station.
Q. How does it work?
A. There are ticket barriers at the entrance and exit to the stations where you have to validate the ticket (once per person travelling)
Q. Is this T-10 card enough 5 of us to use and go to Barcelona and back to Calella (2×5 travel)?
A. Yes
Q. Or it’s better to buy a RENFE train ticket or Bonotren?
A. Depends on your final destination. If you plan to go to Plaça de Catalunya, Arc de Triomf or Clot Aragon train stations then you could use a 5 zone Bonotren which is slightly cheaper than the 4 zone T-10. For all other destinations then the T-10 will work out cheaper. Personally I’d buy the T-10 for the added flexibility.
Q. At Barcelona 3 of us want to see the downtown meanwhile 2 of us want to see the Camp Nou. Is it better to buy a singe ticket, or also buy another T-10? Or can you suggest a totally different solution?
A. If you will be sharing a ticket then you will all need to stay together for the entire journey. If not you run the risk of being stopped by ticket inspectors while travelling without a valid ticket. From what you have said, I think that the best bet is that you all share a Bonotren to and from Plaça de Catalunya (central Barcelona) and then the 2 people who want to go to the Camp Nou purchase metro tickets for the additional journey.
Q. Can you explain me the check in and check out process on train, metro and bus to avoid unvanted subtraction on T-10?
A. You validate the T-10 at the ticket barriers located entrance and exit of train stations then at the entrance to the metro and at the machines in the buses. You don’t validate the ticket when leaving the metro or bus. You shouldn’t have any problems with unwanted subtraction when transferring from train to metro or bus. The only time that this might happen is when transferring between trains at Barcelona Sants train station but train to metro is not a problem.
Q. Thanks in advance!
A. You’re welcome
Hi Richard,
Thank you so much for this wonderful explanation of transportation zones. I must admit – I am totally confused by all the systems and transportation agencies available in Barcelona (Renfe, TMB, Metro, ATM, Bus, Tram, funicular, etc!). However, I was able to follow along with your fascinating tip about traveling into Barcelona with a Zone 1 T-10 pass on the Renfe train! I will need to ultimately get to the Liceu metro station, so it sounds like I can pick up a free metro transfer ticket at Passeig de Gracia and head down the L3 line. Is this correct? Also, your post didn’t mention it, but does the reverse journey also work with a Zone 1 T-10 ticket (Liceu metro to Passeig de Gracia and then a free transfer ticket to Renfe R2 train into the airport)? There would be three of us returning to the airport (in July, if this makes any difference). Would you recommend this route for a party of 3? I’m unsure of how long this would take and whether it would be better to take the Aerobus for a faster journey. Many thanks for your help and for taking the time to post such useful articles.
Hi Vicki,
Yes, you can take the airport train and then tne L3 metro to Liceu. You don’t “pick up a free metro transfer ticket”, the T-10 is your ticket. There’s more information about the T-10 in this post.
And yes, you can also use the T-10 on the train when travelling to the airport.
Which is fastest?
It depends on which terminal your flight lands at and how lucky you are with connections because the Aerobus runs every 5 or 10 minutes (depending on which terminal and the time of day) whereas there are only 2 airport trains per hour.
If you will land at terminal 2 then there’s not much in it. The Aerobus may be a little faster (depending on how long you have to wait for the train).
If your flight arrives at terminal 1 then the Aerobus will definately be faster because the train station is at terminal 2 so you have to take the free shuttle bus between terminals. More info about all this in this post.
Thank you! And thanks for the clarification on how to do a transfer. I would have been looking all over the station for a “transfer pass!” Ha!
You’re welcome Vicki
Hi – thanks for the remarkably complete and clear information (& in your answers!). I amstill unclear about whether to buy a T-10 2-Zone or 3-Zone Ticket. I will be staying near Patje de Castelldefels and plan to make one Roundtrip to Sitjes and probably 2 Roundtrips to central Barcelona.
What do you suggest?
thanks!
Lee
Hi Lee,
Thanks for your comments, I’m glad to hear you find the site helpful.
I’m assuming that you will be travelling alone right?
If so then, if you will only be taking the journeys listed above, I think it’ll be best (cheapest) to purchase single tickets.
Having said that, if you want to interconnect with the metro system on the days that you visit Barcelona (for example travelling from Platja de Castelldefels to La Sagrada Familia as one journey) then you should buy a 1 Zone T-10 for the days you go to Barcelona and then single train tickets for the days you go from Castelldefels to Sitges.
This would also leave you with an additional 6 journeys on the metro that you could use as needed during the days you visit Barcelona.
Note you only need a 1 zone card to travel into Barcelona, not 2 as you mentioned.
Here’s the breakdown of prices:
Platja de Castelldefels – Barcelona Plaça de Catalunya
Single train ticket €2.20
1 zone T-10 €10.20
Platja de Castelldefels – Sitges
Single train ticket €3.50
3 zone T10 €27.40
Hi Richard,
We are planning to spend 5 days in Barcelona. We will be flying to and back from Barcelona and staying in Sitges. Could you recommend the best travel pass which would let us travel across airport, Sitges and the city?
Thanks.
Hi Akhil,
You didn’t say how many are in your group or how many times you plan to visit Barcelona during your stay but I think that a 3 zone T-10 will be a good choice (can be shared).
If your flight lands at terminal 1 then you can purchase a 3 zone T-10 from the tobacconist at arrivals and take the Monbus bus to Sitges. Timetable here.
If you will arrive at terminal 2 then purchase the 3 zone T-10 from the ticket machines at the airport train station and take the R2N train to El Prat de Llobregat (one stop) followed by the R2S to Sitges. Timetables here.
You can also use the 3 zone T-10 for travelling between Sitges and Barcelona city centre.
Hi Richard
We are a party of 4 adults going from Barcelona Airport to Callela. Can you advise us which train ticket would be the best to buy. we are also going back into Barcelona for a day and will need to return to airport at end of the holiday. thank you.
Hi Sandra,
Calella is one of those places which are in different zones on the RENFE map (zone 5) than on the TMB map (zone 4)
The options are as follows:
4 zone T-10 price €35.25
5 zone bonotren price €34.35
Single train ticket from Barcelona Airport to Calella price €5
Since there are 4 of you doing 4 journeys, assuming that the day you visit Barcelona you will get of the train a Plaça de Catalunya or one of the other Barcelona stations and won’t use any other public transport within Barcelona then the cheapest option will be to purchase one 5 zone Bonotren and 6 single tickets. Total cost €64.35.
To get to Calella from Barcelona airport. Take the R2 Nord train to Barcelona El Clot Aragó followed by the R1 northbound to Calella (departs from platform 4).
Note that not all R1 trains go as far as Calella, some terminate at Mataró. If you get one one of these trains just wait at Mataró station for the next northbound train.
Northbound trains from Mataró to Calella normally stop at platform 1 in Mataró but you should listen to the announcements and check the screens at the station to make sure.
Thank you Richard I have been trying to find this out online and it’s very confusing so this has really helped.
You’re welcome Sandra.
If you’ve any other questions feel free to ask
Hi Richard, sorry another question! Can I purchase the T10 ticket and the singles at the same time or do the singles have to be used the day you buy them? Thanks
Hi Sandra,
To be honest I’m not 100% sure since, when not using a T-10, I normally purchase regional train tickets just before I travel.
According to the Catalan and Spanish language versions of the Rodalies website it says that tickets for regional trains are either valid for the train specified at the time of purchase or for 2 hours after they were validated (ie. stamped by the ticket barriers or machines on the platform). So it looks like you could purchase them at the same time that you purchase the T-10.
However, on the English language version of the site it says that tickets are either valid for the train specified at the time of purchase for 2 hours after purchase.
I expect that the Catalan and Spanish versions of the site have the correct information but recommend that you ask at the station before purchasing since (as I said above) I normally purchase regional train tickets when I arrive at the station and have no personal experience of buying them in advance. The staff at the ticket window at Barcelona airport speak English and will be able to clarify.
Hi, need your help. I will travel from airport to cerdanyola del valles. Do i really need to take bus to placa catalunya then take t10 ticket train or i can use t10 from airport to my destination in zone 2? Thanksss
Hi Criest,
No, there’s no need to take the Aerobus for this journey.
You should take the R2 Nord train from the airport (terminal 2) to Barcelona Sants (3rd stop) and then catch the R4 to Cerdanyola del Valles.
You only need to purchase a 1 zone T-10 (not 2 zone).
If your flight lands at terminal 1, there is a free shuttle bus between the terminals. More information about this and the airport train in this post.
Hi Richard,
I will be staying in Barcelona and want to visit Tarragona and Salou for a day trip. My hotel will be in Sant Andreu de la Barca which seems to be in Zone 1 and I can use Zone 1 T10 in and around Barcelona.
I only want to visit Tarragona and Salou for a day. Can I get an extension ticket to cover my jouney from Zones 2-6?
What is the most affordable way to travel to Tarragona?
Many thanks,
Renee
Hi Renee,
Yes, you can use a one zone T-10 from Sant Andreu de la Barca to Barcelona on the trains operated by FGC to Plaça d’Espanya (lines S4, S8, R6, R6 and R 50).
There are no extension tickets for the T-10. You should purchase separate tickets for these journeys.
The trains to Tarragona are operated by RENFE, the cheapest are the Regional trains but there are also Regional Express trains which are faster and not much more expensive.
Check out this post about what to see and do in Tarragona and how to get there.
Help! I have just realised we are staying in Mataro (after thinking the hotel that was booked was near the cruise terminal closer to Barcelona city). We are a family of 4 – will be staying for 3 days after our cruise. We will need to:
1. Cruise terminal to hotel
2. Day trip to Montserrat
3. Likely 2 days spending time around sites in the city
4. Mataro to BCN for departing flight
What is our best option for travel – Hola Barcelona card/T10 tickets or combination or other???? And are children (8 and 5 years) the same price as adults?
Hi Rebecca,
Mataró is about 35 minutes by train from central Barcelona on the R1 line. There are also express buses (the R11.1 and R11.2) which stop at Ronda Universitat and Plaça de Tetuan in Barcelona and are then direct to Mataró, taking about the same length of time as the train.
Both the bus and train are covered by the 3 zone T-10 card.
I prefer the train because it’s a more scenic journey along the coast right beside the beach whereas the express bus takes the C32 motorway which runs inland. Depending on where you are staying in Mataró the bus might stop nearer to your hotel.
The other advantage of the train is that there is space for luggage whereas there’s no space designated for suitcases on the buses and they are normally pretty full (especially at peak times).
Unfortunately your children will have to pay the full adult fare on public transport.
For the journeys to and from Mataró its best to purchase 3 Zone T-10s (can be shared). Then for any additional travel within Barcelona purchase one zone T-10s as necessary.
To get from the cruise port to Mataró by public transport, If your ship arrives at one of the terminals on Moll Adossat, take the Cruise bus to the Columbus monument (costs approx. €3 per person and isn’t covered by the T-10) then walk to the Drassanes metro stop (purchase your 3 zone T-10 from the ticket machines at the station), take the L3 (green line) 2 stops to Plaça de Catalunya where you catch the R1 train north to Mataró.
If your ship arrives at one of the terminals on Moll de Barcelona you can walk to the Drassanes metro station, then follow the instructions above.
When you arrive at Mataró train station there is a taxi rank opposite and bus stops next to the station.
Which hotel are you staying at in Mataró? From the fact you mentioned that you thought you were staying next to the port of Barcelona, I’m guessing that you are probably staying at the Atenea which is located at the Port of Mataró. In which case its a short walk from the train station to your hotel. Turn left as you leave the station then after about 10m you’ll see some steps leading down into a pedestrian tunnel which leads under the train lines to the port (just before the bus stops). The Atenea is to the right as you come up out of the tunnel.
To get to the airport, take the R1 train from Mataró to Barcelona El Clot Aragó then the R2 Nord train from there to the airport. At Clot Aragó station, the train from Mataró arrives at platform 3, the airport train departs from platform 1. If your flight departs from terminal one, there is a free shuttle bus between the terminals.
The trip from Mataró to Montserrat is possible by public transport but it involves several changes. There are various combinations, all of which will take about 2.5 hours each way. If I were you I’d think about renting a car for the day, there’s a car park near the monastery, Europcars have a rental office next to the car park of Mataró train station.
If you haven’t read them already, I recommend you take a look at this post about transferring from the cruise terminal and this one about the airport.
Amazing! Thank you
You’re welcome Rebecca
Hi
We are coming to Barcelona again next year and we thought we’d do our own thing transport wise rather than preorder a pick up this time.
We will probably buy a T10 ticket and share it as we need to get from the airport into the city, not sure where the hotel will be at this stage. My question is, we will leave Barcelona on a cruise a few days later, can we get from the city to the cruise terminal using a T10 ticket?
Also we want to go to Montserrat, on the two previous occasions we haven’t managed to get there – have you got any advice on buying the TransMontserrat tickets please?
Many thanks in advance, Angela
Hi Angela,
Do you know which terminal your cruise ship departs from yet?
The reason I ask is that if your ship docks at one of the 2 terminals on the Moll de Barcelona wharf (sometimes referred to as the World Trade Center terminals) these terminals are walking distance from the Drassanes metro station which you can get to using the T10. There are also some regular bus services which stop fairly nearby.
If your ship docks at Moll Adosat wharf (Terminals A, B, C and D) then you can catch the special Cruise bus from near the Columbus monument. This bus costs about €3 and isn’t covered by the T-10.
There’s more detailed information about getting to and from the cruise terminals in this post.
The cheapest way to get to Montserrat is to purchase the train plus rack railway ticket (available at Plaça d’Espanya FGC train station) which costs €22.50 return.
Having said that, I normally recommend the Trans Montserrat ticket which gives you the choice of cable-car or rack railway and also includes the two funicular railways (Sant Joan and Santa Cova) on Montserrat plus the metro to and from Plaça d’Espanya.
You have to decide whether you want to catch the cable car or the rack railway when you purchase the ticket. I prefer the cable car but if you don’t like heights then the rack railway is a better choice.
Hello, I am visiting Spain for the first time.
And I will be staying at Tarragona for 5 nights.
How do I travel from Tarragona to Barcelona everyday?
There are trains to and fro everyday.
But is there any other cheaper way? Is there any pass I could book?
Hola bcn card will work only in Barcelona right? It doesn’t include trips to and from Tarragona?
Hi Anjanee,
As far as public transport is concerned the train is the best bet from Tarragona to Barcelona.
There are buses but they are slower and more expensive.
As you say, you can’t use the Hola Barcelona travel card for this journey.
There are different classes of trains between the two cities. The most expensive is the AVE but you should avoid it because it stops at Camp de Tarragona which is 16km from the city.
You should get either the Regional or Regional Express trains which are cheaper ant take you from Barcelona city centre to Tarragona city centre.
The Regional trains take an hour and a half and currently cost €7, Regional express trains take 1 hour and cost €8.05.
You can save money but purchasing either a Bono 10 R which costs €51.45 for 10 journeys on Regional trains or a Bono Express RE which costs €57.50 for 10 journeys on Regional Express and Regional trains. If I were you I’d probably buy the Bono Express because that way you’ve got more trains to choose from and it doesn’t cost much more. Plus if you catch the regional express it’s faster.
You can check the timetables here
If you haven’t seen it already, I recommend you check this post for more information about Tarragona.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for a great article.
We are staying in El Masnou but will be flying in and out. Does it make sense to buy only T10 rather than a Hola BCN card? We will have our baby with us so I think the BCN pass will not make much of sense.
Thanks,
Kunal
Hi Kunal,
I agree with you. In fact the Hola Barcelona! travel card can’t be used for the journey from the airport to el Masnou because el Masnou is in travel zone 2..
You should purchase a 2 zone T-10 from the ticket machines at the airport train station. You can use this ticket for the journey to and from the airport plus the trips to and from Barcelona city centre.
If your flight lands at BCN terminal 1, there’s a free shuttle bus to take you to terminal 2 (more info in this post)
Remember that the T-10 is an integrated ticket which means that you can change from the train to metro in the same journey and it only counts as one journey (the card only gets stamped once)
So, for example, if you will be visiting the Sagrada Familia first thing in the morning, you can take the train from El Masnou to Barcelona El Clot Aragó train station where you transfer to the L2 metro line to the Sagrada Familia (2 stops) and it will only count as one of the 10 journeys.
You can share the same T-10 between several people but you have to validate it once per person travelling.
Children under 4 years old travel free of charge on public transport in Barcelona (so there’s no need to validate the ticket for your baby).
If I were you I’d purchase a 2 Zone T-10 for the trips to and from El Masnou then probably another 1 zone T-10 for getting around within Barcelona (depending on how you plan your day this may or may not be needed but will probably be the cheapest option).
Hi,
Appreciate if someone could give me some suggestions for my family trip for 4 of us to Europe this coming mid October 16-28.
We intend to visit Spain for total 6day5night (first stop arriving at 08:45 in Barcelona + Madrid and Malaga (visit Caminito de rey)) , follow to Austria Vienna, please advise what is the cheaper way to travel between 3 cities and sightseeing attraction in Spain ?
Your prompt reply is appreciated.
Hi Karen,
The cheapest way from Barcelona to Madrid will probably be to take the bus.
Between Madrid and Malaga it’ll likely be a toss up between the bus and the train.
You can check prices on the following websites: http://www.renfe.com and http://www.alsa.es.
It’s also worth checking for cheap flights at http://www.ryanair.com and http://www.vueling.com.
Since there are 4 of you, you might also get a cheap car hire deal from rentalcars
Don’t start the rental until the day you leave Barcelona and remember to factor in the cost of fuel, tolls, returning the car in a different city and parking in Madrid when comparing prices.
Hi Richard,
I am here in Barcelona for 3 days and planning to buy the 72h Barcelona Card which wilk give me flexibility with movement. I was thinking of going to Montserrat spain one morning and was wondering what would be the economical way to go there. What i understand that the barcelona card will cover me for only zone 1.
Thanks
Omaer
Hi Omaer,
As you say, the Hola Barcelona! travel pass is only valid for zone 1 and won’t take you as far as Montserrat which is in zone 4.
The best and most economical way to get there is to take the FGC train (line R5) from Plaça d’Espanya followed by either the cable car or rack railway up the mountain to the monastery. I prefer the cable-car but if you don’t like heights then the rack railway is the better choice.
There are several combination tickets available. The cheapest option is to purchase the train plus rack railway ticket (available at Plaça d’Espanya FGC train station) which costs €22.50 return.
Having said that, I normally recommend the Trans Montserrat ticket which gives you the choice of cable-car or rack railway and also includes the funicular railways (Sant Joan and Santa Cova) on Montserrat plus the metro to and from Plaça d’Espanya.
By the way, the funicular to the Santa Cova is currently closed for maintenance.
Richard,
I am quite excited to find this site. My husband, daughter and I will be staying in El Masnou for 8 days in May and plan to make day trips. Our hotel is closest to the Ocata train station. I am really confused about how to get from the airport to the hotel. I do know we are in zone 2. While looking for advice online, one person said to use the R5, and another the R1. From what I could tell from the maps online, it looks like we will have to change lines to get to Ocata. What do you suggest?
Thank you
Hi Sarah,
You are correct, Ocata is in zone 2 and you will need to change trains to get there.
Take the R2N train form the train station at the airport (terminal 2) to Barcelona El Clot Argó then take the R1 from there to Ocata.
If you check Google maps or Moovit (or similar transport apps) they will probably recommend changing trains at Barcelona Sants but I think that it’s easier to transfer at Barcelona Clot Aragon because the station is smaller and less busy. The train from the airport arrives at platform 2 and the R1 departs from platform 4. All northbound R1 trains stop at Ocata. There’s more information about the airport train in this post.
Thank you so much for this information! Hope I can get my head around this and not overthink it. First time travelling on my own so trying to figure out what’s best and plan ahead!
Hi Ellis,
Don’t stress, it’s not that complicated really ;-)
If there’s anything that’s unclear just let me know and I’ll do my best to help.
Hi,
I want to travel to Sant Cugat from EL Prat de Llobregat.
Can I buy Zone 2 Single ticket and travel in both Zone 1 and 2?
Also, what will be the fastest way to reach Sant Cugat.
Thanks!
Hi Kusum,
Yes you can buy a 2 zone ticket and use it for a journey from zone 1 to zone 2.
The number of zones on a ticket refers to the number of zones that you will be traveling through NOT the zone that the station is in.
So if your journey starts in zone one and ends in zone 2 you need a 2 zone ticket.
If your entire journey is within the same zone (it doesn’t matter whether it’s zone one or one of the other zones) then you only need a 1 zone ticket.
Likewise if you take a train from zone 3 to zone 5 (travelling through zones 3 – 4 – 5) you need a 3 zone ticket.
This applies to single tickets and the T-10 pass. The only limitation of the single ticket when compared to the T-10 is that it doesn’t allow you to change from between modes of transport (train, metro, bus, tram) or from RENFE to FGC trains.
To get from El Prat de Llobregat to Sant Cugat with a single RENFE ticket take the R2 to Barcelona Sants, followed by the R4 to Castellbisbal then the R8 to Sant Cugat de Valles.
You can see the route on the map here.
If you look carefully at the coloured shading on the map it looks like the entire journey (which will take about an hour and a half) is within zone 1 so you will only need a one zone ticket which will cost €2.20. Check when you purchase your ticket but I’m pretty sure that this is right.
The fastest way (not that much faster) would be to take the R2 train to Passeig de Gràcia station. Walk from for 10 minutes to Provença train station (FGC trains) and take the S1 or S2 line from there to Sant Cugat. This is more direct and would take just over an hour in total (depending on connections and how fast you walk) but (as mentioned above) you would either have to purchase 2 single tickets or a T-10 travel pass.
Hi
We are travelling to Barcelona next week and purchased the 2day travel cards just wondering if anyone knows if we can use them from Barcelona city centre to Canet de Mar. On the train using the R1 line?
Hi Leigh-Ann,
You mean the 2 day Hola Barcelona! travel card right?
If so, unfortunately you won’t be able to use it for the Journey form Barcelona to Canet de Mar because Canet is in travel zone 4 and the Hola Barcelona card only covers zone 1.
The single train ticket from Barcelona to Canet costs €4.20.
Alternatively, if you will making the journey several times you could purchase either a 4 zone T-10 (price €35.25) or a 4 zone bonotren (price €28.25).
Both of these cards can be shared by up to 10 people and give a total of 10 journeys. The difference between them is that the bonotren is only valid on the train whereas the T-10 you can combine the metro and the train.
Hello,
We are going to Barcelona in May to play our wedding, we we have been many times before but stayed central and used taxis for transport.
We are staying at the catulunya park puxet, and have been advised that the closest station to that is ‘Lesseps’.
From there we will be travelling to ‘montmelo train station’ which is close to our wedding venue, plus going into the centre and to and from the airport.
Please can you give us some tips on the cheapest tickets to buy? Best ways to travel?
Thanks in advance :)
Hi Katherine,
As you have said, your hotel is close to the Lesseps metro station which is on the L3 (green line).
To get there from the airport the cheapest option will be to catch the R2 train from terminal 2 to Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia followed by the L3 metro. Normally I’d recommend a T-10 for this journey but if there are a lot of people in your party you could also think about the T-70-30 which for large groups works out slightly cheaper.
To get to Montmeló by public transport (zone 2) you can take the metro to Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia followed by the R2Nord train.
Depending on what time your wedding celebrations finish and how many are in your party you might want to book minibuses or a coach for the return journey.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for such a helpful post. One question regarding taking the RENFE train from BCN to central Barcelona.
Two of us will be travelling together, and I understand the T10 card is a multi-person card, so can we buy two RENFE tickets at €1.02 a piece with the purchase of only one T10 card?
FYI, we’ll be going from T1 to Arc de Triomf, which allows us several travel options given it’s a Metro and RENFE station.
Thanks,
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
The T-10 pass is the ticket. You just purchase a T-10 for €10.20 and then validate it once per person at the ticket barriers when you travel.
The back of the T-10 gets stamped with a number each time you use it so that you can check how many journeys remain (the last digit is the number of remaining journeys).
There’s more information in this post.
Ah, gotcha. I thought the Renfe ticket was a second, physical ticket.
Great! It looks like the T-10 card and Renfe + metro combo is the way to go. Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
I think it’s easier to take the train all the way to Arc de Triomf.
Catch the R2 train from the airport T2 to Barcelona Sants then either R1, R3 or R4 to Arc de Triomf (just go to platform 8 and catch whichever train arrives first).
Thanks so much!
You’re welcome Sarah
Hi Richard.
Many thanks for answering everyone’s questions.
Just a quick one from me. I’m spending 4 days in Barcelona… staying near Barcelona Sants Station. Planning to buy the Hola Barcelona card for the back and forward to airport plus city centre buzzing around.
I’m planning one excursion to the Transport Museum of Catalonia in Villanova I La Geltru from Barcelona City Centre. Am I best to
A) buy a return from Sants?
B) Do I show my Hola Barcelona to get a boundary return to Villanova ? Is that any cheaper?
C) in the UK you can break a journey on the return leg… is that possible with Renfe as I would like to get out and take a wander in Sitges on the way back from the transport museum to Barcelona Sants.
All advice welcome.
Nick
Hi Nick,
I guess you mean the railway museum right? (Museu del Ferrocarril de Catalunya)
A) The cheapest way to visit from Barcelona is to purchase a combined ticket which includes return train travel plus museum entry and costs €9.
B) I’m not sure what you mean by boundary ticket but no, you can’t purchase a supplementary ticket for the part of the journey after leaving zone 1.
C) No, you can’t break the journey with one ticket, you have to validate the ticket when entering and leaving the train stations.
Here are the prices of the different tickets:
Combined ticket (return train plus museum) €9
Museum (adult) €6
Train Barcelona Sants to Vilanova i la Geltrú (single) €4.20
Train Vilanova i la Geltrú to Sitges (single) €2.20
Train Sitges to Barcelona Sants €4.20
If you use the combined ticket to travel from Barcelona to Vilanova i la Geltru, visit the museum then travel to Sitges plus a single train ticket from Sitges to Barcelona the total cost will be €13.20.
Thank you Richard for such a swift response. I’ll print off your reply and take with me.
I’ll bookmark your website as it is really useful.
Thanks again
Nick
You’re welcome Nick, glad you found the site helpful.
Hello Richard,
I’ll be traveling to Spain & Portugal for about 11 days in April 2019. I’ll be arriving barcelona from US and plan to spend 3 days in BCN before heading to Sevilla for 3 days and then to Lagos and Lisbon. I have purchased a Eurail Global Train Pass and have made reservations from Barcelona to Seville. I haven’t made other reservations since the reservation fee and cost of tickets almost cost the same price. I know, I already regret of getting the Eurail global pass.
I would like to know if I can use eurail GT pass to travel on any trains in Spain that DOES NOT need a reservation. Also I would really appreciate if you could suggest the places to visit in Barcelona and Sevilla along with the how to get around the places. We are a group of 8 with 4 adults and 4 pre teens.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Nanda,
I’d not heard of the Eurail Global Train Pass before but I’ve just checked out their website and it does seem to be quite expensive, especially if you are only going to use it for travel within Spain and Portugal.
For travel between Barcelona and Sevilla I generally recommend flying. Not only is it faster than the train (obviously) but it’s normally cheaper too! Take a look on the websites of low cost airlines such as Ryanair or Vueling, both of whom operate this route. If you book 2 or three months in advance you can usually pick up a good deal, but even now it’s still worth checking prices.
Alternatively for the high speed AVE trains. Tickets are normally cheaper if you purchase them 60 days in advance from the renfe.com website and are flexible about the time of travel. Since you are 8 people you could purchase 8 “mesa”(table) seats which are the cheapest.
If you decide to go ahead with the Global Eurail pass then, according to their website, you can also use the pass on all regional trains without booking. For long distances these trains are very slow when compared to AVE. Regional train timetables for Spain can be found here (by regions). Plus the Regional Express trains on the main renfe site can’t be pre-booked. They appear amongst the AVE listings but with some text in Spanish saying that you can’t buy these tickets online (the renfe site is only partially translated).
The text to look for says:
Los billetes para este tren no están incluidos en la venta electrónica, puede adquirirlos en los puntos de venta de las Estaciones
If you are thinking of changing your plans, I recommend that you spend more time in Barcelona than Sevilla, maybe 4 days in Barcelona and 2 in Seville, there’s lots more to do in BCN.
For getting around the city, a mix of walking and public transport is the best option (the metro system in Barcelona is very good). When I’ve visited Seville we just walked everywhere.
Places you shouldn’t miss in Barcelona include the Sagrada Famillia, Park Güell, La Rambla & the Gothic Quarter, the Castle on Montjuic (take the cable cars up). Check out this post to gets some more inspiration.
Places you shouldn’t miss in Seville include: the Cathedral (including the Giralda tower), Alcazar palace and Plaza de España.
One last thought. If you are planning to be in Sevilla during Easter, I hope you’ve booked your hotel already because it’s one of the most popular places in Spain at Easter and everywhere books up early.
Thanks much for the informations Richard. Very helpful. Yes I have already made all reservations including trains & accommodations..
You’re welcome Nanda, have a great trip!
Dear Richard,
Good day.
I am goung to live in Lloret de Mar. I want to go to Barcelone (more than 6 trips). I was advised to buy the T10 ticket including 6 zones (in order to use the bus fro LLoret to Barcelona and may be 1 of the other type of transport within period of 2.30 hours in Zone 1). I cannot find any info (checked the maps of course) regarding Lloret and zone 6. I saw Blanes in 5 zone, but nowhere Lloret was mantioned in 6 zone. Is Looret really in 6 zone and I can buy T10 for 6 zones?
Thank you in advance.
Best regards, Anna
Hi Anna,
I don’t know where you got that advice but, unfortunately, I think it’s wrong.
Lloret de Mar is outside the ATM zone system (the last station is Maçanet) so I don’t think you can use the T-10 to get there.
As you’ve said, you could purchase a 5 zone T-10 and use that to get from Blanes to Barcelona but you’d also need to purchase a ticket for the Pujol bus from Lloret to the train station at Blanes.
I think I know where the confusion may have come from…
The bus company Sarfa run direct buses from Barcelona Estació del Nord bus station to Lloret, the single fare is €10.95.
They also sell T10/120 tickets for some of their destinations on the Costa Brava but unfortunately not to Lloret.
You can find a list of destinations here