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 Richard,
We are travelling to Barcelona for a holiday in October 2023 and can’t decide which ticket to buy for the metro.
As tourists, are we able to buy the T-Usual ticket? What id should we use – passport number, as from UK so no ID card. If we use Passport number then would we need to carry our passport with us when ever we use the T-Usual card on the metro – this is not ideal as prefer to leave passport safely in apartment. Would a photo of it on our mobile be satisfactory?
Sorry about all of the questions, but thank you for your help.
Regards
Anthony
Hi Anthony,
Yes, tourists can purchase the T-usual and, since it is currently discounted 50% it is a good deal if you will be in Barcelona for three days or more.
Yes, if you don’t have a DNI, then you can use your passport number and, if your ticket is inspected by TMB staff they may ask to see it.
As for the question about whether a photo of your passport would be sufficient, unfortunately I can’t answer that because I don’t work for the TMB. I recommend you ask the staff at the metro/train station before purchasing your tickets.
Hi Richard
This is valuable information, thank you.
I will be travelling into Barcelona tomorrow from Terrassa and wish to explore the city.
Please can you tell me the best options?
Is there a metro and train ticket I can purchase?
Thank you
Dale
Hi Dale,
Terrassa is in Zone 3 on the ATM map and zone four on the RENFE map.
If you will only be travelling into Barcelona once. Then the cheapest option would be to purchase single tickets for the train plus a T-casual or T familiar to cover transport within Barcelona for the day.
Hi Richard,
I am planning to visit Barcelona in Mar 2024 for 5 days. Planning to stay at Holiday In Express in Molins de Rei. Thinking of buying a HOLA BCN card for 5 days for travelling from airport to the hotel. Then from the hotel to the city centre and back every day. Please advise what zone tickets i should buy and how much it will cost?
Thanks Anton
Hi Anton,
Molins de Rei is in the area covered by the Metropolitan Fare, so it’s covered by one zone tickets, including the Hola Barcelona Travel Card.
There are currently two special offers being run which work out cheaper than the 5 day Hola Barcelona Card for this route, (the AB Recurrent or alternatively the T-Usual is currently 50% off) unfortunately there’s no information available as to whether these prices will be available in 2024.
I recommend you wait and check the prices after they have been updated in January
Hi Richard,
We are a group of 3 travelling from Urquinaona to Cerdanyola del Vallès to drop off luggage, then onto the Autonomous University of Barcelona for a brief visit, circling back to Cerdanyola del Vallès. Then only 2 of the group will return to Plaça de Catalunya. T-familiar card looks the best option, but how many zones would this round trip cover? Thanks
Hi Sarah,
According to this map from the FGC website,Cerdanyola del Vallès and the UAB campus are both within the area covered by the Motropolitan Fare so as long as you don’t go outside this area at any point in your journey then a one zone T-familiar is valid.
Hi Richard,
thank you for your helpful advices!
I just want to make sure – I am going to Barcelona and will be accomodated near Cerdanyola del Vallès. Can I use Hola Card for travelling to the centre and back?
Thank you!
M.
Hi Michaela,
Yes, Cerdanyola del Vallès is covered by the Metropolitan Fare mentioned above, so you can use a Hola Barcelona Travel Card to travel to and from Barcelona.
Hi Richard. Two of us are going oj motogp from 1-3. September. We’re 5 minutes from Urgell metro station. I found that there is a shuttle bus from Montmelo station to the circuit for only 4-5eur(if we’re ttavelling from barcelona with bus it costs 20eur). So now I am wondering what is the best way to get from Urgell to Montmelo. I saw that Montmelo iz zone 2 so Hola card zone 1 doesn’t cover that, right? Do you know how much does it cost ticket from the last station of zone 1 to Montmelo station? If you have better proposal and cheper please tell me Thank you in advance!
Hi Ana,
The cheapest way would be to walk to Plaça de Catalunya and catch the train: R1 to El Clot followed by R2 to Montmeló. A single ticket for this journey would cost €2.80 each way but, since you will be taking the journey 6 times, it would work out cheaper to buy a Ab. Recurrent which would cover all six journeys and costs just €10. This ticket also covers the train from the airport.
The walk from your hotel to Plaça de Catalunya would take about 15 minutes.
If you don’t fancy walking you can get the metro to Clot (either the L1 from Urgell metro stop or L2 from Sant Antoni which is in the same area) followed by the R2 train to Montmeló.
A single metro ticket would cost €2.40 and the single train ticket €2.80. However, once again, you can save some money by purchasing a two-zone “integrated” pass which will cover this journey.
Which is best will depend on (1) Whether you will be travelling around Barcelona apart from the journey from/to the track and from/to the airport and (2) how you plan to travel to/from the airport.
If you only plan to travel to/from Montmeló then you could purchase a two zone T-familiar which costs €19 and covers 8 “integrated” journeys within zones 1 & 2 so three days going to and from the track will count as six journeys. Then you could use the remaining 2 journeys to get from and to the airport by train or the number 46 bus.
If you plan to travel to/from the airport by metro and/or travel more around Barcelona during your stay, then I recommend you think about purchasing a two zone T-usual each which costs €26.95 and covers thirty days of unlimeted travel by metro, bus, tram & regional trains within zones 1 & 2 including the airport metro (which isn’t covered by the T-familiar).
Note: As far as I’m aware, none of the passes cover the buses to the track (neither direct from Barcelona nor the shuttle). If you are really on a budget then you could walk from Montmeló station to the track which would take about forty minutes.
Hi Richard,
Please could you help!
Does the Hola barcelona card include montcada ripollet station?
The card says it is valid on all public transport including Renfe & FGC trains zone 1. But, some maps show montcada ripollet in zone 1 or zone 2C??
Thanks
Hello Kiera,
Montcada i Reixac, the town where the Montcada Ripollet train station is located, is in the area covered by the Metropolitan Tariff, so yes, it is covered by the Hola Barcelona Travel Card and other 1 zone travel cards when travelling to and from Barcelona (Line R3 from Plaça de Catalunya).
is the monister of pedralbes and camp nou still in zone 1 ?
Hi Bolssens,
Yes, the Monestir de Pedralbes and Camp Nou are both in zone one.
Hello, I was wondering if you have to validate all kinds of ticket or pass twice on every type of transport. Will I have to validate once getting on, and validate again getting off on all kinds of transport?
Hi April,
No, you have to validate the ticket when entering and leaving train stations but you only have to validate the ticket when entering the metro system, not when leaving.
The only exception is tha airport metro station where you also have to validate your ticket when leaving.
In the case of buses and trams, you have to validate the ticket whenever you board a bus or a tram but not when leaving.
You don’t have to validate the ticket again when changing between lines on the metro but you do have to vailidate it when changing between modes of tansport, for example when transfering from the metro to a bus.
Hi!
I want to travel from Barcelona to Tarragona, which is just outside of zone 6. I have a T-Jove card. What’s the best and cheapest way to travel in my case? Can I use my T-Jove all the way to Tarragona and back? I can’t find a good answer online if I search for it.
Karin
Hi Karin,
No, unfortunaletly you can’t use your T-Jove to travel from Barcelona to Tarragona because Tarragona is beyond zone six of the Barceloa transport zones.
How many zones is your T-Jove valid for?
If it’s a one zone T-jove, then a single ticket for regional trains will cost €7 each way, or you could purchase a regional express ticket which costs €8.05 and also allows you to travel on the Regional Expres trains which are slightly faster.
If you have a six-zone T-jove, then you could use your T-jove to travel to to Sant Viçenc de Calders, get off the train there and purchase a train ticket to Tarragona, validate it and catch the following train to Tarragona. This will cost you €3,40.
Hi Richard,
Thank you for all the hard work you do, for information you share, your tips and detailed replies. I think I have managed to find most of the answers to the questions I was searching for days, but still have some. I think I know what we are doing ticket wise, but let me run it by you anyway.
We are family of 4 and our kids are 7 and 11. We are going to fly to the Barcelona Airport and then travel to Canet de Mar, where we are planning to stay for the entirety (8-9 days) of our trip before going back to the Barcelona Airport. We are planning to visit Barcelona 3-4 time during that period and at least one trip to Marineland Catalonia in Malgrad. Thanks to your tips we’ll be buying 4x “ABONO RECURRENT” tickets at the airport to commute between Barcelona Airport and Canet de Mar or between Canet de Mar and Barcelona. We are also planning to purchase one or 2 T-familiar ticket for 1 zone to use it in Barcelona (within the Zone 1). Now, the trip to Malgrad is something I am not so sure about. Google maps offer us to take train to Santa Susanna and then take a bus number L1361 to the Marineland. I guess we can still use our “ABONO RECURRENT” tickets to get to Santa Susanna and then … Here are my questions:
– Can we use T-familiar ticket on this L1361 bus?
– Can we use the same T-familiar ticket within zone 5 that mainly intended for travelling within zone 1?
– Is there any other (quicker/ more convenient) way of getting to the Marineland that you are aware of?
– Do we always need to carry some form of id’s for our kids as a prove of their age to enter different venues (e.g. museums, water parks, etc.)?
Many thanks in advance.
Hi Rustem,
Q1 – Can we use T-familiar ticket on this L1361 bus?
The L1361 bus is run by Autocars Pujol and I believe that their sheduled bus services are covered by the ATM integrated trave cards, including the T-familiar although it might be worth contacting them to make sure because I’ve no personal experience with this route. Their email is info@autocarspujol.com or you can use the contact form on their website. While you’re at it, it’s probably worth asking them about the timetables, because I can’t find them on their website (just in case).
Q2 – Can we use the same T-familiar ticket within zone 5 that mainly intended for travelling within zone 1?
Yes, as long as you only travel within that zone for the individual journey.
Q3 – Is there any other (quicker/ more convenient) way of getting to the Marineland that you are aware of?
I’m not an expert in this particular route, but it seems like a good option.
Q4– Do we always need to carry some form of id’s for our kids as a prove of their age to enter different venues (e.g. museums, water parks, etc.)?
Yes, Spanish law requires you to carry photo ID at all times anyway.
One more thing: You don’t mention when you will be here, but current Abono Recurrents run until August 31st, from September 1st there will be new Abono Recurrents which will run until the end of the year. If you happen to be travelling either side of the cut off date (August 31st) then you would need two passes each.
Many thanks Richard for your response.
Q1. It’s a dead end. My email to info@autocarspujol.com bounced back with the following explanation: “A custom mail flow rule created by an admin at moventia.net has blocked your message.” Any attempt to submit my query through the contact form on their webpage results in an error: “ One or more fields have an error. Please check and try again.” It would so helpful to know which field exactly and what the issue is.
What do you think?
Hi Rustem,
You could try calling them, the number which appears on their website is: +34 972337842. I would imagine that the telephone operator will speak English.
Hi Richard, I have tried this number several times but no one answers the phone. It looks like we can also jump on buses 622 and 625 at Malgrat de Mar. So I called Sagales helpline and they confirmed that T-familiar can be used on those routes. Many thanks once again for all your help.
Hi Rustem,
You’re welcome, and that sounds like a good plan to me.
This is just to complete my Q&A thread, in case if someone else finds this information useful. I didn’t get any response from Autocars Pujol, although I have managed to submit the contact form on their website in the end. For this to work you need to tick an optional (!!!) box (I want to receive information regarding the products and services, news and promotions of Marfina SL by any means, including electronic means, and said communications may be adapted to my specific profile) at the bottom of the form.
More importantly, I received a response from Moventis I am not sure how I got there, but it looked as these 2 bus companies are somehow related. Here is what they said:
“Yes, you can use ATM integrated travel cards in our L1361 bus. Keep in mind, though, that this route belongs to ATM’s Zone 44. Supermercados Dia and Marineland stops are both within zone 44, also known as Zone 5H, so you are ready to go with ‘T-familiar 1 Zona’ card. As long as you use this card only in those stops, there’s nothing to worry about.”
Hi Rustem,
Thanks for the update and letting us know what Moventis told you, that’s very useful to know.
Hi,
We are a family of 4 and our daughters (16 and 18) are playing in a tournament at Club Esportiu, Valldoreix and we are staying in 1, Carrer de Linne. We will arrive just after 9am on 29th July. Please can you advise us on the best way to get from the airport to Club Esportiu and also to and from Club Esportiu and 1 Carrer de Linne. We will be going to Club Esportiu each day until they get knocked out! Should we buy individual tickets or some kind of pass for a week? I don’t think I was thinking clearly when I booked the accommodation as it’s nowhere near as close to the club as I thought! Thanks very much for any advice.
Hi Jill,
Best is always subjective, and depends on whether you prioritize price or convenience. In this case, for the journey from the airport, the most convenient way would be to take a taxi, which would take about half an hour and cost about €40, depending on traffic. You could also take public transport, but the journey involves two changes and will take the best part of two hours. Since there are four of you, I think I’d go with the taxi.
I’ve just done a search for Carrer de Linné, and as far as I can see it’s in Terrassa. Is that correct? As you say, it’s not especially near to the club where the tournament is taking place, which is near Sant Cugat del Vallès, right? By public transport, your looking at forty five minutes each way by a combination urban train and bus. S1 train from Terrassa Rambla to Valldoreix followed by a bus V2 to near to the club.
I guess another option would be to take the train to Valldoreix and then take a taxi to the club, which isn’t far and won’t cost too much.
The train journey from Terrassa to Valldoreix will need a two-zone ticket, that costs €3.40 each. You could save some money by purchasing a 2-zone T-familiar each day and shareing it between the four of you. The T-familiar covers eight “integrated journeys” ie. the S1 train plus the V2 bus count as one journey. So, seeing how there are four of you travelling together, one T-familiar will cover the return journey each day. If you were to purchase single tickets, then you’d need separate tickets for the train and the bus. So as you can see, the T-familiar works out at less than half price.
To be honest, spending an hour and a half on public transport each day, on top of playing tennis all day, sounds pretty tough. I’m assuming that it’s too late to look for an apartment in Sant Cugat, right? Have you thought about renting a car?
On the positive side, Terrassa is a nice town, and has a very attractive town centre. If you haven’t seen it already, I recommend you check out my Terrassa travel guide for ideas of things to do when not at the tournament.
Thanks so much Richard – really appreciate it. Think we will go with the 2 zone T familiar.
Thanks, Jill
You’re welcome Jill
Hey Richard,
I’m leaving Barcelona from Park Guell area and heading to Pineda De Mar where I’ll be staying for a couple nights. I then need to head back to Barcelona to catch my flight. Was wondering how this should look for me? And how many zone passes I’ll probably need to get at once. Thanks :)
Hi Milu,
If I were you I’d probably catch the L3 metro to Plaça de Catalunya followed by the R1 train to Pineda de Mar. For the return journey, I’d catch the R1 metro to Barcelona El Clot-Aragó followed by the R2nord train to the airport.
If that’s all the public transport you will be taking, individual tickes purchased separately will cost as folows:
Vallcarca – Plaça de Catalunya – single metro ticket one zone €2.40
Plaça de Catalunya – Pineda de Mar – single train ticket €5.50
Pineda de Mar – Aeroport – single train ticket €5.50
Alterantivey you could buy an Abono Recurrent as described in this post which would cover both the train journeys, but it will only save you one €uro. Plus you’d still need to purchase the single ticket for the metro as mentioned above.
Hi Richard,
We are planning our stay in Barcelona, but want to rent a house outside zone 1 (zone 2 or 3).
I’ve seen this question here, but there was no follow up…
We’ll stay 4 nights and are 3 adults and 1 12 year old.
Thank you.
Hi Steven,
Unfortunately, as far as public transport is concerned, your twelve year old will pay the same as an adult.
If the town that you are staying in has a RENFE regional train station, and you will be visiting before the end of this year and travelling by train into Barcelona each day, then the cheapest option will probably be be to purchase an Abono Recurrent each and use that for the two or three zone journeys. You could then purchase a 1-zone travel pass for journeys within Barcelona. There’s more info about the different passes available in this post.
Hi Richard,
Your tips and responses are great! I was wondering what would you recommend for frequent community from Mataro to Barcelona? I looked up T-Usual, and I was wondering if that covers also the journey from Mataro but also the metro, buses and trains within Barcelona? Also, is R1 included in T-usual and what type of train it is?
Thank you,
Nikola
Hi Nikola,
Yes, you could use a 3-zone T-usual for that journey, which is currently discounted by 50%. The T-usual covers the R1 train which is a regional train (often refered to as commuter trains) and it would also cover the e11.1 and e11.2 express buses which may be more convenient, depending on where you will be daparting from in Mataró and where you’re going in Barcelona.
Depending on when you will be here, it may be cheaper to get a Abono Recurrent, and then a 1-zone T-usual for transport within Barcelona. The only disadvantage is that the Abono Recurrent only covers regional trains operated by RENFE (including the R1), so you couldn’t use it for the express buses. Note that the current Abono Recurrents are valid from May to August, then you will need to get another from September to December. At the moment, the schem is planned to end at the end of the year,as is the discount on the T-usual.
Hello,
My question is on the T-usual, I think i did it wrong.
I wanted to essentially pay 1 time per month, for 1 ticket to go to all zones (6), for next 6 months. One for each me, my wife and daughter. What i’ve done so far is purchase the Tusual 6 zone, but then a couple times went to sitges, and purchased, what i thought i needed to, 3 train tickets on the R2.
So question is, if i purchased the T-usual 6zone for 30 days unlimited trips……this include wherever the metro, bus AND train can go? Man if thats the case i lost some funds lol. I thought it was just the L lines and the bus lines, not the R’s…
Hi Brandon,
Yes the T-usual would have covered the regional train journeys from Barcelona to Sitges.
By the way, for future reference, the cheapest option would currently be to purchase a 1 zone t-usual to cover the 30 days of transport within Barcelona, and then an Abono Recurrent for train travel up to zone six.
Hello!
I’m planning to come to Barcelona El Prat’s airport with my fiance. I wanted to know if we are staying near Av. Josep Molins, 29, 08906 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain then is it okay for us to buy both of us Hola Barcelona Travel Card, Transport card?
Also we would like to travel to the city centre the next day and to the Cathedral of Barcelona and La Sagrada as well and also Av. Diagnoal shopping stores. Can we use this Hola Travel Card for all of our trip?
Hi Carol,
Yes, you can use the Hola Barcelona Travel Card for all of the journeys you mentioned.
Hi Richard,
I am arriving in Barcelona late on the 2nd of July. I’m going to purchase the Hola card as I’ll be using public transport a fair amount during my stay. Am I right in thinking that this won’t be valid for the Renfe train from the airport?
Thanks.
Hi Nathan,
I have some good news for you, the Hola Barcelona Travel Card is valid for unlimited travel on regional trains within travel zone one, which includes the train from the airport.
Hi Richard, thank you for all the info you’ve provided. We also have accommodation in Villalar de Mar, staying 3 nights. But we will also be using transport a lot within zone 1. Which ticket option would be cheaper for us? Thank you in advance
Hi Alisan,
How will you be travelling from the airport to Vilassar and back, how many days will you be going into Barcelona, how many are in your group, and when are you visiting (before or after the end of June)?
Hi . Great post. We are staying in Gavá Mar for a month. I purchased t-usual tickets for three zones for the month. Am I right in thinking this allows us to travel across any three zones in any direction (as opposed to simply zones one to three)? For example from Gavá Mar we can travel to Barcelona but also to Vilanova i La Geltru? Also, if we go further, for example down to Tarragona, can we get a discount on our ticket as the t-usual would cover part of that journey?
Thanks!
Hi James,
Yes, you are basically right about the zones, except that, unlike the T-usual and T-familiar, where the number of zones is calculated on a journey by journey bases from the starting point of each individual journey. In the case of the T-usual, the number of zones is calculated from the station where you first validated it.
This means that if, for example, the first time you use a 3-zone T-usual is to travel from Barcelona to Sitges (zone 1 to zone 3A) you could then use it to travel from Barcelona to anywhere within zones 1, 2 and 3 (Sitges in the South to Mataró in the North). Whereas if the first time you used it was to travel from Sitges to Barcelona, then the zones are counted from Sitges, meaning that you can now travel south as far as zone five but can’t travel further north than Badalona (zone 1).
WRT visiting Tarragona. Unfortunately the T-usual doesn’t entitle you to a discount on the train fare to Tarragona, you will have to pay the full fare.
By the way, if you haven’t purchased the T-usual yet, you might want to check out this post about the Abono Recurrent.
Hey Richard I’ll be staying on campus at UAB in cerdalonya del valles but travelling back and forth to Barcelona city and beaches? Which zones would I need? and should I purchase extra tickets when travelling to and from the airport?
Hi Halley,
Cerdanyola del Vallès is covered by the Tarifa Metropolitana which means that you can use a one zone travel card for journeys to and from Barcelona.
Which travel card is best suited will depend on how long you will be staying and how frequently you will be using public transport. Most students purchase the T-jove which gives you an unlimited number of journeys on public transport for a period of ninety days. The T-jove can be used on the airport train and metro and is currently on offer with a 50% discount.
If you decide to purchase the T-jove then you’ll need to sign up for T-mobilitat.
Hey Richard thanks so much for your reply! just checking that if i buy the T-jove pass for zone 1, will that cover the airport? I also wont arrive Barcelona till July should i still purchase the pass now while it’s 50% off?
Hi Halley,
Yes, the T-jove covers the airport. I’ve also just noticed that the it now covers all six zones for the same price, which is fantastic value.
There’s no news online as to whether the discount will continue after June, so if you’re sure that you want to purchase the T-jove it makes sense to buy it before the end of June, just to be on the safe side.
By the way, since you asked about the University, I assumed taht you are under 30, which is the age limit for the T-jove.
Hey Richard, thank you so much for the work you do. Really appreciate it!
I’m visiting Barcelona for 10 days in June and I will stay close to the Canvidalet station. I’m planning on exploring the city by metro and bus, mainly going to the inner city and the beach. I was thinking about buying the T-usual 30 day pass. Is that my best option and in that case how many zones would I need? Not planning on going further than the beach or the bunkers.
And do I need a special ticket from the airport to Canvidalet?
Thank you and have a nice day :)
Hi Anders,
The Can Vidalet metro is in zone 1.
As I mentioned in another comment, the T-usual is currently discounted by 50% until the end of June, so I think a 1 zone T-usual would be ideal for a 10 day visit.
You can use the T-usual for travel on the airport metro, so there’s no need to buy another ticket. Take the L9s metro from the airport de Collblanc where you change to the L5 to Can Vidalet.
Since you mention the bunkers, I think it’s worth pointing out that they now close at 19:30 so you can’t watch the sunset there any more :-( Coincidentally, I was up there with some friends this weekend at about 19:00 and there were already a couple of security guys hanging around, presumabley getting ready to clear everyone out and close the park. There’s more info in this post.
Hi Richard,
I try use R2N from El Prat to Sants and R4 or R1 to MOLINS DE REI.
It’s possible with T-familiar card ?
Hi Ihor,
Yes, that would count as one journey on the T-familiar card.
Molins de Rei is covered by the Metrooplitain Fare, so, even though it’s in zone 2B, you only need a one zone T-familiar for this journey.
I’m from the UK and going to Barcelona for a month can I purchase the t usual card for unlimited travel within 30 days
I understand that i need my driving license / passport as verification
Can this be done on the machines or has it got to be done in an office somewhere I can’t seem to find any clarification on this for overseas travellers so would appreciate your help and assistance
Hi Antony,
Yes, you can purchase the T-usual from the machines at the train and metro stations at the airport, or anywhere else in the city for that matter. As part of the purchase process, you have to enter your passport or ID card number.
Hi I’m staying at Plaça de l’Àngel, 5, 08140 Caldes de Montbui, Barcelona, Spain
Which if I’m correct is in zone 3 I normally get a t10 ticket but this time I’m not in zone one
It will be easier me travelling by bus on the e9 route into barcelonetta but will be two busses so 4 journeys a day what ticket or pass will be the cheapest to get will be there for 7 days
Hi Christopher,
As you say, Caldes de Montbui is in zone 3D.
If you use one of the integrated tickets then you’re allowed to transfer between modes of transport up to three times as part of the same journey so, the journey you describe above should count as one journey, or two journeys per day.
If you do two journeys a day for seven days, that will be a total of fourteen journeys.
If you are coming before the end of June, the cheapest option will be the 3 zone T-usual which is currently on offer at a discount of 50% which means that you get unlimited travel on public transport for 30 days for €37.80.
Richard,
I have another question – with the T-usual card for zone one, what is the best way to go to Monserrat? Schould i buy only 3 zones/2-4/ single ticket? How do i activate the ticket on the way? Or i have to buy 4 zones single ticket? The official offers of 43,- Euro with the funicular is a bit toooo expensive
Thanks
Hi Boryana,
You can use the T-usual to travel by metro to Plaça d’Espanya where you can purchase a separate train ticket for Montserrat. Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to use the T-usual for part of the train journey, and then top it up with another ticket on the train. You’ll have to purchase a ticket which covers the entire journey (four zones).
The ticket you mentioned is the Trans Montserrat travel pass which includes, two journeys on the metro, return train journey from Plaça d’Espanya, return cable car or rack railway up to the monastery, unlimited use of both funiculars on Montserrat and entry to one of the museums. There are other cheaper options, such as combined tickets which just cover the train from Plaça d’Espanya plus the cable car, or a single train ticket which costs €5.75 but only gets you to the foot of the mountain. There’s more information about all the posibilities in my Guide to Visiting Montserrat.
The cheapest way to get to Montserrat is by bus, which currently costs €5.10, unfortunately there’s only one bus per day so it’s not very convenient. Alternatively, you could take the train and then hike up to the monastery, as described in this post.
Question: if I buy the T-usual for one month, and I go from anywhere in zone 1 to Sant cugat de valles, I need just a zone 1 T-usual? Same for the way back?
And does the T-usual can be started at any day, and last for 30 days? So if I start it on the 29th of January, it is valid till February 28th?
thanks! it is quite confusing!
Hi Danny,
The T-usual is valid for thirty days from the first day you use it, including the day of the first use. You can start it on any day of the month, and its valid for 30 days from that day.
If you purchase a 1 zone T-usual, and you first use it in Barcelona (zone-one) then you can use it to travel anywhere in zone one plus towns covered by the so-called Metropolitan Fare, which includes Sant Cugat del Vallès.
So, for example, if you purchase the T-usual at the airport, you could use it to travel from the airport to Sant Cugat and then from Sant Cugat to anywhere in zone one, and back. Or between any stations within zone one.
By the way, there’s currently a 50% discount on the T-usual. The offer is currently planned to end on the 30th of June, although it’s possible that it may be extended.
If anythings unclear, let me know.
Hi there!! I have a question that I’m hoping you can help me with. I have a trip planned for Barcelona but have planned to visit other cities on other days such as Sitges, Girona, Vic, etc. Which travel pass should I get or what wpuld be my best option?? The Hola Barcelona Travel card or something else?
Hi Cristina,
RENFE is currently running a special offer, giving free tickets for regular travellers on local trains. It works like this, you pay €10 upfront for an “Abonament Recurrent” ticket for local “Rodalies” commuter trains, which you can purchase at train stations in Barcelona, Plaça de Catalunya for example, or via the RENFE Cercanias app. You can then use this ticket to travel on “Rodalies” trains in and around Barcelona, as far as zone six. This covers the journeys to and from Sitges and Vic, but doesn’t cover the journey to Girona, which is outside of zone six.
Update: I’ve now written a post explaining this in detail.
The idea of this offer is to promote sustainable modes of transport, by allowing people to commute by train for free. Once you’ve completed sixteen journeys, the initial €10 is then refunded onto your credit card.
However, even if you just use it to travel to Sitges, and Vic and back to Barcelona, and won’t get the €10 back, it still works out very cheap. You’d then just need to purchase a return ticket for the trip to Girona.
As I said the offer is realy intended for commuters, and people who use the trains frequently, but there’s nothing on the RENFE website which says that it can’t be used by tourists, so I think you should be able to purchase one. There’s more information here.
Dear Richard,
I will be staying close to Sant Cugat/Volpelleres for 3 days.
Could you please advise which ticket should i buy to travel from airport to there, and also travelling around city centre?
Thank you in advance.
Kindest,
Veronika
Hi Veronika,
As you probably already know, Volpelleres is on the FGC line S1.
If you look at the latest zone map on the FGC website you’ll see that Volpelleres is shown as Zone 2C.
However, I also found this document on the FGC website with the tarrifs for 2023 and shows Volpelleres as being in Zone one.
Unfortunately, I haven’t made this journey myself so I can’t confirm this but, since the second document is from this year and, according to the url, the map on the FGC website is from 2022, I’m pretty sure that Volpelleres is now in zone 1.
This means that you can choose between any of the one zone travel passes mentioned in this post.
If you won’t be using public transport much, then the T-casual which is described in that post will probably be a good choice. It covers 10 combined journeys and costs just €11.35. The journey from the airport to Volpelleres, for example would count as sone of the ten joureys, as would the journey from Volpelleres into Barcelona, the only proviso is that it covers the airport train, but not the airport metro.
If you think you’ll be using public transport more than five times per day, or if you plan to use the airport metro, then usually I’d recommend the Hola Barcelona Travel Card which is described in the post above. However, the ATM has recently introduced a new travel card called T-Mobilitat which isn’t really a travel card in itself, but a medium for using the different types of travel card. At the moment, if you purchase a T-usual via the T-mobilitat app, it only costs €20 for unlimited journeys in zone 1 for 30 days which is a real bargain if you will be using public transport a lot. The only downside is the the app only works with Android phones with NFC, so if you have an iphone (as I do) then you have to purchase a physical card, which costs €4 and can be purchased at the metro stations at Plaça de Catalunya and Plaça d’Espanya and a few others, but not at the airport. There’s more info about this in the post I linked to above.
I hope this helps, and if anythings unclear let me know and I’ll try to clarify.
Hello. We will be travelling Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Grand Prix in June from Passig de Garcia to Montmelo and back, what ticket is best please for 3 days return? Thank you.
Hi Jones,
Firstly my apologies for not replying sooner, I’ve been on holiday for a few days.
Montmeló is in Zone 2D, so, depending on how many people are in your party the most economic choice will probably be to purchase several two zone T-familiars. These will cover the metreo from your hotel to Passeig de Gràcia (if needed), R2 or R2nord regional train to Montmeló, and the bus number 416 to the track (this counts as one journey).
For example, if there are four of you in your group, going to the track three times, you’d need 3 2 zone T-familiars which you could share between you. Total cost €57 for all three of you.
Hi , i will be staying at coma ruga
I was wondering if the T-usual ticket of 6 zones can help go from barcelone to coma ruga (and vice versa ) or not
Hi Matie,
Yes, the train station for Coma-ruga is Sant Vicenç de Calders, which is in zone six, so you can use a six-zone T-usual.
However, depending on when you will be travelling, RENFE is currently offering free tickets for frequent travellers on regional train services. You can find out more about this offer here.
Hi , thank you for this information. I’ll be staying in gothic center and visiting sites around Barcelona do I purchase zone 1 only?
Hi Roya,
Yes, a one-zone travel pass covers the entire city of Barcelona.
Hi
I’m coming in next week with my girlfriend and our baby boy to Spain for 7 nights. We will stay in Pineda De Mar which is in zone 4 of the ATM map and zone 5 of the RENFE map. We would like to see as many attractions as possible in Barcelona, so we’ll travel there about 5 times from Pineda De Mar.
Which Barcelona travel discount card and attractions pass card would be the for us? How much it’s gonna cost us?
Hi Tom,
Firstly, assuming that your child is under four years old, they can travel free of charge on public transport in Barcelona.
For yourself and your girlfriend, I would normally have recommended a T-casual, BUT at the moment, the local train operator is offering free tickets on commuter trains. More info here. I encourage you to read the link fully, but basically, you pay ten Euros for a ticket which allows free unlimited travel for a three-month period. The current three-month period ends at the end of April, so if you are visiting next week, it will cover you. There’s more info in the link, but you could use one of these passes to travel from Pineda to Barcelona-Plaça de Catalunya and back.
Which Barcelona sightseeing pass works out best depends on which attractions you plan to visit. I recommend you take a look at my in-depth article, which explains the pros and cons of the main Barcelona tourist passes. At the moment, the Barcelona Card and the Go City Barcelona Pass seem to be the most popular choices, although it really depends on which attractions you plan to visit and whether you need a pass which covers the metro.
Thank you for your prompt response,
another question. How much is a one-way train ticket from Villasser de Mar to Barcelona?
Does the Hola Barcelona Travel Card cover zone 2 if I buy it?
Hi Marko,
A single train ticket from Barcelona to Vilassar de Mar costs €3.85.
Unfortunately, the Hola Barcelona Travel Card only covers zone one, so it doesn’t cover the journey to Vilassar de Mar.
Hello,
I have accommodation in Vilassar De Mar, which transport ticket should I buy for trips to Barcelona for three days.
thank you
Hi Marko,
Vilassar de Mar is in zone 2 of the ATM map and zone 3 of the RENFE map. If you are only making the journey six times in total, then a two-zone T-familiar will be the cheapest option. You could then purchase a one-zone ticket for any additional journeys within Barcelona.