Fares on Barcelona’s public transport network are based on zones, much as they are in London and Paris. Unlike London, the entire city of Barcelona and some adjoining towns are within Zone 1. Zones 2 to 6 cover surrounding towns and cities, which are also included in the integrated fare system.
Different maps, different zones
Many people don’t realize that the zones on the ATM map (Barcelona’s metropolitan transport system) aren’t exactly the same as those on the RENFE map (Spanish train network).
The differences are minor and only affect a few stations, so it’s hard to spot if you check the individual maps online.
However, if you compare the maps side-by-side, you’ll see that there are several discrepancies. One of which is especially interesting for budget-minded travellers visiting Barcelona.
Firstly, Sitges and Mataró are both in Zone 3 on the ATM map and Zone 4 on the RENFE map. More importantly, Barcelona airport is in zone one on the TMB map and zone 4 on the RENFE map!
This means that if you purchase a single RENFE ticket from the airport to Barcelona Sants train station, it will cost you €4.60, whereas if you purchase a T-casual travel pass (10 journeys by bus, metro, tram and train), the same journey on the same train will cost just €1.22.
Another advantage of the T-casual is that it allows you to transfer to the metro or bus as part of the same journey, whereas the single train ticket or Bonotren only covers the train.
Important information about the L9 sud Airport metro
Despite the fact that both airport metro stations are within ATM zone 1, neither the T-casual nor the standard single metro ticket is valid for the airport metro stations. Instead, you have to purchase a special airport ticket, which costs €5.50 for a single journey and is only valid for the metro*.
If you do decide to use the metro to get to and from the airport, you should think about purchasing a Hola Barcelona Travel Card, which allows unlimited transport within zone 1 by metro, bus, train and tram and costs €16.62 for 48 hours when purchased online.
Find out more about Barcelona sightseeing passes and discount cards
If you mistakenly use a standard single-journey ticket or a T-casual to travel to one of the airport metro stations, you will have to purchase an airport ticket in order to be able to exit through the ticket barriers.
*Note: The T-casual and standard single journey tickets are valid when travelling to or from any of the other stations on the L9 sud metro line. You only need the special airport metro ticket when boarding/alighting at the airport T1 or T2 stations.
Zone two towns which sometimes count as zone one
If you look carefully at the ATM zoning map, you’ll see that some areas of Zone 2 (2A, 2B and 2C) are coloured dark green, the same as Zone 1.
The 18 towns in these areas are covered by the Tarifa Metropolitana (Metropolitan Fare). This means that if you use one of the travel passes issued by the ATM and start your journey in zone one, the towns are effectively in the same zone, and you can use a one-zone pass. On the other hand, if you begin your journey in zone two or more, then they are in zone 2.
This might sound confusing, but it basically means that if you are travelling from the city centre, then these towns, which are effectively suburbs of Barcelona, are in zone one. On the other hand, if you are travelling from outside Barcelona, they are in zone 2, which also saves you the price of an extra zone.
How many zones? Which ticket do I need?
As can be seen from the maps linked above, there are a total of six transport zones radiating out from Barcelona city centre.
When you purchase a single-journey ticket, you can simply select your destination; no need to worry about which transport zone it’s in.
If you will be travelling outside of Zone 1 and want to save money by purchasing a multi-trip travel pass (T-casual, T-Jove, etc…), you will have to decide the number of zones needed.
To do this, you simply need to work out how many successive zones you will be travelling in, to a maximum of six zones.
For example, if you will be travelling from Barcelona (zone 1) to Mataró (zone 3), you need a 3-zone ticket, travelling in zones 1-2-3.
From Calella (zone 4) to Blanes (zone 5), you need a 2-zone ticket, travelling in zones 4 & 5.
The only exception is if you will be travelling between two consecutive stations, which happen to be in different zones. For example, from the last station in Zone 3 to the first station in Zone 4. In this case, you only need a 1 zone travel pass.
As always, if you’ve any questions, comment below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
All prices and fares mentioned in this post were checked and updated in February 2024.
Hi,
We will be in Barcelona between 30.10. and 04.11.
We are arriving by plane. We will be staying near Collblanc.
We will need an airport-to-city and return ticket, hop-on/off bus 24h ticket.
We plan to visit at least half of the following:
-Cosmo caixa Museum of Science + observatorio
-Lego exposicion de modelos
-L’aquarium
-Parc del Laberint d’Horta
-Museu d’Historia de Catalunya
-Sagrada Familija
-park guell
-park della ciutadella + zoo
-Barceloneta beach
-Gothic Quarter
There is the Barcelona pass, Hola Barcelona pass, and the zones which confuse me.
And from what I have seen, booking individual tickets to attractions is cheaper than taking the passes??
Do you have any tips regarding which passes and public transport ticket we should buy so that we can reach most of the attractions with little hassle?
Hi Gorazd,
All of the attractions you mentioned ae in travel zone 1.
If you’re not sure exactly which attractions you want to visit then The Go City Barcelona Pass is probably going to be the most flexible.
As you say, it can be quite confusing, especially if you’re haven’t decided which attractions you are going to visit yet.
I recommend that you start by making a plan, and then use the online calculator in this post to compare prices.
Hi, I have understood the concept of it but out of curiosity and to have clarity I had to ask
I will be taking the airport connection to go to my place of stay in la floresta.
Then for the 5 days of stay I will be commuting to La rambla and city center.
1 day I shall be going to Montjuic using the cable car… (apologies if my spelling is not correct)
1 day I intend to go to Girona and 1 day montserrat
I may return after 10 days to use the same pass / again for another day before my flight out .. and would use the subway to reach airport terminal.
so over all I feel I need a ticket which covers all these .. is it possible ?
I thought the T causal will be the choice .. but would like your expert opinion on the matter please.
Also if you can clarify S1&S2 are also open till mid night like all the L1-11 ?
Hello Salman,
Unfortunalely there isn’t a ticket which will cover all of these journeys because Girona is outside the areas covered by tickets such as the T-Casual or Hola Barcelona Travel Cards.
From what you say, I’d suggest you purchase a One Zone T-Usual (currently available for the reduced price of €21.35), which will cover your journeys to and from the airport, La Floresta and the city centre and is valid for thirty days of unlimited travel after the first use. La Floresta is in Zone 2, but is covered by the Metropolitan fare , so you only need a one zone T-usual.
The T-casual that you mentioned only cover’s 10 journeys and can’t be used when traveling by metro (subway) to and from the airport.
For Montserrat, I normally recommend the Trans Montserrat Pass which, in addition to the train, also covers entry to the monastery, the museum, and the cable car and funicular railways up the mountain. There’s more information about this in my post about visiting Montserrat.
For Girona, I recommend taking either a Middle Distande or AVE train. You can check the timetables and prices on renfe.com
You’ll find timetables for the S1 and S2 lines on the FGC website here and here.
Hi Richard, we fly to BCN T2 and will be staying in Rambla de Catalunya, 84, L’Eixample, 08008 Barcelona, planning to spend 3,4 days in Barcelona before flying out to Granada. Which card would you recommend? Thanks
Hi Jessie,
It depends on which mode of transport you will be using to get from the airport and how much you will be using public transport while you are here.
If you will be traveling from the airport and moving around barcelona a lot then the T-Usual is currently on offer at €21.35 which makes it good value for 3 or 4 day visits.
If you won’t be using the airport metro, and don’t plan to make that many journeys by public trasnport then the T-Casual is slightly cheaper at €12.15 for 10 journeys.
Richard. Myself and my wife arriving to t2 Barcelona airport. Travelling to arenys de mar. Hope to visit Barcelona one or two days and other areas along the coast by train. What ticket would be the best option. We will be visiting for six days. Appreciate your assistance in advance
Hi Frank,
I recommend you take a look at the Abonament Recurrent which will cover all the journeys you mentioned for just €10. You can purchase the ticket from the ticket machines at the airport train station.
Hi Richard, I am wondering if I can use the T-Jove pass. I will be using it from Garraf to Barcelona Sants. Thank you!!
Hi Sofia,
Garraf is in zone two and the T-Jove covers all six zones, so, assuming that you are under 30, you can use it for this journey.
Hey Richard,
Thank you for the detailed article. I’ve learned a lot.
I will be staying 4 nights in Barcelona arriving at the international airport and taking the train to Madrid on the 5th day around noon.
The closest train station to the hotel we’ve booked is Cerdanyola del Vallès. Which as per the map is right outside zone 1.
I will definitely doing multiple trips to and within the city center and was hoping to get the Hola Barcelona pass (which would cover the airport journey too).
The train from Cerdanyola del Vallès to the city center is R4.
I don’t think the Hola Barcelona card will work for the 2 of us.
Do we each take a t-casual with 2 zones? Or perhaps another T pass?
We have one trip to Montserrat and one trip to Tibidabo planned. And on both trips we plan to head to the center for breakfast first.
Can you please recommend the best travel card to purchase. We are non -EU citizens if that matters.
Hi Josh,
As you say, Cerdanyola del Vallès is in Zone 2 and isn’t covered by the Hola Barcelona Card. However it is within the zone covered by the Metropolitan Fare which means that, when using one of the passes issued by the ATM, it counts as zone one.
So, a one zone T-usual, which covers all the trips you mention including the airport metro, will probably be a good choice.
Hi Richard!
I will be arriving at barcelona airport and will be staying at a hotel in calella. From calella i will want to visit barcelona for 1 day, maybe 2 days. What transport card should i buy?
Thank you!
Hi Cristina,
Take a look at the Abono Recurrent, which will cover all the journeys you mention and costs just €10.
This is a wonderful resource, thankyou. We are staying in the middle of Barcelona. From what you have written, if my daughter wishes to travel to the following locations, may be 3-4 times within a week:
1. Ocata Beach in Zone 2 the Hoya BCN card get us there because we are leaving from Zone 1? Can we get back as we start from Zone 2?
2. Premia Del Mar in Zone 3? Hoya card won’t work
So we might be better off purchasing a multi-zone ticket? We take the R1 line on Renfe
Hi Grahame,
The Hola Barcelona card is only valid for travel within zone one. If you are travelling to zones two or three, even though the journey begins in Zone 1, you will stil need a multi zone card. What counts is the number of zones that you travel through, not the zone that you start in.
The journeys you mention are all using the R1 train, so I suggest you take a look at the Abono Recurrent, whic would cover all these journeys and costs just €10.
Hi Richard,
thanks for the valuable insight about the zone differences. I still don’t get the zone difference in Calella. On the renfe plan it is Zone 5 and on the other one Zone 4.
We are 5 people, had the idea of getting the T-Usual card with 4 Zones.
Our routes are: Back + Forth from the Airport to Barcelona Sants, buying the ticket at the airpot. Then around barcelona (4 days). And then for 5 days between Calella -Barcelona + Mataro + Blanes.
Is 4 Zones enough for going from Barcelona Sants to Calella?
It is the T-Usual card the right one for us, or is a combination of T-Casual + Abono Reccurent better?
Hi Martina,
Yes, a four zone T- usual or T-casual would be enough for the journey from Barcelona to Calella.
The cheapest option fopr the journeys you describe will be to purchase a Abonament Recurrent for all the train journeys then a one zone T-usual for transport within Barcelona.
If you don’t think you will be using public transport much within Barcelona, then you could alos consider the one zone T-casual which gives 10 journeys, although the price difference when compared to the T-usual (unlimited travel) is only about 10€.
Hi, I thougt that I understand but I didn’t everything.
I arrived at airport and will stay in Calella. I plan to go some days to Barsa and one day to Figueras.
Witch ticket to by?
I saw that from airport to Calella go R2—>R1, and also from Calella to Figueras goes R1.
Hi Milena,
That is correct, from the airport to Calella you take the R2 nord train to Barcelona El Clot, where you transfer to the R1. The R1 northbound train departs from platform 4.
For Figueres, you can take the R1 train from Calella to Maçanet Massanes followed by the Middle Distance train from there to Figueres.
The cheapest way to do this will be to purchase an Abonament Recurrent ticket at the airport train station which will cover all your journeys on the R2 and R1 trains then purchase a separate return ticket for the day you go to Figueres.
Your article is very helpful. I did have a couple of questions though:
There will be 5 of us visiting Barcelona for 8 days. We will be staying in La Floresta (Sant Cuget del Valles) but plan to go into Barcelona central every day to sightsee. What kind of card do you think would work the best for us & what zone? If I am reading your article correctly, I can come back from say Placa de Cataluyna with a zone one card but might need a zone 2 card to leave La Floresta each morning to head into Barcelona? So would I need 2 different cards, one for going into the city & one for coming out?
Also, there is a local bus located near the La Floresta station that we can take to our airbnb – what kind of card would I use for that? I can’t figure out the actual bus number from the map but it is just outside the La Florest station.
Thanks in advance (& for all your great information)
Hi Bonnie,
I’m glad to hear you found the post helpful.
Sant Cugat is in the metropolitan zone, and you can use a one zone travel card in both directions.
Assuming that the bus is run by one of the bus companies which are covered by the ATM, then, if you get an integrated pass, such as the T-familiar or T-casual, you can combine both modes of transport and it will count as one journey.
If you search for how to get to the address of your AirBNB on google maps, it should list the name of the company which operates the bus, you can then check with this list to see if the company is covered by the ATM cards.
Which card to purchase really depends on how much you expect to use public transport. I recommend you make a rough plan, and trying to work out how many journeys you will be taking.
Thanks so much for all the helpful information.
I did look up the local bus & it is operated through Sarbus (L3). I can’t seem to figure out though if it will work with the ATM card (T-Usual or T-Familiar Zone 1).
I also had another question. If I decide that a T-Usual card would be the best bet & if I need to get a T-Usual card for Zone 2, would that card also work for transfers within Zone 1 in Barcelona?
Thanks again for your assistance.
Hi Bonnie,
I believe that Sarbus is part of Moventis, so it should be covered by travel cards issued by the ATM although I recommend you contact them to make sure using the contact form on their website here.
The two zone travel cards cover joureys through up to two zones, so yes, they also work for journeys in zone one.
Hi, there will be a group of 6 people. We arrive at terminal 2
Barcelona El prat and we want to go to Vilanova lla Geltru.
We are going to buy Abono reccurent for 10 euros for 6 zones.
We go first – from Aeroport terminal 2 to El prat de Llobregat, and then transfer – from El prat de Llobregat to Vilanova I la Geltru.
So we can use Abono reccurent for this trip and then 9 trips more
(total 10 or it is unlimited ) for 6 zones during 4 months ( for one person) , right?
And what towns cover these 6 zones?
Thank you in advance, Julia
Hi Julia,
The Abonament Recurrent is valid for unlimited journeys for the four month period that it was purchased in, so if you purchase one now it will be valid until the end of August. If you use it more than sixteen times in this period, then the €10 will be refunded at the end of August.
It can be used when travelling on regional trains operated by RENFE when travelling to and from any of the stations in the six zones shown on the map in the second image in the post above. So, for example, on R1 you can travel as far as Maçanet Massanes, on the R3 as far as Sant Quirze de Besora, R4 as far as Manresa etc…
You should bear in mind that this ticket is only valid for transport by regional trains operated by RENFE. It can’t be used on the metro, buses, trams or trains operated by the FGC.
There’s more information about the Abonament Recurrent in this post.
Hi, Please could you help, I’m flying into Barcelona airport, and my hotel is in Calella, could you tell me the best journey by train?
Also I will be travelling from Calella to montmeló for the F1 for 3/4 days by train, could you help with the best route? And do you know which ticket would be best to buy for my trips?
Thanks Natalie
Hi Natalie,
From the airport to Calella by train: Take the Airport train from terminal two to Barcelona El Clot, and from there, take the R1 northbound train to Calella, which departs from platform 4. There’s more information about the airport train in this post. Note that some northbound R1 trains terminate at Mataró or Arenys, which are before Calella, you want trains with final destinatione of either Blanes or Maçanet Massanes.
The most convenient way of travelling to the F1 circuit is to take one of the buses run by Sagalés. Timetables here.
However, these buses only run on race days: Saturday and Sunday.
If you want to travel to the circuit on the other days, then you could take the R1 train from Calella to Barcelona El Clot, followed by the R2 to Montmeló train station. From here, you can either catch one of the shuttle buses to or walk to the track.
The train from the airport to Calella plus the trains from Calella to Montmeló are all covered by the Abonament Recurrent ticket, which is described in this post and can be purchased from the ticket machines at the airport train station.
Hi, thank you for your helpful site,
Could you please help me though, would a T dia card cover the R1 train from Pineda de Mar to Barcelona, and bus and metro travel whilst in Barcelona for the day,
Thanks for your help, we are so confused, but looking forward to coming :-)
Hi Andy,
Yes, a T-dia would cover this journey but, since Pineda de Mar is in Zone 4H, you’d need a four zone T-dia which costs €24.
Hi Richard, what a wonderful resource this site is, thank you for maintaining it. I need a ticket that enables travel from the airport to sitges (2 people) upon arrival and then a return journey of Sitges to airport 6 days later. Also we are going to Mont Mello to watch the MotoGP in the same week. So basically need tickets that allow travel Airport > Sitges + Sitges > Barcelona for day trips, and Sitges . Mont Mello + Sitges > Airport for travel home…Thanks!
Hi Joy,
All those journeys can be done using renfe “rodalies” trains, and would be covered by the Abonament Recurrent which I described in this post.
The Ab. Recurrent tickets are valid for fixed four monthly periods, so if you purchase one on or after May 1st it will be valid until the end of August. If you purchase during April however, it will only be valid until the end of the month.
Note, that the ticket is unipersonal, meaning that you will need one each.
If anything’s unclear, feel free to ask.
Hi Richard, Huge thanks!
You’re welcome Joy.
Thanks for this very useful and great information, which I did not find anywhere else. However, I am still confused about my trip to Barcelona and purchasing the Hola Barcelona card because I am staying for 2 days near Can Feu Gracia metro in Sabadell and the next 2 days near the train station, Vilanova i la Geltrú. Can you please confirm if the Hola Barcelona Card covers the cost to these destinations from Barcelona, thanks a lot.
Hi Ravi,
Vilanova i la Geltrú is in Zone 4A and Sabadell is in Zone 2C. Unfortunately, they are not covered by the Hola Barcelona Card.
Thanks a lot Richard.
You’re welcome Ravi, have a great trip!
Hi Richard,
my parents will be visiting me in Barcelona in three weeks. They will arrive at the airport and will be staying in a Camping place called “Camping 3 Estrelles”, a few Kilometers West of the airport.
What Kind of Ticket would they need if they want to commute to the City of Barcelona and back to the Camping site every day? I heard the airport is in zone 1, is the Camping site also still in zone 1? If yes, i guess the hola cards would be best for it?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Josef,
Camping 3 Estrelles is in Gavà, which is in transport zone one.
Assuming that the only travel they will be doing will be commuting to and from the campsite, and that they will only be in Barcelona for a few days, then either a T-familiar (can be shared) or a T-casual (unipersonal) would probably be the best option for them. For longer stays, it may be worth getting a T-usual.
These can be purchased at the train station at terminal 2 or from the tobacconist at teminal 1 (just outside the arrivals area). All three of these passes use the T-mobilitat system which is explained in this post. I recommend getting the cardboard version of the T-mobilitat.
Hi, thank you for all help here. Your post is great. Two of us will be in Calella for 8 days, but we plan almost every day visit Barcelona. We consider T usual ticket. If we buy T usual for 4th zone, does it allows us to travell to and from Barcelona, then in Barcelona itself during the day, and also from Barcelona to Monserrat de Monistol station or Aeri de Monserat station. Because, both Monserrat and Calella are 4. Zone. Thank you in advance.
Hi Mika,
Thanks for the feedback, I’m glad you found the post helpful.
The zones of a T-Usual are calculated from the station where you first validated it. So if you purchase the T-usual at Barcelona airport, and, the first time you use it is to travel from the airport to Calella, then a four zone T-Usual would also cover the journey to Monistrol de Montserrat. On the other hand, if you purchase it in Calella and the first journey is from Calella to Barcelona, then you’d need a six zone ticket.
However, depending on the dates of your visit, it will probably work out cheaper if you get an Abono Recurrent which will cover the “Rodalies” trains between Barcelona and Calella, including Barcelona airport. This ticket costs €10 which is refunded once you have completed 16 journeys. From what you say, with an eight day stay, you will get the refund.
You could then purchase a one zone T-usual which costs €21.35 and covers public transport within Barcelona (metro, tram, bus etc).
The Abono Recurrent doesn’t cover the train to Montserrat, which is operated by the FGC, which is a different train company.
If you plan to walk from the train station to the Monastery, then the cheapest option would be to take the R1 train from Calella to Barcelona Sants followed by the R4 train to Mortorell Central (both of these trains are covered by the Abono Recurrent) and then catch the FGC R5 to Monstrol which will cost €3.65 each way.
I’ve covered the hike up to the monastery in this post.
I also recommend you check out my guide to visiting Montserrat which contains a lot of information about the different ticket options for the rack railway, cable car, funiculars etc.
Hello Richard,
thanks a million for a comprehensive overview.
Could you please advise where I can find the 50% discount for the T-usual ticket? Also, could you please share how the T-familiar ticket works in practice i.e. how two people use it when entering and leaving the tube?
Thank you so much for your help with this.
Have a nice day.
Hi Barbora,
The discount is applied automatically, and is already included in the prices which are shown in this post and on the TMB site.
If you are arriving at Barcelona airport, you can purchase the T-ususual from the ticket machines at the metro and train stations, and it comes with the 50% discount applied.
Note that both the T-usual and the T-familiar work with the new T-Mobilitat system, via either an app, a plastic smart card, or a cardboard smart card. The best option for tourists and short term visitors is the cardboard smartcard, which costs 50 cents and is included when you purchase the T-usual at the machines. I’ve explained this in more detail in this post.
When you purchase a T-familiar and share it each person has to validate the card every time you travel.
In practice, this means that, when entering the metro station, the first person validates the card by holding it above the white sensor on the ticket barrier (as shown in this photo) until it the sensor emits a beep, turns green and the barrier opens. They then hand the card back to the next person before walking through the open barrier. The next person then does the same.
You don’t validate the card again when leaving the metro, the barriers open automatically. Once again, it’s all explained in the post I linked to earlier.
The process sounds quite involved when you write it down, but it’s quite intuitive really ;-)
Hi Richard
I’m staying 4 nights in Carrer de la Riera Blanca, 10
08903 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat
Barcelona. What ticket do I need from airport to there and to also travel around to see the sights please? It’s very confusing, any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Hi Donna,
The best way to get to that location by public transport from the airport is to take the metro L9S to Collblanc.
If you only want a travel card, I’d normally recommend a four day Hola Barcelona Travel Card for this location which costs €31.63 if purchased online, but the T-Usual is currently discounted 50% which makes it slightly cheaper.
You can purchase the T-usual from the ticket machines at the airport metro.
There’s more information about the different passes in this post.
Hello, I made a reservation at B&B HOTEL Barcelona Viladecans
(Avinguda Olof Palme, 24 next to Carrer de la Tecnologia
08840, Viladecans)
I searched Google Maps and the map showed that I need to either take r2n from airport terminal 2 to r2s to the hotel , and if I want to visit scenes I need to take r2s every day from Viladecans
Take the train platform to Passeig de Gràcia or other attractions.(I think it’s fast) but I don’t know if T-casual can over my travel. Could you tell me if T-casual over R2S and R2N? Thank you very much!!!
Hi Susan,
That’s correct. There aren’t any direct trains from the airport to Viladecans. You need to catch the R2 nord train from the airport to El Prat de Llobregat (one stop) and then change trains to either the R2 or R2 sud, which you take to Viladecans.
This journey is covered by the one-zone T-casual, as is the journey into Barcelona.
The T-casual covers regional trains operated by RENFE (R1, R2 etc) plus metro, buses and trams within Barcelolna. It doesn’t cover middle distance, long distance or high speed trains.
Hello Richard,
Thanks a lot for sharing all the details and taking your time to respond to the comments.
I am planning to travel to Girona from Barcelona and planning to buy AB Recurrent pass. I see from Renfe maps that I can travel till Granollers Center using R2N or Massanes using R1. Post that google maps is suggesting me to take regional/MD trains. Just want to check whether those trains are also covered by the pass and do you recommend any other options? Also, is it possible to buy the tickets online for regional/MD trains?
Many thanks.
Hi Sam,
The Abono Recurrent mentioned in this post doesn’t cover Middle Distance trains, only Regional trains (called Rodalies).
It’s worth asking at the train station to see whether your Abono Recurrent cover’s the journey on regional trains from Barcelona to Girona. My understanding is that it won’t be covered, but I haven’t checked.
There is a similar scheme available for Middle Distance trains (more info here in Spsnish) although it costs €20 and, unlike the regional pass, which is valid for the entire network radiating out from the city where you purchased it, The MD version of the pass is only valid between two specified stations, and is therefore less useful unless you’re commuting. I can’t remember how much the MD train from Barcelona to Girona costs, but I don’t expect that it’s much more than €10 each way, but I haven’t checked.
Middle Distance and Regional train tickets can only be purchased at train stations.
To be honest, if it’s for a day trip, I think it’s woth paying a little extra to save time and would book return tickets on the AVANT, which is the exact same train as the AVE just a different ticketing system and usually costs around €13 each way. There are also a few AVLO trains which are cheaper still.
The only exception would be if you are staying near to one of the smaller stations where the MD trains stop but the AVE doesnt (El Clot for example) in which case the fact that you have to travel to Sants to catch the AVE negates the time saving, and makes the Middle Distance train a good choice.
Many thanks for the useful posts!
We (2 people) are travelling to Sitges soon and we’ll arrive to Barcelona airport. We are planning to spend at least 1 day in Barcelona + our last half day as well.
So we would need for sure:
– get from Barcelona airport to Sitges when we arrive (single ticket by bus 8 EUR pp.)
– get from Sitges to Barcelona city centre (single 4.2 EUR pp.) and do some travel in zone 1 on at least one of the days
– get from Sitges to Barcelona city centre (probably to main train station to use the luggage room), possible use public transport a bit more, then get back from train station to Barcalona airport in the afternoon (single 4.6 EUR pp.)
As I understand we can buy a 3-zone T-familiar ticket (27 EUR) and it will cover our 4 journeys between Sitges to Barcelona + Barcelone centre to airport + 3 further occasions of travelling by metro/bus in zone 1.
If we need further journeys, we can buy a 1-zone T-familiar for 10 EUR for 8 further occasions.
Do I get it right? Is it correct that the 8 journey for T-familiar is 8 journey for the both of us (so 16 single journeys) and not only 4 for the both of us?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Kincso,
Unfortunately, the T-familiar covers eight journeys in total, so if there are two of you travelling together, that’s four journeys each per T-familiar.
If you’re travelling before the end of December, and want to do this as cheaply as possible, then you could purchase aa Abono Recurrent train ticket each (€10 per person) and use that to travel by train from the airport to Sitges (from the train station at terminal 2), from Sitges to and from Barcelona, and from Barcelona city centre to the airport on the last day. Note that this ticket only covers regional trains operated by RENFE, and not the metro, tram or bus services.
You’d then just need a one zone T-familiar (€10) for any additional journeys within Barcelona.
There’s more information about the train to Sitges in this post and more info about the Abono Recurrent in this post. If your flight lands at terminal one, you can catch the free shuttle bus to terminal two as mentioned in this post.
i heard that the T Usual ticket is cheaper this year and i am trying to find out if this will cover transportation to all the areas we want to visit including Montjuic.
Hi Carl,
Yes, that is correct, the T-usual is currently discounted by 50% which makes it very good value for stays of three days or more, especially if you plan to use the airport metro.
A one zone T-usual will cover the city of Barcelona, including Montjuïc.
Hi, we have a Abono recurrent passes and will travel from Sitges to Latour de Carol tomorrow to get the sleeper to Paris. I’m confused over where we should buy tickets from at the end of zone 6 – is it Vic or Sant Quirze de Besora (6h)?
Also, can I buy the tickets from any Rosalia machine? We will probably get the R2 from Sitges and change at Sants. Thank you
Hi Heather,
I believe that the Abono Recurrent for the Barcelona area will cover you as far as Sant Quirze de Besora (line R3 zone 6h). When I purchased my first Abono Recurent, I was told by RENFE staff that it covered the entire area shown on the RENFE map shown in the post above.
The Abono Recurrent can be purchased from the orange and black coloured RENFE ticket machines at all RENFE regional stations.
There’s more information in this post.
Hey
Just wanted to double check I understood everything and what we have planned to get is correct, we will be going from El Prat airport to hotel atenea port in mataro, then into Barcelona from the hotel a few times for sightseeing, then from hotel back to el pratairport. Planning on getting a t casual 10 pkt zone 3 each. We are in Barcelona for 4 days.
Thanks
Hi James,
Normally I’d say yes, you understood correctly, that’s the best choice.
However, there’s currently a discount train pass available which costs €10 and gives free unlimited travel on regional trains within the Barcelona area until the end of December.
There’s more information in this post.
You could use this pass to travel from the airport to Mataró by train and then from Mataró to Barcelona city centre each day.
Then, depending on what you plan to do, purchase a one zone T-casual if needed for travel within the city on the metro/bus/tram.
To get to the Atenea from the airport, catch the R2 nord train from Barcelona airport terminal 2 to Barcelona El Clot train station and change there to the R1 train to Mataró.
All northbound R1 trains, no matter which final destination, stop at Mataró and depart from platform 4 at El Clot station.
When you arrive at Mataró, turn left as you exit the station and walk to the end of the station building (on the street outside) where you will see the entrance to a pedestrian tunnel which takes you under the railway tracks to the beach. As you come out of the other end of the tunnel you will see the Atenea to your right, about 100m from the tunnel entrance.
Note: The airport train station is at terminal 2, if your flight lands at terminal 1, there’s a free shuttle bus which runs between the terminals as described in this post.
Note 2: The first R2 train of the day, which departs from the airport at 5:42 in the morning, doesn’t stop at Barcelona – El Clot, in which case you should change trains at Barcelona – Sants. All the other trains from the airport stop at El Clot.
There’s more information about the airport train in this post and more information about the T-casual, T-familiar and other sightseeing/travel passes in this post.
Hey Richard
Thank you for replying and going into so much detail, it is super helpful. Much appreciated.
We are traveling through the rest of Europe with a eurail global pass, do you think the R1 and R2 trains operated by RENFE are included in the pass?
Hi James,
You’re welcome.
I’m sorry but I’ve no personal experience with the Eurail pass. I’ve just done a quick search online and the results were unclear. As you say, the regional “Rodalies” trains are operated by RENFE, so it looks like they may be covered although I’ve not found a difinitive answer online.
If I were you, I’d ask at the train station at the airport before purchasing your tickets. There’s a staffed ticket office plus uniformed staff on hand near the ticket machines. By the way, if you have time, I’d apreciate it if you could leave a comment afterwards letting us know whether you were able to use the Eurail pass.
By the way, I noticed a typo in my previous reply where I said T-10 when I meant T-casual.
Hi, Richard, your answers are very valuable, thank you!
Could you please advice me the optimal way to get from Badalona to Tarragona and back three days in a row, 21, 22 and 23 of September. May I buy t casual, if yes, which zone? It is quite confusing for me. Thank you so much in advance!
Hi Steve,
The optimal way to do this would be to take the R1 train from Badalona to Sants (aka Barcelona Sants) followed by either a Regional or Regional Express train to Tarragona (could be R14, R15, R16 or R17). The total journey time, including the change of trains, will be around an hour and forty five minutes.
Note: There are also high Speed trains (AVE) from Barcelona to Camp de Tarragona, but the Camp de Tarragona train station is outside Tarragona, and, in addition to being more expensive, by the time you factor in the bus from the station to the city centre, it ends un taking longer than the regional trains. This is explained in more detail in this post.
Unfortunately, the T-casual doesn’t cover this journey, because Tarragona lies beyond the area covered by the ATM network.
Single tickets Badalona – Tarragona cost €7.70 for regional trains, or €8.80 for the regional expres, so a total of €46.20 for the six journeys you mentioned.
There is currently a special offer on for Regional trains, which I describe in this post. However, I believe that this will only cover you as far as Sant Vicençe de Calders, and not all the way to Tarragona, but I recommend you ask about it at the train station before making a purchase, just in case I’m wrong.
By the way, if I am wrong, I’d apreciate it if you could post back and let me know.