Getting Around Barcelona From Your Hotel

By Joan. I have lived in Barcelona for 16 years and I still carry the same card everyone here carries, because on a short trip nothing beats it on price.

Quick answer: buy a T-casual. It gives 10 metro trips for 12.15 euros, against 2.65 euros for a single ticket. It cannot be shared, so buy one card per person. Inside the old city, walk instead.

The metro and the T-casual card

The metro runs from 5:00 to midnight on weekdays and all night on Saturdays. A single ticket is 2.65 euros. The T-casual gives 10 trips for 12.15 euros and cannot be shared, so buy one card per person. Lines L2, L3, L4 and L5 cover almost every sight in the centre, which is why I hardly ever look at a bus map.

How do I get in from the airport?

The Aerobus to Placa de Catalunya runs every 5 to 10 minutes, takes about 35 minutes and costs around 7.25 euros one way. Metro line L9 Sud reaches the city for 5.70 euros. A taxi to the centre is roughly 35 euros and takes 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic. With luggage and a late landing I take the taxi and I have stopped pretending it is bad value.

When should I walk instead?

The old city, the Ramblas, the waterfront and the lower Eixample are all walkable, and for short hops walking usually beats going down to a platform and back up again. Wear flat shoes for the cobbles of the Gothic Quarter. Carry water in summer, which here is not a nicety.

Are taxis worth it?

Black and yellow taxis are metered and easy to hail. A cross-town ride is usually 8 to 14 euros. They are useful late at night or with luggage, and useless in old-town lanes where a car simply cannot pass. Split between two people they often work out close to the metro anyway.

What if my hotel is not central?

If your base is outside the centre, or you want one day without planning anything, several tours include hotel pick-up. They collect you from the lobby, handle the tickets and drive you to places like Montserrat that are awkward on public transport. That is the one case where I would stop optimising the metro and let someone else drive.

My advice by traveller

If the budget is tight, one T-casual per person and walk everything else. If you are travelling with children, not every central station has a lift, so check your route before you commit to the pushchair. If you only have two days, do the sums before buying a multi-day travel pass, because on a short trip you rarely make enough journeys to earn it back. If this is your first visit, walk more than you think you should. Barcelona makes sense at street level and not from a platform.

Before you go

• Buy one card per person. It cannot be shared, and that is the detail that catches out couples.
• Buy it at the machine when you arrive, not when you are already late for a timed ticket.
• Keep the card somewhere you can reach without taking your bag off.
• Prices change, so check the current fare before you budget the trip.

Transport is the part of a short trip people plan last and regret first. Get it right on the way in from the airport and the rest of the two days runs itself.