Public
Transport
With the exception of one metro line, transport in the city is operated
by TMB (telephone
number: (93) 298 7000). There are TMB
information offices in the foyer of the Universitat metro station,
open Monday to Friday 0800 hrs–2000 hrs. There are also offices
at Diagonal, Sants Estacio and
Sagrada Familia metro stations.
Buses
Buses in the city run daily from approximately 0630 hrs until approximately
2200 hrs. The network is extensive and almost all services run through
Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça Urquinaona
or Plaça de la Universitat.
Single tickets are available for purchase from the driver and cost
€1. Travel cards must be validated in machines when boarding.
There are 16 night-bus routes, running every 30 minutes weekdays
and every 20 minutes at weekends from 2300 hrs–0400 hrs to
some destinations, which require separate tickets.
The TombBús is a shopping service that runs
during summer between Plaça de Catalunya
and Plaça Pius XII, Monday to Friday 0800
hrs –2130 hrsand Saturday 0900 hrs –2130 hrs. A single
ticket costs €1.
There are a number of multi-ride tickets available, including the
T-10 for ten journeys and T-50/30 for 50 journeys within 30 days,
costing between €5.80 and €93.40, depending on number
of zones, validity period, modes of transport and changes permitted.
Passes
There is also a variety of passes available and include a one-day
(€4.40) and monthly (€37.65) passes. In addition, for
tourists, there are 3 day (€11.30), 4 day (€14.50) and
5 day (€17.30) Aerobus+Metro+Bus passes, which cover all transport
in the city, including the journey to and from the airport. These
are available for purchase at TMB customer service centres, metro
ticket offices, automatic vending machines and at FGC railway stations.
For the suburbs and surrounding areas there are regional rail lines
run by the FGC and RENFE (see Getting There By Rail). The RENFE
local network is known as Rodalies or Cercanías and the central
station in the city is Plaça de funicular railway Catalunya.
Rail
Regional rail services and the purple metro line are operated by
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya – FGC
(telephone number: (93) 205 1515). The information office, located
in the Catalunya metro station, is open Monday to Friday 0700 hrs–2100
hrs.
For the suburbs and surrounding areas there are regional rail lines
run by the FGC and RENFE (see
Getting There By Rail). The RENFE local network
is known as Rodalies or Cercanías
and the central station in the city is Plaça de funicular
railway Catalunya.
Apart from during the rush hour (0730 hrs–0930 hrs and 1800
hrs –2030 hrs), when it becomes very crowded, the metro (M)
is the most efficient means of transport in the city.
Metro lines are all identified by a number and
a colour and the direction is shown by the name of the line terminus.
A single ticket (billet senzill) costs €1 and must be validated
in a machine on the platform before boarding and carried at all
times to avoid the €30.05 penalty. Tickets are available for
purchase at TMB customer service centres, ticket
offices and the automatic vending machines at the metro stations.
The metro runs from Monday to Thursday 0500 hrs–2400 hrs,
Friday and Saturday until 0200 hrs and Sunday 0600 hrs–2400
hrs. The FGC line is fully integrated with the
rest of the TMB-operated metro system and runs
daily until 0130 hrs.
Funicular
railway
A funicular railway trundles up Montjuïc from
the corner of Carrer Nou de la Rambla and Avenida Parallel to Avenida
Miramar daily 1100 hrs–2200 hrs in the summer and
daily 1045 hrs–2000 hrs during the winter, costing €1.65
for a single or €2.40 for a return journey.
From the amusement park, there is a cable car (telefèric)
to Montjuïc Castle daily 1200 hrs-2000 hrs
during the summer and Saturday and Sunday 1100 hrs–1930 hrs
during the winter. This costs €3 for a single and €4.21
for a return journey.
A cable car also operates every 15 minutes from the San
Sebastian Tower in the Barceloneta district to Montjuïc,
stopping en route at the Jaume I tower, near the World Trade Centre.
This operates daily from 1030 hrs–1900 hrs from March to mid
June, 1030 hrs–2000 hrs from mid June to mid September, 1030
hrs–1900 hrs (from mid September to mid October) and 1030
hrs–1730 hrs (from mid October to February). Tickets cost
€6.01 for a single or €7.21 for a return journey.
Taxis
There are over 11,000 yellow-and-black registered cabs operating
in Barcelona. Not only available on the street, taxis can also be
booked in advance.
Reliable companies include Radio Taxi (telephone
number: (93) 303 3033) and Servitaxi (telephone
number: (93) 330 0300. The basic fare is €2, which should be
displayed on the meter, each kilometre is charged at €0.80
and a €0.80 supplement is charged for each piece of large luggage.
Taxi drivers should be tipped 5–10 per cent of the meter fare.
Limousines
A number of companies offer limousine services with multi-lingual
drivers. Barcelona
Limousine Service (telephone number: (93) 247 0699, fax number:
(93) 265 1484, e-mail: bcnlimousine@spain-bcnlimo.com)
charges from €300 for eight hours of limousine hire.
Limousine Rental
(telephone numberl: (93) 372 0000, fax number(93) 473 6077, e-mail:
central@limorent.com),
hires out limousines at €45 for airport transfers and €227.70–540
for a full day.
Driving in the
City
The proximity of the main attractions and the excellent public transport
in Barcelona makes driving unnecessary in the city.
Driving in Barcelona, especially at rush hour which icludes early
morning, lunchtime and early evening, or on the fast multilane avenues
in the city centre can seem quite daunting. A detailed map is a
necessity for managing the complicated one-way system and it is
advisable for visitors to plan their routes in advance.
Parking
Parking is tricky in some areas of Barcelona. Cars require a paid
ticket to park in the ‘blue’ zones,
daily 0800 hrs–1400 hrs and 1600 hrs–2000 hrs. Illegal
parking results in the offending vehicle being towed away. Parking
costs from €1–3 per hour to €20 per day. There are
numerous car parks in the city centre, which charge approximately
€ 1.60 an hour and €17.50–20 a day.
Car
Hire
Drivers must be 21 years or older
to hire a car in Barcelona. A passport and a valid driving
licence are required. A valid international insurance policy
is also necessary, although this can be purchased at the time of
hire.
In addition to companies at the airport, car hire in Barcelona is
provided by:
Avis,
Carrer Casanova 209 (telephone number: (93) 209 9533),
Hertz,
Carrer Tuset 10 (telephone number: (93) 217 3248).
Hire of a small car costs from €40 a day and from €265
a week.
Bicycle
Barcelona has a limited network of bicycle lanes and bicycle racks.
Bicycles can be carried on the public transport system, although
there are some peak hour restrictions.
Bicycles are available for hire from Scenic, Carrer
Marina 22 (telephone number: (93) 221 1666), Un Coxte Menys,
Esparteria 3 (telephone number: (93) 268 2105), and Biciclot,
Sant Joan de Malta 1 (telephone number: (93) 307 7475). Charges
for hire start at around €5 an hour or €15 a day. ID is
required. |
