Getting around Barcelona

The Aerobús runs day and night and reaches Plaça Catalunya in about 35 minutes, the L9 Sud metro needs a ticket of its own, and the R2 Nord train stops at Terminal 2 only. In town a T-casual of ten rides, €13, usually beats the day pass, and the metro runs until 2 am on Fridays and all night on Saturdays, so a late dinner does not have to end in a taxi.

The Aerobús is the easiest choice, with no change. Line A1 serves Terminal 1 and A2 serves Terminal 2, and both run day and night. The ride to Plaça Catalunya takes about 35 minutes. It calls at Plaça Espanya and Plaça Universitat on the way. If your hotel is in the Eixample or around the Gothic Quarter this is the shortest route, since the busy square sits on the edge of both. Buy the ticket at the stop or online; sellers list different prices, so compare before you pay.

The L9 Sud metro reaches the city in about 32 minutes and runs every seven, but it needs the right ticket. A single ticket and the T-casual do not work at the two airport stations, so you buy the airport ticket, €5.90, which covers the rest of the metro network and the Montjuïc funicular. A Hola Barcelona card works without a top-up. There is no direct line to the centre, and you change at Collblanc, Torrassa or Zona Universitària. The metro therefore makes sense mainly when your bed is on one of the lines you change to.

The R2 Nord is quick on paper: a Rodalies train from Terminal 2 reaches Sants in about 19 minutes and Passeig de Gràcia in 26, every half hour. The station is at Terminal 2 only, so anyone landing at Terminal 1 has to reach the other terminal first. A missed train costs a half-hour wait. Sants suits you if you travel on by fast train or sleep beside it, and the central Passeig de Gràcia stop if you sleep in the Eixample.

A taxi is simplest for a group or on a late arrival, when the regular services are thin: the meter starts at €2.80 and adds €1.35 a kilometre on weekdays, and the airport is 16 kilometres from the centre.

Where to stayThe district you sleep in decides which of these three routes you need:Where to stay in Barcelona →

3 daysOnce the bags are down, day one of the plan:Barcelona in 3 days →

A single ticket costs €2.90 and is valid on the metro and TMB buses only. The T-casual gives ten rides in zone 1 for €13, it is a one-person ticket and cannot be shared. If you travel as a couple, you buy two cards or one card plus singles. The Montjuïc funicular is on the same fare as the metro, and the city system covers metro, bus and tram.

The T-dia is unlimited for one day, €12. Measured against a T-casual ride, it pays off only from the tenth ride in a day, which a typical sightseeing day rarely reaches. The cheaper T-casual suits most visitors, and its ten rides stretch over several days. Take the day pass only when you know more than nine rides are coming.

BudgetWhat transport adds to a day's budget:What Barcelona costs →

When the metro stops

The metro runs from 5 am to midnight Monday to Thursday and on Sundays, until 2 am on Fridays and the eves of holidays, and without a break through Saturday. After that the NitBus takes over, 17 lines from 22:30 to 5:00, all passing through Plaça Catalunya. That single square lets you change from any night line to any other. If you are having a long Sunday dinner in Gràcia, plan on the NitBus or a taxi home.

What to walk and what to ride

The old Gothic Quarter, El Born and Barceloneta form one walking circle, so the metro serves the long gaps between districts rather than the narrow streets inside them. For Montjuïc, the funicular from Paral·lel takes about two minutes and links up with the cable car at the top. Fast and long-distance trains stop at Sants, regional ones at Passeig de Gràcia, and França is the old station for regional lines.

FoodWhat to eat once you reach the district:What to eat in Barcelona →

Day tripsThe trains out of town, line by line:Day trips from Barcelona →

Hidden gemsPlaces off the centre that the metro reaches:The Barcelona the guidebooks skip: the city's second layer →

When to goTransport is the same in every month, and which month to pick is on the When to visit page:The best time to visit Barcelona →

MistakesThe T-casual is not valid to the airport station, and the other mistakes have a page of their own:Mistakes everyone makes in Barcelona →

MuseumsTo MNAC and Miró on Montjuïc, and the other museums with their hours:Museums in Barcelona →

NightlifeThe metro runs to 2:00 on Fridays and non-stop on Saturdays, with the NitBus after that:Nightlife in Barcelona →

BeachesLine L4 runs to the beaches, and tram T4 goes further east:Beaches in Barcelona →