How to get around Barcelona: transport tickets

05.11.23

Do you plan to visit Barcelona soon? Are you still not sure what the best options are for getting around by public transport? There are many alternatives available and your choice will depend on the best ticket for you in terms of your trip and your budget.

You should also note that there have been important developments in public transport tickets over the last few years. At the Barcelona Pere Tarrés hostel we make your job easier and help you decide on the option best suited to your stay in the city.

T-Casual, T-Familiar o Hola Barcelona Travel Card

The first thing to bear in mind is that all the three options we will discuss here are valid for the metro, tram, Montjuïc funicular railway, local rail services (Rodalies and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat) and all buses (except tourist buses and special services such as the Aerobús) in zone 1 of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. But each of them has special characteristics.

T-Casual

This is like the old T10 ten-journey ticket, but there is an important difference: it is valid for one person only, and cannot be used by several people on the same trip. However, it is still the cheapest option of all, costing €11.35 for ten trips in zone 1 or €22.40 if the card includes zones 1 and 2. This alternative can be purchased online or also at any ticket dispensing machine in metro or local railway stations. Be careful, though, as it is not valid for travelling to or from the airport on the metro L9 South. However, you can use it on the Rodalies trains that will also take you there.

T-Familiar

One of the only options that can be used by several passengers is the T-Familiar. This is a shared ticket costing 10 euros that gives you eight trips to be used by a group of people. Like the T-Casual, it is not valid to travel to or from the Airport on L9 South, but is valid on the Rodalies trains that go there.

Hola Barcelona Travel Card

Finally, there is the card intended for travellers visiting Barcelona for a few days: the Hola Barcelona Travel Card. This is a TMB pass that allows you to make unlimited trips for 2, 3, 4 or 5 consecutive days in zone 1 of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. You can buy this ticket, for one person, on the TMB website. It is also available at metro ticket dispensing machines. Children under four years old travel free! This is also the only alternative that includes journeys on L9 South to or from the Airport.

Barcelona Card

Finally, there is an option offers by the Barcelona Tourist Office rather than TMB: the Barcelona Card. This single-person tourist card includes an Hola Barcelona Travel Card for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days and a series of visits to museums, discounts in establishments in the city, a map of the city and a guide to make sure you don’t miss anything. You can check all the details and buy it on their website.

Your choice will always depend on the type of visit to the city you have planned. If you want an option for one day, the new T-Familiar might be a good idea, as it can be shared by a group. But if your stay is longer, the Hola Barcelona Travel Card is the best option to enjoy the Catalan capital without any transport worries.

And if it is your first time in Barcelona, the Barcelona Card gives you the chance to visit the city’s main tourist attractions.