IMPORTANT CHANGES TO Barcelona integrated transport ticketting

Thank you for posting this.

I will be ging to Barcelona for the first time next October and this is helpful information.

Summarising, you are a tourist visiting Barcelona...

In general terms, and this is a comment specifically addressed to our American friends (Canadians included, LOL!): you're going to rely on public transportation far less than you might think, especially if it's your first time in Barcelona. Walking is the preferred method for many visitors because, albeit Barcelona is not small, distances between interesting points are relatively short, and also because there is a tonne of interesting things to see between A and B.

But if you're a couch potato, focus on the all-in-one transportation card https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-fares-metro-bus/tickets-visit-barcelona/barcelona-travel-card-hola-bcn and travel as much as you need without worries. You can pre-buy them online (a digital voucher will be issued) and get them when you arrive at the vending machines (ATMs) at the stations simply by inserting the code on that voucher, or else purchase them there on arrival, it's pretty straight-forward. They will continue to be in cardboard format for the time being. Note the HolaBCN card is not shareable, each passenger must carry a separate card.

Or else take taxis (https://media.timeout.com/images/105884997/750/422/image.webp), they're abundant and inexpensive. The best method is simply to call one in the street, but you can also call one on the official app: https://taxi.amb.cat/en/picmi/picmi-taxi It's quite efficient (except on Fri and Sat nights!)

For everybody else, you can either purchase single tickets -inexpensive- or digital travel cards (8 or more journeys). I would specifically focus on the T-Casual (10 journeys for a single traveller, not shareable) or the T-Family (8 journeys, shareable among up to 8 travellers) as the other cards will probably not be appropriate for you. The procedure to purchase them has now changed, as mentioned in the article, in short: when you get to BCN, head to any vending machine at the stations -instructions are available in several languages- and there you'll purchase a T-Mobilitat card, which is a one-time 50-cents cardboard rechargeable physical contactless card. This card is simply a sort of 'wallet' that you must fill with the digital travel card of your choice. Using the physical cardboard T-Mobilitat doesn't require you to register your data (passport, etc). Use this cardboard contactless card to pass thru the turnstiles at the metro, on the buses/tramway, you need to approach the card to the validation machines for a journey to be validated.

When the cardboard T-mobilitat card is empty, ie. say you filled your T-Mobilitat card with a digital T-Casual (10 journeys) and you already used them all up, DO NOT throw away the cardboard card as you can refill it again at the vending machines.

There are other options: a plastic more durable T-mobilitat card and also a digital version based on a phone app (for phones with NFC capabilities, of course), but you need to go through a more cumbersome procedure of opening an account, registering your data so that's why I didn't mention them.

In any case, DO make sure you read the TERMS of the digital travel card you're purchasing, that is, what you can and can't do with that particular card, as each one has its characteristics (shareability, duration, etc). Check the terms of each here: https://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-fares-metro-bus

If you have special mobility requirements check: https://www.barcelona-access.com/ACCESSIBLE/accessibilitat-home/

Thank you Enric

As noted above, I will be a first tme visitor next October.

I will be taking the airport bus to my hotel and I will be taking the cruise bus for when I leave to take my cruise.

I plan to stay about four nights and am thinking of the Tourist Bus for two days or 48 hours.

I have arthritis of the knee and walking is sometimes difficult but not impossible.

There are so many options that i find myself confused. Which one do you feel is best for me when it comes to public transportation? Should I just buy individual tickets?

Hi @bostonphil7

"the airport bus" is too vague... there are two options to go by bus from the airport to the city, and then metro and train too. I am going to assume you mean the direct bus service, named AEROBUS. That requires to purchase of a separate ticket (when boarding the bus) as it's not included in the metropolitan transport system. But, where is your hotel located? maybe you can ride the metro (cheaper than Aerobus).

You also say you'll purchase a 48-hour hoho ticket, which leaves you two days left.

Before suggesting anything, it'd be good to have an idea of your (rough) itinerary during your visit as it might result in little need for public transportation.

Also, I am intrigued about the need for a 48h hoho ticket, noting they're quite expensive. In my personal view, the hoho bus should be used only when one "wants to have a panoramic ride to different parts of the city so you know 'what monuments and other wonders are there' which otherwise you're unlikely to visit, probably due to lack of time". Other than this, wherever the hoho goes, the public transportation system (buses included!) can go to... at a fraction of that cost.

Thank you for the excellent summary, Enric. And thank you Bill for starting this thread. We just started planning a last minute trip to Barcelona in January and I had copied some of your previous advice regarding the metro passes. This is a nice update.

Hello Eric

I have not yet booked a hotel but it will be in the Plaça Catalunya.

I am an old lady with an arthritic. knee and thought the HoHo bus would give me a nice overview of Barcelona. From there, I thought that I would decide what attractions I would like to spend more time with.

I love squares and plazas. I love people watching and bird watching. I love museums. i love monuments and fountains

I, of course, want to explore some of Gaudi's masterpieces but I would also like to go to the Picasso Museum.

I am starting to learn about Barcelona but just starting. I will have some things that I really feel I must see and other things that i want to see. But nothing will be engraved in stone and I am open to possibilities.

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Bill and Enric, thanks for keeping those of us planning trips to Barcelona up to date. While we were still pretty mobile, not quite up to where we were on our last trip 8 years ago.

Enric - I recently rediscovered the advice you gave to my post when we were planning our trip in 2015. At the time you were suggesting we not spread ourselves too thin regarding sightseeing. Now we are headed back and spending 6 days in Barcelona so we’ll get to see the things we missed. Your advice is timeless.

@bostonphil7

hoho: I can understand that, and it can be a great choice for having a nice overview... but you could cut it down to 1 day and save some money on the process you can spend elsewhere.

Gaudí: note that he was the most famous modernist architect, but not -by a long shot- the only one who left us many gems, some of which are open to visitors. Puig i Cadafalc, Domènec i Montaner, Sagnier, Valeri i Pupurull, Jujol, Rubió, Vilaseca... are just a few of the visionaries of the 2200+ catalogued Modernist buildings in Barcelona. In case you want to expand your search, this is a great starting point: https://rutadelmodernisme.com/en/

Always pre-book your visits to the major tourist sites (ie Gaudí's or Picasso Museum among others), and do so through the official websites or the tourism office https://bcnshop.barcelonaturisme.com/shopv3/ . Failing to pre-book might result in not being able to visit on the day you planned to do so. We receive several million tourists annually in Barcelona, as it's been a top destination for several decades.

Citing your likes, my advice: do explore the neighbourhood of Vil·la Gràcia any late afternoon, walk the sea promenade of La Barceloneta in the mornings, wander the streets of El Gòtic neighbourhood and the area around Passeig del Born -near Picasso Museum, walk down the elegant Passeig de Gràcia avenue and the adjacent Rambla de Catalunya. If you must, stroll Les Rambles boulevard to soak into one of Barcelona's most famous boulevards since the early Middle Ages -but do prepare for crowds, it's always packed!

If the hotel is going to be around Pl Catalunya, and given you mentioned you have knee problems, stick to AEROBUS, the direct bus I mentioned earlier. It's the easiest option for you (other than a taxi). The Aerobus will cost you around 6€, a taxi from the airport, around 30-35€ (depending on the time of the day -there are different fares-, as well as traffic conditions, etc)

@Patty

Wow, 2015... that's a long time :). I'm glad my info did help you and welcome back!

Enric

Your information and help is invaluable. I thank you

I have booked the Continental Hotel in Pl Catalunya for now. I have booked for four nights which will definitely not be enough but what does one do when both time and money have to be factored in.

Researching air but not even close to booking yet. I will need to make one stop. Unable to get non stop from Austin.

I love your response to me about strolling, exploring, walking and etc. Unfortunately all three are now being done with some difficulty but I am hoping for some improvement by next October. I am seeking medical help for my arthritic knee. I once used to love exploring, strolling and walking

Still you have given me many ideas and I will keep you updated.
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