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Barcelona Metro, bus, or taxi?

We'll (self, husband, 11- and 8-year old kids) be in Barcelona for a day and night before a cruise this July. So initially I was thinking of taking the Barcelona Metro everywhere. I picked a hotel on the Metro line (AC Hotel Som, close to Ildefons Cerda on the blue line). I was planning on riding the T1 Orange to Europe Fira, then switching to the blue line and taking it one stop over. But when I "plan my route" on the Metro site, it recommends getting off at Fira and walking the 1,000 meters to our hotel instead of switching lines. Someone on my cruise website mentioned that the connections between some lines require a lot of walking, so I was wondering if that was why it would recommend not switching lines there? I'm not keen on walking 10 football fields with luggage straight from the airport.

The Metro website also mentioned catching a bus, no. 46, from the airport which goes right by our hotel. How easy is the bus system? Both bus and Metro would be $18/four people.

There's also the option of taking a taxi, which my hotel website says costs $30. Would this hold true for 4 people? I also heard that taxis charge for luggage? We'll only have 4 carry-on size bags. Just trying to find the best fit of reasonable cost and low level of difficulty since we will have kids in tow who could turn whiny. :)

Also we don't have a lot planned to do that day/evening. We'd like to hit Sagrada Familia and maybe Ramblas. Ideas for easiest/best transportation options for that? Looking at the Metro map, it looks like it would require 2 train changes from Ilfedons Cerda to Sagrada (blue to red to purple) and takes 50 minutes. The bus route would require 1 change (yellow to red) and takes 40 minutes. Not sure how to price a taxi or how long it would take - thoughts?

Also any recommendations about getting from Sagrada Familia to Ramblas, Ramblas back to our hotel, and our hotel to the Barcelona port the next day?

Thank y'all so much! My head is swimming with information overload!!

Posted by
11569 posts

La Sagrada Familia should be your rop priority so get your tickets ahead of time.
Couldn’t wait to get away from touristy, packed Las Ramblas.
We used the Metro sometimes but mostly walked everywhere. Hopefully someone else can answer your specific metro questions.

Posted by
894 posts

The Metro is Barcelona is easy to use but sometimes, taxi options are more attractive.
Our tour guides told us that Barcelona's taxis are among the least expensive in Europe.
We (4 passengers) took a taxi from Park Guell to Placa de Cataluna - 8 Euro was the total fare.

Posted by
136 posts

We found taxis in Barcelona to be reasonably priced and also available at most tourist sites. From the airport, if I were you I would definitely spring for a taxi. You will be able to find one there that can handle all of you and your bags. Kids will be tired, you will be tired; you will not be in shape to navigate baggage and kids in a foreign environment. I can tell you from experience this is not a good way to start a vacation!

From your hotel to the port - ask your hotel to arrange a car or a shuttle with enough capacity for your kids and bags. They will know the options.

Since you have only one day, a taxi to Sagrada, etc, would certainly be most time efficient. I don't know the metro fares but tickets for 4 might well equal the cost of a taxi. Think time not cost - you are on vacation with very limited time.

Google maps can give you estimates of driving distances and time. Cruisecritic.com will likely have some comments on taxis in their ports of call section. Do a search there. Your hotel might be able to estimate taxi fares to common tourist sites. You can ask.

Sagrada Familia is very busy in the midday with tour busses. We arrived there around 3:30PM when the busses were leaving and walked right in. Flagged a taxi on the street afterward with no problem. Sagrada is definitely worth seeing. La Rambla is a bit of a tourist/shopping zoo. The Gothic quarter and around the Cathedral is very interesting to walk.

Enjoy, Robbie

Posted by
28074 posts

I agree with the others: La Sagrada Familia and the Barri Gotic. Forget Las Ramblas. It wouldn't make my Top 20 in Barcelona. And if you do decide to go there, watch out for pickpockets.

However, if your "day and a night" are the day you fly in from the US or Canada, I doubt that you'll be up for much sightseeing due to sleep deprivation and jet lag. If there's time the next morning before you have to head to the port, I'd book my La Sagrada Familia tickets for the first available time slot on Day 2. On Day 1 I'd wander around the Barri Gotic. If you might want to pop into the Cathedral, you'll all need to be modestly attired.

Barcelona has some of the world's most skilled pickpockets. People just off overnight flights (being sort of mentally foggy) are probably very attractive targets, so don't carry a lot of money around with you.

Posted by
368 posts

Taxis are very cheap and the metro will be stiffling in July!

Posted by
11569 posts

Stopped a pick pocket attempt on the Metro by hitting thief’s hand with my map. Be watchful.

Posted by
11569 posts

Stopped a pick pocket attempt on the Metro by hitting thief’s hand with my map. Be watchful.

Posted by
1131 posts

Thank you so much, everyone, this was very helpful! Sounds like taxis it is! Regarding Barri Gotic vs. Ramblas, are there tapas places in Barri Gotic? That was husband's main motivation to go to Ramblas.

Posted by
28074 posts

Yes. Google "tapas Barri Gotic" and harvest the links! I can't vouch for any of them myself, but perhaps others here can.