Barcelona Transportation
By Bianca Fer and Grace López

When tourists or business people travel to a city, moving around becomes an important concern. Many customers want to know in advance the kind of transportation accessible in a city and how much more they will spend. Barcelona is a popular tourist city and it has many areas worth visiting: Tibidabo, Gothic Area, El Borne, Barceloneta, Gracia Area, Park Güell. The following information has been researched and gathered in order for our customers to enjoy their holiday vacation or business trip with one less worry.

The Metro. The Metro in Barcelona is the easiest and fastest way of moving around the city. The Metro has five lines and the FCG (train) has two lines in Barcelona that go to the upperside of the city.There are travel cards available and prices vary based on duration of stay and zone.

Metro Schedule

Monday - Thursday: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday - Holidays: 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Friday and Sunday: 6 a.m. to midnight

The metro does NOT run 24 hours.

FCG (train schedule)

Monday - Thursday: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday - Holidays: 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Friday and Sunday: 6 a.m. to midnight

Travel Cards

Travel cards can be purchased at:

1. TMB customer service centres
2. Metro ticket offices
3. Barcelona Tourist Information Offices

**For more information on travel cards and timetables, visit:
http://www.tmb.net (Spanish)
http://www.tmb.net (English)

Tourist and Leisure travel cards

Travel card 2-Days
Valid for unlimited number of Metro, TMB Bus and FGC urban line journeys in 2 consecutive days. Price: 8.80 Euro

Travel card 3-Days
Valid for unlimited number of Metro, TMB Bus and FGC urban line journeys in 3 consecutive days. Price:12.40 Euro

Travel card 4-Days
Valid for unlimited number of Metro, TMB Bus and FGC urban line journeys in 4 consecutive days. Non transferable. Price:16.00 Euro

Travel card 5-Days
Valid for unlimited number of Metro, TMB Bus and FGC urban line journeys in 5 consecutive days. No refund. Price:19.00 Euro

Barcelona Buses

Buses run throughout the city from around 4:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. They are numbered and each route has its own schedule. You will find timetables at each bus stop or you can visit www.tmb.net You can pay cash or use your travel card for each journey. If you buy the one month travel card for the Metro, you have unlimited bus journeys. Price: 1.15 Euro ( 1 trip)

For more information on regular buses and night buses in Barcelona, visit:

http://www.tmb.net (Spanish)
http://www.tmb.net (English)

There are also buses that leave either from Sants Estació or Estació Nord that take you to other cities within Spain. Vibasa is a bus company that has buses leaving daily to North/Central Spain. Visit their website for more information:

http://www.vibasa.com - Buses depart from Sants Estació (Sants Station in Barcelona) and
travel to: Albacete, Badajoz, Bilbao, Burgos, Logroño, Murcia, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Salou, Tarragona, Vigo, Vitoria, Zaragoza, etc.

TRAINS

For long distance trips and short trips to surrounding towns around Barcelona, the railway is an excellent option. The trains are comfortable, clean, fast, and arrive on time. The Spanish railway system, RENFE, has trains running all over the country. There are different kinds of trains (estrella, Talgo, etc.). Trains may cost more and require special reservations. Discounts are available for groups. Visit Renfe´s official website for more information (information also available in English): www.renfe.es

Trains leaving from Barcelona Airport

Trains leaving from the airport to Estació de Sants (Barcelona’s main train station) run every half-hour from 6 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. From Sants station, you can get on the Metro and go to your specific destination in Barcelona.

TAXIS

Barcelona taxis are black and yellow. When a taxi has a green light on it is available. All other lights (red, yellow, numbers) mean the cab is unavailable. Go to any nearby taxi stop or just wave your hand to get their attention. The meter will indicate the price to pay for each trip. A trip to the airport by taxi is approximately 20 - 25 Euros. Be aware that an extra fee is charged when you have luggage with you.

If you share a taxi the price for the ride can be reasonable. After a long night out in the Ramblas area, you can catch a taxi at the top part of La Rambla next to a Sephora department store. You can also just wave one down on the street near Plaza Reial.

WARNING! There are gypsy cabs (wrong colors, no meter) and you should never take one.

If you have an early or late flight, arrange for a taxi to pick you up from your accommodation or apartment.

Taxi Van BCN : Taxi service for small and big groups. It can arrange to take you on excursions, city tours, Airport, Montserrat, Costa Brava. English, French, and Italian are spoken.
Visit their website: www.taxivanbarcelona.com
Tel. +34 669 419 535 / +34 626 860 943
Fax. +34 934 084 998
E-mail: info@taxivanbarcelona.com
Note: You can pay by credit card (MC, Visa, Amex)

TOURIST BUS

Barcelona Bus Turístic
This is a great way to see all the important tourist sites in Barcelona in a matter of hours. You can get on and off the Tourist Bus as many times as you like using the same ticket. Tickets can be bought dirently from the bus driver or your nearest tourist information center. Go to the following website for more information:

http://www.tmb.net/en_US/turistes/busturistic/busturistic.jsp

Price

1 day adult: 17,00€
1 day child: 10,00€
2 days adult: 21,00€
2 days child: 13,00€

MONTJUIC CABLE CAR

Montjuic Cable Car

If you want to see Barcelona from a birds eye point of view, ride the Montjuic cable car. You can buy tickets on board.

Price

Single ticket:3.60€
Return ticket:5.00€
Child return ticket:3.90€

FUNICULAR RAILWAY

Tibidabo

Tibidabo is a hill overlooking Barcelona, Catalonia. There is an amusement park and a Catholic church at the top, which can be reached by a funicular railway.
You can buy tickets on board.

Price

Single ticket: 2.20€
Return ticket: 3.30€

This article has been brought to you by Rentalona.
Barcelona Apartments and Studios www.rentalona.com
Tel. +34 93 310 0826/ Fax +34 93 310 0826