TRANSPORT IN BARCELONA (taxi, metro, bus, etc... to the city, port and airport). All information and questions!!

[alserrod]

Hello
T-casual cards are valid on all means of transport in the Barcelona area. Includes bus, metro, commuter trains (Rodalies), etc...

They include transfers so you can start your trip on the subway and change to the suburban train, being only a joint trip (you have to swipe the card again but you don't get a discount on the ticket)

To consider
- The metro reaches the airport Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 but has a special rate. The T-casual card is not valid (it is the same system but a ticket that costs 5.15)
- The commuter train only goes to Terminal 2 airport. If you have to go to Terminal 1 you must use a free airport shuttle. Any T-casual ticket will do.

About surroundings:
There is a stop right in front of Casa Batllo (one of Gaudí's best-known works) in Ps.Gracia. From there you can go to the airport directly.
You can use the metro with any of its lines to go to Sants station (or Ps. Gracia) and there take the direct line to the airport

The public address system for trains to the airport (Rodalies) is also in English
There is plenty of space to leave luggage on those trains

[perakcruiser]

56 minutes ago, alserrod said:

There is a stop right in front of Casa Batllo (one of Gaudí's best-known works) in Ps.Gracia. From there you can go to the airport directly.

Deal done! I will take the train from there to T2 🙂

 

Is there anything interesting to see at the Camp Nou construction site at the moment? 

[alserrod]

7 minutes ago, perakcruiser said:

Deal done! I will take the train from there to T2 🙂

 

Is there anything interesting to see at the Camp Nou construction site at the moment? 

 

 

To clarify.
"Rodalies" is a suburban, not a metro. It moves people from locations near Barcelona to the center and only has a few stops in the city. With T-casual you can change from metro to Rodalies.
If you get on Ps. Grace, I have seen on the web that the trains leave at :02 and :32 (that is, at 7:02, 7:32, 8:02, 8:32, 9:02, etc, etc... .) and it takes 22 minutes to get to T2 from there.
The last station is called "aeroport" (airport in Catalan). You just have to notice that you are getting on that train. The rest is quite intuitive.

Camp nou is under construction. You will see works from outside without further ado.

If you already know the Gothic neighborhood of Barcelona (Ramblas, port and Cathedral) and the Sagrada Familia, I invite you to visit Montjuic mountain.

Take a look at

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2981525-🩵-one-day-in-barcelona-montjuic-mountain/#comment-66655609

[perakcruiser]

25 minutes ago, alserrod said:

The last station is called "aeroport" (airport in Catalan). You just have to notice that you are getting on that train. The rest is quite intuitive.

I have done "Interrail" as a student in Spain, Portugal and Morocco 30 years before, after going through this "school" you can handle Europe forever, at least Western Europe😄

 

And as our budget was extremely limited at this time, maybe this is the reason why I am still afraid of European taxis even I long time changed already from backpacker to cruiser 😛 

 

Remember trying to get a train ticket from Madrid to "Celta" at that time, long discussion with no success. Until finally the man understood that I wanted to go to Vigo. I only knew the name of the football club, no cellphone to check, that were the old times with no internet. 

 

Also been to Bilbao and Zaragoza which I loved a lot. But not remembering too much unfortunately.

 

25 minutes ago, alserrod said:

If you already know the Gothic neighborhood of Barcelona (Ramblas, port and Cathedral) and the Sagrada Familia, I invite you to visit Montjuic mountain.

That is a great idea. I have been there during this Interrail trip but never again even seeing it from the cruise ships many times. Remembering that one could just walk in the Olympic stadium, it was amazing. Hopefully the weather is good. 

Edited January 4 by perakcruiser

[14ersco]

For renting a car in Barcelona is it better to use Sants train station or the airport?  Background, we already have visited Barcelona for a few days before another cruise and at that time traffic in town was somewhat heavy due to the Metro being on strike.  This time we are planning to go to Andorra after our cruise, followed by taking the train from Barcelona to Madrid out of Sants. So, we need to get back to Sants after Andorra anyway.

[Cruiser_RedHead]

We are taking a cruise from Barcelona in March, and are looking for transportation from BCN airport to our hotel on La Rambla the day before.

 

We will have 3 checked bags + 2 carry-ons, so too much luggage to fit in a regular sedan taxi. Are mini-van taxis readily available at the airport and is there a premium fee? Is it better to pre-arrange transfers in this case (2 passengers)?

 

Thanks.

[alserrod]

5 hours ago, Cruiser_RedHead said:

We are taking a cruise from Barcelona in March, and are looking for transportation from BCN airport to our hotel on La Rambla the day before.

 

We will have 3 checked bags + 2 carry-ons, so too much luggage to fit in a regular sedan taxi. Are mini-van taxis readily available at the airport and is there a premium fee? Is it better to pre-arrange transfers in this case (2 passengers)?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

Hello:

Yes there are Van taxis in Barcelona.
I found this website of a taxi company

https://taxiaeropuertobcn.com/

which offers larger taxis and you can book.

I don't know what price they will offer you. As I put in the first post of this thread, a taxi from the airport to the center costs about 30 euros and 7 more if you use the taxi reservation service. 37 in total. If you book a taxi from the airport to the port it would be 46 with all supplements included (even the reservation fee).

Of course, they can agree with you on a different price that you can accept or not.

They offer a phone number (or you can indicate your phone number and they will call you), a contact form and a WhatsApp number.

The page, from what I see, is only in Spanish with no versions in other languages. I don't know if it is configured so that Google does an automatic translation.
If you have problems with it, let me know and I will help you

[alserrod]

8 hours ago, 14ersco said:

For renting a car in Barcelona is it better to use Sants train station or the airport?  Background, we already have visited Barcelona for a few days before another cruise and at that time traffic in town was somewhat heavy due to the Metro being on strike.  This time we are planning to go to Andorra after our cruise, followed by taking the train from Barcelona to Madrid out of Sants. So, we need to get back to Sants after Andorra anyway.

 

 

Hello:

I think it doesn't matter where you rent the car. Taxi from the port to where you rent it and you drive from there (the taxi will be cheaper to the station because it is closer). It is not difficult to get out of the city from the station.

If you are going to return to Barcelona station, the most convenient thing is to rent the car there and they do not charge you to return it to a different office. If they do not charge you anything else or if it is an acceptable cost, you can also return the car in Lleida or Zaragoza (Zaragoza and Barcelona are the same distance from Andorra, Lleida is much closer. Both are on the train line to Madrid) .

Regarding your return trip to Madrid, can I suggest that you make a stop in Zaragoza, visit the city and the next day continue to Madrid? Barcelona - Zaragoza is 1h30m and Zaragoza - Madrid is 1h15m

Regarding Andorra, I don't know if you have looked for information (apart from the fact that it is "obligatory" to go to Caldea to relax) about the country.
Briefly, in some aspects you don't realize that you have gone to another country and in others it seems that you are on another continent (despite the fact that the capital is just 10 km from Spain and 20 km from France).
It does not belong to the European Union, for many things it will not matter to you but for example, browsing the internet from your mobile is very expensive. I recommend turning off the connection at the border and using everything downloaded. Everywhere they will offer you wi-fi because they know the situation of mobile phones for foreigners.
There are customs to enter. Necessary documentation, any valid in Spain and/or France. Even though there are no agreements, I have never been asked for documentation at the border. There are no airports so, except for babies born there, everyone has crossed a Spanish or French border at some point.
Of course, when returning to Spain (or France) there is random luggage control. If you buy something to declare, you must go through the corresponding line. Otherwise it is considered smuggling and the fine is high (nothing happens if you buy something tax-free as long as you don't exceed it, what happens is if you fill the trunk with tax-free things).
Oh.... and diesel and gasoline are much cheaper and refilling the tank there is almost an obligation.

[14ersco]

15 hours ago, alserrod said:

 

 

Hello:

I think it doesn't matter where you rent the car. Taxi from the port to where you rent it and you drive from there (the taxi will be cheaper to the station because it is closer). It is not difficult to get out of the city from the station.

If you are going to return to Barcelona station, the most convenient thing is to rent the car there and they do not charge you to return it to a different office. If they do not charge you anything else or if it is an acceptable cost, you can also return the car in Lleida or Zaragoza (Zaragoza and Barcelona are the same distance from Andorra, Lleida is much closer. Both are on the train line to Madrid) .

Regarding your return trip to Madrid, can I suggest that you make a stop in Zaragoza, visit the city and the next day continue to Madrid? Barcelona - Zaragoza is 1h30m and Zaragoza - Madrid is 1h15m

Regarding Andorra, I don't know if you have looked for information (apart from the fact that it is "obligatory" to go to Caldea to relax) about the country.
Briefly, in some aspects you don't realize that you have gone to another country and in others it seems that you are on another continent (despite the fact that the capital is just 10 km from Spain and 20 km from France).
It does not belong to the European Union, for many things it will not matter to you but for example, browsing the internet from your mobile is very expensive. I recommend turning off the connection at the border and using everything downloaded. Everywhere they will offer you wi-fi because they know the situation of mobile phones for foreigners.
There are customs to enter. Necessary documentation, any valid in Spain and/or France. Even though there are no agreements, I have never been asked for documentation at the border. There are no airports so, except for babies born there, everyone has crossed a Spanish or French border at some point.
Of course, when returning to Spain (or France) there is random luggage control. If you buy something to declare, you must go through the corresponding line. Otherwise it is considered smuggling and the fine is high (nothing happens if you buy something tax-free as long as you don't exceed it, what happens is if you fill the trunk with tax-free things).
Oh.... and diesel and gasoline are much cheaper and refilling the tank there is almost an obligation.

Thanks for all of the great information.  We already have our super fares (no changes) with Renfe, so no visiting Zaragoza this trip. Going to Andorra is part of our plan to visit all of the countries of Europe where will not be entering a war zone or taken hostage. For Andorra we will be hiking the UNESCO World Heritage valley, so the Caldea is good to know about for after the hikes. Based on your suggestions about mobile data I rechecked our phones plan and our data/texts are unlimited in Andorra.  We do plan to give our ourselves an extra hour to return into Spain.

[alserrod]

30 minutes ago, 14ersco said:

Thanks for all of the great information.  We already have our super fares (no changes) with Renfe, so no visiting Zaragoza this trip. Going to Andorra is part of our plan to visit all of the countries of Europe where will not be entering a war zone or taken hostage. For Andorra we will be hiking the UNESCO World Heritage valley, so the Caldea is good to know about for after the hikes. Based on your suggestions about mobile data I rechecked our phones plan and our data/texts are unlimited in Andorra.  We do plan to give our ourselves an extra hour to return into Spain.

 

 

Countries not in war..... Andorra hasn't army. They have never being in a war  😉

 

 

Caldea.... is a must in Andorra.

Just google in different pages about what to see in Andorra.

Caldea spa will be always there

 

 

 

 

 

Be aware it is not easy to move within the country. You will barely drive on 50 km/h

Fuel is quite cheaper than in Spain or France,

and plan some time for crossing border back due to custom check

 

As said, depending on goods there are not any taxes or quite less than in Spain. Up to regular quantities you can import whatever you want

 

Enjoy.... and promise a 1day stop in Zaragoza for next time!!

 

 

 

 

 

[alserrod]

Taxi fares in Barcelona

 

(version year 2024 updated)

 

 

 

Weekdays:   2,60 € + 1,27 €/km

Weekends+Nighs: 2,60 € + 1,56 €/km

 

Supplement for Train station departure:  2,50 €

Suppelement for Pier OR Airport departure/arrival:   4,50 €

 

 

Pier to Airport:  45 € (where all supplements are incluided)

 

 

[14ersco]

On 1/5/2024 at 3:49 PM, alserrod said:

 

 

Countries not in war..... Andorra hasn't army. They have never being in a war  😉

Enjoy.... and promise a 1day stop in Zaragoza for next time!!

 

 

 

 

 

Followed up with your border info, Andorra not EU or Schengen, that border crossing may take some.  This will be our first trip in a couple years where we are not on the eastern fringes of Europe. Thanks for all the information, and we will plan time for Zaragoza.

[alserrod]

7 hours ago, 14ersco said:

Followed up with your border info, Andorra not EU or Schengen, that border crossing may take some.  This will be our first trip in a couple years where we are not on the eastern fringes of Europe. Thanks for all the information, and we will plan time for Zaragoza.

 

 

Hello

It is true that Andorra is not part of the European Union or Schengen. However, passports are not requested at the border. Yes, you will see police in it. However, the Andorran police are only interested in having specific control over some vehicles and being able to close the border if necessary, and the Spanish police are only interested in customs control at the entrance to Spain. Keep in mind that, except for newborn babies in Andorra, all of them have passed through Spain or France at some point (there are no airports).

Still, if you want curious border things, go to Os de Civis. It is a Spanish town that can only be reached by car from Andorra and that road is the only one of all the Schengen borders (among all the countries) without any type of control.

You will see traffic jams but not because of passport control but because of intense traffic. Keep this in mind when driving in Andorra. Except in very specific places, it will be very difficult for you to go over 50 km/h.

The stores are open 361 days a year (they close four times, New Year's, Christmas and two Andorran holidays). Commerce is one of the country's main sources of income and you can buy practically anything.

And... if business and finance are your thing and you have the documentation, you should know that it is one of the few tax havens in Europe to open a bank account. The import of cash (you can bring up to 10,000 euros, don't worry!!!) is one of the concerns of the customs authorities.

[dpm321]

I was last in port at Barcelona in 2019.  There were several ships disembarking and I waited almost 3 hours in line for a taxi.  Is this the norm or was that a one off event.  I have a train to catch from the main station at noon.  Can Uber get to the pier?  Thank you.

[Ellaleah]

So much great knowledge on this board!  I’m wondering if someone might know about transit in the evening from Carrer de Ramon Albó, 6, 08027 Barcelona, Spain , to IAU (university), Carrer d’Ausiàs Marc, 25, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.  Anybody know if it would be safe to take the metro for this route in the evening?  Thank you.

[alserrod]

2 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

So much great knowledge on this board!  I’m wondering if someone might know about transit in the evening from Carrer de Ramon Albó, 6, 08027 Barcelona, Spain , to IAU (university), Carrer d’Ausiàs Marc, 25, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.  Anybody know if it would be safe to take the metro for this route in the evening?  Thank you.

 

 

Hello:

In the Barcelona metro the biggest problem is pickpockets. Be careful with your belongings and everything will be fine. But be very careful because even when you think everything is going well, they are capable of taking something from you without you realizing it. Recommendations, the usual ones. Not only is there nothing in sight, but it is also very difficult to break the backpack you are carrying.

Otherwise, it is a very easy route to take on metro line 4 without the need to transfer.

There is also the possibility of doing it by bus without having to transfer. It will cost a little more but there are fewer people on the buses (be careful there are also pickpockets)

[alserrod]

4 hours ago, dpm321 said:

I was last in port at Barcelona in 2019.  There were several ships disembarking and I waited almost 3 hours in line for a taxi.  Is this the norm or was that a one off event.  I have a train to catch from the main station at noon.  Can Uber get to the pier?  Thank you.

 

 

Hello:

I don't know if there was any issue that prevented me from taking a taxi to the dock. Taxi drivers look for business and notify each other by radio if they see there are lines. And it is clear that all taxi drivers prefer to go to a place where there are lines than to wander around the streets. Except for a special event, there should be no problem.

However, you always have the option of calling a taxi. They will charge you the corresponding rate PLUS six euros for booking by phone. Of course, once the taxi driver accepts the trip, the taxi is yours (he will go to the port and can only pick you up).
In this thread I have indicated some of the telephone numbers of taxi drivers associations that you can call.

Regarding Uber, it is in Barcelona but with very little presence.
If someone wants that type of transportation I recommend Cabify. It is a company similar to Uber with a greater presence and that operates in several European and American countries. It is enough to install the application on your mobile phone

[Ellaleah]

1 hour ago, alserrod said:

 

 

Hello:

I don't know if there was any issue that prevented me from taking a taxi to the dock. Taxi drivers look for business and notify each other by radio if they see there are lines. And it is clear that all taxi drivers prefer to go to a place where there are lines than to wander around the streets. Except for a special event, there should be no problem.

However, you always have the option of calling a taxi. They will charge you the corresponding rate PLUS six euros for booking by phone. Of course, once the taxi driver accepts the trip, the taxi is yours (he will go to the port and can only pick you up).
In this thread I have indicated some of the telephone numbers of taxi drivers associations that you can call.

Regarding Uber, it is in Barcelona but with very little presence.
If someone wants that type of transportation I recommend Cabify. It is a company similar to Uber with a greater presence and that operates in several European and American countries. It is enough to install the application on your mobile phone

Thank you so much for your responses.  I, myself will be in Barcelona in 2025.  I was asking this question about safety between these 2 points as my granddaughter will be doing her next semester in Barcelona and has to take night classes.  I was wondering about safety taking public transportation between those 2 points specifically.  Thank you again

[Mark O]

On 11/30/2023 at 5:11 AM, alserrod said:

=========================
SHUTTLE TO THE DOCK
=========================

There is a bus line that runs from near Plaza Colon to all cruise terminals. The initial stop is in front of the WTC-Barcelona. From there, both La Rambla and the metro (Drassanes) are very close

This line is not included in other transport passes and is paid separately.

Price: 3 euro/passenger
Round trip: 4.5 euro/passenger

You can buy online but it is not necessary. You can pay when you get on the bus.

It does not have fixed hours. It is a shuttle that goes from Plaza Colón to the passenger terminals and returns from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. without fixed schedules.

 

Thanks for all the info on this post.  Regarding the shuttle to/from the cruise port, should I expect a long line and a long wait?  If so, where is the best place in the area where the shuttle stops in La Rambla to get a taxi?

[alserrod]

You shouldn't have to have problems to grab a taxi in las Ramblas anywhere but, just in case, here you are a Taxi Stand

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3756291,2.1779765,3a,68.8y,132.3h,78.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJKlELyC3fpxMLBRBGBAnuw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[alserrod]

These were 2023 Barcelona taxi fares (just be awared in 2024 they are a bit more expensive as I wrote above)

 

They are in Catalan, Spanish and English. All fares and supplements are here

 

Edited January 18 by alserrod

[alserrod]

In 2024 Barcelona has a lot of accesible stations

 

 

This is the plan, but not the reality

 

 

 

As an example, this is lift in Liceu station, located in the middle of La Rambla

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's not any updated map (at least I couln't find it) but in their website you can see the accesibility of each station. May you ask, just reply with the name of station

 

 

Edited February 11 by alserrod

[alserrod]

This is Diagonal station lift up to the street

 

 

 

and this is exact location according to Barcelona underground web

 

 

 

 

 

[travelberlin]

Alserrod, thank you for all the help you give on those page. One question please, how much shall we expect to pay for a taxi for 2 passengers, 2 luggage from the port to a hotel in the Gothic Quarter on a week end?

[alserrod]

3 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Alserrod, thank you for all the help you give on those page. One question please, how much shall we expect to pay for a taxi for 2 passengers, 2 luggage from the port to a hotel in the Gothic Quarter on a week end?

 

 

Hello travelberlin

 

For a Cruise Terminal A to Metro stop Jaume I near Cathedral is 5,5 km by car (shorter on foot but cars cannot follow shortest way)

 

Official fares:

2,2€ minimum fare

5,5 km * 1,21 €/km  = 6,6 €

4,5€ supplement for port

 

total: 13,30€

 

It is not an accurate calculator. If traffic lights, any stop or so, time adds to the bill too....

but never over 15 euro

 

I calculated in a weekday. A bit more expensive in weekend

 

 

Just calculate the route on google maps to know the accurate distance and you'll estimate the bill