How to travel by Metro in Barcelona

The Barcelona Metro is one of the fastest, most convenient, and affordable ways to get around the city. With more than 180 stations and eight main lines, it connects most of the top attractions.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know to use the metro like a local: lines, schedules, ticket options, and insider tips.

Map and Main Lines

The metro is operated by TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) and includes 8 lines, numbered L1 to L11 (some are shorter or automated).

Here are the most useful ones for tourists:

• L1 (red): connects Plaça Catalunya, Arc de Triomf, and Glòries.

• L3 (green): perfect for visiting Las Ramblas, Park Güell, and also for joining a tapas tour through the Gothic Quarter, just a short walk from the Liceu station.

• L4 (yellow): takes you to Barceloneta Beach or enjoy a different view of the city with our Barcelona Helicopter Flight over the Coastline.

• L5 (blue):  stops at Camp Nou &  Sagrada Família. You can explore Gaudí’s masterpiece on your own or join a guided tour to skip the line and learn its hidden stories.

You can download the official map from the TMB website or simply use Google Maps to plan your route.

Timetable and Frequency

• Monday to Thursday: 5:00 a.m. – midnight

• Friday: until 2:00 a.m.

• Saturday: open all night

• Sunday and holidays: until midnight

Trains run every 2–5 minutes during peak hours, so you rarely have to wait long.

Tickets and Prices

Here are the most common ticket options for visitors:

• Single ticket: €2.65 per journey

• T-usual: A personal travel pass that offers unlimited journeys for 30 days on all public transport within the integrated fare system (metro, bus, tram, and train).
  It’s available only with the T-mobilitat card — a rechargeable contactless card used for travel in Barcelona.

• Hola BCN! card: unlimited travel for 2, 3, 4, or 5 days — ideal for short stays

Tickets can be purchased at vending machines in every station or via the official TMB app.

Useful Tips

• With a single-zone ticket, you can take as many buses, metros, or trams as you want within 75 minutes from the first time you use it — all included in the same trip. If you travel across more zones, you get 15 extra minutes per zone. For example, if you take the metro and then a bus within 75 minutes, it still counts as one single trip — you don’t need another ticket.

• If a station has multiple lines, the first line shown at the entrance is the nearest one. You can transfer to other lines inside if needed.

• If you’re out late, when the metro is closed, you can use the NitBus, Barcelona’s night bus service. It operates between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., connecting most areas of the city and nearby towns.
  Most routes start from Plaça de Catalunya, and you can pay with the same ticket or T-mobilitat card used for the metro.

Where the Metro Can’t Take You: Amazing Day Trips from Barcelona

The metro is perfect for exploring every corner of Barcelona — but some of the region’s most spectacular places lie beyond the metro map.
If you’re planning to escape the city for a day, here are two must-visit destinations you can easily reach by train, bus, or on a guided tour.

Montserrat

The Montserrat Mountain and Monastery are about one hour from Barcelona.
You can get there by:

• Train: Take the R5 line from Plaça Espanya towards Manresa and get off at Montserrat-Aeri (for the cable car) or Monistrol de Montserrat (for the rack railway).

• If you’d rather not worry about connections or tickets, join our Montserrat Monastery Tour & Sagrada Familia. It includes transport, entrance fees, and a local expert who’ll share the history and legends of this spiritual mountain. You can also choose from several special versions of the tour, combining Montserrat with hiking, horse riding, or a delicious traditional Catalan lunch — perfect for making the most of your day outside the city.

Explore beyond

Want to explore beyond the metro map? Discover Barcelona with our guided experiences?  from walking tours to e-bike rides and wine tastings. See al Barcelona tours here