How to navigate Barcelona’s metro, trains and trams
Welcome to the Barcelona Metro & Train Guide! Whether you’re settling into the city or already call it home, navigating Barcelona’s public transport system can be a challenge. With different transport providers for metro, trains, and trams, it’s not always as simple as it seems. This guide will help you make sense of the city’s transport network—offering clear tips on routes, tickets, and the best ways to get around, so you can travel with confidence and ease.
- To stay updated regarding temporary route changes, it's a good idea to check with the official transport authorities or use transportation apps for the latest information. Look out for announcements at transportation hubs too
Metro, trains & trams in Barcelona
Metro in Barcelona
The Barcelona metro system has 8 different lines and 165 stations, with carriages running regularly every day. Two main operators, TMB and FGC, run the metro system.
TMB
- Is the operator for the metro network. The metro runs every 2-4 minutes during the day and every 10 minutes at night.
- The TMB app gives you quick and easy access to information for your journeys on public transport in Barcelona. Look up the quickest routes, timetables, operating hours, maps, alerts and even purchase transport tickets via the app.
FGC
- FGC, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya is a Catalan railway company.
- It is the operator for the suburban trains and some metro lines.
- It has an excellent reputation.
Metro lines
Each metro line is identified with an ‘L’, followed by it’s own individual colour and number to simplify the process:
- TMB (red logo) and
- FGC (orange logo)
Main stations
The main hubs for the metro system are:
- Plaça Catalunya
- Passeig de Gracia
- Plaça d’Espanya.
Tickets
- You can use any ticket purchased from the TMB.
- If you do not have a ticket, you should buy one from the ticket machines available because, in order to pass through the turnstiles, you must have your ticket stamped by the validating machine.
- Remember to validate your ticket at the turnstiles, or you could get a fine.
- All stops in Barcelona's metro network are in Zone 1. This means that even with a standard metro ticket, you can reach any metro station in the city.
Schedule
The final time refers to when the last train leaves the terminal station at each end of every metro line.
- From Monday to Thursday and midweek public holidays: from 05:00 to midnight
- Fridays and the nights before public holidays: from 05:00 to 02:00
- Saturdays: start at 5.00 hours, continuous service throughout Saturday to Sunday night
- Sundays: continuous service throughout Saturday to Sunday night: ends at 24.00 on Sunday
- 24th December: from 05:00 to 23:00
- 31st December: continuous service throughout New Year's Eve
- More information
Trains in Barcelona
Trains run along the Costa Brava to Blanes, to the airport, along the coast via Castelldefels and Sitges all the way to Tarragona. All of these lines meet in Barcelona, where they travel underground and are integrated into the public transport network. There are also underground connections between the stations of the metro.
The city’s current main terminal train station is Barcelona Sants. There are different operators, with different platforms, tracks and station
Renfe
- Renfe is the Spanish, state-owned company.
- Is railway only.
- Runs Spain's superb high-speed AVEs and other mainline trains, as well as local and suburban trains nationwide.
Rodalies
- Rodalies de Catalunya is administered by the Government of Catalonia and operated by Renfe.
- Is responsible for suburban, main-commuter and regional rail systems in Catalonia.
- They have a Rodalies station at the airport (T2).
FGC
- FGC, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya is a Catalan railway company.
- It is the operator for the suburban trains and some metro lines.
- It has an excellent reputation.
Transport lines metro, train & tram
The names of the lines and routes of each network follow a particular system to make it easier to identify and locate them on the map.
- L = Local (simular to the metro).
- S = Suburban
- R = Regional with many stops in the city
It’s good to note that every operator has their own system when it comes to the numbers and colours of their different transport lines”
- L1 = Metro (TMB)
- S1 = Train (FGC)
- T1 = Tram
- R1 = Train (Rodalies)
It can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the routes and you can easily mix up the different operators. To avoid this, you should always check:
- the letters +
- the number +
- the logo of the operator.
Tram in Barcelona
Another method of transport in Barcelona is the tram. There are 2 main tram lines in Barcelona, with 56 stops in total. Both are very well maintained and quiet compared to other methods of transport in the city.
- You can use any ticket purchased from the TMB.
- Monday to Thursday from 5 am to midnight. Friday, Saturday and the evenings before public holidays from 5 am to 2 am. Sundays from 5 am to midnight.
- Remember to validate your ticket, or you could get a fine.
- More information
Trambaix (T1, T2, T3)
Which runs from Francesc Macià to the towns of Sant Just Desvern, Sant Joan Despí, Sant Feliu de Llobregat and Cornellà.
Trambesòs (T4, T5, T6)
Which links Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona to Barcelona.
Tramvia Blau
The Tramvia Blau is temporarily closed for modernisation works on its infrastructure.
The equivalent journey can be made via Avinguda Tibidabo as far as Plaça Doctor Andreu using bus route 196, which operates daily between 07:30 and 22:00.
What about ADIF
- ADIF (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias) is a Spanish, state-owned company.
- Is railway only.
- They are responsible for the construction of railway lines, their operation, and maintenance.
Tickets
- Remember to validate your ticket or you could get a fine.
- Remember to keep your ticket until you have left the station.
New Renfe and Rodalies Fare Options for 2025
As of 1st July 2025, Renfe has replaced the free passes with discounted monthly and multi-ride options for Rodalies and Media Distancia trains:
- Rodalies:
- Monthly pass for all zones: €20
- Youth pass (born 1999–2010): €10
- 10-trip pass: Price depends on zone, valid for one year
- Children (born 2011–2025): Free
- Media Distancia:
- Monthly pass: 40% discount
- Youth pass (born 1999–2010): 70% discount
- 10-trip pass: 40% discount, usable by multiple people and valid for one year
- Children (born 2011–2025): Free
These passes can be bought up to 15 days before their start date, which can be selected at the time of purchase.
Barcelona Airport
Barcelona International Airport (also known as El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto) is the closest and busiest airport to Barcelona city centre.
The 2 other airports nearby are Girona and Reus which are approximately 120km outside Barcelona.
The RENFE train
The RENFE train will take you from Barcelona airport directly to the city centre where you can change for the metro system at either Barcelona Sants (Sants Estació) or Passeig de Gràcia stations. The train station is based at T2 in-between T2A and T2B.
L9 Metro
You can also get to the airport via the L9 metro line. There are two stops at Barcelona airport which are called: Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2. Not all TMB tickets and travel cards are valid. Special Airport tickets are available for €5,15.
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