Transport in Barcelona
Barcelona by land
Three main freeways connect Barcelona to the rest of Spain. From France you take the A-7, from the center of Spain you can follow National highway II or the A-2 (freeway), and from the southern area of the peninsula the A-7 or the A-16 from Tarragona will bring you into the city. The traffic entering the city flows well, thanks to a fast route that goes around the mountain side of Barcelona (Ronda de Dalt) and another that borders the sea (Ronda de Del Litoral). Other important routes entering the city are the Avinguda Diagonal, the Meridiana, and the Gran via. In Catalonia, most of the freeways require a toll.
Barcelona by plane
Barcelona’s international airport, el Prat, is located 12km from the city, in El Prat de Llobregat. The airport has international and domestic flights, as well as an air shuttle service that connects Barcelona and Madrid regularly. Each airline company is assigned to one of the three terminals. The airport was designed by Ricardo Bofill for the Olympic games of 1992.
Reaching the airport
A train takes travellers from the Barcelona-Sants train station to the airport every 30 minutes. The trip lasts 20 minutes. A special bus, the Aerobus, takes you from Placa d’Espanya, Passeig de Gracia and Placa de Catalunya every 15 minutes.
Barcelona by Commuter Trains
These trains go to the main towns and cities in the Barcelona region. There are four lines: C1 (airport-Blanes), C2 (Sant Vicenc-Macanet), C3 (L’Hospitalet-Vic) and C4 (Sant Vicenc-Manresa). Line 1 crosses the northern coast while line 2 covers the southern. Line 3 goes inland as far as Vic, and line 4 connects the Penedes region and Manresa.
The trains leave from several underground stations (Sants, Passeig de Gracia, Placa Catalunya, Clot-Arago and Sant Andreu Comptal).
Barcelona by bus
The main station is the Estacio del Nord, near the Arc de Triomf. From here, buses travel to the rest of Spain and foreign countries.
Barcelona by sea
Port Olimpic is the largest port in Barcelona. It has 742 slips for boats and one quarter of the port is available for rental by travelers. Rates vary depending on the size of the boat and the time of year. The Port Olimpic offers 24-hour security services, water, light, telephone and a crane. It also has the convenience of being close to a whole complex of restaurants, bars and nightclubs.
Marina Port Vell has 410 berths for rent an dsome for sale. It includes 24-hour security services, water, light, and telephone. The Marina Port Vell is very close to the shipyard as well as the bars and supermarkets of the Barceloneta neighbourhood.
Metro, buses and taxis
The ring roads, known as rondas, allow you to leave and enter the city quickly and comfortably, being easily accessed from the two great thoroughfares that cross the city: the Diagonal and the Gran Via.
The Barcelona Card offers free public transportation for 24, 48 or 72 hours, as well as over 100 discounts in museums, shows, leisure places, night clubs, shops, restaurants and on the Aerobus, Tibibus, Tombbus and Tourist Bus. Information and Sales can be found in the Barcelona Tourist Information Offices.
Metro
Barcelona has 5 metro lines that cover 79,1 kilometers and pass through 111 stations. The city has an urban railroad network run by the Generalitat de Catalunya, in addition to the metro.
Buses
Operating hours are generally from 6.30 - 22.00h. A single bus ticket can be purchased on the bus. Special passes, which are more economical, are available at tobacconists, lottery ticket sales offices and metro ticket windows. Each bus stop shelter has a map of the bus route and the area in order to help visitors find their way through the city.
In order to get around town at night, there are as many as 15 lines of night buses, known as NitBus. These buses are yellow and are distinguished by the N appearing before the line number. This service runs from 11.00pm until 5.00 am. The lines numbered from 0 (N0) to 11 (N11) run through the inner city, whereas the lines N12 through to N15 and the 53N connect Barcelona with the towns and villages on the outskirts of the city. There is also the EN, which leaves from the Plaza de Espana and goes to the airport from 10.50pm-3.15am.
Taxis
Barcelona has approximately 11,000 taxis, which are easy to identify thanks to their yellow and black colour. When they are unoccupied, a green light on the top of the cab is lit. A list of rates is posted on the back windows.