Barcelona - Essential information

Barcelona is a large city with many attractions. Even though many of Barcelona’s attractions are close to each other, your trip planning will bring up questions to do with getting around Barcelona. You will also come across City cards and transport passes that offer a lower cost way to access public transport and visit attractions.

Getting around Barcelona

Major attractions of Barcelona can be visited by public transport.
Metro, commuter trains, buses, trams, and funiculars are fast, safe, clean, family friendly, and cheap.
Day trip destinations like Montserrat , Sitges and other beach towns around Barcelona are well connected.
While Uber is not popular, there are other taxi hailing apps
Airport to City Center - Airport bus and airport trains are convenient. If you are traveling as a family, taxis may be more convenient. Taxis take approximately 25 minutes to reach the city centre and cost around €35.00. The most economical way to reach city center from airport is to buy T10 card at the airport and travel by RENFE train or TMB No. 46
Cruise terminal to City Center - Barcelona Cruise terminal is at Port Vell, located at the southern tip of La Rambla. It is easy to reach Barcelona City Center from the cruise terminal.

Best time to visit Barcelona

Barcelona is pretty much a year round destination with the peak crowds coming in during the summer months of July and August.
Barcelona beach activities are best during Spring and Summer. In winters the beaches around Barcelona remain pleasant, but the water is cold.
Being a large tourist and commercial city, you should keep a watch out for festivals or conferences happening around the time of your visit; hotel prices can change suddenly and significantly during high demand.

Barcelona Tourist cards

The main cards you should consider for a Barcelona visit, are:

Barcelona Card - This card offers free or discounted entry at Barcelona attractions, along with unlimited travel on public transport, and shopping discounts. It is valid for 2 to 5 days. It is a single user card that cannot be shared.
Hola BCN Transportation Card . This is unlimited public transport-only card. It is valid for 2 to 5 days. It is a single user card that cannot be shared.
T10 Card - This is a multi user shareable card for 10 discounted rides on Barcelona public transport.
Articket Barcelona - This combined ticket ends up offering you a 45% discount if you visit 6 museums in Barcelona. It also allows you to skip the line.
If you visiting Montserrat, you may want to consider Tot Montserrat or Trans Montserrat

Expert Curated Discussions

Review of Barcelona night bus tour

The Barcelona sightseeing bus company has a city night tour listed. Is this bus tour worth taking at night?

Barcelona City Pass or Barcelona transportation card?

Is there a City Pass or Transportation pass for Barcelona? We are college students travelling to Barcelona, and looking to save every dollar on our trip.

Where to buy T-10 at Barcelona airport?

Where can we buy the T10 card at Barcelona airport? Is T10 valid on the airport metro? We are a couple and it will be cheaper to take the train from airport to Barcelona city, than a taxi.

HolaBCN or Barcelona T10 card?

Are HolaBCN and Barcelona T10 card the same? If not, which Barcelona transport card should I buy?

Barcelona sights that need advance booking

For my upcoming trip to Barcelona, I am booking tickets for the main sights in advance. Is there a single website from where I can buy advance tickets for all important attractions Barcelona? ... advance, for many Barcelona attractions. What is the best time slot for each main Barcelona attraction?

Barcelona beach season

Does Barcelona have a beach season? I plan to visit Barcelona in March, will the beach facilities be operational during March?

Major festivals and events in Barcelona

I am scheduling my trip to Barcelona for the spring or summer. Ideally I want to coincide my trip with a local festival. What are the major festivals in Barcelona?

When is the best time to go to Barcelona?

Best time of the year to visit Barcelona? We will be visiting Barcelona as a family. We can do that in January or defer the trip to any other month, ideally when the crowds are less, attractions are open and it is cheapest to fly to Barcelona. Any suggestions?