Barcelona Metro: Map, Tickets and the T-casual

A city is easier to enjoy when the way around it costs you no thought.

Step 1: Learn how the Barcelona metro works

The Barcelona metro is run by TMB, and its official network map shows lines L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L9, L10 and a short funicular to Montjuïc. You can find the map on the TMB network map page, which also has a map for each line. Save it on your phone before you go. To pick the direction, find the end of the line that lies past your stop and follow the signs with that last stop's name. TMB's map page does not spell out this rule, so check the line page if you are unsure.

The fare depends on zones, and the city centre is zone 1. Most sights in this guide sit in that zone. For a longer trip, TMB prices go up to seven zones, and a single ticket then costs up to €11.60.

Some visitors ask if a Barcelona rental car would be easier. For the centre it is not, because the metro is cheap and covers the main sights. Our page on getting around compares every way to move through the city.

Step 2: Pick the right Barcelona metro ticket

For a short stay, a T-casual for 10 journeys is the best value, and a day pass wins only if you ride many times in one day. A single ticket costs €2.90 for one zone. A T-casual costs €13.00 for 10 journeys in one zone, which is €1.30 a ride. TMB sells the fares in its ticket fare table.

The 2026 Barcelona Travel Cost Study read TMB's fares in October 2026: a one-zone T-dia day pass costs €12, and it pays off from your fifth ride against single tickets.

A visitor who stays two or three days and wants buses, trams and the airport trip too can use a travel card. TMB's Hola Barcelona Travel Card gives unlimited rides for 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours from the first use. It includes one metro trip from the airport and one back. The Montjuïc cable car is not included. The Hola Barcelona travel card is from €19.70 a person on GetYourGuide, with 4.5 stars from 22,523 reviews and free cancellation. It is run by Turisme de Barcelona. It is a card, not a tour, so there is no meeting point or group size.

Pro Tip Count your rides before you buy. Two rides a day for three days is six rides, so a T-casual at €13.00 costs less than six single tickets at €2.90 each.

Another option is the Barcelona Card, which includes free travel on public transport and free entry to museums for 3, 4 or 5 days. It suits a stay packed with sights. If you want to compare it with single tickets, start with our page on Barcelona museums and city passes. The skip-the-line entry to six art museums is from €38 a person, with 4.5 stars from 811 reviews and free cancellation, and it is sold by ArticketBCN. It is an entry pass, not a guided tour, so you go to each museum on your own. GetYourGuide gives no meeting point, visit length or group size for it.

Step 3: Ride the metro and check the closing time

The metro runs from 05:00 to midnight from Monday to Thursday, until 02:00 on Fridays and before public holidays, and all night from Saturday into Sunday. On Sunday it stops at midnight. TMB lists these times on its operating hours page.

Four nights run non-stop: 31 December, the nights of 23 to 24 June and 23 to 24 September. On 24 December the metro runs only from 05:00 to 23:00. The hours refer to the last train leaving each end of a line, so leave a few minutes for the walk to the platform.

After a missed last train, NitBus runs overnight in the city, and all lines except N0 and N19 pass Plaça de Catalunya. TMB's page gives no hours or frequencies for it, so check the TMB app for the next bus.

Keep your bag in front of you. The City of Barcelona says that pickpockets concentrate in crowded places such as metro stations and monuments.

Key Takeaway The metro stops at midnight from Monday to Thursday and on Sunday, so the last train home on those nights is earlier than most visitors expect.

Step 4: Ride the metro to the sights and the airport

For Park Güell, take line L3, the green line, to Lesseps or Vallcarca. Both stops are a 20-minute walk from the park, and each has an escalator on the way, according to the Park Güell visitor page. Another way is the free Bus Güell, which leaves from Alfons X station on line L4 and takes 15 minutes. It is included in the ticket.

Book a time slot before you go, because the monumental zone needs a ticket. The Park Güell admission ticket is from €21.50 a person on GetYourGuide, with 4.4 stars from 91,201 reviews, and it is sold by GetYourGuide Tours & Tickets GmbH. Our page on tickets park guell explains the slots and the free zone.

Metro line L9 Sud links both terminals with the city every 7 minutes, and the ride into the centre takes about 32 minutes. A T-casual is not valid at the two airport stations, so use the €5.90 airport ticket or a Hola Barcelona card. More options are in our Barcelona airport guide.

The metro is the wrong choice if your hotel is far from a station or you travel with heavy bags and small children. In that case a taxi may cost more, but it is easier. For the day trips and tours outside the centre, see our Barcelona tours page.

Step 5: Know what the metro ticket does not cover

A single ticket from TMB works only on the Barcelona metro and TMB buses, so it does not cover trains outside the city. The Hola Barcelona card does cover FGC trains in zone 1, trams and Rodalies commuter trains in zone 1. Check the zones before a trip to a nearby town.

On a longer stay, think about where you sleep too. A hotel near a metro line saves rides and time, and our where to stay page shows each district.