Getting about in Barcelona

Barcelona's public transport company (TMB) also runs an excellent tourist bus service, full details of which are also on the site. Highly recommended if you want to see all of Barcelona quickly, the bus also takes you to all the main tourist attractions in Barcelona.

Note also the dinky "tranvia blau" (the blue tram, see image, above) that takes you up Tibidabo for an unmatched view of Barcelona.

•We liked: The excellent maps... which they eliminated when they redesigned the site!
•Not so hot: Being on board a Number 7 bus stuck in traffic on the Diagonal in the rush hour
•Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

Trains to Tibidabo, Montserrat
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat
Apart from the Metro network (see TMB site, above), there is also – confusingly for visitors to Barcelona – another train network, the FGC (or Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya). Shown in the image, right, the main Metro service is top, the FGC bottom.

The FGC run a single underground line from Plaza Catalunya northwards with a branch line taking you to Tibibado and the Tramvia Blau.

It also runs the trains the take you to outlying towns such as San Cugat and the monastery at Montserrat, as well as the mountain railway to the lovely Vall de Núria.

The site provides you (searchable) information on train times, prices etc, but navigating the site is not always as easy as it might be.

•We liked: Montserrat and the Vall de Núria for two great trips to places outside Barcelona [details]
•Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan, French

More trains, local, national...
RENFE
And to make things even more confusing, the national train service RENFE runs the trains that take you to other towns outside Barcelona, including those both north and south to the beaches along the coast, such as Sitges and Blanes, as well as to the Pyrenees (Puigcerdá-Tour de Carol line) and the rest of Spain.

Local trains are termed "Cercanías" in Spanish, "Rodalies" in Catalan. Further information on our Barcelona FAQs page.

•We liked: The beach at Sant Pol de Mar
•Not so hot: We hate to go on about this, but minimum help in English wouldn't be amiss on this site
•Languages: Spanish, Catalan, Basque and Gallego

Trambaix
Barcelona's new tram service
The Trambaix, the new multi-billion euro tram service, runs into Barcelona from Cornellà and Sant Just, and makes its way down the Diagonal to the Forum*, snarling up all the traffic as it goes - nay, actually ramming cars as it chundles along!

The Tram was involved in at least 21 accidents and that was just in the two-month trial period prior to any passengers getting on board. Barcelona's crazy car drivers have since learnt not to mess with the Tram!

You'll pardon our cynicism, but is the Trambaix (a) utter madness (b) a clever way to go one-up on sensibly tramless Madrid (c) a big money spinner for somebody's sister's brother-in-law (etc) (d) a smart way to impress visitors to the Forum how modern we are here in Barcelona (e) a means of convincing ourselves we are "ecological" or (f) all of the above?

*No, actually, that's not right: it's the TramBesòs (Besòs is the river, and nothing to do with kissing, in case you wondered) that takes you to the Forum - with an absurd 3km gap between the two...

•We liked: Being able to go straight down though Cornellà (on a bike!) without having to stop at all the traffic lights - no longer possible, thanks to the Tram
•Not so hot: What flamin' nutter gave permission for this project?
•Languages: English, Spanish and Catalan

Safer than you would think
Barcelona by bike
Now, apart from the crassly stupid Tram, here in Barcelona we do actually sometimes have some sensible ideas on what sort of city we would like Barcelona to be.

The local authority Ajuntament de Barcelona site has a great section explaining what it has been doing to promote use of the bicycle - which has included over 100km of cycle lane, with that set to double and include a 60km "Green Ring" cycle path going right round the edge of the city.

20 years of riding a bike in Barcelona and Barcelona-Online editor Tom Walton has never yet had an accident. "In fact it is safe - so long as you assert yourself, occupy your lane and assume all car drivers are latent psychopaths," says he.

•We liked: The idea of promoting use of the bike...
•Not so hot: ... 3 close calls in 300m last time I went out - and that was on a cycle path!
•Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

Bus services to Girona, Costa Brava
You got yourself a cheap flight to Girona, did you? That's 100km north of Barcelona, and RyanAir have some impossibly cheap offers (check the small print, the airport taxes are probably three or four times the cost of the ticket). To get to Barcelona, Sagales run a direct bus service.

Alternatively, there is a bus service from Girona airport to the railway station, on the half hour, from 05.30 to 00.30 – a 20 minute journey. For your return trip, from Girona railway station, buses run on the hour every hour from 05.00 to 21.00.

To get to the Costa Brava from Barcelona, Sarfa run buses to such places as Tossa del Mar, Cadaques and Port de la Selva.

Car Hire
Easy Car
Apart from probably being the place to begin for cheap flights to Barcelona, Easy also has a car hire firm that will rent you wheels so that you can discover some of the other wonderful places outside Barcelona while you are here.

The site is as easy to use as you would expect and offers very competitive prices for car rentals, particularly if you book well in advance, and don't want the car over a weekend.

•We liked: This may be the one time in your life you get to drive a Mercedes (A-class)
•Not so hot: That blasted pop-up that keeps reminding me I have to wash the car before I bring it back or pay €16 extra... I'm supposed to be on holiday!
•Languages: English, Spanish, French, Dutch

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