Barcelona practical guide for visitors

Everything practical for a visit to Barcelona in one place: how to arrive, how to get around, what the big sights cost and when they are free, and the best day trips by train. Every figure comes from the operator or the City Council and is dated in the guide it links to.

Start with the section you need.

Arriving

• Airport to the city centre: Aerobús €7.75, airport metro €5.90, the R2 Nord train from T2, or a taxi with a €21 minimum.
• Cruise port to the city: Cruise Bus shuttle €3.50 from the Moll Adossat; only the WTC terminal is walkable.

Getting around

• Which transport pass to buy: T-casual €13 for ten journeys, T-dia €12, Hola Barcelona from €12.50, with a selector.
• Barcelona Card or Hola Barcelona: When the Barcelona Card's museums pay back its higher price.
• Metro and night bus hours: Metro to midnight on weeknights, 2:00 on Fridays, all night on Saturdays; NitBus after.
• Street parking prices: Blue zone €1.15–3.75 an hour, green zone €1.40–4.25, by environmental label.
• Low-emission zone with a foreign car: Registering a foreign vehicle before driving into the zone.

Seeing the city

• Gaudí monument tickets: Sagrada Família from €26, Park Güell €18, Casa Batlló from €29, La Pedrera €29.
• Free museums: Sunday afternoons, first Sundays and each museum's own free slots, and where to book.
• Spotify Camp Nou: The Barça museum from €28, match tickets and the stadium works.
• Montjuïc: Magic Fountain show days, the cable cars, the funicular and the castle.
• Tibidabo: Park opening days, tickets from €39, and getting up now the Tramvia Blau is closed.
• La Boqueria and the markets: Monday to Saturday hours and the Friday-Saturday tour-group rule.
• Weather by month: Average highs, lows, rain and sunshine for every month, from AEMET.
• Beaches: Ten bathing areas, seven Blue Flags, the nudist and dog beaches, and the smoking ban.
• Zoo and Aquarium: Zoo €23, Aquarium €30, the same online and at the door.

Day trips

• Montserrat without a tour: R5 train, then rack railway or cable car at €15 return.
• Sitges by train: 32–38 minutes from Sants on the R2 Sud.
• Girona by train: Regional or high-speed from Barcelona.
• Tarragona by train: 71 minutes from Sants; Roman sites €5 each or €15 for five.
• Figueres and the Dalí Museum: R11 or high-speed; tickets from €18.50, closed Mondays in winter.
• PortAventura: Open daily until 6 January; only the R17 and RT2 stop at the park.
• Andorra by bus: About three hours, from €33, and what you can bring back.

Prices and hours change through the year. Each guide states when its figures were last checked against the official source.

Data on this page last verified: 12 October 2026.