Barcelona Guide
Getting Around
Tickets and travel passes
A transit plan divides the province into six zones, but as the entire metropolitan area of Barcelona (including the airport) falls within Zone 1, that's the only one you'll need to worry about on a day-to-day basis.
On all the city's public transport (including night buses and funiculars) you can buy a single ticket every time you ride (€1.30), but if you're staying for a few days it's much cheaper to buy a targeta – a discount ticket strip which you pass through the box on top of the metro or train barrier, or slot in the machine on the bus, tram or funicular. The targetes are available at metro, train and tram stations, but not on the buses.
The best general deal is the T-10 ("tay day-oo" in Catalan) targeta (€7.20), valid for ten separate journeys, with changes between methods of transport allowed within 75 minutes. The ticket can also be used by more than one person at a time – just make sure you punch it the same number of times as there are people travelling. It's also available at newsstands and tobacconists.
Other useful (single-person) targetes for Zone 1 include the T-Dia ("tay dee-ah"; one day's unlimited travel; €5.50), plus combinations up to the 5-Dies (five days; €21.70); the T-50/30 (fifty trips within a thirty-day period; €29.80); or the T-Mes (one month; €46.25) – for the latter, the station ticket office will need to see some form of ID (driving licence or passport). The Barcelona Card also offers free city transport between two and five days.