Hola Barcelona Travel Card

Highlights

• Unlimited rides across Barcelona’s metro, bus, tram, FGC, and Rodalies network in Zone 1
• Airport metro included on the L9 Sud from both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2
• Choose 48, 72, 96, or 120 consecutive hours, with the timer starting on your first tap

Tickets & Prices

The Hola Barcelona Travel Card is sold in four durations: 48, 72, 96, or 120 consecutive hours. Your voucher stays valid for 180 days from purchase, so you can buy weeks before you fly.

Tip: Booking ahead gets you a better price than last-minute.

What’s Included

Included:

• Metro on every line, including L9 Sud to and from El Prat Airport
• TMB city buses
• Tram (TRAM network)
• FGC urban railway, Zone 1
• Rodalies commuter trains, Zone 1
• Montjuïc funicular (the rail one from Paral·lel station, not the cable car)

Not included:

• Night buses (lines starting with N).
• Aerobus airport express. Separate ticket required.
• Montjuic Cable Car (separate from the funicular).
• Tourist hop-on hop-off buses.
• Anything outside Zone 1.

How the airport metro works

You can use your card to travel from Barcelona Airport to the city centre on the L9 Sud metro line, which serves both terminals directly with trains running every seven minutes. From the arrivals hall at either terminal, follow the red M signs to the L9 Sud platform inside the building and tap your card at the gate to enter the network at no additional cost.

The L9 Sud line doesn’t run directly into central Barcelona, so you’ll need to change once on your way in. Three covered routes from the airport:

• L9 Sud, change at Torrassa to the L1 (red line) for Plaça Catalunya
• L9 Sud to Zona Universitaria, change to the L3 (green line) for Passeig de Gràcia or Diagonal
• R2 Nord commuter train (T2 only) to Barcelona Sants in 20 minutes, runs every half hour

From either terminal, the L9 journey takes between 35 and 50 minutes depending on your destination.

How to pick up your card and start using it

You can buy your card online in advance and pick it up at any of the red TMB ticket vending machines available at every metro station, including the L9 platforms at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. After purchase, you’ll receive a 13-digit voucher code by email, which you enter at the machine to dispense your physical card.

The validity period starts from the first time you tap the card at a validator gate, not from when you collect it from the machine, so if you arrive late in the evening you can pick up your card straight away and wait until your first morning trip to begin the countdown. Activating the card at 22:00 on an arrival day means you’ll lose those overnight hours from your total window.

The TMB ticket machines run 24 hours a day. The tourist information offices in Plaça Catalunya, the airport terminals, and the Sagrada Família booth close in the evening, so late arrivals are better off at the machines.

Hola Barcelona vs Barcelona Card

Both cards include the same transit network, and the difference is what sits on top.

If you’re planning to visit three or more paid attractions during your stay, the Barcelona Card costs less than buying entries one by one. If your priority is getting around the city without thinking about fares, this card is the cleaner option. The Barcelona Essentials Pass is a middle option that bundles the same transport with Sagrada Família and Park Güell.

FAQs