Quick answer
- Buy the T-familiar, €11.50. Eight journeys, and it can be shared between several people — which the T-casual cannot.
- Children under 4 travel free on everything.
- The T10 no longer exists. It was discontinued in 2020 and plenty of guides still recommend it.
- From the airport: metro L9 Sud with a €5.90 airport ticket, the Aerobús, or the R2 Nord train. Ordinary travel cards do not cover the airport metro.
- Don’t hire a car. The metro reaches everything and central parking is expensive and scarce.
We’ve lived in Barcelona since 2010, and the single thing visitors most reliably get wrong here isn’t which sights to see — it’s which ticket to buy. Most people either overpay for a tourist card they don’t need, or buy a ticket that was discontinued six years ago because a guide still lists it.
Here’s what actually exists in 2026, and which one to buy.
Where to stay in Barcelona — our three picks
Generator Barcelona – private family rooms at hostel prices, five minutes from Passeig de Gràcia and metro Diagonal (L3/L5). Rooms are small and the bar downstairs is lively, so ask for a higher floor.
H10 Cubik – on the edge of the Gothic Quarter, with the Atic rooftop terrace and pool. You can walk to the cathedral, the beach and the Born from the door, which saves you metro tickets all week.
The Cotton House Hotel, Autograph Collection – the old cotton guild building on Gran Via, a ten-minute walk from Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família side of Eixample. Quiet, grown-up, and the rooftop is the reason to book it.
Affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Barcelona metro and bus tickets in 2026
| Ticket | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Single journey | €2.90 | One trip, one zone |
| T-familiar | €11.50 | 8 journeys, shareable between people |
| T-casual | €13.00 | 10 journeys, one person only |
| T-usual | €22.80 | Unlimited for 30 days, one person |
| Airport ticket | €5.90 | Single journey on the airport metro |
Fares from 15 January 2026. The 30-day pass prices currently reflect a temporary government discount, so they may rise.
The T-familiar is the one nobody mentions
It’s cheaper than the T-casual — €11.50 against €13.00 — and it carries eight journeys instead of ten. On the face of it that’s a worse deal.
It isn’t, because the T-familiar can be shared. Several people can travel on the same card, one after another. The T-casual can’t: one person, one card, no exceptions.
For a family of four, that difference is the whole thing. Four people making two trips a day on T-casuals means buying four separate cards. On T-familiars you’re buying journeys, not cards.
The T10 doesn’t exist any more
If a guide tells you to buy a T10 for around €10, that guide is out of date. The T10 was discontinued in 2020 and replaced by the T-casual, now €13.00. You’ll still see it recommended all over the internet, including on pages that were updated recently.
Children
Under-4s travel free on the metro, buses, trams and local trains, and they don’t need a ticket of their own.
Or the Hola Barcelona travel card
| Card | Price |
|---|---|
| 48 hours | €11.25 |
| 72 hours | €16.20 |
| 96 hours | €24.35 |
Unlimited travel for the period, covering metro and bus (TMB), NitBus night buses, the Montjuïc funicular, FGC zone 1, the tram and Rodalies zone 1.
The part that earns its price: it includes one outbound and one return metro journey to the airport. Those cost €5.90 each on their own, so a 48-hour card at €11.25 is already close to paying for itself on the airport trips alone.
It does not include the Montjuïc cable car, which catches people out. Under-4s travel free on this too.
Which one should you actually buy?
Buy the Hola Barcelona if you’re flying in and out, staying two to four days, and expect to use the metro several times a day.
Buy T-familiars if you’re walking most of the time and riding the metro a few times a day — which is how most families actually move around Barcelona, because the centre is walkable and the distances are shorter than they look on a map.
We use T-familiars. Most visitors we know who bought the tourist card didn’t use enough journeys to justify it.
Getting in from Barcelona airport
Three sensible options, and the right one depends on where you’re staying and how much luggage you have.
Metro L9 Sud
Runs to both terminals. Needs the €5.90 airport ticket — ordinary single tickets and T-familiars don’t cover it — or it’s included in the Hola Barcelona card.
Cheapest option, but L9 Sud doesn’t go into the old centre directly; you’ll change lines. Fine with hand luggage, less fun with two suitcases and a pram.
Aerobús
The direct airport bus to Plaça de Catalunya. More expensive than the metro, simpler with luggage, and it drops you in the middle of town. This is the one we’d suggest for a family arriving with cases.
Renfe R2 Nord
The train from T2, connecting to Sants and Passeig de Gràcia. Good if you’re staying near either station and travelling light.
Taxi
Barcelona taxis are cheaper than in most European capitals and there’s a fixed-ish airport run. With small children at the end of a long flight, this is money well spent — but not worth it as your default around the city.
Do you need a car in Barcelona?
No — and you actively don’t want one.
Parking in the centre is expensive and scarce, much of the old town is restricted, and the metro reaches essentially everything a visitor wants. A car only starts making sense for day trips outside the city, and even then several of the best ones are easier by train: Sitges is 30–40 minutes on the R2 Sud, Girona 40 minutes on the fast train, and Montserrat about an hour on the FGC R5.
Walking, which is how you’ll cover most of it
The parts of Barcelona visitors most want to see are closer together than the map suggests. The Gothic Quarter, El Born, Barceloneta and the bottom of Passeig de Gràcia all connect on foot, comfortably, in a morning.
Where the metro genuinely earns its money is the uphill and the far-out: Park Güell, Montjuïc, Camp Nou and Tibidabo. Those are the journeys to buy tickets for.
The tourist bus, if you want the orientation
The hop-on hop-off bus is a different thing from transport — it’s a way of understanding the shape of the city on day one. It’s worth it for a first visit of two or three days and worth nothing after that.
Full routes, stops and prices: Barcelona City Tour bus map — every stop on both routes.
Where to stay in Barcelona
More Barcelona planning
- Barcelona with kids: our full family guide
- Top places to visit in Barcelona
- 50 free things to do in Barcelona
- 8 common mistakes tourists make in Barcelona
- 20 day trips from Barcelona
- Barcelona Tourist Map
- The Bunkers del Carmel
- Where to stay in Barcelona with kids
- Pineda de Mar
Getting around Barcelona: FAQ
What is the cheapest travel card in Barcelona for a family?
The T-familiar at €11.50. It carries eight journeys and, unlike the T-casual, it can be shared between several people, which makes it the right choice for a family travelling together. Children under 4 travel free.
Does the T10 still exist in Barcelona?
No. The T10 was discontinued in 2020 and replaced by the T-casual, which costs €13.00 and carries ten journeys for one person only. Many guides still recommend the T10, which is why visitors regularly arrive asking for a ticket that no longer exists.
How do you get from Barcelona airport to the city centre?
Metro line L9 Sud serves both terminals and needs a €5.90 airport ticket, which ordinary travel cards do not cover. The Aerobús runs directly to Plaça de Catalunya and is easier with luggage, and the Renfe R2 Nord train connects to Sants and Passeig de Gràcia. Taxis are relatively cheap by European capital standards.
Is the Hola Barcelona card worth it?
It is if you are flying in and out and using the metro several times a day, because it includes one outbound and one return airport metro journey — worth €11.80 on their own. If you are walking most of the time and riding a few times a day, T-familiars work out cheaper.
Do children pay for the metro in Barcelona?
Children under 4 travel free on the metro, buses, trams and local trains, and do not need their own ticket.
Do you need a car in Barcelona?
No. Parking in the centre is expensive and scarce, much of the old town is restricted, and the metro reaches everything a visitor needs. A car is only worth considering for day trips outside the city, and several of those — Sitges, Girona, Montserrat, Tarragona — are easier by train.
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