Barcelona trains
Arriving in Barcelona by train and the local rail stations
Barcelona-Sants train station
Most trains bound for Barcelona arrive at the Estació Sants (tel. +34-902-432-343; www.adif.es) on the western edge of the Eixample, about six blocks northwest of Plaça d'Espanya.
Ticket | bitllet |
One way | senzil |
Round trip | d'anda i tornada |
To | a |
One | un |
Two | dos |
Please | si us plau |
Thanks | gràcies |
When does the train leave? | A quina hora surt el tren? |
track | via |
» more
You can get to Bracelona-Sants train station on Metro (subway) lines L3 and L5, or take a city bus (27, 30, 32, 43, 44, 78, 109, 115) to Plaça dels Països Catalans square out in front of the station.
There is a branch of the city tourist office and other handy services inside the station.
A taxi from the train station to the center (Plaça de Catalunya) will cost about €10–12, plus any luggage/after-hours supplements (taxi to the port: €17-€18).
França train station
Some trains to Barcelona—mostly regional, but also the Elipsos Trenhotel from Paris—arrive at the Estació de França (tel. +34-902-432-343; www.adif.es) on Av. Marquès de l’Argentera, near the harbor at the base of the Ciutadella park (Metro: L4; bus: 39, 51).
Passeig de Gràcia train station
Some regional trains—including those to and from Tarragona—use the Estació Passeig de Gràcia (tel. +34-902-432-343; www.adif.es) at C/ Arragó (Metro: L2, L3, L4; bus: 17, 22, 24, 28).
Spain train information:
- Renfe.com - Spain's national railway site has all the train and ticketing options within Spain.
- Raileurope.com - Good for finding railpasses and ticketing options throughout Europe, and buying important tickets in advance.
- Bahn.de - Unlike most national rail sites—where most info stops at the border—the German rail site is unusually good at showing ticketing options on routes that cross international boundaries in Europe.
- Seat61.com - A guidesite for global train passengers, with all sorts of tips, hints, and user-friendly information on what it's actually like to ride the rails in a given country.
Tips & Links
If you're just passing through, I'd give Barcelona at least two full days.
It is a lovely place to relax, however, so you might be happier spending 3-4 days.
SIGHTS
Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info
Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)
Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com
LODGING
Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com
B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com
Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.com
Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com
TRANSPORT
Airfares:
Airports: Aena.es
Trains: Raileurope.com (throughout Europe), Renfe.com (within Spain), Bahn.de (throughout Europe), Seat61.com
Public transport: Barcelona Card (free transport; sightseeing); Search all public transit: mou-te.gencat.cat; Metro/Bus: Tmb.cat; Tram: Trambcn.com; Light rail: Fgc.cat; Taxi: Taxibarcelona.cat
Car rentals: Autoeurope.com, RentalCars.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com
Barcelona has two types of sightseeing/transport passes:
There's a full description of both passes here, but in brief: The only museum covered fully by the Museum Pass that is not also covered by the Barcelona Card is the Museu Picasso (where you get only a 20% discount with the Barcelona Card).
You can also get discounts (usually 10% to 20%) on a wide range of sights, activites, and shows if you have a hop-on/hop-off bus ticket.
- Sightseeing
- Food & wine
- Day-trips
- Excursions
- Barcelona in One Day Sightseeing Tour
- Artistic Barcelona Afternoon Tour
- Barcelona Morning Sightseeing Tour
- Context: Welcome To Barcelona
- Skip the Line: Best of Barcelona Private Tour including Sagrada Familia
- Skip the Line: Barcelona Sagrada Familia Tour
- Context: Gaudi in Context
- Context: Gothic Quarter
- Barcelona Modernism and Gaudi Walking Tour
- Context: Dragon Hunt, Family Orientation to Barcelona
- Gaudí’s La Pedrera at Night: A Behind-Closed-Doors Tour in Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: Montserrat Day Trip and Barcelona Gaudi Tour
- Barcelona Walking Tour: Picasso and Picasso Museum
- Context: Picasso's Barcelona
- Skip the Line: Best of Barcelona Private Tour including Sagrada Familia
- Gaudi's Park Güell Guided Walking Tour
- Skip-the-Line Barcelona Walking Tour: Palau de la Musica, Picasso Museum and Gaudi's Casa Batlló
- Context: Barcelona and the Sea
- Skip the Line: Gaudi's Casa Batlló Ticket with Audio Tour
- Context: Montjuic, Conquering the Mountain
- Context: Homage to Catalonia, the Spanish Civil War in Barcelona
- Barcelona Coastal Tour by Scooter
- Barcelona Gaudi Tour by Scooter
- Barcelona Photography Walking Tour: Walk Thru The Ages
- "The Shadow of the Wind" Walking Book Tour in Barcelona
- "The Cathedral of the Sea" Walking Book Tour in Barcelona
- Barcelona Gaudi Tour by Scooter
- Private Tour: Barcelona Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
- Private Tour: Barcelona Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
- Context: Custom Walk
- Context: City of Chocolate
- Tapas Evening Walking Tour of Barcelona
- Context: Modernista Menu: Avant-Garde Barcelona Cuisine
- Context: My Barcelona Kitchen
- Barcelona Tapas Tour “en el barrio”
- Context: Pica-Pica in Poble-Sec Tapas Walk
- Barcelona Cycle & Tapas
- Context: Farm to Fork, the Boqueria and Beyond
- Small-Group Tour: Traditional Food and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Cava and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Sitges and Freixenet's Cava Wine Cellars Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: City Tour, Sitges and Freixenet Cava Day Trip
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sitges, Freixenet Cava Wine Cellars and Montserrat Tour
- Catalan Culture Tour from Barcelona: Food Market, Montblanc and Human Tower Festival
- Barcelona Super Saver: Montserrat Day Trip and Barcelona Gaudi Tour
- Montserrat and Cava Trail Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Three Countries in One Day: France, Andorra and Spain from Barcelona
- Girona, Figueres and Dali Museum Day Trip from Barcelona
- Montserrat Royal Basilica Half-Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona and Montserrat Small-Group Tour
- Pyrenees Mountains Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Salvador Dali Museum, Figueres and Cadaques Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Tour: Traditional Food and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Cava and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Girona and Costa Brava Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sightseeing Tour with Montjuic Cable Car and Montserrat Tour
- Barcelona Day Trip: Montserrat, Colonia Guell and Gaudi Crypt
- Barcelona Super Saver: City Tour, Sitges and Freixenet Cava Day Trip
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sitges, Freixenet Cava Wine Cellars and Montserrat Tour
- Sitges and Freixenet's Cava Wine Cellars Day Trip from Barcelona
- Tarragona and Sitges Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Catalan Culture Tour from Barcelona: Food Market, Montblanc and Human Tower Festival
- Small-Group Medieval Villages Day Trip from Barcelona
- Private Tour: Salvador Dali Museum at Figueres and Girona Day Trip from Barcelona
- Private Full Day Tour to Sitges and Bodegas Torres
- 4-Day Best of Catalonia Tour from Barcelona
- 6-Day Spain Tour from Barcelona: Zaragoza, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Valencia
- 8-Day Spain Tour Including Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo
- 5-Day Spain Tour: Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo from Barcelona
- 2-Day Northern Catalonia Tour: Vic, Figueres, Girona and Montserrat
- 2-Day Southern Catalonia Tour: Sitges, Tarragona and Santes Creus
Related Articles
- Getting around Barcelona
- Barcelona transportation
- Barcelona planning FAQ
- Barcelona homepage
- Spain planning FAQ
- Spain homepage
This article was by Reid Bramblett and last updated in October 2013.
All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998–2013 by Reid Bramblett. Author: Reid Bramblett.
Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info
Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)
Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com
LODGING
Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com
B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com
Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.com
Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com
TRANSPORT
Airfares:
Airports: Aena.es
Trains: Raileurope.com (throughout Europe), Renfe.com (within Spain), Bahn.de (throughout Europe), Seat61.com
Public transport: Barcelona Card (free transport; sightseeing); Search all public transit: mou-te.gencat.cat; Metro/Bus: Tmb.cat; Tram: Trambcn.com; Light rail: Fgc.cat; Taxi: Taxibarcelona.cat
Car rentals: Autoeurope.com, RentalCars.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com