Getting around Barcelona

Public transport

Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (tel: +34 902 075 027; www.tmb.cat) runs the city's metro and bus systems.

The metro is the most efficient means of transport serving most parts of the city. You can buy single tickets at any metro station and need to validate them before boarding. One-day and monthly passes are also available, along with 10-journey tickets. Trains run seven days a week, with an all-night service on Saturdays.

The city’s bus network is extensive and night buses serve many routes. You can buy tickets on the bus.

For the suburbs and surrounding areas, FGC (tel: 012, in Spain only; www.fgc.es) and RENFE (tel: +34 902 320 320; www.renfe.com) operate regional rail lines - the RENFE local network is known as Rodalies or Cercanías.

The Hola BCN! travelcard (www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-travel-card) covers travel on all types of public transport within Barcelona and is valid for two, three, four or five days.

Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (http://mou-te.gencat.cat) provides a journey planner for the city and surrounding areas.

Taxis

You can book yellow-and-black registered cabs or hail them on the street. Radio-Taxi 033 (tel: +34 93 303 3033) and Servitaxi (tel: +34 93 330 0300) provide 24-hour daily services. Rates rise at night, on Sundays and holidays. Tipping is not expected, but if you do, give 5 to 10% of the fare.

Driving

Barcelona’s roads are excellent but can get extremely congested during rush hours. Blue markings with a meter signify pay to park for a limited period, while yellow markings signify no parking. There are numerous paid car parks in the city centre.

Car hire

The minimum age to hire a car in Spain is 21. A passport and a valid driving licence are required, as is a valid international insurance policy, which you can buy at the time of hire. Car hire companies include Avis (tel: +34 902 108 495; www.avis.es) and Hertz (tel: +34 902 011 959; www.hertz.es).

Bicycle hire

Barcelona is a cyclist-friendly city, with the public Bicing bicycle system (tel: +34 902 315 531; www.bicing.cat) proving an economical and convenient way to hire a bike. Sign up for a card online and swipe it at one of the bike stations to unlock a bike.

You can rent bikes from Al Punt de Trobada, Carrer Badajoz 28 (tel: +34 93 221 6367) and Biciclot, Passeig Marítim 33 (tel: +34 93 307 7475; www.biciclot.net).