Hola BCN: Barcelona Tourist Travel Card from €15.58 (+Airport)

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a cheap Barcelona travel pass that gave you unlimited transport?

That way, we’d avoid the single-ticket pitfalls of fumbling for change, worrying about time validity, and mumbling through some basic 9th-grade Spanish.

It’d also be nice if this tourist travel pass had the potential to save us money.

That brings us to the Hola Barcelona Card (formerly the Hola BCN).

Why Get an Hola Barcelona Travel Card

An all-inclusive transport card with unlimited rides makes your holiday run like a clock.

Tourists have been buying Hola Barcelona Card (previously the Hola BCN Travel Card) for years because:

• You get unlimited public transport on the metro, bus, tram, and funicular.
• There’s return Barcelona airport transport via airport train, metro, or bus 46.
• There’s easy pickup at Barcelona Turisme kiosks.
• It eliminates the stress of constantly buying tickets.
• It’s cheap.

Remember: if you have any questions about Barcelona transport options, like how to get to any of the city’s top attractions from your holiday apartment write me in the comments below.

What Does this Barcelona Tourist Travel Pass Include?

Your super-handy Barcelona travel card will include unlimited journeys in zone one on:

• Overland trains (including the R2 from El Prat Airport to central Barcelona).
• The metro (all lines including the L9 from Barcelona airport, a €9.00 value).
• All TMB buses.
• Tram.
• The Montjuic Funicular (careful! This is not the Montjuic Teleferic).

Some of you might be asking what exactly is zone one?

The simple answer is it’s the entire city centre and all suburban areas. Unlike bigger cities like New York and London, the area of zone one is the entire reach of the metro system.

This essentially encompasses all of the main tourist attractions in Barcelona.

Hola Barcelona Travel Pass Prices 2023

Strike-through prices are offline prices, so it’s best to book online with the 5% discount.

The price of a single ticket in Barcelona has increased to €2.40 in 2023, so your break-even point on the 48-hour pass is three uses a day – a virtual guarantee when visiting the city.

Here are the multi-day ticket prices:

These prices apply to everybody (including students, 65+ etc.) – only children under 4 ride free.

As you can see, buying this Barcelona transport pass online means you’ll spend just around €7.00 a day for unlimited travel on public transport plus your connection from the airport to Barcelona city centre.

Keep in mind that the return metro service from Barcelona airport alone costs €10.30!

Tack on the Aerobus for the Ultimate Tourist Transport Pass

Looking to throw in the best airport transport on top?

Thanks to Tiqets, you now have the option to package a one-way or return ticket on the Aerobus (up to a €13.20 value) with the Hola Barcelona Card – you can book the Barcelona Transport Pass by clicking the button below:

Where Can I Buy a Hola BCN Travel Pass?

The Hola Barcelona Travel Card is available via Barcelona Turisme, the official tourism board of the city.

Here you’ll earn me a small commission (at no extra cost to you) to cover server costs and the effort/time I put in… if you want to help, please click the button below:

It is very much appreciated! 🙂

Where to Pick up Your Hola Barcelona Travel Card

Once you’ve got your voucher code sent to your email, you can pick up your Barcelona city travel pass at any of the following Tourist Information points:

• Airport: Terminals T1 + T2: Daily from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. January 6th and December 26th from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Closed: New Year’s Day and Christmas Day.
• Plaça de Catalunya: Plaça de Catalunya 17. Daily from 8:30 am to 9:00 pm. January 1st from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. January 6th and December 26th from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Closed: Christmas Day.
• City Hall: Carrer de la Ciutat 2. Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Closed: New Year’s Day and Christmas Day.
• Sants Station: Plaça Països Catalans. Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm (high season till 8:00 pm). Closed: New Year’s Day and Christmas Day.
• Mirador de Colom (Columbus Monument): Plaça Portal de la Pau. Daily from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. January 6th and December 26th from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Closed: New Year’s Day and Christmas Day.
• Plaça Espanya: Daily from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (high season from 8:30 am to 8:00 pm). January 6th and December 26th from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm. Closed: New Year’s Day and Christmas Day.
• Sagrada Familia: Daily from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm (high season till 8:00 pm). January 6th and December 26th from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Closed: New Year’s Day and Christmas Day.

Travel Pass Validity & Restrictions

Your Hola Barcelona Travel Card is activated the first time you use it.

This means if you have a 72-hour tourist travel card and take your first public transport trip at noon on January 1st, you’ll have until noon on January 4th to ride as many journeys as you want.

Night Buses and the Hola Barcelona Card

Unfortunately, the Hola Barcelona Card is not valid for night buses since a private company operates them.

To use night buses, you can pay the bus driver €2.40 for a single ticket using cash.

Keep in mind that from Sunday to Thursday, the metro closes between 00:00 and 05:00 and between 02:00 and 05:00 on Friday.

On Saturday night (to be clear, the night between Saturday and Sunday), the metro is open all night!

If you’re looking for a big club night, make it Saturday unless you’re rich enough for a Barcelona taxi.

Flamenco

See a tear-jerking Barcelona flamenco show from €16.00.

Find my show

Why Not Another Discount Card?

The Barcelona Card

The good thing about this discount Barcelona travel pass is that it costs much less than its sister the Barcelona Card, which is more aimed at people looking to get lots of Barcelona attraction tickets in addition to getting unlimited transport.

If I’ve confused you a little make sure to check out my page comparing the two tourist travel cards.

The Barcelona Pass

The popular Barcelona Pass is a great option because it gets you into mega-attractions La Sagrada Familia and Park Guell, and a one or two-day pass on the Bus Turistic.

You’ll also get 10% off your Hola Barcelona Card plus 10% discounts on virtually anything you can do in Barcelona from flamenco to Camp Nou.

Deciding Which Barcelona Travel Pass to Get

If you’re sure you want to see a lot of attractions, you may be better off going for the Barcelona Card or the Barcelona Pass – but as far as a straight-up travel card goes, the Hola Barcelona Travel Card is the cheapest and most efficient.

Still a bit confused about which discount pass to get? Make sure you write me in the comments below with a list of things you’d like to see and a budget, and I’ll do my best to help out 🙂

Hola Barcelona Travel Card Zones

If you’re staying a bit outside the city centre, here’s a list of nearby municipalities included in zone one:

Sant Adriá del Besos, Badalona, Montgat, Montcada i Reixac, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Joan Despì, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Cornellá de Llobregat, Sant Boi de Llobregat, El Prat de Llobregat e Castelldefels.

All of these communities can be reached by train using the Hola Barcelona Card.

Related: How Many Days Should I Stay in Barcelona?

Discount cards

Get a Barcelona tourist discount pass and save money + time.

See the cards

Hola Barcelona Travel Pass FAQs

• Is the validity of the card for days or hours?

  Again, the validity is for hours. If you activate a 72-hour card at 6 pm on Friday, you’ll have until 6 pm on Monday to take advantage of your unlimited tourist travel card.

• Why do some websites say that it’s days and not hours?

  Because the change from days to hours was very recent, and they probably haven’t updated the information 😉

• Can I get a refund on my Hola Barcelona Card?

  Yes. To cancel your travel card, get in touch with [email protected].

• I lost my Hola Barcelona Card. Can I get a replacement?

  Unfortunately, this is not possible, so be careful!

• Is the Hola Barcelona Card interpersonal?

  No, trips are only permitted to the holder of the card.

• Can I use my Hola Barcelona Card to get to Girona/Montserrat/Sitges?

  No, this Barcelona travel pass is only valid for zone one of the Barcelona transport network.

• Is the Hola Barcelona Travel Card really worth it?

  If you’re planning on visiting the main tourist attractions and don’t have the money to get around by taxi, then yes!

• I’m a student/retiree, can I get any transport discounts in Barcelona?

  No, only children under four travel free on public transport in Barcelona.

• Does the validity kick in from the time I pick it up or the time I first use it on transport?

  The clock starts ticking on this Barcelona travel pass from the time you first use it.

• I’ll be in Barcelona for six days. Are there Hola Barcelona Card cards for more than 120 hours?

  No, in these cases, you’ll need to combine cards (e.g. 48h + 96h).

• Do I have to book my Hola Barcelona Travel Card way in advance?

  In general, there are no rules for booking your Barcelona travel card, but obviously, the sooner, the better in case you incur any unexpected issues along the way.

• Is the Hola Barcelona Card valid for the Aerobus?

  No, unfortunately the Aerobus is privately operated, thus it is not included in the Hola Barcelona Card. However, metro travel from the airport to the city centre is included.

Ready to Get Your Hola Barcelona Travel Card?

If the Hola Barcelona Card isn’t the best Barcelona travel pass then what is?

Remember, you can drop me a line below about anything regarding visiting Barcelona, and I’ll respond ASAP with something so good you won’t even know what to do 😉

Also, don’t be afraid to join the Hola Barcelona Travel Card discussion by liking the Barcelona Hacks Facebook page and then joining my group; I’m Off to Barcelona. Here, you can ask any questions and chat with 10,000+ Barcelona travellers.

Enjoy your Barcelona tourist travel pass 🙂