Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Millions of tourists annually come here to see the famous sights, as well as enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of the sea and palm trees. There is never a fuss here. In the capital of Catalonia, year-round peace and tranquility. Some people prefer to relax in this village on the beaches, while others prefer to explore the rich historical heritage of the city. Of course, there is a place for every traveler.
This city needs to be explored slowly. Walk along the beautiful streets, look at the architectural structures, as well as ordinary residential buildings. But, unfortunately, travelers who come here for a short time or live far from the city center have a need to use public transport. It is about him that we will tell you in this article.
All residents of Barcelona use it. From primary schoolchildren to the elderly. For tourists, this is the fastest way to travel, as there are subway stations near all the main attractions.
In the capital of Catalonia, public transport is quite well developed. There are buses, trains, trams and more. We will take a closer look at the Barcelona metro. After all, it is so big and interesting that you can talk about it for hours.
Barcelona metro
The subway began to function here in 1924. This is the fastest way to travel in the city. The subway has a fairly convenient modern station scheme. At the moment there are a little more than 200 stops, as well as twelve branches. An interesting fact is that these branches are managed by two different companies. The sixth, seventh, eighth lines are subordinate to the State Railways of Catalonia, and the rest to the Barcelona Metro.
Using the metro, you can reach any point in the city, as well as in some suburbs. For example, Badalona, Sant Adria de Besos and some others.
The subway has both underground and ground sections. This transport system also includes the Montjuic funicular.
Opening hours
How long and how long does the metro in Barcelona work? This question torments many tourists. The metro serves passengers daily, seven days a week. Fortunately, there are no breaks for the siesta. This is out of the question. But the opening hours of the Barcelona metro can vary. For example, on Friday and Saturday, the subway opens at five in the morning, and closes at two in the morning. And on weekdays, she works from five in the morning until midnight.
On June 23, August 14, December 31, and September 23, the metro operates around the clock.
Types of Drive
As you know, in Barcelona there is a fairly large selection of various profitable tickets. Of course, it’s more economical to buy tickets immediately for several trips or for a long period.
Many do not believe this, believing that the benefits are very dubious. But you just have to compare. One-way subway in Barcelona is more than two euros, but the cost of a trip for ten trips (T-10) is about ten euros. The benefit here is obvious. The price of one trip is one euro.
By the way, a one-time ticket after purchase is valid only for 1 hour 15 minutes, later you can use it only for traveling on a bus or funicular.
But these are not the only types of tickets, as mentioned above, the Barcelona metro has a fairly large selection. But the T-10 is considered the most optimal tariff for tourists, since its price is quite reasonable.
You can also purchase a ticket for 50 or 70 trips within 30 days, an unlimited ticket for a day.
The most expensive are tariffs in the sixth zone, and the cheapest in the first.
The city also has tickets called Hola Barcelona. This can be unlimited for 2-5 days. For two days, such a ticket will cost about fourteen euros, and for five - about thirty euros. Cheaper to buy tickets on the subway website. A ten percent discount is provided.
Metro Features
Each metro has its own characteristics, and Barcelona is no exception. For example, the lines in the subway of a city have no names at all. Each is indicated by a specific color, as well as a number.
The Barcelona metro has six zones. Each of them is divided into several more. Only the center remains indivisible. Since all the most significant architectural monuments are located in the center, the authorities decided to make a single tariff in this place.
Of the interesting facts, it is also worth noting that it is very clean, the metro has little or no advertising at all. The time interval of train traffic is only five minutes, so there is no crowding of a large number of people. But the train stop at the station is two minutes.
The transition between metro lines is only ten minutes. The passages are quite narrow and with two-way traffic. Many residents claim that it is not very convenient. In many transitions you feel stuffiness, as well as lack of ventilation. Roughly the same thing happens in the Madrid metro.
As for boarding the train, there are three platforms at once. Boarding the car is carried out immediately from two sides. To many travelers this seems rather unusual, this can only be seen in Russia at the Partizanskaya station in Moscow.
The city authorities took care of people with disabilities and equipped each station with an elevator and an escalator.
Among the minuses of the Barcelona metro are the lack of air conditioning in most cars, non-automatic doors.
Some interesting facts
There are two types of barriers in the subway. The first is an ordinary turnstile, where the composter is on the left, and the entrance is on the right. The second barrier has glass doors.
If you encounter any difficulties, the staff through the intercom usually solves all the problems.
Metro Development Plan
After the municipality of Barcelona took control of the construction of the metro in 1951, it began to develop very rapidly.
Of the nearest projects, it is worth noting the one that concerns the expansion of the orange metro line of Barcelona soon. By the way, she is considered the youngest of all.
In addition, not so long ago, the construction of new stations in the Barcelona metro was underway on a blue branch passing through the center. According to the plans of the builders, the line should connect it with the district of Bash-Llobregat. The project is currently temporarily suspended.
It is also planned to launch the thirteenth metro line. As you know, it will be quite small. Three stations will open soon. They will cover the whole La Morera district in Badalona, as well as the hospital in Can Ruti.
Based on all of the above, we can conclude that the development of the subway in the capital of Catalonia is fast enough.
Conclusion
Most cities in Europe live thanks to the tourism business, so their city halls do everything to make travelers stay comfortable.