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This page will give you a review of the Barcelona Card - the discount tourist card issued by the Barcelona tourism board. The card offers a range of discounts, unlimited trips on the public transport system and the convenience of not having to queue to buy your transport tickets in a foreign language. Simply whip out your Barcelona Card and you're away!

Click for more information on this tourist discount card

7 Reasons for considering the Barcelona Tourist Card

1. Unlimited transport on Barcelona public transport network in the city centre is included in the Barcelona Card. No more lost holiday time queuing for travel tickets. Once you have the Barcelona Card public transport within the city centre (Zone 1) is included on the public transport system.

• No need to buy metro, tram or bus tickets. The area covered for public transport travel is zone 1 which covers the entire city centre and all the main tourist attraction areas in Barcelona. Here is the transport that is included:

• Airport train, Airport metro line L9 from both T1 and T2, or TMB bus from Barcelona airport to the city centre.
• You can travel without charge on the RENFE train, the airport metro link or the TMB N46 bus (but not the Aerobus) from the airport to the city centre.

The Barcelona Card will save you time and makes your holiday more enjoyable as most of your transport cost is included at no additional charge.

2.Save money on entrance fees for many major attractions. You can also enter for free to some attractions with the card. We have not listed which ones here because the offers change frequently. You will be informed which ones when you are presented with the card.

3. Discount Souvenirs: You are also entitled to special discounts in the official Barcelona Turisme souvenir shop which you will find in Plaça de Catalunya square tourist information office.

4. Restaurant discounts: Discounts can also be had on some specific restaurants (see below)

5. Performance/show discounts: You will also receive discount tickets to shows at Palau de la Musica and Theatre Liceu which are important music venues in the city (see below for more details)

6. Improved personal security. If you've read our article on personal safety in Barcelona you would have learned that petty theft and pick pocketing in Barcelona is a problem particularly at stations where tourists have to purchase transport tickets. The reason is that pickpockets can see where tourists keep their money. With the Barcelona Card you do not need to take out your wallets / purses to purchase tickets - your transport has been all paid for in advance and if you keep your Barcelona card in a separate location to your purse or wallet no pickpocket will know where you keep your money.

7. Barcelona map and Barcelona guide are included with the Barcelona Card. Along with your Barcelona Card you will have a map and guide which is useful to help you navigate around the main points of interest and Barcelona attractions. However if you want to have a more detailed map you would probably need to supplement this with a good guide book.

If you want entry tickets for the Sagrada Familia by Gaudi (Barcelona's No.1 tourist attraction) we recommend you consider the BCN Essentials Pass instead of the Barcelona Card. The BCN Essentials pass includes entrance tickets to Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and includes unlimited transport on the Barcelona public transport system. You also get a downloadable audio guide of the city of Barcelona along with interactive maps so you can easily plan your own guided tours of the city. The other great feature of the BCN Essentials pass is it is sent to you by email immediately after you order so you don't need to visit a tourist information office to pick it up.

Click here to learn more about the BCN Essentials Pass

Here's a little more detail on what the Barcelona Card offers you.

Unlimited public transport at no charge

The card gives you unlimited travel on the Barcelona public transport system including the Metro underground system, the buses around the city centre, the tram system and the train service from the city centre to Barcelona airport. No need to buy any tickets for public transport it is included in the price of the Barcelona Card .

Discounts on entry to many museums and art galleries.

The Barcelona card will give you good discounts on entry to many popular museums and art galleries. Here are just a few of the discounts you will get:

Museum de Historia de Catalunya: 15%

MNAC museum: 15%

Maritime Museum: 15%

MACBA: 15%

Casa Batlló: 15%

Save Money on Barcelona Original Souvenirs

Buy your Barcelona original souvenirs from the souvenirs shop in Barcelona tourist office in Plaça de Catalunya and receive a discount with the Barcelona Card.
Barcelona Card
Discount: 15%

Tourist Discount on Specific Restaurants

Enjoy 10% discounts on specific Barcelona restaurants that will be listed when you purchase your card.

Savings on Shows And Music

Obtain a saving on Palau de la Musica (A beautiful classical music venue) and Gran Teatre del Liceu (Opera, theatre and musicals venue).
Discount: 25%

Tourist guide and map of Barcelona

When you pick up your Barcelona card you will receive a basic street map of the city, metro map and a simple but comprehensive guide to Barcelona's main attractions along with details on where you will obtain discounts.

How much is the Barcelona Card?

The Barcelona card price varies depending on 2 factors:

1. How many days you choose the card to be valid for.
2. Whether the Barcelona Card is for an adult or for a child.

To find out up to date prices for the Barcelona Card see the link below.

How can I buy the Barcelona Card?

You have 2 options for buying your travel and discount card:

Purchase Online: You can purchase your Barcelona Card online which is the easiest and simplest way.

When you pay for your discount card online you can pick it up from Barcelona airport tourist information and then obtain free travel on the RENFE train to the city centre. You will need both the voucher you purchased online and photographic identification to be able to pick up you card.

Opening hours Tourist Office Barcelona Airport:

Click for more information on this tourist discount card

Tourist office: Alternatively you can purchase the Barcelona Card from the Tourist information offices in Barcelona city centre when you visit.

How many days is the Barcelona Card valid for?

You can buy a Barcelona cards valid from 2 to 5 days. The price of the card varies depending on the number of days of validity you choose.

It is worth thinking about what you intend to use the Barcelona Card for and figure out how much you would be saving before you purchase the card. This would mean taking some time to do some advanced planning before your trip. Once you know what you want to see and do you can more easily figure out if the card will be value for money. Bear in mind that you can use the card not only for free transport and discounted entrance fees but also souvenir shopping, and attending many key cultural venues and entertainments.

Another important factor to consider is the convenience of booking the ticket in advance knowing your transport tickets are covered - which can help you with budgeting your holiday. You can forget about most of your transport costs once you have the Barcelona Card because most of your public transport cost are covered and you can travel on the entire metro system that cover all of Zone 1 which is were all the main attractions are situated.

An exception is the card will not cover you for train journeys that go outside of Barcelona city centre but it does entitle you to free transport on the RENFE train between BCN international airport and the city centre. Alternatively you can use it on the TMB bus from the airport to the city centre but it does not cover you for the Aerobus (express bus) from the airport.

Click for more information on this tourist discount card