Getting Around Barcelona: By public transport

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• The Bus Turístic www.tmb.net/en_US/turistes/busturistic/busturistic.jsp links all of the Barcelona tourist sites you could possibly want to visit. It has three routes (map provided as you board), including a northbound and a southbound line that leave from opposite sides of the Plaça de Catalunya. Each takes 1-2 hours. The hop-on/hop-off format lets you get-off risk-free at any interesting stop, see what interests you, then get back on any later bus at that or any other stop. One approach is stay on for an entire route, then continue while getting off at locations that interested you earlier. Buses are double-decked, with the upper deck offering much better views...sunscreen essential in summer months, jackets in winter/early spring/late fall. As you first get on, you are offered earphones. Outlets near every seat let you choose among many languages and playback volumes. As you approach each significant location, you receive audio describing it. You can buy tickets at the bus stops and elsewhere (e.g., better hotels) valid for one day (€20) or two consecutive days (€26).

• The metro can take you to many places. Stations are marked <M> on most maps; every station has a detailed scheme of exits to the city. A one-journey ticket cost €1.35, so it's probably best to buy a multi-person 10-ride ticket for €7.70 (called a T-10) or a personal 50-ride monthly ticket for €31.50. These tickets are also valid on the buses and trams. www.tmb.net/en_US/home.jsp. 1- to 5-day public transport tickets are available that allow unlimited travel on the metro and bus networks (€5.80 for one day, €10.70 for two days, €23.10 for five days). These are excellent value. Be sure to look after them well as bent or damaged cards will not be read by the ticket machines (such cards can be replaced at one of TMB's customer service centers). Metro operating hours are: Sunday and Mon-Thur 5:00 to 24:00, Fri 5:00 to 2:00, Saturday 24 hr (continuous service from Saturday at 5:00 until Sunday at 24:00).

Pay attention to the fact that to get from metro lines operated by TMB (1,2,3,4,5 and 11) to the ones operated by FGC (6,7 and 8) you need to exit and then enter through a new pay-gate. In this case, if you had a one-journey ticket, you need to get a new one. If you used a multiple journey ticket (such as the popular 10 rides T-10 ticket -the one that locals use the most-) you won't be charged for a second time when changing lines.

Unusual features are: all cars are air conditioned; there are large screens for video advertising between lanes (e.g. at Universitat).

• The Barcelona Card [25] features unlimited free travel on public transport and free admission and discounts at around 100 visitor attractions. The card is available for purchase for periods of between 2 and 5 days, costing €24 for a 2-day card and €34 for a 5-day card. If you don't plan to see lots of museums every day, then it is cheaper to buy transport-only tickets (see above).

But there are many things that you will want to do in Barcelona that are not eligible for discounts. You can't use the Barcelona card on fun transport options like cable cars, funiculars or trams, for example.

• Sant Jeroni, 39 km (24 miles)

• www.tmb.net/en_US/turistes/busturistic/busturistic.jsp
• www.tmb.net/en_US/home.jsp