Barcelona Public Transport Guide for Students (T-Jove 2026)

Transport Cards Explained

T-Jove (Under 25)

The best option for students under 25.

Duration	Price	Per Month
1 month	€40	€40
3 months	€80	€26.67

Requirements:

• Under 25 years old
• Empadronamiento in Catalonia
• Photo ID

Includes:

• Unlimited metro
• Unlimited bus (TMB)
• Unlimited tram
• FGC trains
• Renfe Rodalies
• Within purchased zones (most students need Zone 1)

Does NOT include:

• Airport metro (L9 Sud airport section)
• Night buses (separate fare)
• Tourist buses

T-Usual (25+)

For students 25 and older.

Duration	Price
1 month	€40

Same benefits as T-Jove but for people over 25.

Requirements:

• Empadronamiento in Catalonia
• Any age (25+)

T-Casual (Pay Per Trip)

For occasional use or before getting empadronamiento.

Card	Trips	Price	Per Trip
T-Casual	10	€11.35	€1.14

Good for:

• First days before getting travel card
• Visitors
• Occasional trips outside your usual zones

Note: Can be shared between multiple people on same journey.

Other Cards

Card	Use Case	Price
T-Familiar	Families, shareable	€40 (8 trips/day)
T-70/30	30 days, 70 trips	€42.50
Single ticket	One-time use	€2.40

How to Get Your T-Jove/T-Usual

Requirements

1. Empadronamiento — Must be registered in Catalonia
2. Photo ID — Passport or TIE
3. Proof of age (T-Jove) — Passport showing DOB

Where to Buy

TMB Customer Service Centers:

• Diagonal (L3, L5)
• Universitat (L1, L2)
• Sagrada Família (L2, L5)
• Barcelona Sants (L3, L5)

ATMs in metro stations:

• Available 24/7
• Faster than service centers
• Card payment only

Online:

• tmb.cat
• Create account
• Pay online, collect at station ATM

Process

At Service Center:

1. Take a number
2. Wait for your turn
3. Show documents (empadronamiento, ID)
4. Pay (card or cash)
5. Receive card immediately

At ATM (if you have empadronamiento on file):

1. Select language
2. Choose card type
3. Enter ID number
4. Pay by card
5. Card dispensed

Time: 5-15 minutes

Barcelona Metro

Metro Lines

Line	Color	Key Stations
L1	Red	Hospital de Bellvitge ↔ Fondo
L2	Purple	Paral·lel ↔ Badalona Pompeu Fabra
L3	Green	Zona Universitària ↔ Trinitat Nova
L4	Yellow	Trinitat Nova ↔ La Pau
L5	Blue	Cornellà Centre ↔ Vall d’Hebron
L9 Nord	Orange	La Sagrera ↔ Can Zam
L9 Sud	Orange	Zona Universitària ↔ Aeroport T1
L10 Nord	Light blue	La Sagrera ↔ Gorg
L10 Sud	Light blue	Zona Universitària ↔ Collblanc
L11	Light green	Trinitat Nova ↔ Can Cuiàs

Metro Hours

Day	Hours
Monday-Thursday	5:00 - 24:00
Friday	5:00 - 02:00
Saturday	24 hours
Sunday	5:00 - 24:00
Eve of holidays	Until 02:00

Useful Stations for Students

Location	Station	Lines
City center	Plaça Catalunya	L1, L3
University area	Universitat	L1, L2
Beach	Barceloneta	L4
Gràcia	Diagonal/Fontana	L3, L5
Eixample	Passeig de Gràcia	L2, L3, L4
Sants	Sants Estació	L3, L5
Gothic Quarter	Jaume I / Liceu	L4 / L3

Metro Tips

1. Download TMB app — Real-time arrivals, route planning
2. Avoid rush hour — 8-9am and 6-8pm are packed
3. Stand right, walk left — On escalators
4. Keep belongings secure — Pickpockets exist, especially on L3
5. Check last train times — Especially weeknights

Buses

TMB Buses

Included in T-Jove/T-Usual.

• Covers areas metro doesn’t reach
• Scenic routes through city
• Can be slower than metro (traffic)

Useful bus routes:

Route	Path	Notes
V15	Diagonal route	Quick across Eixample
H6	Hospital de Bellvitge - Fabra i Puig	Horizontal across city
22	Plaça Catalunya - Diagonal	Through Gràcia
24	Plaça Catalunya - Park Güell	Tourist but useful

Night Buses (Nitbus)

Run midnight - 5am when metro closed.

Route	Coverage
N1-N16	Various routes from Plaça Catalunya
N17	Airport night service

Fare: Single journey €2.40 (NOT included in T-Jove/T-Usual)

Tram

Trambaix & Trambesòs

Included in T-Jove/T-Usual.

Trambaix (T1, T2, T3):

• Connects Plaça Francesc Macià to western suburbs
• Useful for Zona Universitària area

Trambesòs (T4, T5, T6):

• Connects Ciutadella area to Badalona/Sant Adrià
• Useful for beach areas, Forum

FGC Trains

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat

Included in T-Jove/T-Usual (Zone 1).

Useful FGC lines:

Line	Route	Destinations
L6	Plaça Catalunya - Reina Elisenda	Sarrià, Bonanova
L7	Plaça Catalunya - Avinguda Tibidabo	Tibidabo access
S1, S2	Plaça Espanya - suburbs	Terrassa, Sabadell

Good for:

• Tibidabo trips
• Montserrat day trip (add special ticket)
• Northern suburbs

Getting to/from Airport

Options Comparison

Option	Price	Time	Notes
Aerobus	€6.75 one-way	35 min	Direct to Plaça Catalunya
Metro L9 Sud	€5.15	45-50 min	Cheapest, many stops
Renfe train	€4.60	25 min	T2 only, fast
Taxi	€39 fixed	25-40 min	Door-to-door, luggage easy
Bus 46	€2.40	40 min	To Plaça Espanya

Recommendation:

• Arriving: Aerobus (convenient, not too expensive)
• Departing with time: Metro L9 (cheapest)
• Departing late/early: Taxi (fixed rate, reliable)

Important

❌ T-Jove/T-Usual do NOT cover airport metro

The airport section of L9 Sud requires a special €5.15 ticket, even with unlimited travel cards.

Other Transport Options

Bicing (Bike Share)

Annual subscription: €50

How it works:

• Pick up bike at any station
• Return at any station
• First 30 min free
• Mechanical or electric bikes

Requirements:

• Empadronamiento
• Bank account for payment

Get it: bicing.barcelona

Scooter Rentals

Electric scooters available:

• Lime
• Tier
• Bolt

Cost: ~€0.25/min

Useful for: Short trips, areas without metro

Walking

Barcelona is very walkable:

• Gràcia to Plaça Catalunya: 20 min
• Barceloneta to Gothic: 15 min
• Most of center: easily walkable

Best areas for walking:

• Gothic Quarter
• El Born
• Gràcia
• Barceloneta (beach)

Money-Saving Tips

1. Get T-Jove quarterly — €80 for 3 months = €26.67/month

2. Walk when possible — Barcelona is walkable, save trips

3. Use Bicing — €50/year is great value if you cycle

4. Avoid taxis — Use metro/bus instead (except airport night/luggage)

5. Plan routes — TMB app helps avoid unnecessary changes

6. Live near school — Saves transport time and money

Common Routes for Students

To Language Schools (Central Barcelona)

Most schools are in Eixample or Gràcia:

• From Sants: L3 → Diagonal (10 min)
• From Poble Sec: L3 → Passeig de Gràcia (8 min)
• From Gràcia: Walk or L3/Fontana

To Universities

UB (Universitat de Barcelona):

• Plaça Universitat: L1, L2

UPF (Pompeu Fabra):

• Ciutadella: L4

UAB (Autònoma):

• FGC from Plaça Catalunya (outside Zone 1)

To Beach

• L4 to Barceloneta or Ciutadella
• T4/T5/T6 tram to Forum beaches
• Walk from Gothic Quarter (20 min)

Quick Reference Card

Need	Solution
Under 25, staying 3+ months	T-Jove quarterly (€80)
25+, staying 3+ months	T-Usual (€40/month)
Just arrived, no empadronamiento	T-Casual (€11.35/10 trips)
Going to airport	Aerobus (€6.75) or Metro (€5.15)
Late night	Nitbus (N lines) or taxi
Getting around quickly	Metro (5am-midnight)
Going to beach	L4 metro

Get Expert Help

Interlink Barcelona helps students navigate all aspects of life in Barcelona.

We provide:

• ✅ Arrival support and orientation
• ✅ Transport card assistance
• ✅ City navigation tips
• ✅ Student life guidance

Book Free Consultation | WhatsApp: +34 635 994 844

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• Empadronamiento Guide