I had a lot of time to plan my birthday trip to Barcelona — I booked the tickets about 5 months in advance. The original plan was three days in Barcelona and the rest of the time in other destinations, but the overwhelming amount of intriguing museums and sites in the city convinced me to stay the entire time there (aside from a day-trip to Montserrat). As I browsed the official tourism site, I evaluated the need for the five-day Barcelona Card.
At about $82 for five days, I was skeptical whether this tourist pass was really worth the money — I’ve seen the “deals” for such things in New York. I had to plan more of an itinerary than I had ever planned before to see if the card was worthwhile.
What Is the Barcelona Card?
The Barcelona Card is a pass exclusively for tourists. There are options for three, four, or five days, each with varying levels of benefits. They include a public transportation pass and free or discounted entry to museums around the city. There are also transportation-only passes, family passes, and a modernist architecture-focused card.
The cards are useful depending on your plans in the city. The website even offers sample itineraries to maximize card use and savings. Those itineraries are also helpful for travelers not planning to purchase a pass. It’s easy to substitute sights in the sample itineraries depending on location and transportation.
Prices range from €53 for 72 hours to €71 for 120 hours. It is cheaper for the Essential card that doesn’t include transportation.
Visitors should order the card in advance and pick up at designated locations indicated on the official tourism site. It’s convenient to get it at the airport, but there are more locations at major stations like Plaça de Catalunya or Plaça Espanya.
How Helpful Is the Barcelona Card?
I did the math before buying my card for five days, which was a little more than a day too short for my trip, but that was ok. Museums included with my card were museums I wanted to visit (I even messed up and didn’t get my discount at Casa Battló because I thought it wasn’t included). I knew I wanted to visit Fundació Joan Miró, the Picasso Museum, and Montjuïc Castle. Adding in the Catalan Art Museum and a couple discounts at Gaudà attractions, and I already broke even on the cost of the card.
With so many attractions included, it’s not easy to keep track of what’s included — there aren’t signs at these sights indicating a discount. And the popular destinations have signs encouraging visitors to book tickets through QR codes. The crowd and QR code push added to the confusion at Casa Battló, where the Barcelona Card discount is only applied to tickets purchased at the physical box office.
Despite some hiccups, I found additional benefits. I ended up at a couple smaller contemporary art museums along my wanderings through the city. I likely wouldn’t have visited Moco Museum or Museu TÃ pies if they weren’t included in the pass — and both museums were worth visiting. In both cases, I was already nearby with time before dinner or lunch, so it was an opportunity to add to the itinerary.
I definitely took public transportation more readily. There’s a good chance that I would’ve walked a lot more without the unlimited rides, which would’ve made the trip even more exhausting. Taking the metro for a stop or two was easier when it was already paid for. I even took a few buses to areas that weren’t convenient to reach via metro, such as Barceloneta. As long as there’s a seat available, the bus is a great way to see the city.
More than anything, I found the unlimited public transportation to be the best part of the deal. It eliminated any hassle of buying tickets or daily passes, or even figuring out the prices. Fortunately, for my last day, someone left a metro card with a few rides at the hotel front desk, so I was able to use it (I only needed one ride, so the remaining rides were saved for another hotel guest).
The pass includes some discounts on city tour buses and walking tours, which I wasn’t interested in taking. There are even discounts for some activities like a flamenco show.
Slight Confusion with Airport Transportation
The only issue I had with the Barcelona card was understanding the airport transportation. As the free public transportation card includes airport transport, I assumed it was all forms. I was informed when picking up the card that it’s only for the airport train. If going to Plaça de Catalunya, buses A1 and A2 are great options for only €7.45, and they run often.
I took the train from the airport, which meant switching to the metro at Torrassa to reach my destination. As my hotel wasn’t far from Plaça de Catalunya, I took the bus on the way back when I no longer had free public transportation as the Barcelona Card expired.
Both transportation options are great. It’s less than a 40-minute ride with either. If I had to do it over again, I’d base my choice on which option leaves sooner — the Barcelona Card activates on first use, so it could save that little bit of time, if needed.
Is the Barcelona Card Worth It?
Yes. With a but.
This tourist pass is worthwhile for travelers who plan ahead and will use the metro and buses to get around. For someone staying for only a day or two in Barcelona, I would say that the pass won’t save much.
As I’ve noted, the card depends on the itinerary. And for anyone looking for a more relaxing tour of the city, this won’t help. But for those who want to check out all those museums, it’s a worthwhile purchase.
