Hop on and off at countless bus stations as you please. You will get to know the sights of Barcelona while you relax and enjoy the sun.
The double-decker Bus Turístic and Gray Line buses are some of the most comfortable and, in our opinion, a very nice way to see the city.
We recommend getting an overview of the city at the beginning of your stay. The double-decker buses are perfect for this.
The Bus Turístic is the official bus operator of the city of Barcelona or the tourism agency. Grayline's red buses are privately operated.
The exact times can be found on the notice board on the buses. The buses run every 5-25 minutes, depending on the season and occupancy.
Both companies operate two lines each, Bus Turístic the Red and the Blue line, Grayline the East route and the West route.
You can book tickets for one or two days and the tickets are valid for all lines of a bus compay. So you can switch between lines whenever you want. However, a ticket is not valid on the buses of the other company.
Red Line
Blue Line
* Possibility to switch between the lines
East Route
(**) Winter Tour (2 November to 25 March): The stops will be replaced by the Ciutadella Zoo and the Teatre Nacional-Auditori.
West Route
* Possibility to switch between the lines
You will receive a detailed map with all stops, routes and sights directly on the buses.
Book the ticket here, print out the voucher or show it on your smartphone and you will receive the ticket on each of the buses.
You can easily hop on and off at any station. It is best to take a stop near your hotel, for example. The stops are located near the main attractions. On our sights pages we have always indicated the nearest Bus Turístic station.
You can also switch between lines at several stops, for example between the East and West routes.
In the bus you will receive a route plan and, if you wish, earphones for the audio guide. But you can also plug in your own headphones. The announcement tells you interesting things about the parts of the city you are driving through and about the sights where you are about to stop.
If you're particularly interested in a sight, simply disembark for a sightseeing tour. Or for a visit to a restaurant or a short walk. The buses run every 20-30 minutes and you can then simply get back on to continue your journey.
Both bus operators offer almost identical services. The buses are clean and in perfect technical condition. Both buses take you to almost all sights. The prices for the 1 or 2-day tickets are the same and both offer earphones, a route plan with marked sights and bus stops.
Only the Bus Turístic stops at the "Telefèric de Montjuïc" station. If you want to take the cable car up the mountain and enjoy a great view - which we strongly recommend - then the Bus Turístic is a better choice. If you don't want to go up Montjuïc, you can skip this trip and the red Grayline bus is our recommendation.
Brief estimate of the time required: With a 1-day ticket you can travel through both lines once. You then have good time to look at 2-3 sights in peace.
It's more relaxed with the 2-day ticket. Here we recommend driving one line on one day and getting off there at the sights and the other route on the second day. Note: the 2-day tickets are valid for two consecutive calendar days.
Both buses have two floors. The lower one is closed and there is no wind and it is also heated in winter if it is cold outside. Appropriately air-conditioned in midsummer.
If you prefer to sit upstairs: if it's too hot or it's raining, the roof closes from the back so you can sit in the shade.
The buses are therefore suitable for use all year round.
The Bus Turístic is ideal for getting a quick overview. You will pass almost all of the main attractions of the city of Barcelona with the hop-on hop-off buses. With the overview you have gained, you can then plan the next few days and visit specific sights, e.g. with the Barcelona Card.
You can get on and off the train as often as you like at the stations. During the journey you can listen to the explanations of the audio guide and learn interesting information, on the upper deck of the buses you can enjoy the sun and lots of fresh air.
(Click on the product images to view prices and availability)
Book your accommodation in Barcelona here! All categories.
1-5*-hotel rooms, apartments, hostels.