Below I will tell you how they differ, which one is better to choose and how to buy a ticket.
What is the difference
These 2 buses differ slightly - with some stops in the routes. Prices, discounts and other conditions are the same.
- Bus Touristic - the blue route, unlike the city tour, calls into the most prestigious area of Barcelona - Pedralbes (Monastery, Guell mansion). A map of stops and routes can be downloaded
- City Tour - The Eastern route, in contrast to the bus touristic, covers a modern and trendy area (). A map of stops and routes can be downloaded
| Bus Touristic | City Tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of routes | 3 | 2 |
| Number of stops | 45 | 35 |
| Duration of all routes in summer | 4 hours 40 minutes | 4 hours 25 minutes |
| Duration of all routes in winter | 4 hours (green line runs from March 23rd to November 4th) | 4 hours |
| Opening hours in summer (start of the first-last bus) | 9 am - 8 pm | 9 am - 8 pm (from Pl.Catalunya) |
| Opening hours in winter (start of the first-last bus) | 9 am - 7 pm | 9 am - 7 pm (from Pl.Catalunya) |
| Number of audio guide languages | 16 | 15 |
| Discounts at cafes, restaurants, attractions | yes, according to the brochure | yes, according to the brochure |
| Discount when buying a ticket online | 10% | 10% |
| Free WiFi on the bus | there is | there is |
Which to choose
I was on all routes of both buses. Honestly, despite fewer stops, I liked the City Tour better. In my opinion, his routes were more interesting and optimal.
In the Pedralbes area (blue bus touristic route) I came for a walk separately, before a football match. The stadium is close by.
And, of course, it is better to take a ticket for 2 days. It is physically impossible to see everything for one. Only if you do not get off at all at the stops (perhaps to change the route, but this is already a disgrace).
If you have only 1 day to Barcelona, then I would take Bus Touristic. Blue route from - to the Francesc Maciya stop (Diagonal) and change to the red route (Francesc Maciya stop) through to Plaça Catalunya.
How and where to buy a ticket
Tickets can be purchased from a bus employee (at some stops), tourist information points, hotels, newsagents, bookstores and online.
The cheapest and easiest way is to buy online (10% discount provided). Below are instructions on how to buy tickets online.
Popular questions
- Can I change routes with one ticket?- Yes
- How long is the ticket valid, 1 day or 24 hours?- the ticket is valid for 1 or 2 working days (if you bought for 2 days). A ticket purchased for 1 day is valid until the end of the working day on which you started using it. Purchased for 2 days, it is valid until the end of the business day following the day you start using it.
- If a ticket is purchased for 2 days, do they have to be consecutive?- Yes
- Do I need to print a ticket purchased online?- no, you can show the conductor on the phone, he will exchange it for a paper one. A printed ticket purchased online must also be exchanged with the conductor upon first boarding.
- If I have lost my ticket, what should I do?- buy a new one. Each time you board the bus, you must show the ticket to the conductor, so take care of it like the apple of your eye)
- Are pets allowed on the bus?- yes, if the animal is in a carrier or bag
- What if my things are left on the bus? - Bus Touristic: contact the Tourist Information Office at Plaça de Catalunya, 17 or call (+34) 93 285 38 32; City Tour: contact the Tourist Information Office at Carrer de Balmes, 5 call (+34) 933 176 454 or email
Barcelona can be safely called the most visited and interesting city in Spain. A huge number of tourists come here every year, which, in general, is not surprising. Rich history, Dali Museum, real architectural masterpieces from the great Gaudí, temples, cathedrals, oceanarium and much more.
It is simply unrealistic to see everything in a short weekend, even taking into account a variety of excursions, but you can get acquainted with the most significant and popular places with the help of Barcelona Turistic Bas. What it is, where to buy a ticket and what is interesting will be below, and now briefly about how to get to Barcelona.
How to get to Barcelona
The fastest and best way to get to Barcelona is by plane. Moreover, a ticket will cost more cheaply from Moscow than from other regions. Travel time will be a little over four hours, which is quite good.
In addition to air links, you can get to Barcelona by train, but it will be too long, expensive and absolutely unprofitable.
What is "Barcelona Turistic Bass"
It's time to tell you about what Barcelona Turistic Bas is. In short, this is a great way to explore the city in the shortest possible time on the sightseeing bus.
In more detail, Barcelona Turistik Bus invites everyone to buy a ticket for one of the sightseeing buses that follow three different routes. During the trip, the audio guide tells a short historical background about this or that place. Also, each of the routes "Barcelona Turistik Bus" is designed in such a way as to acquaint the vacationer with all the key attractions and business cards of the city in a short time.
The excursion itself takes place on large and, as a rule, double-decker buses, and the second row is devoid of a roof, which allows you to get more freedom of action and a better view.
Another interesting feature of Barcelona Turistik Bass is the stops. Anyone can safely get off near any of the attractions, take a good look at it, and then return to the bus stop, get on the bus and continue the journey. It is also possible to change the route, that is, for example, a person traveling on the blue line will not be prevented from making a change to the red or green line, the main thing is to buy a ticket for 1 or 2 days.
Well, the last feature of the "Bass Turistik" in Barcelona is the price. It is quite affordable, which is why such buses are very popular. More details about prices will be below.
Where can I buy a ticket
One of the most important questions is where to buy tickets for the Touristic Bus in Barcelona. In principle, there is nothing complicated here. Tickets are sold at the ticket offices at the Turistik Bus stops, in the metro and on the buses themselves. But it is worth considering one feature - a large flow of tourists, because of which you can stand in line for about several hours.
The most profitable option is to purchase tickets online. This can be done on the official website of Barcelona Bus Turistic or through intermediaries in our country. In any case, it will cost a little less than directly at the checkout. Printed tickets will need to be pre-exchanged at the ticket office or simply presented to the controller at boarding.
As for the tickets themselves, there are 2 variations: for one day and for two days. The second option, of course, will cost less (per day), but it will be interesting only if a person plans to ride on all three branches, but this can be done in 1 day, however, with one caveat - not to get off the bus for inspection with sights.
Well, and the last thing worth saying about tickets is that when buying them, everyone receives a special booklet (brochure) with many discount coupons for visiting all kinds of museums, paid attractions, shops, and entertainment shows. The total amount of discounts is 200 €, which is pretty decent.
Price
Now that we've figured out where to buy a ticket, it's time to figure out how much Turistic Bass costs in Barcelona. For convenience, all prices will be shown in a small plate:
| For whom | 1 day ticket | 2 days ticket |
| Adults from 13 to 64 years old | 26.10€ | 35.10€ |
| Children from 4 to 12 years old | 14.40€ | 18.00€ |
| Children from 0 to 4 years old | 0€ | 0€ |
| Pensioners and disabled | 22.50€ | 31.50€ |
In general, tickets are not that expensive, especially in combination with the fact that they are given for the whole day, and a person gets the opportunity to get off at any stop, and then go back or, in general, change the route.
Schedule
A few words should also be said about the timetable for the "Turistik Bus" movement in Barcelona.
In winter, buses start running from 9 am to 7 pm. In summer, everything is about the same, only 1 hour longer, that is, from 9:00 to 20:00.
As for how often the buses run, this time is from 5 to 25 minutes. This difference is explained by the season and the number of tourists, and there are many of them here.
Routes
All Touristic Bus buses in Barcelona operate on three main routes: blue, red and green. Each of them is designed so that a person can get acquainted with the maximum number of historical sites and sights on a particular branch. Now in more detail about each of the routes.
Blue
The duration of the route is 2 hours. The journey starts from the central Plaza Catalunya, which, in fact, is the final point.
The first attraction that can be seen on the route is Batlló's house, or "dragon's house". The townspeople gave such a nickname for the unusual shape of the roof and finishing materials that resemble scales. There is also another name - "house of bones" - for the bizarre appearance of balconies that resemble skulls and elements in the form of bones. It is worth noting that Casa Batlló is the first attraction on the route from the great Antoni Gaudí.
Following this, tourists will be able to enjoy another piece of art from Gaudí - the Casa Mila, or Casa Mila. The main feature of this building is that straight lines are practically not used here, only smooth and curved shapes. This style can be traced everywhere, from the facade of the building to the interior. Everything seems to be in motion. It is worth noting that this work was the last civil order for Antoni Gaudi, because after that he devoted himself entirely to the construction of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
The next stop "Turistik Bass" in Barcelona is the famous last work of Gaudí, to which he devoted the rest of his life and which, unfortunately, did not have time to complete. To date, work is in full swing, and according to preliminary estimates, the cathedral will be fully completed by 2030. The famous Sagrada is visited by millions of people every year, and in order to get inside, you have to stand in a long line, but it's worth it.
Also on the way there will be stops near such significant places as:
- Park Guell.
- Funicular Tibidabo.
- College of Saint Terresa.
- Royal Palace and Park Pedralbes.
- The legendary Camp Nou football stadium.
- Modern Art Museum.
Actually, the museum is the last attraction on the blue line. After him "Turistik Bass" again returns to Plaza Catalunya.
Red
The duration of the route is 2 hours. The starting point, it is also the final one, is the central square of Catalunya. The initial path of the red line completely repeats the blue one, that is, the first stop of "Turistik Basa" is Casa Batlló, then Mila's house, but then the bus turns left and moves towards Piazza Francesca Masia, where it stops. After the square, there is a turn at the ring, and tourists have the opportunity to admire the city station.
The last and shortest route. The duration is only 40 minutes. Many people prefer to walk this path. The starting point is Port Olympic. Behind the port is the Bogatel beach. After that, "Turistik Bass" will stop in the famous Poblenu area, where one of the key beaches of Barcelona is located, and a little further from it there will be the modern Diagonal Mar Park. It was built today, from 2002 to 2006, and still causes a lot of controversy. It is definitely worth a visit for a change.
In general, these are all stops on the green line.
There are two tourist bus companies operating in Barcelona - Bus Turistic Barcelona and City Tour Barcelona. Both companies have open-top double-decker buses at the same price per day ticket. However, the number of routes and the routes themselves are different. Below we will tell you more about tourist buses, namely:
- Tourist bus tickets, where to buy, cost?
We buy tickets for a tourist bus
Many city services and services provide discounts when buying tickets electronically - via the Internet. Tourist buses Barcelona is no exception, offering a 10% discount on online ticket purchases.
Ticket prices for 2019:
- 1 ticket for the whole day for an adult when bought on the bus will cost 33 euros,
when buying online - 30 euros.- For 2 days, a ticket costs 44 euros, when buying online - only 40 euros.
Thus, if you buy a ticket for two days, the discount will be much more substantial.
Prices for Bas Turistik and City Tour are the same.
By the way, we saved 6 euros for two, because we paid 54 euros for two tickets, not 60 (travel date March 2018). Considering the current rates, a good savings.
The ticket entitles you to travel on all routes of the selected company all day. Or two days in a row if you have a two-day ticket.
With one ticket, you can get off and change to another bus from any Bus Tourist or City Tour stop an unlimited number of times. Those. you ride the bus around the city, get off, walk to the sights, then take the next tourist bus, drive to the next sights, etc.
There are rumors on the internet that a passport is required to travel on a tourist bus. So, no ID is required on a tourist bus, or on the subway, or on a bus with a tram. Only a ticket. Anyway, it is better to keep passports in the room, and you can take a copy with you just in case.
https://www.holabarcelona.com/tickets/barcelona-hop-on-hop-off-bus-tour is the official website for buses of the Barcelona BusTuristic company.
http://barcelona.city-tour.com/en - tickets for buses of the City Tour company (City Tour Barcelona), is also the official site.
It is not necessary to print a bus ticket. Controllers scanners perfectly read the barcode from the smartphone screen. In any case, we checked it with the Bas Turistik company.
It is difficult to say unequivocally which company has better routes and which ones are worse. We first came across the first option on the Internet - the Bas Turistik company (it is more advertised), so we used it. Buses of this company seemed to run more often in spring…. Subjectively, we liked everything.
The only significant difference is that Bas Turistik has three routes, one of which works in the warm season (more on that below), City Tour has only two. The website of the latter offers a kind of smart card that allows you to visit museums, temples, attractions at no additional cost. Its cost is quite high, so it makes sense to buy if you plan to visit these attractions very closely.
! By the way, since 2019, City Tour has a pleasant innovation: now when you buy a ticket for 1 day or 2 days, you get the opportunity to ride on a double-deck boat Las Golondrinas. Just check the ship schedule in advance. In summer, from July to September, it runs daily, every hour from 12.30 to 18.30. From April to June, less often - every 2 hours, in autumn and winter (October, November, February, March), depending on weather conditions - only 3 times -12.30, 13.30 and 15.30.
The Bas Turistik company also offers small discounts on museums, parks and water parks, attractions and funiculars, food in some restaurants, as well as on purchases in central stores. All discount coupons will be displayed on the card that will be given to you when you board the bus.
| It will be interesting: |
What tourist buses look like in Barcelona and their stops
As we said above, there are two companies operating in Barcelona. The buses they operate look the same. The only difference is in logos and inscriptions. If you bought a ticket from one company, then, of course, you will not be allowed on the buses of the other.
Coaches of the company Bas Turistic (Bus Turistic Barcelona)
This is how the bus stop of the tourist bus Bas Turistik looks like. It has the name of the stop, a route map, the color of the route, the cost of tickets and the time it takes the first bus and the last to pass the stop.
Bus stop Turistika (red route)
Bus Turistik buses have red, blue and green routes. On the diagram you can see the stops at which you can change from one to another. They, as a rule, are located a little further from each other, apparently, so as not to interfere with each other. But the maps describe very clearly how to get to the stop for a transfer.
And here is the bus itself. As you can see, the name of the company and the color of the route are written on it.
Coaches of the company City Tour (City Tour Barcelona)
And this is the stop of a rival organization - City Tour. It contains all the same information as at the Bus Turistika stops. In some places, they stand next to each other, so be careful not to burst and try to get on the wrong bus.
Tourist bus stop - City Tour
The bus of the City Tour Barcelona company is the most noticeable on it, it is the Gray Line inscription in a rhombus and the sun sign all over the side wall.
Tourist bus - City Tour
Barcelona Tourist Bus Route Maps
Bus routes Bus Turistic (Barcelona TuristicBus)
When you board the bus, you are given this brochure.
and, if desired, an audio guide headphone that can be connected to the audio jack next to the seat.
You can take your own headphones. It uses a standard 3.5 mm jack socket.
A note with the language number is glued to the place where the headphones are connected. To listen to the audio guide in Russian, you must select number 11.
Audio guides on all buses work well, a pleasant male voice tells, however, rather briefly and dryly about the streets and attractions of Barcelona. Basically, these are dates, names, historical chronicles, as well as warnings on how to behave on the bus.
By the way, the tourist bus is not allowed with food and alcoholic beverages. One man was not allowed in with ice cream, but a woman with a glass of coffee was admitted without any problems.
Routes:
As we already wrote above, the Bas Turistik company has three routes.
Red and blue work all year round. The green route runs along the embankment and operates only during the warmer months, from March 23rd to November 4th. We traveled by tourist buses on March 21st, so we were not able to take the green route.
Three routes Bas Turistika (map increases)
The site also provides an interactive map of the red, blue and green routes.
Bus routes City Tour Barcelona
City Tour has two routes - West (West - orange route) and East (East - green route).
The audio guide works in the same way, because the buses of these companies are identical.
Below is the route map:
Two routes of the City Tour (map enlarged)
Conclusion
If this is your first time in Barcelona, then you just need to ride at least one day on the tourist buses. Their routes are planned so that you can visit all the important sights of Barcelona in 1 day. Or maybe it even makes sense to buy a ticket for two days, so that there is more time to get to know the city.
Buses run quite often (approximately every 5-10 minutes), during the off-season (March) there were no queues, there were enough seats for everyone.
Among other things, free Wi-Fi is available on all buses. Rather, the network is visible everywhere, we had access to the Internet in about half of the buses that we used. But Barcelona is full of public Wi-Fi hotspots that you can connect to and use the internet for free.
To use Wi-Fi, it doesn't matter if it is a bass tourist, a city tour, a cafe or just a public spot, it is advisable to have a Facebook account, because in most cases it is required for authentication. Less commonly, we saw authorization only through email, and even less often through Twitter. But Twitter has always been an alternative to Facebook.
View from the second floor of the bus
How do we save on hotels?
It's very simple - look not only at the booking. We love the search engine RoomGuru. He is looking for discounts on Booking and 70 other booking sites at the same time.
There is no doubt that the Barcelona sightseeing bus tour is the best way exploring the city and all its attractions. The carrier company "Barcelona Bus Turistic" offers to purchase 2 types of tickets - for one or two days. You can get off the bus at any minute (of course, at designated bus stops) and get back on the bus without buying a ticket again.
Routes
Barcelona Bus Turistic operates on three lines - red, blue and green(open only in summer). The green route runs through the beaches and the sea, the red line goes through the city center and focuses on the northern part of the city towards Mount Tibidabo, the blue route also runs through the center and heads towards the huge Montjuïc park.
Red route
The bus running along the red line has 23 stops, of which four intersect with the blue and green routes. During a sightseeing tour of Barcelona on this route you will see such sights of Barcelona as the station Estacio de Sants, Creu Coberta, then moves through the main entrance of the city of Plaza de España (Placa d'Espanya) to Montjuïc, a museum Mies van der Rohe pavilion (Caixa Forum-Pavello Miles Van der Rohe), a Spanish village (Poble Espanyol) where each house is built in a different typical Spanish style, the National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC), the spectacular Olympic ring sports facility (Anella Olimpica) , Museum - Fundacio Joan Miro - a famous Spanish avant-garde artist, along the Teleferic de Montjuic cable car, Miramar-J garden. Costa i Llobera with a huge collection of cacti, the World Trade Center office building, the Colom-Museu Maritim maritime museum. Further along the route there is the port Vell Port Vell, which occupies the entire coastal strip between the Barceloneta area and the southern foothills of Montjuy, the Museum of the History of Catalonia (Museu d'Historia de Catalunya), Port Olimpic, Playa del Bogatell, Ciutadella Park, Pla de Palau, Barri Gotic Gothic Quarter, Placa de Catalunya, Casa Batllo-Fundacio Antoni Tapies, Robert Palau Museum (Passeig) de Gracia-La Pedrera) and the trip ends at Francesc Macia-Diagonal Avenue.
Blue route
The Blue Line Bus travels around attractions such as Monestir de Pedralbes, Palau Reial-Pavellons Guell, Futbol Club Barcelona, Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (-MACBA-CCCB) , Plaza Catalunya, Antonio Tapies Foundation, Casa Mila - La Pedrera, Sagrada Familia, Gracia, Park Guell, Tramvia Blau-Tibidabo and lookout site Sarria.
The most important parts of this route are the Sagrada Familia (Barcelona's main attraction) and to some extent the Camp Nou stadium.
Green route
The green bus line operates from 1 April to 25 September and runs to places such as the city center, Olympic Port, Plata de Bogatell Cementiri de Poblenou in the Poblenou coastal area and Parc Diagonal Mar.
Honestly, you can safely skip this route, since you can see all this yourself walking along the embankment.
The open-top sightseeing bus ride through the streets of Barcelona on all three routes will take about 4-5 hours, provided that you do not get off the bus at stops. Usually tourists are limited to the blue and red routes, which show the main attractions of the city. But in Barcelona it is really worth going inside some of the objects, because inside these buildings and objects are even more interesting than outside.
Here is a list of the tour bus stops we recommend getting off to get the most out of this tour. We publish objects in order of importance.
- Sagrada Familia (Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia)
- Casa Batlló
- Park Guell
- Gothic Quarter
- Camp Nou stadium
- Mount Tibidabo (observation deck in the Temple of the Sacred Heart)
If you have an acute shortage of time, then we recommend that you start exploring the city from the red route and be sure to get to the self-examination of the Sagrada Familia (Sagrada Familia metro station on L2 and L5). Moreover, it is better to start the day with a visit to the cathedral, since there are fewer queues at the beginning of the day, and if you want not to waste time at all, buy tickets in advance.
Buying tickets
The price of tickets for a sightseeing tour of Barcelona bus is 27 € per adult for one day or 3 € for two days (adults are considered to be persons over 12 years old); and for children from 4 to 12 years old - 14 € for a one-day ticket and 18 € for a ticket for two days. Children under 3 years old are transported free of charge.
You can buy tickets for the Barcelona sightseeing bus tour at any bus stop. The central point of sale is in Plaza Catalunya. When buying tickets through the website, a 10% discount is provided.
The ticket gives you the right to get on and off the bus at any stop. The bus stops are clearly marked on the route and are located close to the city's attractions. Along with the ticket, tourists receive headphones to listen to the audio guide in Russian.
Working hours
The tourist bus operates daily except January 1st and December 25th. On the way, he is about 2 hours on the red and blue routes and 40 minutes on the green route. Buses run from 9-00 in the morning to 19-00 in the evening, and in the summer - until 20-00. The frequency of their circulation depends on the volume of tourists and ranges from 5 to 20 minutes.
In the summertime, there is a possibility to take a night sightseeing tour of Barcelona by bus (the number of seats is limited).
Please note that buying tickets for a sightseeing tour from Barcelona Bus Turistic entitles you to discounts on other attractions in Barcelona - museums, galleries, cultural events and more. vehicles and finally in restaurants, fast foods and car parks.
To buy a ticket in advance and save money and time, follow the link, select desired city and enjoy the ride on a day convenient for you!
There are tourist buses in Spain in many cities. A sightseeing bus is understood to mean one that carries for an increased fee to the most interesting places. What is the point of a tourist bus in Spain?
- First, most sightseeing buses are double-decker buses. For many, the roof is open, which means that you can not look at the city through glass.
- Secondly, you do not have to plan the route yourself: all the most popular places are already included in the trip.
- Thirdly, you can view all the fun after leaving the tourist bus, but more on that below.
- Fourth, you can listen to descriptions in your native language much cheaper than the guides in Spain suggest.
Tours in Russian in Spain
Russian-language excursions in Spain are in great demand, because sometimes it is not enough to look at something remarkable, you want to know the history and Interesting Facts... However, the services of guides are not affordable for everyone, especially if you want to move around the city all day long. Tours in Russian in Spain can be listened to on special tourist buses: they give out headphones, usually there are about 10 languages to choose from, including Russian.
If you are traveling alone, then a Russian-speaking guide in Spain would have to pay about 300-500 euros per day, while a bus tour in Russian can be listened to for only 10-30 euros (the price depends on the city, the specific amount is indicated on a separate page with description of tourist buses).
Hop on - hop off
What is a hop on - hop off system? This is a tourist bus travel option where you can get off and on at any stop as many times as you like. A hop on hop off bus ticket means that the tour bus has a specific route that is included in the price. Sometimes there are 2-3 of them, while you can drive some part, leave the hop on - hop off bus, see what you are interested in, and get on the bus of the same company that came up again, without paying anything extra.
Some of the nuances of hop on - hop off include the fact that not all tickets are valid for 24 hours: some sightseeing buses are available only on the day of purchase. In addition, the hop on - hop off system usually includes a certain amount of discounts for museums, catering, and exhibitions. That is, by buying a hop on - hop off ticket, you can later visit interesting places cheaper. The discount, unlike the hop on - hop off ticket, is usually valid for more than one day (how much depends on the specific company).
For more information on hop on - hop off buses, see the attached pages dedicated to individual tourist buses in Spanish cities.
City Sightseeing
City Sightseeing is one of the companies of the hop on - hop off system, which provides excursions in Russian in many cities around the world.
City Sightseeing has its own website, but without a Russian-language version, so it's worth telling about it in more detail. City Sightseeing offers tickets not only for 24 hours, but also for 2, 3 days. Naturally, a three-day ticket is cheaper than three one-day tickets. This is convenient for those travelers who live close to the City Sightseeing tour stops and plan to use Spain's sightseeing buses multiple times.
The site is often asked if any discounts are included in the City Sightseeing ticket. Yes, but which ones, it is better to find out in a particular city. In any case, those who visit a large number of museums usually save a lot by buying a hop on - hop off tour. When buying a ticket, City Sightseeing offers maps with routes (the map itself can be found for free, including on the Internet), this is especially important for those cities in Spain where there are several routes. You also get headphones that need to be plugged into a special jack (found on every seat of City Sightseeing buses).
So, buy a ticket, listen to a Russian-language excursion in Spain, look where you want to get off and take a closer look, and then get on the hop on - hop off bus again and continue exploring the city.
You can buy a ticket for the sightseeing bus in advance, saving money, by following the link. In the window that opens, just select a city.
Enjoy your trip to Spain!
