Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

After a halt of more than a year due to the pandemic, the double-decker bus service is to start offering its red and blue routes again to help visitors discover the city’s main attractions.

The Barcelona Bus Turístic, operated by TMB in conjunction with Turisme de Barcelona, is to resume service as from 2 July.

After a halt of more than a year due to the pandemic, the red and blue service routes will be operating their usual daily itineraries around the city’s main points of interest. The buses offer a privileged view from high up, on the top-deck of an open-top double-decker, catering for anyone wishing to enjoy the city’s cultural and commercial attractions using a practical and sustainable means of transport.

The Barcelona Bus Turístic service resumes at a point where domestic and international mobility restrictions are being eased, enabling the reactivation of tourism, culture and recreation.

Initially, the buses will be circulating from 9 am and setting off at intervals of 20-30 minutes, with the last buses to set off at 7 pm.

The audio-guide system is available in 16 languages and each vehicles will have a member of staff on board to provide information and assist users. As with all types of public transport, the use of face masks will be obligatory on board.

Two routes to combine

The blue and red routes are the classic two itineraries offered by the tourist bus. They can easily be combined as they share common bus-stops which act as interchanges in Plaça de Catalunya and Passeig de Gràcia.

The red route also includes stops in the Parc de la Ciutadella, Avinguda Diagonal, Estació de Sants, Montjuïc, Port Vell and other locations, while the blue route is perfect for visiting the Sagrada Família, Gràcia, Tibidabo, Pedralbes and the Camp Nou stadium.

Tickets to use on the Barcelona Bus Turístic from Friday 2 July are now on sale on the website and at the other usual sales points. Special promotions will be announced in the coming days.

Set up in 1987 as a specific collective transport service for people wishing to discover the city by themselves, the Barcelona Bus Turístic has been through different stages and continued to evolve, always based around a pass or a ‘hop on hop off’ system, where Barcelona has been pioneer among major European cities.

The ticket is unique in that it allows the passenger to get off the bus and visit as many places near the bus-stop as they wish, and then hop on again to continue with the route, thanks to the fact there are regular buses and the stops are in good locations. This enables the user to plan their stay in the city independently, to suit their own needs, a goal which remains unchanged despite the long time-out caused by the pandemic.