Barcelona Card vs Articket vs Hola Travel Card: Which to Buy
The Hola Barcelona Travel Card covers transport, the Barcelona Card adds museums, and the Articket covers six art museums for €38.00.
Choose the Hola Barcelona Travel Card if you only need transport, the Barcelona Card if you want transport plus free museum entries, and the Articket if your plan is six art museums and nothing else. The Articket costs €38.00 and includes no transport. The Barcelona Card is listed at €39.00, or €35.10 with the 10% online discount, and the Hola Barcelona Travel Card starts at €12.50.
The Hola card is run by TMB (Barcelona’s metro and bus operator). The Barcelona Card and the Articket are sold through the Barcelona Turisme online shop.
What does each pass include?
The Hola Barcelona Travel Card gives unlimited journeys on public transport and nothing else. According to TMB’s Hola Barcelona page, it also includes one metro journey from the airport to the city centre and one back.
The Barcelona Card combines transport and sightseeing. It includes more than 25 free museums and cultural venues, unlimited public transport and more than 70 discounts on tours, leisure and shows. A version called Barcelona Card Essential is sold without unlimited transport, according to the Barcelona Card shop page.
The Articket covers six museums and art centres with one ticket: the Picasso Museum, the Joan Miró Foundation, MNAC, MACBA, CCCB and the Tàpies Museum. The Articket shop page says it saves up to €31 compared with buying the tickets separately.
How long is each pass valid?
The Hola Barcelona Travel Card runs for 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours from the first validation. Unvalidated cards expire on 28 February of the year after purchase.
The Barcelona Card is sold for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days, and it counts consecutive days, not 24-hour periods. It is activated the first time it is used at one of the free establishments, and it is valid until the end of the current year.
The Articket is valid for one year from the date the voucher is redeemed.
Which transport does each pass cover?
TMB lists these operators for the Hola card: metro and bus (TMB), NitBus, the Montjuïc funicular, FGC trains in zone 1, TRAM, and Rodalies de Catalunya commuter trains in zone 1. The Montjuïc Cable Car is not included.
The Barcelona Card covers metro and bus (TMB), tram, Renfe Rodalies commuter trains in zone 1, the Montjuïc funicular and direct transport to the airport. Its shop page says night buses are not included, while TMB lists NitBus for the Hola card. Anyone planning night travel should check this before buying.
The Articket includes no transport at all.
TMB’s fares page also lists tickets that can replace the Hola card for short stays:
- Single ticket for metro, bus and the Montjuïc funicular: €2.90
- Airport ticket for a metro journey including Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2: €5.90
- T-casual with 10 journeys: from €13, not valid at the two airport stations
- T-dia for 24 hours with one journey to and one from the airport: from €12
- T-usual for 30 consecutive days: from €22.80
Which museums and attractions are covered?
The Barcelona Card’s free list includes the Museu Picasso, Fundació Miró, MNAC, MACBA, CCCB, Fundació Tàpies, CosmoCaixa, the Castell de Montjuïc and the Jardí Botànic de Barcelona, among others. Every one of the six Articket museums is on that free list, so the two passes overlap completely on art.
The Barcelona Card also gives discounts. Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera Essencial adult, entry from 14h) are €7 off. Palau Güell, Poble Espanyol, the Zoo de Barcelona, L’Aquàrium and the Parc d’Atraccions del Tibidabo are 20% off, and the Telefèric de Montjuïc is 15% off on a return ticket. Discounts cannot be combined with other offers, and the validated card must be shown at the venue.
The Articket covers permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, except the Gaudí exhibition at MNAC. Addresses:
- Picasso Museum: c/ Montcada 15-23
- Joan Miró Foundation and MNAC: Parc de Montjuïc
- CCCB: Carrer Montalegre, 5
- Tàpies Museum: Carrer Aragó, 255
- MACBA: Plaça dels Àngels, 1
All Articket museums are closed on Mondays except MACBA, which is open on Mondays and closed on Tuesdays. Groups of more than 10 people must book ahead at each museum, and the voucher must be shown.
How do I buy and collect each pass?
For the Hola Barcelona Travel Card:
- Buy it online for 10% off, at the Hola Barcelona Store in the L3 lobby of Catalunya metro station, at metro vending machines, at Punt TMB service centres or at Tourist Information Offices.
- If you bought online or at the store, swap the voucher for the travel card at a metro machine.
- Hold the card against the contactless symbol on the validators. The card is personal and reusable, and it can be recharged at metro ticket machines.
Barcelona Card holders can collect the card without waiting at these offices, according to the shop page:
- Barcelona Airport, Terminals T1 and T2: daily, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- Airport T1 Metro and T2 Metro offices: daily, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Plaça de Catalunya, 17-S: daily, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Plaça Espanya: daily, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., closed Jan. 1 and Dec. 25
- Sagrada Familia tourist information booth: daily, 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The shop warns that hours can change in adverse conditions. The Barcelona Card is a smart card with an NFC chip and gives one entry per person at each free venue.
Which pass fits which visit?
A visit built around trains, buses and the metro with few paid attractions points to the Hola card. A visit with several museums and attractions points to the Barcelona Card, which bundles both. A visit centered on Picasso, Miró and contemporary art and no other sights is the case the Articket targets, and anyone who already holds a Barcelona Card has those six museums covered.
Timing matters in December, when the Barcelona Card expires at the end of the year. The guide to Barcelona in December covers weather, holidays and shop hours, and the Christmas lights guide has switch-on dates and routes. Transport passes only help while service runs, so see how a recent general strike halted the Barcelona Metro.
Quick answers
Does the Hola Barcelona Travel Card cover the airport?
Yes. It includes one outbound and one return metro journey between the airport and the city centre.
Can I use the Montjuïc cable car with a pass?
The Hola card does not include the Montjuïc Cable Car. The Barcelona Card gives 15% off a return ticket on the Telefèric de Montjuïc.
Are children covered?
The Barcelona Card has special prices for children aged 4 to 12, and children under 3 get free access. The Articket is free for children under 16.
Checked against official sources in November 2026. Hours, prices and rules change: confirm on the official page before you go or apply.
