Local Transport Information

How to get to the Congress venue

From the airport

El Prat International Airport (www.aena.es Tel: ++34 93 298 3838) is located 13 kilometres south east of Barcelona and 20 kilometres from the Congress venue (CCIB).

1. By train

RENFE www.renfe.es
Tel: ++34 902 240 202 for national travel, Tel: ++34 902 243 402 for international travel

Train service between the airport and the city centre (Paseo de Gracia) runs from 06:00 to 23:44 (direction Barcelona) and between 05:28 and 22:50 (direction airport). There are trains every 30 minutes and the travel time is 25 minutes. The cost is EUR 1.30 per single trip (as of May 2008). Tickets can be purchased from ticket machines or from ticket booths.

From the Paseo de Gracia train station, it is easy to connect to the yellow metro line (n° 4) at the Passeig de Gracia station. The closest metro station to the Congress venue (CCIB) is Maresme-Forum

2. By airport express bus

Aerobús www.emt-amb.com/
Tel: ++34 93 415 6020

The bus service between the airport and the city centre (Plaza Cataluña) is available from 06:00 to 01:00 all week (direction Barcelona). Buses from Plaza Cataluña run from 05:30 to 00:15 all week (direction airport). There are buses every 7 to 15 minutes and the travel time is 30 minutes. The cost is EUR 3.90 per single trip (as of May 2008). Tickets are available from ticket machines or can be purchased from the driver.

Close to Plaza Cataluña, you can take the yellow metro line (n° 4) at the Urquinaona station. The closest metro station to the Congress venue (CCIB) is Maresme-Forum.

3. By taxi
The journey to the Congress venue (CCIB) takes about 20–30 minutes in normal traffic conditions. Taxis are readily available in front of each air terminal. Fees vary according to the time of day.

T1 (day time):  from 07:00 to 21:00
T2 (night time): weekdays from 21:00 to 07:00 and weekends and bank holidays from 00:00 to 24:00 (applicable all day and night)

There is an additional cost for entry to/exit from the airport and for carrying luggage.

The city has more than 10,500 taxis organized in various major companies and licensed by the local authorities. The basic fare is EUR 1.75 + EUR 0.75 per km (EUR 1.85 evenings and weekends) (as of December 2007). Fares include a service charge, so tipping is not expected. Please take note that taxis do NOT accept credit card payments.

Should you need to pre-book a taxi, the following companies are recommended:
Radio Taxi ++34 93 303 3033
Taxi ++34 93 307 0707

From the train stations

RENFE www.renfe.es
Tel: ++34 902 240 202 for national travel,

Tel: ++34 902 243 402 for international travel

  • Barcelona Sants Central Station
    Pl. Paisoss Catalans, S/N, Barcelona
    Tel: ++34 93 490 3851 (daily 06:30-22:30) 
  • França Station
    Av. Marqués de l’Argentera, S/N, Barcelona
    Tel. ++34 934 963 464 (daily 06:00-23:30)

From the maritime port
www.apb.es

  • Port de Barcelona
    Pl del Portal de la Pau 6, Barcelona
    Tel: +34 93 306 8800, sau@apb.es
  • Creuers del Port de Barcelona (Cruises)
    Estació Marítima Nord Ed. WTC/World Trade Center, Moll de Barcelona, Barcelona
    Tel: +34 93 4127 914, cpb@creuers.net

Public Transport

TMB www.tmb.net

You can reach the Congress venue (CCIB) by:

  • Metro: yellow line n° 4 (Maresme-Forum station)
  • Bus: lines n° 7, 36, 41, 43 and 141 (Forum station)
  • Tramway (“Trambesos”): line T4 (Forum station)

These stops are all located just a few minutes walking distance from the CCIB.

Ticket information
Various types of tickets are available and can be purchased from TMB customer service centres, Metro ticket offices and/or automatic vending machines, FCG railway station, newsagent kiosks and lottery shops.

We recommend that you visit www.tmb.net/en_US/barcelona/moute/targetes/targetes.jsp for detailed information and pricing of different travel cards that are worth considering for public transport use to lower your CO2 footprint during your stay in Barcelona.

Barcelona and its surroundings are divided into six semi-circular zones (please click here www.tmb.net/pdf/corona.pdf for zone distributions). For your information, Zone 1 is a large area that covers all downtown Barcelona and also includes the airport.

In particular, the following tickets are recommended (but not limited to):

  • Travel card T-10: allows 10 combined journeys by any means of transport within a pre-selected zone. Once validated for a specific journey, the same ticket may be used for the pre-determined length of time shown below.
    Travel Card T-10 Prices (as of May 2008)
    Zones 1 2 3 4  5 6
    Euros  7.20€ 14.40€ 19.80€ 25.45€ 29.15€ 31.20€
    Time * 1h 15 1h 30 1h 45 2h 2h 15 2h 30 
    * Time during which you can use the same ticket once validated.
  •   Tourist and Leisure tickets: valid for 2, 3, 4 or 5 consecutive days.

Cycling in Barcelona
The bicycle provides an original and different way to discover the city and of course the CO2 emissions are zero! Barcelona has fully integrated cycle lanes and you can cycle through the city’s open spaces and parks. These conditions and the mild climate are ideal for this alternative means of transport. You can choose from organized routes or hire a bicycle.

Information on where to rent bicycles and bike routes is available under www.barcelonaturisme.com/cycling or www.bcn.es/bicicleta/en/index.html. Consult the map of the network of cycle paths and find your route!

Barcelona also has an automatic on-street hiring system for short bicycle trips where you can rent from one location and return to another near your destination. This service is available for Spanish residents only who have subscribed to the system. More information (in Spanish and Catalan only) at www.bicing.com.

City Map
Please visit www.barcelonaturisme.com/map to download a Barcelona city map showing the location of the IUCN World Conservation Congress venue (CCIB and Forum Edificio).