Bus and Train Stations in Barcelona

There are two main train stations in Barcelona (Estació de Sants and Estació de França) and two main bus stations (Estació de Sants and Estació de Nord).

However, nine times out of ten you'll want Barcelona Sants Train Station or Barcelona Nord Bus Station. Often services go to both bus or train stations, but usually, your travel time will be shorter from the main bus or train station. It's also possible you'll be able to leave from Passeig de Gracia train station in the case of many local journeys, which is far more central than Sants.

When booking, always check which station you need.

Estació de Sants Bus & Train Station

• Where is it? The northwest of the city, a ten-minute walk from Plaça de Espanya. Metro is Sants Estació, though it is usually quicker to get to via train from Passeig de Gracia, Plaça de Catalunya, Arc de Triomf, or Estació de Francia.
• For travel to: International bus destinations and most domestic and international train destinations. 

Estació del Nord Bus Station

• Where is it? A short walk from França train station. On Carrer d'Alí Bei near the Arc de Triomf metro station. The Arc de Triomf station is also served by the Cercania train service which is a much quicker way to get to Sants station (only stops at Plaça de Catalunya on the way.
• For travel to: Most national services depart from Estació del Nord. Many international services (which normally start at Sants) also pass through here.

Estació de França

• Where is it? A few minutes walk from the beach and Parc de Ciutadella. The nearest metro is Barceloneta, though it is also connected by train to Barcelona Sants via Passeig de Gracia train station. Address: Avda. Marqués de L´argentera
• For travel to: Some medium-distance routes in Catalonia and other parts of Spain. The main line to France and the rest of Europe was from here. However, the new high-speed trains from Barcelona to Figueres, which connect with France, leave from Sants. A lot of services start in França but pass through Sants, so pick the best station according to where you'll be staying.

Travel Time Comparison Table

Flying is obviously the quickest method of transport, but it is also the most expensive. Taking the train is usually quicker than taking the bus but not always and is often not worth the higher price.