Barcelona is a very easy city to navigate. Apart from the excellent and easy-to-use metro system, the city is also home to thousands of taxis. As you walk around, you will see a horde of yellow and black cabs driving around the streets stopping to pick people up on the go. Taxis can be easily flagged down on the street, taken from one of the city’s taxi ranks or called for in advance.
Hailing a Cab:
If you are on any of the main roads in the centre of the city, hailing a cab won’t be a problem (yellow lights on the top of the taxis indicate they are already taken, and green lights for vacant). All official taxis have meters and they should be turned on at the beginning of the ride.
Taxi Ranks:
There are taxi ranks close to transport terminals and other prominent places around the city. Keep in mind that, depending on the location, you may be charged a supplement (for example, if taking the taxi from the airport or port cruise terminals). Taxi drivers adhere to a queuing system and you are expected to get take the taxi at the front of the queue. Don’t get into the taxi that is closest to hand as you are likely to be told to use the one at the front.
Calling for a Cab:
There are a number of taxi companies operating in the city. When calling by phone, you will be given the license number of the cab dispatched to you so you can identify it when it arrives. The person on the other end of the phone may not speak English so it might be handy to get the reception of your hotel to call on your behalf. There is an extra charge that varies depending on the time of the day. Here are some useful numbers of reputable companies:
- Taxi Amic
Tel: 934 208 088
353 vehicles suited for people with limited mobility. - Eco Taxi Barcelona
Tel: 932 783 000
Hybrid vehicles. Free WIFI. Smartphone charger. Payment by card. - Taxi Groc
Tel: 933 222 222
Drivers speak foreign languages.
Barcelona Taxi fares:
Want to know the cost of your trip? Here is a handy website with a taxi fare calculator. Enter the starting point and destination of your journey and you will be given an approximate price. This price will, of course, change depending on traffic conditions. The official taxi fares should be displayed by law inside all cabs.
To help you understand the different prices, they are divided into 3 categories, depending on the day of the week and the time of the day:
- T1: Regular working days from 8am to 8pm.
- T2: Regular working days from 8pm to 8am. Saturdays, Sundays and Bank holidays from 6am to 8pm. Mondays 12am to 8am.
- T3: Saturdays, Sundays and Bank holidays from 8pm to 8am.
Most common cab fare:
Here are the time durations and fares from the Airport and Cruise Port Terminals to the area where our free tours begin:
- Taxi from Barcelona Port cruise terminal to Plaça Reial: 13 minute /around €12-€15
- Taxi from Barcelona Airport to Plaça Catalunya: 20 minutes / around €30-€35
Also, take into account that there is an extra €1 applied for each piece of luggage.
I hope this is helpful for visitors. If in doubt, always ask for a receipt and remember that taxi drivers are only obliged to change notes up to €20.
Photograph by Peter Werkman
Is there a way to calculate taxi fare from the Ibis Hotel, Villadecans, Spain (3.1 miles from BCNAirport) to Arc La Rambla Hotel, La Rambla 19, Spain?
To calculate a taxi fare in Barcelona you can use the website mentioned in the post: Barcelona Taxi fare calculator. Remember that this is only an orientation as the final price can vary depending on many factors (traffic, luggage, etc).