Christmas in Barcelona is not only synonymous with lights on Passeig de Gràcia or queues to buy galets, but also a logistical puzzle to cross the city between dinners. As is tradition, TMB and the City Council have designed a special device so that the car is the last of your options (and honestly, with the traffic these days, mental health is grateful).
This year, the reinforcement is not only focused on the key nights, but it puts the focus on those weekends of commercial debauchery where lines L1, L3 and L5 usually smoke.
Barcelona Metro timetables for Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Epiphany
The metro will be your best asset to move, but be careful, because every holiday has its fine print. Here you have the breakdown day by day:
- Christmas Eve (December 24): As is tradition, the metro goes to bed early. Service ends at 23:00 h.
- Christmas Day (December 25): The metro starts at 5:00 h and will run until 00:00 h.
- Sant Esteve (December 26): Falling on Friday this year, the schedule is extended until 2:00 h in the morning.
- New Year’s Eve (December 31 to January 1): It is the great day of mobility. The metro will offer uninterrupted service all night long. You will be able to return home at any time.
- Holiday eves (December 5 and 7): Service is extended until 2:00 am.
Reinforcements for Christmas shopping
To avoid crowds in shopping areas, TMB has increased by 7.4% the number of trains on the main lines (L1, L3 and L5) during the weekends of December and the holidays when stores are open (30 November, 6, 7, 8, 14, 21 and 28 December). This reinforcement is especially noticeable in the evenings, from 17:00 h to 21:00 h, when the center becomes more impossible.
Buses and Tram: what you should know
If you prefer to move by surface, these are the keys for the next few days:
- TMB buses: On December 24 they will make their last departure from the stops of origin at 22:00 h. During the rest of the holidays, the lines that pass through commercial axes will be reinforced with articulated buses.
- The Tram: It follows a similar scheme to the metro. On the 24th it ends at 22:00 h, on the 25th and 26th it runs until 2:00 h and on New Year’s Eve it also offers uninterrupted service.
- Epiphany Parade (January 5): Please note that buses and the Tram will suffer cuts and important detours during the afternoon due to the passage of the floats. The metro will operate normally and with reinforced frequencies.