Vehicles

1. el cotxe

   Car

   Usage

   Most of Barcelona is a low-emission zone (ZBE); non-compliant cars cannot enter on weekdays

2. l'autobús

   City bus

   Usage

   Run by TMB in Barcelona. Lines numbered H or V form the grid network (H = horizontal, V = vertical)

3. l'autocar

   Coach (long-distance bus)

   Usage

   The intercity coach — a different word from the city "autobús", so be specific at the ticket desk

4. el tren

   Train

   Usage

   The general word; a station is "l'estació"

5. Rodalies

   Rodalies (commuter rail)

   Usage

   Catalonia's commuter rail; lines are numbered R1, R2 and so on. Used for the airport (R2 Nord) and Sitges

6. els FGC

   FGC (Catalan government railways)

   Usage

   Short for Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya. Runs like a metro in the city and out to Montserrat and the ski resorts. A separate operator, but the same fare zones

7. el metro

   Metro

   Usage

   Barcelona runs L1 to L11. The standard multi-ride ticket is the "T-casual" (10 journeys)

8. el tramvia

   Tram

   Usage

   Barcelona has two networks, Trambaix (T1–T3) and Trambesòs (T4–T6), both on the integrated city fare

9. el Tramvia Blau

   Tramvia Blau (the blue heritage tram)

   Usage

   A wooden heritage tram from 1901 at the foot of Tibidabo. It runs on limited days — check before you go

10. el taxi

    Taxi

    Usage

    Barcelona taxis are black and yellow; a green roof light means available

11. l'Aerobús

    Aerobús (airport shuttle bus)

    Usage

    Direct bus between Barcelona airport and Plaça de Catalunya — A1 from T1, A2 from T2. City travel cards are not valid; buy its own ticket

12. la moto

    Motorbike / scooter

    Usage

    Short for "la motocicleta". Barcelona is full of scooters

13. la bicicleta

    Bicycle

    Usage

    Shortened to "la bici" in speech. Barcelona has an extensive "carril bici" network

14. el Bicing

    Bicing (Barcelona bike share)

    Usage

    The city's public bike share. Registration requires residency, so visitors use private rental shops instead

15. el patinet elèctric

    Electric scooter

    Usage

    Banned from pavements in Barcelona — ride in the bike lane or road, and wear a helmet

16. l'avió

    Airplane

    Usage

    The airport is "l'aeroport" — same form as in the nouns deck

17. el vaixell

    Ship / boat

    Usage

    The general word; a port is "el port"

18. el ferri

    Ferry

    Usage

    Sails from Barcelona to the Balearics — Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza

19. el funicular

    Funicular

    Usage

    Climbs Montjuïc and Tibidabo; two more run above the monastery at Montserrat

20. el telefèric

    Cable car (aerial)

    Usage

    The airborne kind — over Montjuïc and across the harbour (Transbordador Aeri). Different from the rail-borne funicular

21. la Cremallera de Montserrat

    Montserrat rack railway

    Usage

    "Cremallera" literally means zip — a cog railway. It or the cable car takes you up to Montserrat monastery

22. l'ambulància

    Ambulance

    Usage

    The emergency number is 112. "Truqueu una ambulància!" means "call an ambulance!"

23. el cotxe de policia

    Police car

    Usage

    Catalonia's police force is the Mossos d'Esquadra — report a theft to them

24. el cotxe de lloguer

    Rental car

    Usage

    "Llogar un cotxe" is "to rent a car". Pair it with the car_rental deck

25. el camió

    Truck

    Usage

    Appears on motorway signage

26. la furgoneta

    Van

    Usage

    Used for transfers and small-group tours

Browse all TravelPhrases languages