Buses, metro, trains and taxis in Spanish

Key rules

• Validate: Tap or insert your ticket before boarding, or you risk a fine.
• Long-distance trains: AVE, Avant and long-distance trains need a QR scan at the gate before the platform.
• Taxi card payment: Card rules are local, so ask before the journey starts.
• Place names: Station signs may use the regional name, not the one on your ticket.

Buy the right ticket

Each city has its own card and fares, so start by finding out which card your city uses.

• Madrid: the Tarjeta Transporte Público is a contactless card sold at metro machines and estancos. It holds single tickets, 10-trip tickets and the monthly abono.
• Barcelona: the T-casual gives 10 trips and the T-usual is the monthly pass. Both are sold by zone at metro, FGC and Renfe machines and stations.
• Valencia: Metrovalencia and the city buses use the Móbilis card. It holds single tickets, a pay-as-you-go balance and monthly passes.
• Sevilla: buses and metro use the Tarjeta Multi, which you recharge. Monthly and 10-trip passes are available.

In most cities you can buy a single ticket on the bus, but it costs more per trip than a card. Fares and discounts for young people and students change often, so check them with your city's transport authority.

Phrases at the machine

• "Un billete sencillo, por favor": one single ticket.
• "Un billete de ida y vuelta": a return ticket.
• "Quiero recargar mi tarjeta": you want to top up your card.
• "Un abono mensual": a monthly pass.
• "Una tarjeta de 10 viajes": a 10-trip card.
• "¿Cuánto cuesta?": how much is it?

On the machine screen you will see Comprar billete, Recargar, Zona, Importe, Pagar, Efectivo, Tarjeta bancaria, Cancelar, Cambio and Idioma. Most machines offer English, and often Catalan, Basque or Galician.

On a bus, tell the driver where you are going: "Uno para (destination), por favor". Pay by card or coins where allowed.

Validate your ticket

To validar is to tap or insert your ticket at the gate or validator. If you are unsure where, ask "¿Dónde valido el billete?". Travelling without a validated ticket can lead to a fine.

Trains and platforms

Learn these words for signs and announcements:

• Andén: platform. Vía: track, and in some stations the platform number.
• Retraso: delay. Cancelado or suprimido: cancelled.
• Coche and plaza: your carriage and seat, both printed on your ticket.
• Transbordo: a change between trains or lines.
• Salidas, Llegadas, Hora, Destino: departures, arrivals, time, destination.

An announcement might say "El tren con destino Sevilla sale por la vía 5" or "retraso de 10 minutes". Listen for your destination and the vía number.

AVE, Avant and long-distance trains: scan the QR code at the access gates and pass a luggage scan before the platform. Access usually closes a few minutes before departure. Your seat and coach are named on the ticket. Rules can differ at some stations and with other operators.

Cercanías commuter trains: insert or tap your ticket or card at the turnstile. Paper tickets for some Cercanías and regional lines must be validated at the machines.

Regional languages

In Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia, Valencia and the Balearics, signs and stations may be in the regional language, sometimes with Spanish. Announcements may come in the regional language first. Names differ: Girona/Gerona, A Coruña/La Coruña, Donostia/San Sebastián, Alacant/Alicante. Check your destination on the screen and on your ticket, and learn both names.

Taxis

A taxi is free when the roof light is green. Raise a hand or go to a rank (parada de taxis). Say "Buenos días, a la calle... por favor" or "Al aeropuerto, por favor."

The meter shows the fare: a starting fee plus a rate per kilometre or waiting minute. Night, weekends, holidays, airport, station and luggage can add surcharges. Some cities, such as Madrid, have fixed airport-to-centre fares.

Ask "¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta?" before you start. Many cities require a card terminal, but the rule is local. Ask for a receipt with "¿Me da un recibo, por favor?".

The checklist, warnings and questions below cover the quick reminders.

Checklist

• Buy a transport card or pass for your city at a metro machine, station or estanco (tobacco shop), where sold.

• Say '¿Dónde valido el billete?' if you do not know where to tap or insert your ticket (validar).

• Ask a bus driver for a ticket with 'Uno para (destination), por favor'.

• Look for andén (platform), vía (track), retraso (delay) and cancelado on the departures board before you walk to your train.

• Scan your QR code at the gates for AVE and Larga Distancia trains, and tap or insert your ticket at the turnstile for Cercanías.

• Check your destination spelling on the screen and your ticket, in both the Spanish and the regional name.

• Hail a taxi only when the roof light is green, or go to a rank (parada de taxis).

• Say '¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta?' before you start the taxi journey.

What to watch out for

• Travelling without a validated ticket: Travelling without a ticket, or without validating it where required, can lead to a fine. Rules can differ by station and operator. Tap or insert your ticket or card at the turnstile before boarding Cercanías, and validate paper tickets at the machines.

• Taxi without card payment: Not every taxi accepts cards, because the rule is set by each city or region. You could be stuck without cash at the end of the ride. Ask '¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta?' before the journey, and carry some cash as a backup.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to scan my ticket before boarding a long-distance train?

Yes, on AVE, Avant and Larga Distancia trains you scan the ticket's QR code at the access gates and pass a luggage security scan before reaching the platform. Access usually closes a few minutes before departure. Your ticket shows your coach (coche) and seat (plaza).

Can I pay for a taxi by card in Spain?

Usually yes, but there is no national rule that every taxi must accept cards; many cities and regions require a card terminal. If you need to pay by card, ask '¿Se puede pagar con tarjeta?' before the journey starts.

Why does my train station sign show a different name from my ticket?

In Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia, Valencia and the Balearics, signs often use the regional language, so names differ: Girona/Gerona, A Coruña/La Coruña, Donostia/San Sebastián, Alacant/Alicante. Learn both names and check the spelling on the screen against your ticket.

How do I ask for a receipt in a taxi?

Say '¿Me da un recibo, por favor?' at the end of the journey. The fare comes from the taximeter, which adds surcharges such as airport, station or luggage to the starting fee.