Barcelona metro: standard and extended hours

Monday morning starts at 05:00. The closing time depends on the day.

Day First train Last train
Monday to Thursday ~05:00 ~00:00 (midnight)
Friday ~05:00 ~02:00 (the following morning)
Saturday ~05:00 ~00:00 (midnight)
Sunday ~05:00 ~00:00 (midnight)

The first trains leave the depot between 05:00 and 05:05 depending on the line. The last trains depart their terminus just before midnight on weekdays, Sundays and Saturdays. On Fridays, the last departure is pushed to just before 02:00.

Friday and holiday‑eve late running

Friday nights and the eves of public holidays share the same late schedule: metro runs until 02:00.

What counts as a public holiday eve in Barcelona? Any day before a festiu listed on the official calendar. Examples from 2026:

  • Tuesday 5 January (eve of Epiphany, 6 January), metro until 02:00.
  • Thursday 7 December (eve of Immaculate Conception, 8 December), metro until 02:00.
  • Thursday 24 December (Christmas Eve), metro until 02:00.

If a public holiday falls on a Monday, the Sunday night operation does not extend to 02:00. The extended schedule only applies to the night leading into the holiday itself.

24‑hour metro: Sant Joan, New Year's Eve, and special events

The metro runs all night on two fixed dates:

  • Sant Joan (night of 23-24 June). The city holds all‑night beach parties; metro operates continuously until the regular timetable resumes the next morning.
  • New Year's Eve (night of 31 December, 1 January). Trains run through the night.

Other events may trigger 24‑hour operation. During La Mercè (late September), the metro typically extends its Friday and Saturday running, and sometimes runs all night on the Saturday. Check TMB's website close to the festival.

Daytime bus network: 06:00-22:30

Barcelona's daytime bus network starts around 06:00 and finishes around 22:30. Frequency varies by route: core lines run every 6-12 minutes during peak hours; peripheral lines run every 15-30 minutes.

After 22:30, the daytime network shuts down and the NitBus network takes over.

NitBus: Barcelona's night bus network

The NitBus replaces daytime bus routes from roughly 22:30 until 06:00. Most daytime routes have a corresponding NitBus line, identified by a number starting with "N".

Frequency on NitBus routes is typically every 20-30 minutes on main corridors, and every 30-40 minutes on peripheral lines. On nights when the metro runs until 02:00 (Fridays and holiday eves), NitBus still operates as usual from 22:30, it supplements the metro rather than replacing it.

On 24‑hour metro nights (Sant Joan, New Year's Eve), NitBus runs alongside the metro.

Rodalies commuter rail: first and last trains

Rodalies (Cercanías) serve Barcelona's metro area and extend to towns like Castelldefels, Sitges, Granollers, and Mataró.

  • First trains: approximately 05:00, varying by line. The R2 Sud (toward Vilanova i la Geltrú) starts around 05:15; the R1 (toward Mataró) starts around 05:00.
  • Last trains: between 23:00 and 00:00, depending on the line and direction. The R4 (toward Manresa) typically has its last departure from Barcelona around 23:30. The R2 Nord (toward Girona) ends earlier, around 22:45.

Check the Rodalies de Catalunya website for line‑specific timetables. There is no standard closing time across all lines.

Does the Rodalies run later to the beach in summer?

During summer (roughly June to September), some Rodalies lines serving beach destinations run later on Friday and Saturday nights.

  • Trains to Sitges and Castelldefels on the R2 Sud may have additional departures until 01:00 or later on summer weekends.
  • The R1 toward the Maresme coast (Mataró, Arenys de Mar) adds late trips during the beach season.

The metro and NitBus schedules do not change for summer. The extended summer rail operation is the only seasonal variation.

Festival transport: La Mercè and Sant Joan changes

La Mercè (late September):

  • Metro extends Friday and Saturday running. In recent years, the metro has run until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights, and sometimes all night on the Saturday.
  • Bus routes are altered for street closures. Check TMB's La Mercè page for route deviations.
  • Rodalies may add extra late trains, but this is not guaranteed.

Sant Joan (23-24 June):

  • Metro runs 24 hours.
  • NitBus operates as usual.
  • Rodalies adds extra trips to beach towns. The R2 Sud toward Sitges typically runs through the night.
  • Expect road closures near the beach and in Gràcia.

New Year's Eve (31 December, 1 January):

  • Metro runs 24 hours.
  • NitBus operates normally.
  • Rodalies runs a reduced overnight timetable. Most lines stop around 22:00-23:00; check the Rodalies website for the holiday schedule.

Barcelona metro hours: what to check before you travel

Before heading out after 22:00, confirm whether the metro is running or you need the NitBus. For times on a specific Rodalies line, use the Rodalies de Catalunya app, the printed schedules change seasonally.

For a complete list of dates when everything shuts or runs late, see the Spain public holidays 2026 page. If you are planning around shop and restaurant opening times, the business hours guide covers the split‑shift schedule and Sunday closures.