Barcelona Sants Train Station Guide
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Barcelona Sants station, also known Sants Estación is Barcelona’s largest train station and provides rail services both in and around Barcelona and for the whole of Spain and beyond.
Map showing exact location of Barcelona Sants station
Important Note: Mobile users need to tap twice on the car park icons to go to the detailed pages. The first tap will show the car park name and the second tap will take you to the detailed page.
Mercat Hostafrancs Car Park
Hotel Brick Barcelona
Acta Azul Hotel
Caledonian Hotel
Catalonia Hotel Barcelona
B Hotel Barcelona
Sant Angelo Hotel
AC Sants Hotel Barcelona
NH Forum Hotel
Acta CITY47 Hotel
Abba Sants Hotel
Barcelona Sants Hotel
Nobu Hotel
Catalonia Roma Hotel
Abbot Hotel
h20 Itaca Hotel
Expo Hotel Barcelona
PROMOPARC NH Sants Car Park
NN Rocafort Car Park
Parc de Joan Miró
Carrer d’Arago, 2
Plaça España
Centro Comercial Arenas de Barcelona
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 373 – 385
Enteca Metro
Plaça del Centre Metro
Tarragona Metro
Sants Estació Metro
Sants Estació Metro
Plaça de Sants Metro
Plaça de Sants Metro
Hostafrancs Metro
España Metro
Gran Via Car Park
Entenca Car Park
PLAFER Abanto Car Park
NN Tarragona Car Park
Barcelona Sants Station
SABA Estación Barcelona – Sants Car Park
NN Master Catalonia Car Park
SABA BAMSA Tarradellas – Nicaragua Car Park
COPARK Sants-Numancia Car Park
This map is copyright registered and protected and may not be copied.
| Barcelona Sants (Estació Sants) |
The station itself can prove quite a confusing place to be as it is so large and there are often large numbers of passengers there. I have set about a detailed investigation into all aspects of the train station, to try to make using the station services as simple as possible.
This page provides an overview to the station: station opening times, plus a link to a station map and a list of train destinations. It also provides links to detailed pages explaining the facilities at the station and how to buy your train tickets.
Click to book your private transport from Barcelona Sants train station
Opening times of the station
Monday – Sunday: Monday – Friday: 04:15 – 00:30
Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday: 05:00 – 00:30
Sants Estación Station Map
Click the link to see a full floor plan of Barcelona Sants station: Map of Barcelona Sants Station.
This map provides a key to where the lifts, escalators, information desks, ticket booths, ticket machines and luggage trolleys are at Barcelona Sants station.
Reserve your parking space at Barcelona Sants car park
Luggage Storage
Click to see luggage/bag storage facility near Barcelona Sants Station
Facilities
The facilities at Barcelona Sants station are plentiful, to reflect the large amount of travellers who pass through the station every day. This page covers links to detailed pages for information on the toilets, information desks, Wi-Fi, left luggage, lost property, facilities for people with a disability, information desks and tourist information at Barcelona Sants station: Guide to facilities at Barcelona Sants station.
Buying tickets at Sants
Buying tickets at Barcelona Sants station can prove to be quite complicated. You need to know what type of train you will be travelling on and on what day you plan to travel.
See my Guide to Ticketing at Barcelona Sants station for a detailed guide on how to buy tickets via telephone, internet and at Barcelona Sants station.
Reserve your parking space at Barcelona Sants car park
Barcelona Sants railway station is a hub of bustle and excitement for travellers heading all over Spain and beyond. Take a little time before you go to do some research into the facilities that are there and what you need to do to buy train tickets and it should make for a pleasant experience.
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Did you know you can enjoy unlimited travel on Barcelona public transport for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days?
Click to learn more |
Ticketing at Barcelona Sants Train Station
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Tickets at Barcelona Sants station (sometimes called ‘Sants Estació’ or ‘Estació Sants’) can be purchased online, via telephone, from ticket machines or from ticket booths.
It will depend on the sort of journey that you are taking as to whether all ticket purchase options will be available to you.
This page explains each different ticket option available for trains from Barcelona Sants station Along with purchase options for each. You will find the ticket line contact details, the official web address for online purchases, location and opening times of ticket booths and how to use ticket machines.
Ticket options for tickets at Barcelona Sants Station
Cercanias Tickets
Cercanias tickets are for journeys in Barcelona and in the surrounding areas of Barcelona. They are the local trains.
Media Distancia Tickets
Media Distancia tickets are those that cover trains travelling throughout Catalunya.
Larga Distancia Tickets
Large Distancia tickets are those that cover the whole of Spain and Europe. These will include the AVE (high speed train).
Click to book your private transport from Barcelona Sants train station
With the Larga Distancia trains, whether you are booking via telephone, internet or at the station, it is important to book as far in advance as possible.
Unlike trains in the UK, it is necessary to book a seat – once these seats are sold out, the train is full and you will no longer be able to get a ticket. RENFE advise that you book at least two weeks in advance. This is especially important during the summer months, Easter and Christmas.
Telephone ticket purchases
| RENFE Ticket Printing Machine |
Tel (RENFE ticket line): +34 91 919 0504
Only Media Distancia and Larga Distancia tickets can be purchased via telephone. Following the telephone purchase you will need to print the tickets from special ticket vending machines that are dotted around the station. The ticket printing machines are dotted around the station, however, there is a large cluster of them on the far left hand side of the station, to the left of the ticket booths and in front of the McDonald’s. You will need to bring the debit or credit card that you used to book the ticket. You will insert this into the machine to have your purchase verified, the machine will then print your ticket for you.
Reserve your parking space at Barcelona Sants car park
Luggage Storage
Click to see luggage/bag storage facility near Barcelona Sants Station
Internet ticket purchases
Web: Official RENFE Website
Internet purchase can also only be made for Media Distancia and Larga Distancia tickets. You can purchase online using a debit or credit card. Once you have made the purchase it will be necessary to print out your ticket and bring this with you when you are boarding the train.
The website is in Spanish, however, at the top right hand corner of the screen you will see a button marked ‘Traducir’. Click on this button and the page will appear in English.
Ticket machine ticket purchases
Cercanias and Media Distancia Ticket Machines
| Cercanias Ticket Machine |
It is only possible to buy tickets for the local Cercanias and Media Distancia trains from ticket machines.
You will find the machines dotted around the station at regular intervals. The machines are larger than the ones for printing long distance tickets (see above) and are red and grey. You can pay at the machines using cash, credit or debit cards. You can also buy more than one ticket in one go.
During busy times there is often a member of staff standing at the clusters of ticket machines. They will help you to purchase your ticket and explain to you how to use the machine.
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Did you know you can enjoy unlimited travel on Barcelona public transport for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days?
Click to learn more |
On-the-day ticket booth ticket purchases for Barcelona Sants Station
Cercanias and Media Distancia ticket booth
| Media Distancia Ticket Office |
These are located at numbers 1- 7 of the ticket booths in the station (towards the left of the building).
You will see a sign in red LED lighting that says “Cercanias- Media Distancia Venta Salida Hoy”.
It is not possible to buy Cercanias or Media Distancia advance tickets at the station. Therefore, you will have to wait until the day to make your purchase at the station. If there are long queues at the ticket booths, it is worth using the ticket machines (see above) to buy your tickets.
Opening Times of Cercanias and Media Distancia booths:
Monday – Sunday: 06:00 – 22:00
Larga Distancia ticket booth
| Larga Distancia Ticket Office |
These are located at numbers 27 – 33 of the ticket booths (towards the right of the building). You will see a sign in red LED lighting that says “Larga Distancia Venta Salida Hoy”.
As mentioned above,if you wait until the day of the journey to book a long distance train journey, you risk the train being sold out. If possible, it is best to book your ticket in advance or check availability online before heading to the station.
Opening Times of Larga Distancia booths:
Monday – Sunday: 06:00 – 22:00
Advance ticket booth ticket purchases
It is not possible to buy Cercanias and Media Distancia tickets in advance. You will need to buy these tickets on the date of travel. This should not pose a problem, as it is not necessary to book a seat on these trains so they do not sell out.
Larga Distancia ticket booth
| Larga Distancia Advance Booking |
These booths sit at the centre of the station, numbers 8 – 21. You will see a sign in red LED lighting that says “Larga Distancia Venta Anticipada”. Rather than joining a queue for these booths, it is necessary to take a ticket and wait for your number to appear on the large screens. This can be a long process and you should be prepared to wait for up to an hour, perhaps longer than an hour during busy times (Summer, Easter and Christmas).
Opening Times of Larga Distancia booths:
Monday – Friday: 10:00 – 20:00 (except public holiday)
For a better understanding of where each ticket machine and ticket booth is located in the station building, see the map at map of Barcelona Sants station.
If you are in Barcelona and simply wish to take a day trip to somewhere close by, you should have no trouble in arriving at the station and purchasing a ticket whilst you are there. If you are not sure where to purchase tickets or what train you should be catching, you can ask at the ‘Brief Questions’ desk (see our page on information desks at Barcelona Sants for more details).
If you are planning a trip around Spain or Europe, more long distance planning will be required. If possible, it is probably easiest and quickest to do your long distance ticket purchasing online before your trip. If you plan on buying tickets from the station, you will need to schedule yourself in with some time to do this. You will also need to go to the station with a few options for dates, in case you find the date you require is already sold out.
Reserve your parking space at Barcelona Sants car park
Barcelona Sants Train Station Guide
Page Content
Barcelona Sants (Sants station), also known as Sants Estación, is the largest railway station in Barcelona, from which both suburban and metro trains depart, as well as long-distance trains.
Map showing exact location of Barcelona Sants
station
Important note: Mobile device users must double-tap the parking icon to go to the detailed information pages. After the first click, the name of the parking will appear, after the second click, a page with detailed information will open.
Parking Mercat Hostafrancs
Hotel Brick Barcelona
Hotel Acta Azul
Caledonian Inn
Hotel Catalonia Barcelona
B Hotel Barcelona
Hotel Sant’Angelo
Hotel AC Sants Barcelona
NH Forum Hotel
Hotel Acta Antibes
Hotel Abba Sants
Hotel Barcelona Sants
Hotel Nobu
Catalonia Roma Hotel
Abbot Hotel
Hotel h20 Itaca
Hotel Expo Barcelona
Parking PROMOPARC NH Sants
Parking NN Rocafort
Park Joan Miró
Carrer d’Arago, 2
Plaza España
Centro Comercial Arenas de Barcelona
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 373–385
Enteca metro station
Plaça del Center metro station
Tarragona metro station
Sants Estació 9 metro station0005
Metro Station Sants Estació
Plaça de Sants metro station
Plaça de Sants metro station
Hostafrancs metro station
Espana metro station
Parking Gran Via
Parking Entenca
Parking PLAFER Abanto
Parking NN Tarragona
Station Barcelona Sants
Parking SABA Estación Barcelona – Sants
Parking NN Master Catalonia
Parking SABA BAMSA Tarradellas – Nicaragua
Parking COPARK Sants-Numancia
This map is copyrighted and protected, copying is prohibited.
| Barcelona Sants Station (Estació Sants) |
It is easy to get lost in the train station as it is very large and often there can be many people inside. I undertook a careful study of all aspects of the operation of the station in order to try to make it as easy as possible to navigate inside.
This page gives general information about the station: opening hours, plus a link to the station map and train schedules. It also provides links to pages with detailed descriptions of how to purchase tickets and information about the facilities available at the station.
Click to book private transport from Barcelona Sants Train Station
Station Hours
Monday – Sunday: Monday – Friday: 04:15 – 00:30
Saturday, Sunday and Holiday: 05:00 – 00:30
Map of Sants Estación (Sants station)
The following link shows the floor plan of Barcelona Sants Station: Map of Barcelona Sants Station.
The map gives an idea of the location of lifts, escalators, information desks, ticket offices, ticket machines and the location of luggage carts at Barcelona Sants Station.
Book a parking space at Barcelona Sants
Amenities
Barcelona Sants station has all kinds of amenities to match the large number of passengers passing through the station every day. This page provides links to pages with detailed information about toilets, information services, Wi-Fi hotspots, lost property, luggage storage, facilities for the disabled, information and tourist information services of Barcelona Sants Station: A guide to the services available at Barcelona Sants Station.
Buying tickets at Sants Station (Sants Station)
Buying tickets at Barcelona Sants Station can be tricky. You need to know what type of train you will be taking and on what day. For more information about booking tickets by phone, online and at the ticket office at the station, see the guide to buying tickets at Barcelona Sants station.
Book a parking space at the Barcelona Sants car park
Barcelona Sants Station is an exciting and hectic place for passengers traveling to cities in Spain and beyond. Take some time to explore the services offered at the station and learn how to buy tickets, and then visiting the station will not turn into an unpleasant ordeal for you.
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Did you know that you can enjoy unlimited public transport in Barcelona for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days?
Click to learn more |
Barcelona Sants Station – Estació Sants
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This page provides a detailed overview of Barcelona Sants (Sants Estació) train station.
Lines and trains passing through the station are described, with particular attention paid to trains linking the station with Barcelona Airport. The services provided at the station, and ways of getting to the Sants station are considered.
| Barcelona Sants Train Station (Sants Estació) |
Barcelona Sants is the main train station for local and international trains and is the city’s busiest transport hub. Located in the western part of the city, it is easily accessible by bus, taxi or Metro (Blue line, L5) and (Green line L3) which both lines stop here. Arriving by car, you can park it behind the station in an open parking lot.
Car parking
Car park near Barcelona Sants station
Booking tickets
Train timetables can be found on the website of the station.
Website: RENFE
| Barcelona Sants ticket machines |
First class and business class tickets are labeled “Clase Preferente” while second class tickets are less enticingly named “Clase Tourisme” but don’t worry, you will definitely not be treated as a second class citizen while you’re here .
At the earliest, the ticket can be booked up to 62 days before the trip, on the RENFE website.
See the next page if you are interested in purchasing train tickets in advance through the RENFE online booking system.
For booking, you will need to enter the first eight digits of your passport number, or if you live in Barcelona, then your NIE number.
You can also book in advance by calling Tel +34 91 232 0320. Please note that you can only book tickets by phone up to 48 hours before your trip.
If you need to buy your ticket early, the best option is to either visit www.renfe.com. Tickets can always be bought on the day of departure at the station itself. Cashiers speak English.
Click to book private transport from Barcelona Sants train station
Directions available from Barcelona Sants station:
The station has five main lines that cover all of Barcelona.
For complete and up-to-date information on the services offered, please visit www.renfe.com.
Services offered
Both the suburban station and the Sants-Estació metro station are adapted for people with disabilities.
The station offers the following services: tourist office, ATMs (including those of the Caixa Catalunya bank), a pharmacy, a large point of sale of printed products (Tabac), a Kodak photo lab, various souvenir shops such as Swatch and Natura, sports shops, children’s shops, slot machines, FC Barcelona store, flower shop and large cafeteria.
| FC Barcelona shop at Sants station |
At the back of the station you can find: payphones, left-luggage office, Movistar mobile phone shop, McDonald’s restaurant, bookstore and newsstand, lottery shop, various souvenir shops, a candy store, car rental companies, a music store and another cafe .
in case you need help and advice there is a police station at the station.
In the station itself there is a hotel called Hotel Sants. It is cozy and inexpensive, and is located at the back of the station. For more information, visit the station website www.renfe.com
You can read more detailed information on left-luggage offices on our page about left-luggage offices.
Car parking
Parking near Barcelona Sants (Sants station)
During the daytime from Tuesday to Thursday, an art fair is held at the back of the station. They mostly sell jewelry at reasonable prices, ranging from vintage to modern. The perfect way to kill time while waiting for the train.
Transport from Barcelona Sants Station
Buses and taxis stop in front of Barcelona Sants Station, and there are metro stations inside and outside the station.
The metro station has two lines that stop at Barcelona Sants: (Green Line, L3) and (Blue Line, L5). If you are visiting Barcelona for a few days, I would suggest buying a T-Casual travel pass.
You and your companions can make ten trips with this pass, which is quite economical. Another option worth considering is the Hola Barcelona Pass, which gives you unlimited travel on Barcelona’s public transport.
You can also rent a car here. At the back of the station are car rental companies such as Europcar, Avis and Enterprise.
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Did you know that you can enjoy unlimited public transport in Barcelona for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days?
Click to learn more |
Map showing Barcelona Sants
station location
Parking Mercat Hostafrancs
Brick Hotel Barcelona
Hotel Acta Azul
Caledonian Inn
Hotel Catalonia Barcelona
B Hotel Barcelona
Hotel Sant’Angelo
Hotel AC Sants Barcelona
NH Forum Hotel
Hotel Acta Antibes
Hotel Abba Sants
Hotel Barcelona Sants
Hotel Nobu
Catalonia Roma Hotel
Abbot Hotel
Hotel h20 Itaca
Hotel Expo Barcelona
Parking PROMOPARC NH Sants
Parking NN Rocafort
Park Joan Miró
Carrer d’Arago, 2
Plaza España
Centro Comercial Arenas de Barcelona
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 373–385
Enteca metro station
Plaça del Center metro station
Tarragona metro station
Metro Station Sants Estació
Metro Station Sants Estació
Plaça de Sants metro station
Plaça de Sants metro station
Hostafrancs metro station
Espana metro station
Parking Gran Via
Parking Entenca
Parking PLAFER Abanto
Parking NN Tarragona
Station Barcelona Sants
Parking SABA Estación Barcelona – Sants
Parking NN Master Catalonia
Parking SABA BAMSA Tarradellas – Nicaragua
Parking COPARK Sants-Numancia
This map is copyrighted and protected, copying is prohibited.