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Spain

Barcelona

A Mediterranean city dotted with Gaudí's architecture. Beneath the grid of the Eixample, the metro runs everywhere.

Bike share (Bicing / AMBici)

Bicing, the public bike share, is closed to visitors. In the city you rent app-unlocked private shared bikes or hire from a shop. AMBici sells 24-72h passes but covers the 15 surrounding towns, not Barcelona itself.

Updated 17 days ago

  • Until Dec 31, 2026

    App-unlocked shared bikes end when licences expire

    The app-unlocked private shared bikes are licensed only to the end of 2026. The council has decided not to renew the seven operators' permits, so street shared bikes are expected to be gone from 1 January 2027 - if you are arriving after that, plan on hiring from a rental shop instead.

How to ride

  1. 1
    Decide by where you are
    In the city use one of the app-run private bike services; in the 15 towns around it, AMBici. Visitors cannot register for Bicing.
  2. 2
    Register in the app and add a card
    Register for AMBici in the app or on the website and add a credit or debit card. Registration itself is free.
  3. 3
    Activate the short pass
    A 24-72 hour pass can be activated up to 90 days after purchase, and the clock starts the moment you activate it.
  4. 4
    Scan the QR code to unlock
    Scan the QR code on the bike in the app and the lock opens. Check the battery level and the brakes before you set off.
  5. 5
    Dock it and confirm the end
    AMBici needs a double lock: anchor the front wheel in the rack, push the rear lever down, then confirm the end in the app.

Fares

Passes & multi-ride4

AMBici Flexible pass, 24 hours
First 30 minutes free, then EUR 0.50 per extra 30 minutes; after 2 hours it is EUR 5 an hour
5 EUR ≈ $6
AMBici Flexible pass, 48 hours
Same usage steps as the 24-hour pass; runs for 48 hours from activation
9 EUR ≈ $10
AMBici Flexible pass, 72 hours
Same usage steps as the 24-hour pass; runs for 72 hours from activation
12 EUR ≈ $14
AMBici annual subscription
EUR 0.15 from the first 30 minutes; an RFID card, if you want one, costs EUR 6 more
40 EUR ≈ $46

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
The station reader takes only AMBici's own RFID card, not a bank card
IC card
Only Bicing's and AMBici's own RFID cards, posted within the service area
App tickets
The app charges the card you registered after the ride
Cash
No operator here rents a bike for cash

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Hours
AMBici 5:00-2:00 daily
Fares from
5 EUR+

Heads-up

  • Ride in cycle lanes or on streets limited to 30 km/h

    Ride in cycle lanes, on streets limited to 30 km/h, or in pedestrian spaces signed as open to bikes, and dismount and push where there are crowds.

  • Pavement riding is banned - no exception for a lone adult

    Riding a bike on the pavement costs a EUR 500 fine. Since February 2025 the city's traffic byelaw has barred both bicycles and personal mobility vehicles from pavements. The exceptions are narrow - children under 12 with an accompanying adult, and, only on streets with no cycle lane, riders under 14 or an adult carrying a child in an approved seat - so there is none that lets an adult ride the pavement alone.

  • A shared bike may not go on the metro, bus, tram or train

    A shared bike may not be taken on the metro, bus, tram or train. Bicing's rules say so outright and AMBici bans loading its bikes onto any other mode of transport - if you need to combine the two, use your own bike or one from a rental shop.

  • No shared e-scooters in the city - hire from a shop

    There is no shared e-scooter service in the city - the council's shared-vehicle licensing covers bicycles and mopeds only, so standing e-scooters fall outside it. To ride one, hire from a rental shop.

  • A hired e-scooter needs a helmet at any age

    Rent an e-scooter from a shop and a helmet is compulsory - unlike on a bicycle it applies at every age, and under-16s may not ride at all. On the vehicle side, a national registration certificate and identification label have been required since February 2026, and insurance is mandatory too, though that obligation did not start in February 2026.

Timetable

Operating hours AMBici 5:00-2:00 daily
Check the official site for the latest times and service status