Spain

Barcelona

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

Taxi (black and yellow)

Only the black-and-yellow taxis can pick you up on the street, and their fares are fixed by law each year. Every cab must carry a card reader, so cash is optional. App-hailed cars are mostly the same taxis, same fares.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

1
Look for a black-and-yellow car

Only the black-and-yellow cars are licensed taxis. A green light on the roof sign means it is free - raise your hand to stop it.
2
At a rank, take the car at the front

At a rank you take the first car in the line. Within 50 m of a rank, passing taxis are not allowed to pick anyone up.
3
With an app, choose fixed price or meter

Apps must offer both. Enter your destination and you get a fixed total before you get in; leave it out and the meter runs.
4
Check the tariff card and meter before you set off

The licence number and the fares in force must be posted inside the car, and the roof sign shows which tariff is running.
5
Pay, then take the printed receipt

Pay by card or cash, and always take the printed receipt - it carries the licence and plate numbers you need later.

Typical costs

Fixed-price routes1

Airport to cruise quay fixed price (T-4)

Between the airport and Moll Adossat in either direction; it already includes every supplement.

46 EUR ≈ $53

How the meter adds up6

Flag fall (metered)

The same on both tariffs; distance and waiting time are added on top of it.

2.8 EUR ≈ $3

Distance rate (per km)

EUR 1.35 weekdays 08:00-20:00; EUR 1.66 nights, weekends and public holidays; waiting is EUR 27.75 an hour.

1.35〜1.66 EUR ≈ $2

Minimum fare from the airport

Any ride starting at the airport costs at least this, all supplements included - fixed-price app rides too.

21 EUR ≈ $24

Supplements (place and party size)

EUR 4.60 for the airport, the cruise quay or 5-8 passengers; EUR 3.30 from Fira Gran Via; EUR 2.55 from Sants.

2.55〜4.6 EUR ≈ $3–5

Special-night supplement

Applies 20:00-08:00 on the nights of 23 June, 24 December and 31 December; the meter adds it automatically.

4.6 EUR ≈ $5

Minimum for app or radio bookings

The fixed-price tariff has the same floor, and it covers the pick-up run plus five minutes' waiting.

8 EUR ≈ $9

Estimates use exchange rates as of September 5, 2026

Taxis can be taken at a rank, hailed in the street or booked by app. VTC private-hire cars are booking-only, and the law makes them wait 15 minutes before picking you up.

Payment

Tap to ride

Every taxi must carry a card reader; contactless depends on the car

App tickets

Hailing apps let you pick a fixed price or the meter

Cash

Drivers are only required to carry EUR 20 in change

Tap for where to get the app

Quick facts

Fares from

46 EUR+

Heads-up

Ignore anyone touting a car inside the airport

Ignore anyone touting a car inside the airport. The only official taxi in Barcelona is black and yellow, and the ranks are outside the arrivals areas of T1, T2A, T2B and T2C (ground floor at T1).
Pedicabs are not licensed passenger transport

Pedicabs (bicitaxis) touting for passengers are not licensed transport. Catalan taxi law bars cycles, personal mobility vehicles, pedal-assisted cycles and all category L vehicles from carrying out taxi services at all, so there is no regulated fare and no official recourse.
A VTC private-hire car cannot be flagged down

VTC private-hire cars cannot be flagged down. They are not the black-and-yellow taxis, the law bars them from cruising for customers, and 15 minutes must pass between the booking and the pick-up.

Timetable

Typical duration Reckon on 10-20 minutes across town; the old city's narrow one-way streets mean the metro often wins over short hops

Check the official site for the latest times and service status