Barcelona has over 100 bus lines, numbered 6 to 192 (but not including every number in between). They reach many more points than the metro lines, but are not as easy to figure out for the transient Barcelona traveler.
The city has special public transport lanes to avoid heavy traffic, but Barcelona buses nevertheless run slower than the metro system.
Every Barcelona bus route's first and last departure time differs slightly. Depending on the time of day and line, they pass every 5 to 20 minutes.
General operational hours: 5am-6am to 10pm-11pm. Each bus stop has a posted list of the bus's route and timetable.
For more details about routes and schedules, see www.tmb.net.
Once the regular Barcelona buses stop running around 11pm, a number of "Nitbusos" - Night Buses - continue until sometime between 3am and 5am depending on the line. You will know them because they have an "N" before the bus number.
All "nitbusos" pass through Plaça de Catalunya at some point. So if you're stumbling around after a long night, just remember that all roads lead to Plaça de Catalunya, and you'll be set. Keep in mind that the Night Buses only pass once an hour at each stop.
For more details about routes and schedules, see www.tmb.net.
Barcelona's metro and buses accept the same tickets, and accordingly follow the same prices.
