If you are looking for the Estació del Nord because you are catching a scheduled coach, or because you are organising a group arrival, you need three things: where it is, what it offers, and how a group moves through it. This guide uses the station's official website and TMB, and adds what changes for a chartered coach.
A note on names. Estació del Nord (Catalan; "Estación del Norte" in Spanish) is today a bus and coach station. People searching for "Estació del Nord trains" are usually thinking of the historic railway building of the same name. This page covers the coach station only.
Barcelona Nord bus station
Estació del Nord is the main coach station in Barcelona. TMB says it serves towns in Catalonia's comarcas (the Catalan counties), the main provincial capitals of Spain, destinations in Europe and North Africa. The station's website gives the address as Carrer de Nàpols 68, 08013 Barcelona, and the telephone as +34 937 065 366.
Key facts at a glance
| Item |
What the official website says |
| Location |
Carrer de Nàpols, beside the Arc de Triomf stop (metro L1) |
| Open |
Every day of the year |
| Hours |
05:15 to 00:30 |
| Night closing |
The building closes for a few hours for cleaning; a small room is available to travellers with a valid ticket |
| Ticket offices |
Each operator sells its own tickets in the station |
| Waiting rooms |
Air-conditioned, with free Wi-Fi |
| Information desk |
Centre of the station, 07:00 to 21:00 |
| Parcel service |
Platform 42, Monday to Friday, domestic destinations only |
The timetable page adds that displayed schedules are for guidance and may vary with each operator's availability and operating conditions. Confirm your departure with the operator.
Barcelona bus stations
Barcelona has more than one place where buses gather, but Nord is the main long-distance coach station. Spain's tourism portal also lists a bus station at Carrer de Viriat s/n, 08014 Barcelona, in the Sants area; its page gives no operator list or services, so we do not describe it further. Operators serving the city are named on the station's own site and on the operators' pages, and the services come and go, so check before you travel.
The practical split for an organiser is simple:
| What you need |
What to use |
| A single seat on a scheduled coach to another city |
A ticket at the operator's counter or website, leaving from Estació del Nord |
| A whole group moved on its own timetable |
A chartered coach or minibus agreed with a company |
| Airport pickup for a group |
A pre-booked transfer; see our airport transfer page |
A scheduled ticket takes you from station to station. A chartered coach collects you where you agree, waits if needed and takes you to several stops. If that is what you need, start with our lists of minibus hire in Barcelona and corporate transport.
How do you get to Estació del Nord?
The simplest way is the metro: line L1 (red) stops at Arc de Triomf, a few metres from the station. The station's website lists other access points:
| Mode |
Confirmed detail |
| Metro |
L1, Arc de Triomf, at the Carrer de Nàpols side |
| Rodalies |
Arc de Triomf stop, beside the metro |
| City bus |
Line 54, at the corner of Carrer d'Ali Bei and Carrer de Sicília |
| Taxi |
Rank at the corner of Carrer d'Ali Bei and Carrer de Nàpols |
| Car |
Cars cannot enter the station; a paid car park, charged by the minute, has direct access to the bus courtyard |
Lifts are available at all entrances. To plan a route from your hotel, TMB recommends its "How to get there" tool with the station as origin or destination.
Arriving with luggage or a group
With suitcases, a metro journey with stairs can be a chore. A small group is often better served by a taxi or a private driver. For roughly 8 to 19 people, a minibus is usually easier than splitting into several taxis. For bigger groups the answer is a full coach.
What services does Estació del Nord have?
The website describes these services:
- Left luggage: lockers open 24 hours. Large lockers cost a minimum of 4.00 EUR, 8.00 EUR for 4 to 8 hours, 10.00 EUR for 8 to 24 hours and 70.00 EUR for 7 days. Small lockers: 3.00, 6.00, 9.00 and 63.00 EUR. Ski lockers: 5.00, 10.00, 15.00 and 105.00 EUR.
- Waiting rooms: air-conditioned, with free Wi-Fi and background music.
- Food and shops: restaurants, cafés, vending machines, snack bars and gift shops.
- Lost property: items lost in the station go to the station's lost property registry; items lost on a bus must be claimed at the ticket office of the operator. The information desk can also help.
Locker prices can change, so we note them for rechecking. If your group lands in the morning and the hotel will not release rooms until the afternoon, left luggage is the cheapest fix, though a big group may not find enough free lockers.
What if my group arrives or leaves by chartered coach?
This is where this guide differs from those that only explain buying a ticket. A group on a hired coach has to settle three things with the company in advance:
- Pick-up and drop-off point. The station's bays are designed for scheduled services. A chartered coach normally stops where the company knows it can legally and safely do so; ask for it in writing in the quote.
- Waiting time. If the driver has to wait while the group boards or gets off, that time may be priced in.
- Real arrival time. With the station open from 05:15 to 00:30, a group arriving in the small hours will need another plan.
Quick checklist for the quote:
- Number of passengers and suitcases.
- Exact pick-up and destination addresses.
- Arrival time and the chance of delays.
- One way or return.
- What is included: waiting time, tolls, parking.
Use our free quote form and it goes to up to three companies. These are some of the best-rated near Barcelona, with directory data:
| Company |
Town |
Rating |
Vehicles according to its website |
| Autocares Vista Bus |
Barcelona |
5 (103 reviews) |
coach, microbus, minibus |
| Soler bus SL |
Sant Boi de Llobregat |
5 (71 reviews) |
coach, minibus |
| Autocares Autocorb |
Barcelona |
4.8 (303 reviews) |
coach, minibus, saloon car |
| Iglesias Bus |
Sant Quirze del Vallès |
5 (58 reviews) |
coach, microbus, minibus, van |
How we order companies is explained on how we rank.
Which vehicle does my group need?
| Seats needed |
Usual vehicle |
When it fits |
| 1 to 4 |
Car with driver |
Transfers with little luggage |
| 5 to 8 |
Van or people carrier |
Large families |
| 9 to 19 |
Minibus |
Small groups, small weddings |
| 20 to 35 |
Midibus |
Excursions and company trips |
| 36 to 60 and more |
Coach |
Schools, weddings, conferences |
Exact seat counts depend on the vehicle. According to their websites, some companies in our directory name coaches of 55 to 72 seats and minibuses of 19 to 30 seats. Always ask for the vehicle in writing. For cost drivers, see coach hire prices.
How do you get from Estació del Nord to the airport?
The station has no direct link to the airport. The usual route is to travel to the centre and take the Aerobús, whose stops and frequencies are in our Aerobús guide. If the group is larger than about ten or has heavy luggage, a private transfer avoids the change. Another useful trip from the same station is Girona: see Barcelona to Girona airport, and for Andorra, Barcelona to Andorra by bus.
What should you know about works and changes at the station?
The station's timetable page warns that operators' schedules may vary. Check your operator's own timetable on the day before you travel, and again on the morning of departure if you are moving a group on a tight connection. In practice this means a layout, a platform number or a service point described on an older website, blog or forum may no longer match what you find on the day. For a group, send the station's address and phone number (+34 937 065 366) to the group leader, and agree a clear meeting point outside the building, such as the Arc de Triomf metro exit, rather than relying on a bay number.
Real-time departure and arrival boards are published on the station's website, and the information desk (07:00 to 21:00) can help on the day. If your group includes someone with reduced mobility, note that the station says lifts are available at all entrances, but confirm the route from your coach or metro stop in advance with the operator.
What mistakes do groups make at the station?
The problems repeat, and most are fixed with a phone call. The first is assuming a chartered coach can wait at the station door: the stop depends on the service and the street, and the driver knows what is workable that day. The second is underestimating boarding time with luggage; with 40 people and large cases, allow far more than you expect. The third is forgetting people who arrive alone by metro: set a clear meeting point, such as the Arc de Triomf exit, and a cut-off time. Finally, confirm the timetable on the day, since the station warns that bad weather can affect departures and arrivals.
Before you book, check
- The day's opening hours on the station's website, especially on holidays.
- For scheduled coaches, buy at the operator's counter or website.
- For a chartered coach, get the pick-up point and the price inclusions in writing.
- If anyone has reduced mobility, ask the company about adapted vehicles before you reserve.
Once you know the date and number of people, request a quote: it is free and non-binding.
