Modern, comfortable and clean, Bilbao’s metro network is the best way to get around the city using public transport.
This is an in-depth guide with everything a tourist in Bilbao needs to know about navigating the metro.
If you’re searching for more information about other forms of public transport in Bilbao, please click the link below.
Three lines
Split between three lines and three zones, Bilbao’s metro system is small and simple. Forming a Y shape, Lines 1 and 2 make up the main bulk of the network.
Line 1 starts in the neighbourhood of Etxebarri and follows the river’s “right bank”, heading all the way up to Plentzia. Line 2 begins in Basauri, connects with Line 1 in Etxebarri and then separates at San Ignazio before going northwards to Kabiezes via the river’s “left bank”.
Line 3, the newest part of the system, covers Bilbao’s western outskirts, running from Matiko to Kukullaga and connecting with Line 1 at Casco Viejo/Zazpikaleak (the old town).
The stops located in the main part of Bilbao’s city centre are Casco Viejo (the old town), Abando, Moyua, Indautxu and San Mames.
Tickets and prices
Our main tip is to buy a barik card. At the moment (2025), the barriers to enter the metro system only accept a ticket or a barik card. You cannot use contactless debit/credit cards. It’s a top-up, pay-as-you-go transport card which allows users to access the metro system, and other forms of transport in the province of Bizkaia, at a reduced rate.
Each metro station has a special machine that dispenses these cards. Normally the smaller machine to the right. Use the larger machines to purchase a standard ticket or to top up your Barik.
Barik cards cost €3 to purchase and the machines don’t give change, with the surplus being added to your account. For example, if you buy a card with a €10 note, €3 will be used for the purchase of the card and €7 will be added to its balance.
Up to 10 people can travel with the same card, as long as everybody gets on and gets off at the same stops.
With a Barik card
- One zone: €0.48
- Two zones: €0.57
- Three zones: €0.62
Without a Barik card
- One zone: €1.70
- Two zones: €1.90
- Three zones: €1.95
For more information about ticket prices and the types of cards and passes available, check out the Bilbao Metro website.
Opening hours and train frequency
Most stations start to open around 06:00 and normally close around 23:15 from Sunday to Thursday. On Fridays, they close around 02:00. However on Saturday nights, and special occasions, the metro will run all night, but with reduced frequency after 02:00.
During peak hours, trains arrive at the main city centre stations every two to five minutes, while the frequency can extend to every seven, 10, 15 or 30 minutes during off-peak times.
The platforms have platform have departure boards which inform passengers of how long they need to wait for the next train.
Check the metro’s website or download the app to figure out where you need to go and how to get there.
LOCAL TIP: Make sure you get on the right train. Check you’re on the right platform when you get on and then check again once inside the train. If you’re not on the right train when heading north, get off before San Ignazio – this is where Lines 1 and 2 diverge before travelling along the different riverbanks.
Park and ride
There are four park-and-ride car parks next two Bilbao metro stations, located in Leioa, Etxebarri, Ibarbengoa and Ansio.
More information on the Bilbao Metro website.
Other important information about Bilbao Metro
As with any metro system in the world, there are certain rules and regulations users are expected to respect.
Here are some key points to be aware of when using the metro in Bilbao:
- Small dogs and cats are allowed on the metro. Cats must be kept in carriers and dogs must be either in a carrier or on a lead and held in the passenger’s arms. No pet is allowed to touch a seat or the train floor.
- There are priority spaces reserved for passengers with limited mobility.
- Children under the age of 5 can travel free when accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket or travel card.
- Passengers travelling with bicycles or surfboards must stand in the designated area.
- Eating and drinking is strictly prohibited both on the trains and platforms.
To see the full list of rules and regulations, click this link.
History of the Bilbao Metro system
After being in the pipeline under various plans and proposals since the 1920s, construction on the Bilbao Metro finally began in 1988 as part of efforts to reinvent the city in the face of an industrial collapse that occurred in the late 80s.
The system, which took over existing overground railways in many places, is the brainchild of Australian architect Norman Foster. In his honour, the hooded station entrances are called ‘Fosteritos’.
Line 1 from Casco Viejo to Plentzia became operational on 11 November 1995, with further stations being added over the following few years.
The next major advancement came in 2002 when the first parts of Line 2 were inaugurated. Similarly to Line 1, more stations were opened in the subsequent years.
The most recent addition to the Bilbao Metro was Line 3, which opened in April 2017 after almost eight years of construction work. There are plans to extend Line 3 out to Bilbao Airport, but nothing official yet.
LOCAL TIP – Visit Sarriko Metro Station
The Bilbao Metro system is a modern architectural masterpiece. In 1998, Norman Forster won the Brunel Prize for Railway Architecture for his work.
The Sarriko Metro station is particularly lauded and well worth a visit for any architecture lovers.
Unlike other stations which were excavated using a tunnel boring machine, thus giving them a cavern-like design with subterranean walkways, at Sarriko they dug a 20-metre-deep hole into the ground. To get to the platform from ground level, passengers need to head down a 16.5 metre long set of escalators which essentially floats above the tracks.
For more information about public transport in Bilbao, such as buses, trams, trains and bicycles, read this guide to getting around the city.
