Best Place to Exchange Money in Barcelona

01Exchange

Where to change money in Barcelona

Spain's tourism board lists bureaux de change, some banks, and most hotels and travel agencies as places to change money, and says cash usually comes from machines at bank branches. A 'no commission' sign says nothing about the rate, so ask for the euro total first.

• Global Exchange, El Prat airport ↗Desks in both terminals, before and after security; those in T1's 3rd-floor departures hall (public side) and T2B departures (airside) open 24 hours. Its own site lists no office in the city.
• CaixaBank branches, El Prat airport ↗Listed by Aena for currency exchange: T1, floor 1 (La Plaza), 07:30 to 22:00, and T2B, floor 0 (arrivals hall), 08:30 to 14:30, daily.
• Prosegur Change, La Rambla ↗The company lists three offices on La Rambla, at numbers 78, 88 and 129, open daily, and one in Eixample at Carrer de Sardenya 311.

02On arrival

Changing money at the airport

At Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat (BCN), Global Exchange has airside desks by the baggage belts in T1 and T2B, so you can change pounds before leaving the hall. Aena lists CaixaBank and independent Euronet cash machines in the check-in halls and boarding areas of both terminals, with a Euronet machine in T2B arrivals too.

03Cash machines and cards

ATMs and cards in Barcelona

Cards, mainly Visa and Mastercard, are very widely accepted, though a minimum spend of about €10 may apply, so carry coins and small notes for coffees and tips. Euronet's fee guide describes a fixed access charge per withdrawal and says its machines let you pick who converts the currency: choose euros and let your bank convert, since MoneySavingExpert says rates offered at the machine or till are often poor.

04Getting around

Paying for transport in Barcelona

Tap a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card, phone or watch on the reader by the front door of a TMB bus, or at metro entrances with a similar machine, to buy a single ticket (€2.90 at 2026 prices); tap once per passenger. From five journeys, the one-person T-casual (10 trips, €13.00 in zone 1 in 2026) is cheaper, loaded on a €1 cardboard T-mobilitat card from any metro ticket machine. Neither is valid at the Aeroport T1 and T2 metro stations, which need the Airport ticket (€5.90 in 2026). Taxi fares for 2026 add a €4.60 airport supplement.

05Local know-how

Good to know

• Service is included in Spanish bills, so tipping is optional, though 5 to 10 per cent is common in bars, restaurants, hotels and taxis.
• Expect to pay in euros: Spain's tourism board says other currencies are not usually accepted.
• Non-EU residents can reclaim Spanish VAT on purchases of any value (the minimum went in July 2018). Show your passport when buying and ask for the electronic refund form; if you leave the EU from El Prat, validate it at a DIVA kiosk there before checking in bags, with the goods to hand. You must leave the EU within three months of purchase.