Public Transport on Mallorca - Bus, Train & Metro

Planning a stay on Mallorca and wondering how to get from A to B without your own car? The good news: public transport on Mallorca is more reliable and cheaper than many people expect. Whether you take the metro in Palma, ride the TIB bus into the countryside or experience the legendary Tren de Soller, the island has a well-developed network for commuters, day trippers and long-term residents.

In this guide you will learn everything you need to know about buses, trains and the metro so you can get around Mallorca with ease.

Buses on Mallorca: the TIB network connects the whole island

The backbone of public transport on Mallorca is the bus network run by TIB (Transport de les Illes Balears). With more than 60 lines, it covers practically every corner of the island. Buses run regularly between Palma and the main towns such as Soller, Alcudia, Manacor, Valldemossa and Pollenca.

A few facts about the TIB bus:

• Most lines start at the Estacio Intermodal in Palma, the central hub for bus and train
• Tickets cost between 2 and 10 euros per single ride depending on the zone
• With the Tarjeta Intermodal (a rechargeable card) you save up to 50 % compared with single tickets
• Timetables are on the official TIB website or in the app

Especially popular are lines 210 (Palma - Valldemossa - Deia - Soller) and 352 (Palma - Alcudia - Can Picafort), which pass through stunning scenery.

EMT Palma: city buses for everyday life in the capital

Within Palma de Mallorca, the EMT (Empresa Municipal de Transports) handles local transport. Around 30 bus lines connect the different districts and usually run every 10 to 20 minutes.

For daily life as a resident in Palma, the EMT buses are indispensable. A single ride currently costs 2 euros. With a rechargeable resident card (Tarjeta Ciudadana) the price drops to under one euro per ride. If you are registered on Mallorca, you can apply for this card at the EMT office.

The most useful lines for newcomers:

• Line 1: connects the port with Placa d'Espanya and the city centre
• Line 21: runs from Palma to Son Sant Joan airport
• Line 46: connects the city centre with the popular Santa Catalina neighbourhood

You will find all timetables and real-time arrivals in the EMT Palma app, which is free to download. The night bus (NitBus) runs on Fridays and Saturdays and gets you home safely after midnight.

The Tren de Soller: nostalgia on rails

A special highlight among public transport options on Mallorca is the Tren de Soller. This historic railway from 1912 connects Palma with the mountain village of Soller, crossing the Serra de Tramuntana along the way. The roughly one-hour journey runs through 13 tunnels and across several viaducts, a real experience in itself.

The Tren de Soller is both a tourist attraction and a working means of transport. A one-way ticket costs around 25 euros for tourists, while residents with proof pay considerably less. From Soller you can continue on the historic tram to the harbour of Port de Soller.

Metro Palma: fast and modern

Since 2007, Palma has had a metro line connecting the city centre with the northern suburbs. Line M1 runs from the Estacio Intermodal in the centre to the university (UIB) and on to Marratxi. The journey takes only about 15 minutes.

The metro is especially handy if you live in the areas around the university or in Marratxi and commute regularly into the centre. It runs at short intervals of about 10 to 15 minutes and accepts both single tickets and the Tarjeta Intermodal.

The metro network is not currently being expanded, but the existing line is reliable and punctual. By changing at the Estacio Intermodal you can reach all TIB buses and the train to Inca and Manacor from here.

Train connections to Inca and Manacor

Besides the Tren de Soller, the SFM (Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca) runs two regular train lines:

• Line T1: Palma - Inca (with stops in Santa Maria, Consell and Binissalem)
• Line T2/T3: Palma - Manacor and Palma - Sa Pobla

These trains are modern, air-conditioned and inexpensive. They are perfect when you want to head inland, for example to the weekly market in Inca (Thursdays) or to Sineu (Wednesdays). The journey to Inca takes around 35 minutes, to Manacor about an hour.

The trains depart from the Estacio Intermodal in Palma, the same hub where buses and the metro also leave. This makes it easy to combine different means of transport on Mallorca. Fares and departure times are on the public transport guide.

Practical tips for public transport on Mallorca

So that you get on well from the start, here are the most important tips for local transport on Mallorca:

Download the TIB and EMT Palma apps. There you will find current timetables, real-time information and route planning. The Estacio Intermodal in Palma is your central starting point for buses, trains and the metro. You can also get the Tarjeta Intermodal here.

Keep in mind that in the winter months (November to March) many bus lines run less often. Some lines to remote beaches or small villages then only run once a day or not at all. So plan your off-season trips a little more carefully.

For long-term residents, it pays to combine public transport with the occasional use of a rental car for destinations that are poorly connected. For everyday life in Palma, the bus, metro and a bicycle are perfectly enough.

Conclusion

Public transport on Mallorca is an underrated alternative to a rental car. The TIB bus network connects the whole island, the EMT city buses make Palma easy to explore, and the trains to Inca, Manacor and Soller offer cheap connections into the countryside. With the Tarjeta Intermodal you save real money on every ride. As a long-term resident in particular, it is worth getting to know public transport on Mallorca properly. So hop on, sit back and enjoy the ride through one of the most beautiful islands in Europe.