Barcelona’s main airport is located at El Prat de Llobregat, 12 km south of the city centre, and is named after Josep Tarradellas, the first president of Catalonia.
Over the years it has become Spain’s second most important airport, after Madrid Barajas, and today sees the transit of more than 41 million passengers a year. Considerable impetus to its development was also given by the presence of Vueling’s operating base and the traffic generated by low-cost companies such as Ryanair and easyJet.
Over the years, it has been modernised and expanded to cope with the growth in the flow of travellers: today it consists of two terminals, the main one being T1, while T2 is divided into three separate but connected sections, called T2-A, T2-B and T2-C. The two terminals are located on opposite sides of the airport, so to get from one to the other it is necessary to use a free shuttle service.
To reach your hotel or the centre of Barcelona once you have landed at the airport, booking a transfer, is the most convenient solution.
You have several possibilities to get to the centre of Barcelona from the airport: obviously the most comfortable and fastest is by private transfer, but if you want to save money choose an Aerobus or a regular bus or train, the latter are free if you buy a city card such as the Barcelona Card or the Hola Barcelona Travel Card.
The Aerobus is the easiest way to get from the airport to the city. Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year, it connects both airport terminals with Placa Catalunya, making intermediate stops at Placa d’Espanya, Gran Via and Placa Universitat. Depending on the terminal at which the airline you are travelling with operates, you can choose to use either line A1 or line A2, so be aware that the Aerobus does NOT connect both terminals on a single journey.
Aerobus frequencies vary depending on the time of day: from 05:00 to 06:40 every 10 minutes, from 06:40 to 21:55 every 5 minutes, from 21:55 to 00:35 every 10 minutes, and from 00:35 to 05:00 every 20 minutes.
Bus line 46 connects the airport with Plaza de España, making numerous stops in between. Stops are located outside terminals T1, T2-A, T2-B and T2-C, and from the airport the service runs daily from 04:50 to 23:50, every 17 minutes. The ticket price is that of a normal city bus.
Lines N17 and N18 are the night lines that connect the airport with Plaza de Catalunya. The N17 only stops at T1, while the N18 stops at T1 as well as T2-A, T2-B and T2-C. In terms of timetables, the N17 runs from 21.55 to 04.50, every 15 minutes, while the N18 runs from 00.18 to 04.33, every 15 minutes. For both lines, the ticket price is that of a normal city bus.
Finally, the Direct Bus connects the airport with the Estación de Sants, and proceeds to Andorra La Vella, making it an excellent solution for those who decide to visit the small principality as well. Stops at both terminals. Departure is at terminal T1, on the ground floor at platforms 7-12, to arrive at T2 between terminals T2-B and T2-C. Buses leave the airport daily at the following times: 07.30, 11.00, 13.00, 15.00, 17.30, 20.00 and 23.00, with arrival at Barcelona’s Sants station scheduled 45 minutes after departure from T1, and 30 minutes after departure from T2. The complete journey to Andorra takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes.
RENFE trains leave the airport every half hour and stop at Estacio de Sants, Plaça de Catalunya (Passeig de Gràcia) and El Clot-Arago, where there are connections with the metro. From the airport, trains run from 05:42 to 23:38, every half hour.
Taxi ranks are located outside the arrivals area of Terminal 1 and Terminals T2A, T2B and T2C. There are four types of taxi fares in Barcelona, the fourth of which, called T4, has a fixed price from the airport to the Moll Adossat, located at the port of Barcelona near the Palacruciere. The cost of the ride, including all supplements, is 45 euros. You can keep this figure as a reference in case your destination in the city is in another area.
An alternative to TAXIs is to book in advance a private transfer to or from Barcelona Airport airport. A driver will pick you up at the airport arrivals (thus avoiding taxi queues), at your hotel or wherever you prefer, to take you to the desired address.
It is the best solution if you do not want to waste time, do not want to use public transport, have a lot of luggage or are travelling in a group. To book a private transfer to or from Barcelona Airport airport visit this site.
Renting a car is not usually essential for visiting Barcelona, but it is compulsory if you intend to travel around the area or go on a Spanish tour. In any case, be aware that car rental agencies at Barcelona airport are outside both T1 and T2, and that it is much cheaper to book on the Internet in advance than to rent a car once you are there.
To rent a car online refer to our in-depth article on car rental in Barcelona.
To rent a car in Barcelona we always recommend comparing the rates of all companies with DiscoverCars because in our opinion it offers the best prices, allows cancellation up to 48 hours before rental and offers a very cheap comprehensive insurance policy.
There are two possible ways to get from Barcelona Airport to Girona: by RENFE train or by bus.
The RENFE leaves from the airport, but you have to change at the Barcelona Sants station. From there you have to take the train to Figueres and then get off at Girona. Keep in mind that if you need to go to Girona airport, you will first have to get to the centre and then take a bus to the airport (journey time about 30 minutes).
Buses leave from T1, platforms 10,11 and 12, stopping at T2-C. In Barcelona they stop at Estaciò del Nord and Fabra i Puig bus station, then enter the AP-7 motorway and stop at Girona Airport, then Salt, Girona bus station and Girona city (Av. Ramon Folch – Correus and Av. de Franca – Hospital Dr. Josep Trueta). The journey time from Barcelona Airport to Girona city centre is approximately two hours and 20 minutes, and the ticket price is EUR 21.00 for an adult.
Below you can see real-time departure and arrival times at Barcelona Airport.
By entering the dates of your stay in the following form, you can check the rates and availability in real time of the facilities near theBarcelona Airport.
Below is a list of recommended hotels near Barcelona Airport.
Below are the cheapest prices for car hire at at the barcelona Airport, to book click here.
According to reviews by other travellers, the following are the best car rental companies at the barcelona Airport. To compare rates click here.
Barcelona Airport is located within the municipality of El Prat de Llobregat, practically by the sea, about 10 kilometres south of the city centre.
City Card allow you to save on public transport and / or on the entrances to the main tourist attractions.
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