Transportation to and from Barcelona Airport
Car
What is the distance from Barcelona Airport to the centre of Barcelona?
The location of the airport is excellent. The distance between Barcelona Airport and the centre of Barcelona (Plaça de Catalunya) is 15 kilometres / 9.3 miles, travel time is 25 minutes. Terminal 1 is slightly further away from the city than Terminal 2.
From BCN Airport to Barcelona City centre by Taxi
Public transport
TIP: Many well-known museums, sights and attractions require online reservations. If you plan to visit the Sagrada Familia and Park Güell during your stay in Barcelona, the convenient Barcelona Digital Pass (including Hop-On Hop-Off bus tickets) is highly recommended!
Train to Barcelona
The centre of Barcelona is easily accessible by suburban train R2 Nord of Rodalies de Catalunya. The train station of the airport is located at Terminal 2 between section A and section B, from here R2 Nord departs two times per hour. The train stops west of the city centre at the railway stations Sants (20 minutes) and Passeig de Gràcia (28 minutes). The price of a single ticket is € 4.60 (zone 4, free up to 3 years). If you are planning to travel multiple times within Barcelona city limits, it is better to buy a T-casual card (1 zona) for € 11.35. This card entitles you to 10 rides and can be used by one person. You may travel for a maximum of 75 minutes per journey and transfer to bus, metro, tram or train within zone 1. A T-familiar card (1 zona) can be used by multiple persons, the price is € 10.00 for 8 rides.
Barcelona Airport is located in zone 4 of the Renfe train network, but in zone 1 of the TMB Barcelona bus and metro network. People can benefit from this by buying a cheaper T-casual card or T-familiar card. Shuttle buses and the metro take passengers from Terminal 1 to the train station at Terminal 2, it enables everyone to make use of the train service R2 Nord. It is important to determine where you want to get off the train in advance since the terminus is not in the city, but further away in Maçanet-Massanes. Please consult website and timetable train R2 Nord for more information.
Bus to Barcelona
It is also possible to travel to the centre of Barcelona by bus, during the day with bus 46 (T1 and T2) and at night with buses N17 (T1) and N18 (T1 and T2). These are bus services of Barcelona’s public transport company called TMB Barcelona, not to be confused with the Aerobus shuttle service. A bus ticket costs € 2.40, which is much cheaper than the € 5.90 you pay for Aerobus line A1 and line A2.
If you arrive at Terminal 1, the bus usually is a faster alternative than the train, because you do not have to take the free shuttle bus from Terminal 1 to the train station at Terminal 2. Bus 46 runs every 15 minutes, travel time to the final stop Plaça d’Espanya is 30 minutes. Tickets are available from the bus driver, but you can buy a T-casual card or T-familiar card as well at one of the ticket machines if you want to use public transport more often during your stay in Barcelona. Plaça d’Espanya is not located in the centre of the city (Ciutat Vella), but southwest of it. You can change to metro lines L1 and L3 to get to the centre of Barcelona (+ € 2.40). Please consult website TMB Barcelona and website Aerobus for more information.
Metro to Barcelona
A third possibility is the subway. On February 12, 2016 Barcelona opened a driverless metro extension to the airport. Nowadays you can travel by metro line S9 from the airport to the city. Barcelona Airport has two underground stations, namely Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2. The metro runs between the airport and metro station Zona Universitària, the journey time is 30 minutes from T1 and 26 minutes from T2. Metro L9S is not the fastest mode of transport to reach the centre of Barcelona, because you have to change twice.
However, the metro is ideal if you want to visit the trade fair of Barcelona (Fira Barcelona), the two sites are easily reachable by metro. Fira Barcelona Gran Via is located right in between metro stations Fira and Europa Fira, and is directly accessible with L9 Sud. Fira Barcelona Montjuïc is located next to metro station Plaça d’Espanya and can be reached by metro with one change at metro station Europa Fira. The stadium of FC Barcelona is directly accessible with L9 Sud too. Travel time from Barcelona Airport to metro station Collblanc close to Camp Nou is 28 minutes. The metro runs every 7 minutes and the price of a ticket including airport surcharge is € 5.15. Please consult website and timetable metro L9S for more information.
Bus services
Terravision to Costa Brava and Costa Dorada – BUY TICKETS
Holidaymakers can travel by bus from Barcelona Airport to the well-known Spanish holiday destinations Costa Brava and Costa Dorada. Tickets are available online through Terravision’s website. The bus company connects the airport with the towns of Calella, Pineda de Mar, Santa Susanna, Malgrat de Mar, Blanes and Lloret de Mar on the Costa Brava. There is also a direct connection to the towns of La Pineda, Port Aventura (theme park), Salou and Cambrils on the Costa Dorada. Travel time depends on your destination, normally a bus journey takes 60 to 90 minutes. The price is € 12.50 (Costa Brava) to € 17.50 (Costa Dorada) for a one-way ticket. Please consult tickets and timetable Costa Brava and tickets and timetable Costa Dorada for more information.
Discover and book tickets, activities and tours:
Tickets
Barcelona Airport El Prat is just 25 minutes away from the city centre of Barcelona. If you have a layover of several hours it is definitely worth it to head into the city. You can either take public transportation or a taxi.
In the immediate surrounding of Barcelona Airport you will find the Delta del Llobregat and the Centre Cultural Aeronàutic which is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10h to 13.30h.
What to do in Barcelona in 3 hours time?
You only have limited time to see one of the most beautiful cities in Europe? Take a taxi into the city and go directly to Sagrada Familia, book a ticket in advance to avoid long waiting time.
Afterwards you explore the city: you can either hop on a bus and let you drive around the top sights of Barcelona. Or if you prefer more activity, you take a Segway tour, which leads you along all the tourist attractions in only 1h. Afterwards make sure to grab a piece of Tortilla or have a cafè con leche, before heading back to the airport.
FC Barcelona Fans pay attention: The FC Barcelona Museum Camp offers a 3h tour with Tapas, this is your chance to get the full Barcelona experience at once! Get your tickets here.
Activities
Barcelona Aquarium: Skip-the-Line Admission Ticket
Visit the unique Barcelona Aquarium, entering without delay on a skip-the-line ticket. Experience the spectacular Oceanarium as you walk along a transparent tunnel surrounded by sharks. Learn about the seabed and the importance of water to the planet.
Tours and transport
Barcelona: Hola Barcelona Travel Card with Multiday Options
Explore Barcelona with a public transport ticket that gives you free, unlimited access to the transportation networks in the city and its suburbs. Experience the beauty of Barcelona and uncover its many treasures with a 48, 72, 96, or 120-hour pass.
From Barcelona: Montserrat Half Day Guided Tour
Escape the busy city of Barcelona and head to Catalonia’s most famous mountain range, Montserrat. Ride the railway to the top of the mountains, admire stunning natural landscapes, visit the local monastery, and learn about this history-rich location.
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