With its dazzling architecture and alluring beaches, Barcelona is one of the most popular destinations in Europe for international tourism. The number of overnight tourists in Barcelona reached over nine million in 2019.
The same year, Barcelona airport set a new record at 52.6m passengers, with 344,000 flights departing or landing. A wide range of options are available to get from the airport to the city center; including train, taxi, metro and buses.
✈︎ Jump ahead to: Train | Aerobús | Taxi | TMB Bus | Metro | FAQ
By Train
The RENFE train takes you from El Prat airport (Aeropuerto stop) to the city center of Barcelona. Travel time is approximately 25 minutes. The train stops Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gràcia or Clot, which are also metro stations. The T-Casual ticket can be used on the RENFE train to and from Barcelona El Prat airport. If your plane arrives to Terminal 1, there is a shuttle bus that can take you to the train station.
Where does the train arrive: Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gràcia or Clot stations
How long does it take: About 25 minutes
How much does it cost: €4
Aerobús
Aerobús is a fast and convenient way to get to Barcelona airport. The A1 line leaves from Plaça Catalunya and arrives at Airport Terminal 1, from 5:00am to 10:24pm and from Terminal 1 to Pl. Catalunya, from 5.43am to 11 pm. The A2 line connects Plaça Catalunya with Airport Terminal 2 from 5:00am to 10:24pm (Aerobus only stops at T2B) and from T2B to Plaça Catalunya , from 5.53am to 11.10pm. Buses are available every day of the year.
Where does it arrive: Plaça de Catalunya
How often does the bus leave: Every 15 minutes
How long does it take: About 35 minutes to Terminal 1, 50 minutes to Terminal 2
How much does it cost: €5.90
By Taxi
Barcelona has 10,000 yellow and black taxis and there are ranks outside both Terminal 1 (T1) and Terminal 2 (T2) at Barcelona airport. A supplemental fee of €4.20 is applied to taxi rides to and from El Prat airport. Barcelona taxi drivers typically do not expect to be tipped. A gratuity of 5% of the total fare is considered generous.
How long does it take: 20 to 30 minutes to the city center
How much does it cost: Roughly €30
TMB Bus
TMB bus number 46 operates during the day from both terminal 1 and 2 of El Prat airport and goes to Plaça d’Espanya, in the city center. This bus takes much longer than Aerobús as it has many stops, however you can use the T-Casual ticket. Operating hours are between 04:50 and 23:50.
Where does the bus arrive: Plaça d’Espanya
How long does it take: About 1 hour
How much does it cost: €2.40
By Metro (L9)
Metro line L9 Sud (South) takes you from terminals 1 and 2 of Barcelona El Prat airport to Barcelona in 30 minutes. Trains leave every 7 minutes. You can transfer to other metro lines from Can Tries, Gornal (L10 Sud), Torrassa (L1 and L10 Sud), Collblanc (L5 and L10 Sud) and Zona Universitària (L3). From Zona Universitària you can change lines and take the train directly to the center of the city.
Where does the train arrive: Zona Universitària (L3)
How long does it take: About 30 minutes to Zona Universitària and another 15 minutes to the city center after changing lines.
How much does it cost: €2.40
FAQ
The airport code for Barcelona El Prat International is BCN.
Currently, Uber is not available in Barcelona in the same way that it is in the US. However, you can order metered taxis via the Uber app.
The distance is about 12.2km.
It normally takes anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour depending on what form of transportation you use.
Barcelona has only one, which is called Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The nearest airports outside Barcelona are those of Girona and Reus.