This article outlines the best ways to getting to Barcelona International Airport, Aeropuerto de Barcelona, which is also called Aeropuerto El Prat.
Barcelona El Prat airport is located close to the Barcelona city centre just 20 km / 12.4 miles south of the center of Barcelona on the coast of Catalonia.
The average time that it will take you to get to and from the centre of Barcelona to Barcelona airport is about 30 by car, taxi or airport transfer and 30-45 minutes by bus, airport bus or train.
The new T1 terminal at Barcelona International airport opened on 17th June 2009.
There are regular free shuttle buses operating every 5 minutes - 24 hours a day to transport passengers between the T2 and new T1 terminals, so you can use any of the transport methods below to get to Barcelona aiport - and then take a shuttle bus to the new terminal T1, if your flight leaves from T1. The travel time between the T1 and new T2 terminals at Barcelona airport is 12 minutes.
The Airport bus - Aerobus A1 is an economical and popular way of getting to Barcelona airport.
Transport time from airport to Barcelona city centre: 30 minutes
The Aerobus A1 service leaves every 15 minutes from Plaza Catalunya to the airport with a few stops on the way.
From 17th June 2009 the Aerobus A1 will have routes both to the old T2 airport terminal and the new T1 terminal
Many
passengers board at Plaza Catalunya and the bus can be full during peak
season, so if you are boarding on a stop nearer the airport, a good tip
is to be a little early to allow for full airport buses.
Price: € 4.25 for a single ticket (2009 prices)
Price: € 7.30 for a return ticket (2009 prices)
Trains to Barcelona airport - c2 line The cheapest and very convenient way to get to the airport is to take the train. Previously in 2008 the airport train was the
C10 train service to/from El Prat international airport in Barcelona to
a number of stations in the centre of Barcelona, but due to building
of the new high-speed AVE trains, the 2009 Barcelona airport train
service is the Renfe C2 line suburban train (Rodalia)
You can check C2 train times online for specific dates and days for the train to Barcelona Airport from 3 stations in Barcelona, which you can find further down this page.
The C2 line is usually marked "Norte Aeropuerto - Sant Celoni/Maçanet", which are the stations at each end.
There are 3 train stations in Barcelona (marked in bold below) where you can take the C2 line to Barcelona airport:
station: Barcelona - El Clot Aragó Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - El Clot Arago - 32 minute journey In Barcelona city this station is in the Sant Marti district of Barcelona where the beaches, Glories and Diagonal Mar are.
The signposting at Clot station is not great, but the airport platform should be platform 1. But it is always a good idea to ask someone.
station: Barcelona - Passeig de Gracia Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - Passeig de Gracia - 26 minute journey This station is in Barcelona city and is very centrally located and many visitors catch the train here.
station: Barcelona - Sants Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - Sants - 19 minute journey This station is in Barcelona city located slightly off centre in Sants. This Barcelona biggest railway station so give yourself time to find your way around. station: Bellvitge This station is outside Barcelona in a suburb on the way to the airport
station: El Prat de Llobregat This station is outside Barcelona in a suberb on the way to the airport.
(Don't get off here ! Many people do, even Spanish people, because the
station is called El Prat and the airport is also called El Prat, but
this is not the airport station. station: Barcelona Airport The airport is the end station on this line so everyone gets off here Then it is a short indoor walk to Terminal B. Terminals A and C are on either side. It is about 10 minutes from the train to Terminals A and C.
All these 3 Barcelona stations (in bold above) have Metro connections.
Journey duration:
Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - Sants - 19 minute journey
Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - Passeig de Gracia - 26 minute journey
Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - El Clot Arago - 32 minute journey
Timetable:
From the airport from 06.08 to 23.38.
Trains leave every 30 minutes.
Price: (2009 prices)
Single ticket: € 2.80
The Aeroport station is in the ticket
system (zone 1) of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area so you can also use
a normal metro travel card.
The best metro travel card for airport trains are either the
Unlimited 1 Day Travel card T-Day € 5.80
10 Journey Travel card T-10 for € 7.70
Information telephone Renfe.
902 240 202
Taxis to Barcelona airport
The taxi journey from Barcelona city centre to Barcelona airport takes about 25 minutes. The cost is between 25 and 30 euros depending on your departure point, the traffic and the time of day.
Barcelona taxi drivers are generally very very honest and they all use a taxi-meter, so you will not be cheated
The Barcelona taxis are yellow and black.
All 3 Barcelona airport terminals have clearly marked taxi areas.
Prices are shown on a sticker inside the cab usually on the side windows. Please note there is an extra charge per item of luggage (suitcases and big items, not shopping bags or briefcases), and a surcharge for rides to/from Barcelona airport. Please note that taxi leaving the airport have a minimum fare of 20 euros for the ride. So even if the meter shows less, you will be charged 20 euros if you took the taxi from the airport.
The 20 euro aiport minimum fare has created some problems with taking taxis to the new T1 termina. Unless it is urgent to catch a flight, we recommedon that you do not take a taxi from T2 to the new terminal 1. The taxi ride will also cost you 20 euros even though it is only 3.5 km and takes a few minutes. The reason for this it that the taxi regulations have not been changed yet and they state that any taxi ride from the airport should cost minimum 20 euros. So even if the new T1 is in the airport apparently the taxis still charge 20 euros to leave the old terminal and take you to the new one. This is probably be changed in due course.
Airport transfer and pick-up services to Barcelona airport
Chauffeur driven taxi pick-up service from Barcelona airport to your hotel or other destinations in Catalonia are available.
Prices in 2007 are around 75 euros for a individual pick-up from Barcelona airport to a hotel in the centre but can vary depending on destination and group size.
There is a N 17 night bus (nitbus) from Plaza Catalunya to Barcelona airport that operates from 23:00 to 05:00 hours in the morning. From Barcelona airport to Plaza Catalunya it runs from 22:05 to 05:05 hours in the morning.
Transport time from Barcelona city centre: approx. 30 minutes
From 17th June the N17 nightbus will also stop at the new T1 terminal at Barcelona Airport and the old T2 terminal
Trains to Barcelona airport - C2 line - Renfe Cercanias / Rodalies
Until 2009 the
train from Barcelona center to Barcelona airport train was the C10
train service which went to and from the El Prat Barcelona
international airport to
a number of stations in the centre of Barcelona, but due to building
of the facitlities for the new high-speed AVE trains to Barcelona , the 2009 Barcelona airport train
service is theRenfe C2 line train on the Cercanias train network. The name for this network is "Cercanias" in Spanish - and " Rodalies" in Catalan.
You can check C2 train times online - both for specific dates and
times for the C2 train to Barcelona Airport which leaves from 3
differnet stations in Barcelona, which you can find further down this
page.
The C2 line is marked "Norte Aeropuerto - Sant Celoni/Maçanet". These two names are the stations at each end of the C2 line.
There are 3 train stations in Barcelona (underlined below) where you can take the C2 line to Barcelona airport:
Barcelona Airport
station: El Prat de Llobregat station: Bellvitge station: Barcelona - Sants station: Barcelona - Passeig de Gracia station: Barcelona - El Clot Aragó
All these 3 Barcelona stations (underlined above) have Metro train connections. Journey duration:
Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - Sants - 19 minute journey
Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - Passeig de Gracia - 26 minute journey
Barcelona Airport to Barcelona - El Clot Arago - 32 minute journey
Timetable:
From the airport from 06.08 to 23.38.
Trains leave every 30 minutes.
Price: (2009 prices)
Single ticket: € 2.80
The Aeroport station is in the ticket
system (zone 1) of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area so you can also use
a normal metro travel card.
Travel cards
The best metro travel card for airport trains are either the
Unlimited 1 Day Travel card T-Day € 5.80
10 Journey Travel card T-10 for € 7.70
