Barcelona airport to city centre: Aerobús, metro

Barcelona El Prat (Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat airport) lies about 12 km south-west of the centre and has two terminals far apart: T1, the newer one, and T2, used mostly by low-cost airlines. Check on your booking which one you land at – it decides which bus line you take, and whether the train is an option. The short answer: take the Aerobús. It runs around the clock from both terminals to Plaça Catalunya in about half an hour, and there is no ticket puzzle to solve.

Barcelona airport to the city centre: the options

Times: Aerobús 30 to 35 minutes according to Aerobús (upper value shown), metro L9 Sud to the centre according to TMB, R2 Nord to Sants according to the station data on Wikipedia, taxi as pure driving time from T1 to Plaça Catalunya based on OpenStreetMap, without traffic. At rush hour, the taxi and the bus take longer.

The Aerobús: the easiest way

The Aerobús is the official airport shuttle. There are two lines:

• A1 serves Terminal 1.
• A2 serves Terminal 2 (stops T2B and T2C).

From the airport, both lines stop at Plaça Espanya, Gran Via – Borrell and Plaça Universitat and end at Plaça Catalunya, the central square at the top of the Rambla. According to Aerobús, the journey takes about 30 to 35 minutes, depending on the time of day, and the buses run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, every 5 to 20 minutes according to Barcelona's tourism board.

• Ticket: the Aerobús is a separate service with its own fare. Tickets can be bought in advance on the Aerobús website, which also lists the other ways to pay.
• Luggage: there is space for large suitcases, prams and bicycles on board.
• Children: under 4 years travel free.
• Not to Sants: neither line stops at Barcelona Sants or Barcelona Nord stations. If you continue by train, take the R2 Nord (from T2) or the metro.

From Plaça Catalunya you are in the middle of the city: the Rambla, the Gothic Quarter and Passeig de Gràcia are all within walking distance, and several metro lines start there.

Metro L9 Sud: only with the right ticket

The metro line L9 Sud has two stations at the airport, Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2. According to TMB, Barcelona's transport operator, trains run every 7 minutes and take about 32 minutes to the city. L9 Sud does not reach the centre itself: you change at Torrassa (to L1), Collblanc (to L5) or Zona Universitària (to L3), for example.

The important part is the ticket. At the two airport stations, ordinary single tickets and the popular T-casual ten-trip ticket are not valid. You need the special Airport Ticket (sold at the metro machines) or the Hola Barcelona travel card. If you arrive at an airport station with an invalid ticket, you must buy an Airport Ticket to get out. The metro is worth it mainly if you buy a multi-day Hola Barcelona card anyway, or if your hotel is along the L9, L1, L3 or L5.

Train R2 Nord: from Terminal 2

The local train R2 Nord of Rodalies starts at the Aeroport station next to Terminal 2 and runs to Barcelona Sants in about 20 minutes and on to Passeig de Gràcia in the centre. Trains run roughly every 30 minutes. If you land at Terminal 1, there is a free shuttle bus between the terminals, which makes the train less attractive from T1.

The train is the best choice if you continue from Sants by long-distance train, for example to Madrid or Valencia, or if your hotel is near Passeig de Gràcia or Sants.

Bus 46, night buses and taxi

Bus 46 is an ordinary city bus between both terminals and Plaça Espanya; it is cheaper than the Aerobús but slower. At night, NitBus lines also serve the airport – but since the Aerobús runs around the clock, it is usually the simpler choice at night too.

Taxis wait at the official ranks outside arrivals at both terminals and run on the meter. Without traffic the drive to Plaça Catalunya takes a little over 20 minutes. A pre-booked transfer is useful if you arrive late with children or as a group of four or more: a driver waits in arrivals with your name. Airport transfers in Barcelona^* can be booked with Welcome Pickups. Our article on when an airport transfer pays off compares the options for ten airports.

Which option suits whom?

• First visit, hotel in the centre or Eixample: the Aerobús to Plaça Universitat or Plaça Catalunya – simple, direct, day and night.
• Several days with a Hola Barcelona card: the metro L9 Sud, included in the card.
• Onward train from Sants, or landing at T2: the R2 Nord.
• Late arrival, children, lots of luggage, group: taxi or pre-booked transfer.

If you come from outside the EU, for example from the UK, set up mobile data before you land – a travel eSIM for Spain^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

On the day you leave

The Aerobús runs back from Plaça Catalunya via Carrer Sepúlveda and Plaça Espanya to the airport. Take A1 for Terminal 1 and A2 for Terminal 2 – check your airline's terminal before you board, because the two terminals are several kilometres apart. Note that Plaça Universitat is only a stop towards the city, not towards the airport. If your flight leaves in the evening and you have already checked out, you can use luggage storage in central Barcelona^* (Radical Storage) while you spend a last afternoon at the beach or the Sagrada Família.

How long to stay and what to see is in our article how many days in Barcelona, with plans for one to four days.

Barcelona trip planDay by day, with map and tips

How YesTrip helps you plan

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