Transport between Barcelona airport and the city centre
We know you’re all eager to get here and get your holiday started! To save you an unnecessarily long transit time, this article gives you all the information you’ll need when it comes to your travel options from Barcelona’s El Prat airport to the city centre (and vice-versa). Whether you travel by train, bus or taxi, the info here should ensure you have a smooth and easy transition between the airport and your hotel or apartment in the city.Select the tabs to find out more about each transport option.
By AeroBus
This is an airport bus service that leaves from Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 (A, B and C) and travels directly to the centre of Barcelona. There are four main stops in the centre: Plaça Espanya, Urgell, Plaça Universitat and Plaça Catalunya. When you leave the airport, head straight to the bus stop and you’ll see a light-blue bus, with Aerobús on the side. Be aware that when you are travelling back to the airport from the city centre, the bus service doesn´t stop at Plaça Universitat. Therefore you must catch it from either Plaça Catalunya, Urgell or Plaça Espanya. When you’re travelling to the airport from Plaça Catalunya, make sure that you take the right bus. A1 will take you to Terminal 1 and A2 goes to Terminal 2. The number of each bus is written on the front, and the journey lasts around 25-30 minutes.
If you do make a mistake and take the wrong bus, don’t panic – there are connections between both terminals. Find out how to connect between terminals at Barcelona airport.Map with the stops from the airport to Barcelona centre:
View Barcelona bus route in a larger map
Bus stops and metro connections
| Espanya | -  & |
| Urgell | - |
| Universitat | - & (from the airport to the city centre only) |
| Catalunya | - & |
Timetable:
Terminal 1: Plaça Catalunya – Barcelona El Prat airport (T1)
05.30 – 06.50 every 10 minutes
06.50 – 21.45 every 5 minutes
21.45 – 00.30 every 10 minutes
Terminal 1: Barcelona El Prat airport (T1) – Plaça Catalunya
06.10 – 07.30 every 10 minutes
07.30 – 22.25 every 5 minutes
22.25 – 01.05 every 10 minutes
Terminal 2: Plaça Catalunya – Barcelona El Prat airport (T2)
05.30 – 06.50 every 20 minutes
06.50 – 22.20 every 10 minutes
22.20 – 00.30 every 20 minutes
Terminal 2: Barcelona El Prat airport (T2) – Plaça Catalunya
06.00 – 07.00 every 20 minutes
07.00 – 23.00 every 10 minutes
23.00 – 01.00 every 20 minutes
| Prices: | One-Way | Return |
| €5.90 | €10.20 |
A return ticket is valid for up to nine days. You can pay directly on the bus with cash or purchase the ticket from the machines located next to the bus stop, which accept both cash and credit cards.
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You can also make the journey to and from the airport on public buses. It is the slowest form of transport and public buses don’t have luggage holders. However it is the cheapest solution. A single journey ticket costs €2.00 or you can use a T-10 ticket (10-journey ticket valid on Barcelona buses and metro), which costs €9.80.Buses generally leave from Terminal 2 but also from Terminal 1 before heading in the direction of the city centre. |
Daytime buses
Line 46:
This is the only direct line between the Airport and Plaça Espanya. It operates from 5 o’clock in the morning until midnight.
Please click here for a complete timetable of bus 46.
Night-time buses
If you’re travelling during the early hours of the morning, the night service, the ‘Nuit N17′, is especially for you and operates from midnight to 5am. The main stops are at Plaça Espanya and Plaça Catalunya and buses come every 20 minutes.
By train
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You can catch a train from Terminal T2 at Barcelona airport that will take you directly to the city centre via the following stations: Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gràcia, El Clot and Sant Andreu. The journey lasts around 25 minutes. Construction of a new train station at Terminal T1 is currently underway, which will connect the airport to the Spanish AVE network and Line 9 of the Barcelona Metro, and is due to open in 2014. Don’t know how to travel between airport terminals? Find out about the connections for this service here. |
From El Prat airport to Barcelona: line 2
| Stop | Minutes from the airport |
| El Prat de Llobregat | 5 minutes |
| Bellvitge | 12 minutes |
| Barcelona Sants | 19 minutes |
| Passeig de Gracia | 26 minutes |
| El Clot – Aragó | 32 minutes |
| St. Andreu – Comtal | 40 minutes |
Trains run every day from 06.08 to 23.38 and leave every 30 minutes.
From Barcelona to the airport: line C2 (the stations mentioned here are only the main ones).
| Stop | Timetable up to night-time | |
| St. Andreu – Comtal | 5.48 to 22.48 every 30 minutes | |
| Clot – Aragó | 5.55 to 22.55 every 30 minutes | |
| Passeig de Gracia | 6.02 to 23.02 every 30 minutes | |
| Sants | 6.09 to 23.09 every 30 minutes |
The journey costs €2, however you can purchase a ticket for 10 journeys (T10), which costs €9.80 and can also be used on the metro, bus and tram once you arrive in Barcelona. You can buy tickets at the train station.
By taxi
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Travelling by taxi will be the most expensive way of reaching the city centre from the airport, but probably the fastest and most comfortable. The fare will be about €30, maybe slightly less. The taxi prices for 2013 can be found here. |
FonoTaxi (get your €5 discount from the city centre to the airport as a customer of Oh-Barcelona or GowithOh!) 933 001 100
Radio Taxi 033 933 033 033
Association of Radio City taxi from Barcelona 932 250 000
Taxi Amic (for those with mobility problems) 934 208 088
‘Travel in style’, Luxury Cars 933 082 561
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About the author Oh-Barcelona
We are a leading holiday accommodation provider, with a fantastic choice of affordable rental apartments, hotels and hostels in the Catalan capital.
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