Barcelona’s cruise port is conveniently located near the city centre, at one end of the famous Las Ramblas Boulevard.
Although there are various public transportation options to reach the city centre from the airport, none of them provides direct access to the cruise ship terminals. As a result, most people either opt for a taxi or reserve a transfer service offered by their travel agent or the cruise line.
However, alternative methods are available, and it’s important to compare the various options before deciding. In this article, we look at how to get from Barcelona Airport to the cruise ship terminals via taxi, shuttle bus, regular bus, train, metro, and private transfer.
In a hurry?
A taxi from Barcelona Airport to the cruise port costs €45 and takes approximately thirty minutes. Alternatively, local bus company Moventis operates a shuttle service which runs directly from the airport to the cruise ship terminals.
Barcelona Cruise Ship Terminals
Cruise ships dock at seven terminals in Barcelona harbour. Larger ships dock at four terminals on the Moll Adossat wharf. Smaller ships dock at the three World Trade Center terminals on the Moll de Barcelona wharf.
The World Trade Centre terminals are within walking distance of Las Ramblas and the nearby Drassanes metro station (see map below).
The Moll Adossat terminals are approximately three kilometres from Las Ramblas, and there is a shuttle bus that departs from the World Trade Center terminals, which is near the Columbus Monument.
Before deciding which mode of transport to use, you should check which terminal your cruise ship will be docking at here. This information should have been provided by your travel agent when you booked your cruise.
Map of Barcelona Cruise Ship Terminals
Barcelona Bus Turistic – Sightseeing Tour bus stop
Plaça Portal de la Pau
Barcelona Bus Turistic – open top sightseeing tour bus stop.
Moll de Barcelona
Metro Line 3 (green line)
Plaça Portal de la Pau, Barcelona, Spain
This is the location of the bus stop where you board the Cruise bus when travelling to the Moll Adossat terminals.
Moll de Barcelona, Barcelona
Moll de Barcelona, Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
Moll Adossat Quay Terminal D, Barcelona
Moll Adosssat Quay Terminal C, Barcelona
Moll Adossat Quay Terminal B, Barcelona
Moll Adossat Quay Terminal A, Barcelona
By Taxi from Barcelona Airport to the Cruise Ship Terminals
The fastest and most convenient way to get from the airport to your cruise ship is by taxi.
The taxi fare from Barcelona airport to the cruise ship terminals is €45, which includes up to 4 people and four pieces of luggage.
Depending on traffic and which terminal your ship is docked at, the journey should take about 30 minutes.
To the taxi rank at BCN Terminal 1
As you leave the luggage claim area and go through the sliding doors, you will come to a metal barrier where people await arrivals. Beyond this barrier, there are two covered ramps leading down to the taxi ranks, wither side of the Go Natural snack bar.
If you have booked a taxi in advance, you should take the ramp to the right of the snack bar, which leads down to the taxi stand where your cab will be waiting for you.
If you haven’t pre-booked a taxi, you should head for the ramp to the left of the snack bar. At the bottom of this ramp, there are white arrows leading to a second taxi stand where taxi-wardens in high vis jackets will guide you to the next available taxi.
To the taxi ranks at BCN Terminal 2
The taxi rank is on the street outside terminal 2B.
More information about taxis in Barcelona here >>
By Shuttle Bus from Barcelona Airport to the Cruise Ship Terminals
Local bus company Moventis operates a shared shuttle service which runs directly from Barcelona Airport to the cruise ship terminals and costs approximately the same as going by public transport.
Unlike regular bus and coach services, which run to a fixed timetable, Moventis schedules transfers according to their customers’ arrival times. To ensure minimal delays, they adapt the type of vehicle used based on demand. At peak times, they use luxury coaches, and during less busy periods, they use air-conditioned minibuses.
When you book your transfer, you indicate your flight time and which ship you will be leaving on. Upon arrival at Barcelona Airport, you are met by a Moventis staff member or agent who takes you to your vehicle.
There are meeting points at both airport terminals. If your flight lands at terminal one, the Moventis agent will be waiting for you near the barriers as you leave the baggage claim area. You can’t miss them; just look out for someone in a bright orange uniform.
In terminal two, you need to go to the From2 desk, near the escalators leading to the train station, in section 2B. As you leave the baggage claim area, turn left and follow the signs to the train station as described in this post. The From2 desk is behind the escalator on the ground floor.
Click here for more information and to book your transfer >>
From Barcelona Airport to the Cruise Ship Terminals by Public Transport
There are several ways to get from Barcelona airport to the cruise ship terminals by public transport. As mentioned above, none of them is direct, and all involve some amount of walking.
By Train from the Airport
The cheapest way to get to the cruise ship terminal from the airport is to take the R2 Nord train from the train station at BCN terminal T2 to Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia train station. Trains depart every 30 minutes and take approximately 25 minutes to get to Passeig de Gràcia. Check train timetables here.
From here, you catch the metro L3 (green line) three stops to Drassanes (direction Zona Universitària).
It takes approximately ten minutes to walk from the Drassanes metro stop to the World Trade Center terminals on Barcelona Wharf.
If your ship docks at one of the terminals on the Moll Adossat pier, then you will need to take the Cruise Bus (more information below) from near the World Trade Center terminals to your ship.
The total cost per person of this journey is €4.60 (train fare) + €2.55 (metro fare) + €3 (Cruise Bus to Moll Adossat if needed)
If there are two or more of you travelling together, you can save money by purchasing a T-familiar travel card, which costs €10.70 for eight combined journeys and covers both the train and the metro.
T-familiar tickets can be purchased from the ticket machines at the airport train station.
You can also save money by purchasing return tickets for the cruise bus.
More information about public transport tickets and travel passes here >>
If your flight lands at BCN Terminal 1, there is a free shuttle bus that will take you to Terminal 2. Buses depart every 5 minutes and take approximately 10 minutes.
By Bus from the Airport
The Aerobus is a fast bus service from Barcelona airport to the city centre. The first stop on the route is Plaça d’Espanya, where you can catch the L3 metro four stops to Drassanes (direction Trinitat Nova).
From here, it takes approximately twenty-five minutes to walk to the World Trade Center, from where you can catch the Cruise Bus to Moll Adossat Wharf.
The Aerobús fare is currently €6.75, and buses depart from Terminal 1 every five minutes throughout most of the day and every ten minutes from Terminal 2.
This not only saves having to take the shuttle bus between airport terminals but also saves you from having to wait up to 30 minutes for the next train.
The total cost per person for the journey is €6.75 (Aerobus fare) + €2.55 (metro fare) + €3 (Cruise Bus to Moll Adossat wharf).
Tickets for the Aerobus can be purchased at ticket machines near the bus stop or online in advance.
Location of the Aerobus stops at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2>>
The Cruise Bus
The Cruise Bus (also known as the T3 or Portbus) is a shuttle service that follows a circular route connecting the cruise ship terminals.
The bus stops at Barcelona Wharf (the World Trade Center terminals), Moll Adossat Terminal A, terminal B, Terminal C and Terminal D. The fare is €3 one way or €4.50 return.
Tickets can be purchased on the bus, cash only, correct change or small denomination notes or online at the Cruise Bus website.
The buses don’t follow a set timetable. Departures are coordinated with the arrival and departure of the cruise ships. At peak times, when passengers disembark and board the ships, buses depart every few minutes. During the rest of the day, there are buses approximately every 20 minutes.
All buses are wheelchair accessible and have space to stow large suitcases.
The Cruise Bus is NOT covered by TMB tickets or travel cards such as the T-casual or the Hola Barcelona Travel Card.
From the Drassanes metro stop to the Cruise Bus Stop & the World Trade Center Terminal
It takes approximately seven minutes to walk from the Drassanes metro stop to the World Trade Center terminal and the Cruise Bus stop.
When exiting the metro, follow the signs on the platform to the Sortida Portal de Sta Madrona exit. After you go through the ticket barriers, you will see a sign pointing to the right with a pictogram of a cruise ship. In my opinion, especially if you’re travelling with heavy luggage, it’s better to turn left towards the Av de les Drassanes exit, where there is a lift up to street level.
The lift brings you up in front of the Torre Colon Tower (one of the ugliest skyscrapers in Barcelona).
With your back to the tower, you will see the Barcelona Maritime Museum to your right and La Rambla to your left.
Walk towards the Maritime Museum and cross the road at the pedestrian crossing. Turn left and walk alongside the museum towards Passeig de Josep Carner. You will now see the Christopher Columbus Monument up ahead.
Keeping the Columbus Monument to your left, cross Passeig de Josep Carner at the pedestrian crossing, then turn right along Passeig de Josep Carner in front of the old Customs Building towards the Plaça de Les Drassanes roundabout.
Once you pass the customs building, you will see the Onades monument and, further ahead, the Torre Sant Jaume I cable car tower and the World Trade Center.
Cross the pedestrian crossing and walk straight ahead past the F1 ferry terminal and along the Moll de Barcelona wharf to the World Trade Center cruise terminals.
The Cruse Bus stop is located near the entrance to the Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel.
ATMs and Changing Money at Barcelona Airport
As we’ve seen above, If you haven’t purchased tickets in advance, you’ll need correct change or small denomination bills to purchase your ticket for the T3 Cruise Bus.
Exchange rates at airport money changers are notoriously bad, so it’s best to use your bank debit card and take money out from the ATMs at the airport.
There are ATMs (cash machines) at both terminals. There’s no need to worry if you don’t speak Spanish; once you have inserted your card, you will get the option to select your preferred language.
At terminal one, there are two ATMs next to the ramp down to the taxi rank.
At terminal 2, they are located in the vestibule after you come out of the luggage claim area, approximately halfway between the left luggage lockers and Botero’s horse statue.
Cash machines usually issue a combination of €50 and €20 bills. If you are using the airport train, you can get change from the ticket machines when you purchase your ticket (the ticket machines also accept credit cards).
There are also cafes at both terminals that will be able to change a €50 bill for the price of a cup of coffee or a snack.
From Barcelona Airport to the Cruise Port by Private Transfer
If you prefer to have someone waiting for you when your flight arrives, then you could book a private transfer.
A private transfer is more expensive than catching a cab from the taxi rank but with the advantage that you can pay upfront by PayPal or credit card.
Additional services such as bag drops or booster seats for children and vehicles adapted to carry electric wheelchairs or mobility scooters are also available.
Left Luggage and Baggage Transfer in Barcelona
If your flight arrives in the morning and you want to spend a few hours sightseeing before boarding your ship without the hassle of lugging your bags. You can have your luggage collected from the airport and transferred directly to the cruise terminal for you. Find out more.
There are also left luggage storage facilities near Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça d’Espanya and at Barcelona Sants train station.
Hotels at Barcelona Cruise Port
The only hotel at the Barcelona Cruise ship port is the Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel which is a very good 5-star hotel.
Hotels located on Las Ramblas or Av. Paral.lel are a short taxi ride from the cruise port. For more information about where to stay in Barcelona, check out my Barcelona neighbourhood guide.
I am travelling with my mom who is a senior on a Royal Carribean cruise in mid-June. She is a moderately active person. Can you 1) recommend what hotel to stay? I would like some sort of activity in the area. 2) the best way to get directly to the port steps (terminal) with minimal or no walking. So far, I am hearing that there is a lot of walking to the terminal which is not good for a senior. A taxi /private car would be good but not sure if they go to the port. Please advise.
Hi Caroline,
I recommend you check out Hotel Jazz, which is a three star hotel in a really good location, close to many of the main attractions and a short taxi ride from the cruise ship terminals.
The best way to get to the cruise ships is by taxi. Taxis can take you right to the terminals where the cruise ships dock, so there’s very little walking involved.
Our flight is to land at 9:30 am. assuming it takes an hour to gather luggage and 30 minutes to get to the port, making it around 11:00, is there something to do until our boarding time of 12:00? we are booked on the Royal Carribean cruise. Also, we have paid for transfer from airport to port via Royal Carribean, is that considered the Cruise Bus you mentioned?
Hi Jana,
If your transfer is organized by Royal Carribean, then I would assume that they will have laid on a bus directly from the airport to your cruise ship, so no, you won’t be taking the cruise bus mentioned in the article above.
I recommend that you contact your travel agent or the cruise line to find out about timings, but would assume that you will be able to board the ship upon arrival at the cruise terminal and that any “free time” will be time at the airport waiting for the Royal Carribean transfer service.
Assuming that you will be arriving at Terminal 1, there is a snack bar called Go Natural just after you leave baggage claim where you could rest and have a coffee while you are waiting for the Royal Carribean representative. I believe that most cruise ship companies ask you to meet their reps at a meeting point which is close to the Go Natural snack bar but recommend that you ask your travel agent or Royal Carribean to confirm this.
we are joining the royal caribbean ship on 24/09/2023 returning 01/10/23 can you advise us whether it is best to take train or cruiseshuttle bus( we are not booked on for transfers) or private hire. tia
Hi Norma,
Looking at the cruise ship timetables for September, it looks like you’ll be on the Symphony of the Seas which docks at the Moll Adossat wharf, right?
In which case, if you want to use public transport, you’ve basically got two options:
From the airport terminal 1: Take the Aerobús to Plaça de Catalunya where you transfer to the metro L3 which you take to Drassanes from where you walk to the World Trade Center and catch the Cruise Bus to your ship.
From the airport terminal 2: Take the train to Passeig de Gràcia where you transfer to the metro L3 which you take to Drassanes from where you walk to the World Trade Center and catch the Cruise Bus to your ship.
Note, it’s not either the train or the cruise bus as you mentioned, it’s train + metro + cruise bus!
I’ve recently discovered that the company who run the Cruise Bus now operate a shared transfer service which runs directly from the airport to the cruise ship terminals and costs about the same as taking public transport.
I plan to update the article in the next few days with the full details, in the meantime there’s more information in this link.
We are flying in to Barcelona and going on a cruise “Royal Caribbean” this summer and need a good hotel for a great price for one night. Also one that is somewhat close to the port terminals. What is the best way to get from airport to hotel and then the next morning to the cruise?
Hi LDenton,
I recommend you check out Hotel Jazz which is a good-value 3 star hotel close to Plaça de Catalunya.
The location is ideal, because it’s central and well communicated with both the airport and the Cruise terminals. I’ve listed some alternatives in the same area in this post.
The best way, to get from the airport to the Hotel would be by taxi. A taxi from the airport to the hotel will cost about €30 and from the hotel to the cruise terminal will cost between €10 and €15 depending on which cruise terminal your ship departs from.
If you want to save some money, you could catch the Aerobús from the airport to Plaça de Cataluny which is the last stop, and only a few minutes walk from your hotel and doesn’t take much longer than a taxi. There’s more information about the Aerobús in this post.
Hi,
Thank you so much for this!
I am travelling with my sister in law and mother, and we are only carrying backpacks. Our destination is Airport to
Palacruceros, Terminal D & Terminal E
Muelle Adosado, Port of Barcelona.
We have a lot of time as we will arrive hours early so we’re looking for the cheapest option to arrive at the port, maybe even stop after the train ride and visit the area before taking the bus, as I believe that was the cheapest option.
My question is, after the train and the bus (buying that 8 journey ticket for all 3 of us I believe you said would be cheaper), can we walk to the terminal? Is it a long walk? Google maps is showing me a lot of back and forth and saying it’s a 54 minute walk.
Thank you!
Hi Maria,
I think you mean train and metro right?
From the Drassanes metro stop to Terminal E is about four kilometres, so fifty minutes would be about right. It’s not an unpleasant walk, and there is pavement all the way, but unless you’re particularly interested in large commercial harbours, it’s not particularly interesting either. I walked it a couple of years ago while researching this article, and I think it took me about forty-five minutes, but I wasn’t carrying any luggage.
If you’ve got plenty of time on your hands, you could send your luggage ahead with a bag drop service from the airport (link in the article above), then catch the train to Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia station, which is right next to Casa Batlló and La Pedrera, and not far from La Sagrada Familia.
Depending on how much time you actually have, you could visit one or more of them before catching a taxi to the cruise terminal, which would cost about fifteen Euros.
Does being on a cruise ship for 8 days in the Mediterranean count as 8 days in the schengen
Hi Mrs P Baker,
My understanding is that, if all the ports that the ship docks at during the cruise are within the Schengen Area, then you will be deemed to be in the Schengen Area for all eight days.
Having said that, I’m not an expert on immigration and visa-related topics so I recommend you check with your travel agent to make sure
How can be go from city center to the cruise terminal in economical way?
Hi Anju,
It will vary depending on where you are staying in the city centre, and which terminal your cruise ship departs from.
For example, from Plaça de Catalunya (generally considered to be the centre of Barcelona) to Moll Adossat you can take the metro (line 3) to Drassanes followed by the cruise bus from near the Columbus Monument to the terminal (more information about these locations in the article above).
This will cost €2.40 for the metro plus €3.00 for the Cruise Bus. Generally speaking, wherever you are staying within Barcelona, the cost of travelling to the cruise ship terminal will be the same. If you already have a travel pass such as the Barcelona Card or the Hola Barcelona, then you could use this for travelling on the metro but not on the Cruise Bus.
A taxi for the same journey will cost approximately €15.00.
If you tell me where you are staying and which terminal your cruise ship will be moored at I’ll be able to give you more detailed and accurate advice.
Richard,
Once again, you were right on track. Without naming names your blog spelled out to a “T” what a high-priced Cruise could not answer as effectively or clearly as you did above just because we “deviated” from Cruise plan. You saved us a lot of “Aggro,” not to mention money. We paid $100 for the pleasure of this deviation, but we enjoyed a week in Barcelona and thanks to you Blog, we put ALL our money back into the Local Economy in Barcelona ( or govt agencies) and just in the above Blog Post you probably saved us another €50 on the Taxi. This cruise line charges minimum €100 extra Euros for this “Convenience”. Not even sure in today’s market how “convenient” waiting around for other flights, cruisers, hotel guests, etc. Their “Plan” is. Thank you again as we depart Barcelona in Style, but we are coming back with out Posse sooner not later.
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks for your feedback. I’m glad to have been able to help and wish you a safe journey home.
If we get the metro from the airport and purchase the single trip tickets, are we allowed to change tubes at stations on the same tickets as long as we don’t leave the metro, and our trip time is less than 1hr15mins, or will we have to purchase new tickets at each station change?
Hi Mr Gorman,
Yes, as long as you don’t leave the metro system, you can use a single metro ticket. There’s a special ticket for the airport metro which currently costs €5.15.
Take the L9sud from the airport to Zona Universitaria (last stop) followed by the L3 (direction Trinitat Nova) from there to Drassanes. The journey should take about an hour.