This article outlines the transportation options for travelling from Barcelona Airport to the city centre. The best choice for you depends on several factors: arrival time, the number of people in your party, which area of the city you are staying in, and your budget.
Please note that the information in this post refers to Barcelona’s main airport, also known as Josep Taradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport or simply BCN (the airport’s IATA location code). If your flight lands at Girona-Costa Brava or Reus airports, you should read this post.
Barcelona Airport
Barcelona Airport is located twelve kilometres southwest of the city centre and is well connected by public transport, including trains, metro, buses, and a fleet of black and yellow taxi cabs.
The airport has two terminals. Terminal one is the larger, more modern terminal and handles long international flights by major airlines and local flights by the Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling. Terminal two, the older terminal, is used by low-cost airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair and handles mostly European and charter flights.
The airport terminals are connected by a free shuttle bus, which departs every five minutes throughout the day.
Barcelona Airport Taxi
A taxi from Barcelona airport to central Barcelona takes about thirty minutes and costs between €35 and €40.
All Barcelona taxis are metered; the exact price depends on a combination of distance and the time taken for the journey. There are supplements for airport pickups and journeys after 8 pm or on weekends. You can get more information about the tariffs in this post.
There are taxi ranks outside both terminals (T1 and T2)
Terminal 1 Taxi Rank
Exiting the baggage reclaim area, you pass through automated sliding doors and come to a metal barrier where people await arrivals.
On the other side of this barrier, there are two covered ramps that lead down to the taxi stands on either side of the Go Natural snack bar.
If you have booked your taxi in advance, you should take the ramp located to the right of the snack bar, where your taxi will be waiting for you.
If you haven’t pre-booked a taxi, you should take the ramp located to the left of the snack bar, which will take you to a second taxi stand, where you can queue for a taxi.
At the bottom of the ramp, white arrows on the ground will guide you to the taxi rank, where taxi wardens in high-visibility jackets will indicate the next available taxi.
Terminal 2 Taxi Rank
Terminal 2 is divided into three sections: A, B, and C. Taxis wait on the road directly outside sections B and C.
As you leave the luggage reclaim area and customs in terminal T2B, you’ll see a large open-plan snack bar called EAT. Just to the left of the snack bar, there is a large revolving door which takes you to the road outside the terminal building. Once outside the terminal, the taxi rank is to your right.
Please note that if you are arriving early in the evening on a weekday, the journey may take longer due to heavy after-work traffic entering the city.
There is also a small taxi rank outside Terminal 2C, although there are seldom very many taxis waiting there, and you may have to walk to the taxi rank outside Terminal 2B.
Aerobús (Express airport bus)
The Aerobús is a fast bus service between the airport and Plaça de Catalunya.
The Aerobús runs twenty-four hours a day, departing every 5 or 10 minutes from 5:30 am until 1 am. From 1 am to 5:30 am, buses run every twenty or thirty minutes. The fare is €6.75 one-way or €11.65 return.
The journey from Barcelona airport to the city centre takes approximately 30 minutes. There is free Wi-Fi onboard, so you can let your family and friends know that you have arrived safely, update your Facebook status, or do some last-minute trip planning.
Tickets can be purchased from vending machines at the Aerobús stops at both terminals or online in advance. Tickets purchased online are valid for one year from the date of purchase.
The Aerobús is also covered by this ticket bundle which includes the Sagrada Familia and Park Güell, allowing you to reserve timeslots and organize your airport transfer at the same time.
The buses stop at Plaça de Espanya, Gran Via (near the Urgel metro station), Plaça de la Universitat and Plaça de Catalunya.
To the Aerobus from Terminal 1
As you leave the baggage claim area, walk straight ahead so that you pass between the taxi ramp and the Go Natural snack bar.
As you pass the snack bar, you’ll see the large brown sign shown in the photo near the start of this post. Just before you draw level with the sign, you’ll see a pair of sliding doors to your right leading to an escalator and lift down to the Aerobús stop.
There’s more information and photos in this post.
To the Aerobus from Terminal 2
There are two Aerobus stops at Terminal 2.
The first is outside the arrivals area of Terminal 2B. To get there, as you leave the luggage reclaim area, you’ll see a large open-plan snack bar called EAT. To the left of the snack bar, there is a large glass revolving door which takes you to the road outside terminal two. Once outside the terminal building, if you look to the left, you’ll see the covered walkway to the train station. The Aerobús stop is located approximately midway between the revolving door and the covered walkway.
The second Aerobús stop at Terminal 2 is located outside Terminal 2C (used exclusively by easyJet). As you leave the terminal building, you’ll come to a small taxi rank. The Aerobús stop is located on the other side of the taxi rank, approximately twenty metres from the terminal building.
The Aerobús is NOT covered by TMB tickets or travel cards such as the T-casual or Hola Barcelona!
Barcelona Airport Metro
Barcelona airport metro (L9 sud) runs from both airport terminals to the south-west of the city and has 15 stops:
Airport T1, Airport T2, Mas Blau, Parc Nou, Cèntric, El Prat Estació, Les Moreres, Mercabarna, Parc Logístic, Fira, Europa-Fira, Can Tries-Gornal, Torrassa, Collblanc, Zona Universitaria.
The metro departs every 7 minutes (more frequently at peak times) from 5 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays, and non-stop from 5 a.m. Saturday to midnight Sunday.
Standard single-trip metro tickets and the T-casual travel card CAN NOT be used on the airport metro. Instead, there’s a special airport ticket that costs €5.50.
You can save money by purchasing a Hola Barcelona Travel Card, which offers unlimited travel on the metro, commuter trains, trams and TMB buses.
The L9 sud metro from Barcelona airport doesn’t connect directly to the city centre. Most visitors will have to transfer to another line at either Torrassa (L1) or Collblanc (L5), and you may have to make more than one change to get to your hotel. Depending on where you are staying, the journey will typically take between one hour and an hour and a quarter.
Download a FREE Map of Barcelona metro >>
Mobile World Congress participants will be interested to know that the journey time by metro from the airport to the congress takes 22 minutes.
To the Metro from Terminal 1
As you leave the baggage claim area, go straight ahead so that you pass between the taxi ramp and the Go Natural snack bar. Keep walking straight ahead; you will see red metro signs above the escalator, which leads to the underground metro station (see photo above).
To the Metro from Terminal 2
The metro stop at terminal 2 is located underground next to the train station. Follow the directions below, and when you arrive at the train station, you will see the entrance to the metro to the left.
More information about the Barcelona Metro here >>
Barcelona Airport Train
Trains run every 30 minutes from the airport train station, which is located at Terminal 2.
The journey time is 20 to 25 minutes, depending on which of Barcelona’s train stations you choose to get off at. The first train departs at 5:42 a.m., and the last departs at 11:38 p.m.
Depending on where you are staying, you may have to transfer from the airport train to the metro. If your flight lands at Terminal 2, the journey will take between 45 minutes and an hour.
Check the R2 airport train timetable here.
Tip: If you purchase a T-casual multi-trip ticket, you can combine the airport train with the metro and bus as one journey for €1.22 (the T-casual costs €12.15 for ten journeys).
A single train ticket from the airport to the city centre costs €4.60 and doesn’t allow you to transfer to other modes of transport.
Alternatively, you can purchase a Hola Barcelona Transport Pass, which gives unlimited travel on the metro, TMB buses, trams and commuter trains within zone 1 (including the airport train and metro).
Download a FREE Map of Barcelona metro and train stations
To the Train Station from Terminal 1
A free shuttle bus runs from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. The journey takes under ten minutes, but you should allow about twenty minutes in total to get from Terminal 1 to the train station.
As you leave the baggage reclaim, walk straight ahead so that you pass between the taxi ramp and the Go Natural snack bar. You will then see a sign guiding you to the ramps and the buses. It is best to take the ramp to the right (just before the Europcar car rental desk) for the shuttle bus.
On arrival at Terminal 2, you should follow the green line painted on the ground. As you enter the terminal building, turn back on yourself and go up the escalators. You then walk for a couple of minutes along the covered bridge leading to the train station. There are also lifts available.
Train tickets can be purchased from the machines on the right-hand side as you enter the station. The machines accept credit cards or cash (Euros).
More information about Barcelona transport zones >>
To the Train Station from Terminal 2
There’s a covered bridge linking Terminal 2B to the train station.
If you arrive at Terminal 2B, turn left as you exit baggage claim and follow the signs to the train station. A yellow line on the ground leads to a pair of escalators up to the covered bridge, where a sign directs you towards the train station.
Once across the bridge, you come to some metal stairs and an elevator back down to ground level. The train station is to the left, just after you descend the stairs.
From T2A, turn right as you leave baggage claim and follow the signs to the train station. As you leave the terminal building, you’ll see the covered bridge which leads from T2B to the train station. Turn right underneath the bridge and enter the terminal building before doubling back on yourself and taking the escalator up to the bridge.
From Terminal 2C, walk past the taxi rank and bus stops to Terminal 2B. Enter the building via the large revolving doors, and you will see signs and a yellow line on the ground directing you to the escalators mentioned above.
Which Barcelona Train Station?
Upon Arrival
The airport train stops at the following train stations in Barcelona:
- Aeroport
- El Prat de Llobregat
- Bellvitge
- Barcelona Sants
- Passeig de Gracia
- El Clot
Which station you should choose when travelling from Barcelona airport to the city centre depends on where you are staying:
Barcelona Sants – This station is close to Plaça Espanya and Montjuic and connects to metro lines L5 and L3. It is also Barcelona’s main train station, with AVE, long-distance, middle-distance, and commuter trains serving all of Spain.
Passeig de Gràcia – This station is the closest to the centre of Barcelona (Plaça de Catalunya and the Gothic Quarter) and connects with metro lines L2, L3 and L4.
El Clot – This train station is convenient for Poblenou, Clot and the northernmost part of the Eixample (especially if you plan to take a taxi from the train station to your hotel). It connects with metro lines L1 and L2 and some local train lines.
Going to the Airport
Barcelona El Prat Airport is the last stop on the line – Aeroport
Barcelona Airport Bus
From 5 am to 11:50 pm, bus 46 runs from both airport terminals to Plaça d’Espanya.
Unless you’ve purchased a T-casual or Hola Barcelona Travel Card online, the journey costs €2.40.
This is slightly cheaper than the Aerobus but has the disadvantages of being slower, less frequent (2 per hour) and not having a dedicated space for luggage.
Route Map and Timetable Bus No. 46
The Night Bus
If you are on a tight budget and arrive in Barcelona after the metro has stopped running, you could take the night bus.
Bus route N16 takes you from T1 and N17 from T2 to the city centre.
The fare is €2.40, and buses depart every 20 minutes.
I do not recommend the night bus unless you are staying near Plaça de Catalunya or one of the other stops on the route. If you have to connect to another night bus, your total journey time could be very long.
Other Public Bus Routes
There are also buses from the airport to Castelldefels, Sant Boi, Sant Joan de Llobregat and Cornella, as well as further afield, including Lleida, Tarragona, Cadaqués and other towns on the Costa Brava.
Check out this post for more information about buses from Barcelona Airport >>
Rideshare Apps
Several rideshare companies operate in Barcelona, although local bylaws stipulate that you must book the journey from the airport at least fifteen minutes in advance.
Although I do sometimes use ride-hailing apps, when travelling from the airport, it makes more sense to catch a cab from the taxi rank. If you decide to use an app, the driver will normally meet you at one of the following locations:
Terminal 1: at the meeting point in Module C, second floor.
Terminal 2: there are meeting points outside terminal T2B and T2 C buildings.
The driver will normally contact you via the app to confirm the location.
Uber
Uber operates in Barcelona using regular taxis, and you can choose between paying a price fixed in advance or the tariff shown on the taximeter at the end of the journey.
Cabify
Cabify is available in Barcelona, but local bylaws require that you reserve the journey at least 15 minutes before travelling.
Lyft
Lyft doesn’t currently operate in Barcelona.
Private Transfer
If you prefer to have someone waiting for you when your flight arrives, then you may like to pre-arrange a private transfer with Book Taxi Barcelona.
By booking your transfer in advance, you benefit from a fixed fare paid up-front via Paypal or credit card. Your driver will then track your flight and wait for you in the arrivals area, holding a board with your name on it.
They also offer additional services such as bag drops, children’s booster seats, minibuses and vehicles adapted to carry electric wheelchairs or scooters, as well as private transfers to/from the cruise port and other cities nearby.
Book your private airport transfer online
Car Rental
There are several car hire companies at Barcelona airport, including Europcar, Avis and Hertz.
I do not recommend hiring a car to get to your hotel. A car will be of little use during your stay in the city. Even if you plan to spend a night in Barcelona and then leave the next morning, I would still recommend that you pick up your hire car on the day you depart.
It’s important to consider that most rental companies charge a premium for picking up a car at the airport. Generally, if you do need a rental car, it will be more cost-effective to pick the car up from the rental company’s offices in downtown Barcelona, even after factoring in a taxi from the airport. I recommend that you compare prices on DiscoverCars.com before making a decision.
Which To Choose?
There is really no single best way to get from the airport to Barcelona city centre.
Which is best depends on things like budget, time of arrival, where you will be staying, how many people are travelling in your group, how much luggage you carry, and personal preference.
Generally speaking:
- Staying near Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça de la Universitat or Plaça de Espanya? Take the Aerobús.
- Staying anywhere else in the city and without too much luggage? Take the train and/or metro.
- Arriving late at night/in a hurry/bulky or heavy luggage/prefer to be dropped right in front of your hotel? Take a Taxi.
All prices and fares mentioned in this post were checked and updated in March 2024.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below.
hi i am glad i found your blog, my family & i (5 adult & 1 infant) are going to barcelona on january, i just want to ask what is the best option for us going to our bnb from bcn terminal 2 to carrer de ricart 20 catalunya. is this place on the city center itself or outside . we will be arriving at 920 pm. . we dont have that much luggage only handcarry & 1 luggage for 1infant. they said aerobus is convenient. i dont think we can take taxi. waiting for your reply.
Hi Malou,
Firstly I suggest that you check the full address of your B and B.
If it’s Carrer de Ricart, 20, 08004 Barcelona then yes, it’s fairly central and is located near to Plaça d’Espanya in the Poble Sec neighbourhood.
If the full address is Carrer de Ricart, 20, 08930 Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona this is on the northern outskirts of Barcelona.
Assuming that your BnB is near de Plaça d’Espanya then, as you have said it will be convenient to use the Aerobus. Plaça d’Espanya is the first stop when travelling from the airport to Barcelona city centre. From Plaça d’Espanya it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk to your BnB. Children under four travel for free on the Aerobus, the adult fare is €5.90 one way.
To be honest, with a group of 6 people travelling together my first choice would be a taxi. A 6 seater taxi from the airport to this address will cost you about €30. Six seater taxis are fairly common at the airport nowadays.
The only problem may be finding one which has a safety seat to carry your infant (less common but not impossible). When you arrive at the taxi rank tell the marshal that you need a six seater taxi with a baby seat. With a bit of luck there will be one available although you may have to wait a few minutes. You might also consider bringing a baby seat with you from home.
Alternatively, since you are only travelling with hand luggage, you could also catch the number 46 bus from the airport to the Av. Paral.lel – Llanca bus stop. This would be slower than the Aerobus due to the fact that it’s less frequent and there are more stops along the way but the bus stop is nearer to your hotel, it’s also cheaper than the Aerobus.
The main drawback with bus number 46 and the reason why I don’t usually recommend it is that, in addition to taking longer than the Aerobus, there are no luggage racks or storage space for suitcases and it is normally quite full. This means that you will probably have to hold your bags on your lap or on the seat beside you.
Timetable here, route plan here. As you can see from the links, there are 17 stops along the route however the bus only stops if requested to do to by a passenger, most of whom will be travelling to Plaça d’Espanya.
The number 46 bus from the airport costs just €2.10 per adult (adult single) or €1 if you purchase a T10 travel card. Unfortunately you can’t purchase the T10 on the bus and would have to get one from the machines at the airport train station which would add more time to your journey. One T10 can be shared between all of you and could also be used fro the airport train (slower option to this location). The adult single ticket can be purchased on the bus although bear in mind the fact that the driver won’t be able to change large bank notes.
If it turns out that you are staying at the other Carrer de Ricart let me know and I’ll give you some suggestions.
Hi, myself and my partner will be staying at Hotel ciutat Barcelona – we are on a budget so are wondering how to get from T2 terminal to the hotel. But we are travelling overnight so want the train/bus stop to be close (5-10mins walk) to the hotel. I was thinking the metro – but we cannot use the multi travel ticket – is that right?
Thanks very much for your article.
Hello Gina,
You’re right, the T10 card is not valid for the airport metro. It is however valid for all other metro lines as well as commuter trains. The Hola BCN! travel pass is valid for the airport metro.
It doesn’t really matter though because the airport metro isn’t normally the best option from T2 to your hotel which is at Carrer de la Princesa number 35 – right?
You said that you are travelling at night. What time will you be arriving exactly?
If you arrive before 11:38 pm then you can take the train from T2 to Passeig de Gràcia train station. From there you can catch the yellow line metro (L4) to Jaume I metro stop. Your hotel is a five minute walk from the metro.
More info about the airport train in the article above.
If you’re arriving later, let me know what time your plane lands and I’ll give you some more suggestions. If you’re travelling with checked luggage then you should allow 30 to 40 minutes to disembark from the plane go through security, collect your luggage and walk to the airport train station. If your only travelling with hand luggage then 15 to 20 minutes should be sufficient.
Hello. We are staying near Gothic (Juame). How long and how much will it take to get there?
Hi Pam,
In order to be able to give you the best possible advice, I need you to tell me the name or address of your hotel, which terminal you fly in to and at roughly what time?
Generally speaking, if you are staying in the area near Plaça de Sant Jaume / La Rambla I suggest you take the Aerobus which takes 40 minutes to get from the airport to Plaça de Catalunya. Tickets fro the Aerobus cost €5.90, more information in the article above.
If you are staying near to the Jaume I metro station / El Born then the airport train plus metro could also be a good choice.
As I said before, if you let me know where you are staying, I’ll be able to give you a more specific answer.
Hello, could you please advise me some good cheap private transportation for 14 people from EL Prat to the Hotel Catalonia Rigoletto?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Renata,
I recommend you check out Book Taxi Barcelona who in addition to taxis also provide minibuses and coaches at competitive prices.
Hi Richard,
We will be staying at Hotel Sagrada Familia, what is the best way to get there from the Bcn airport.
We will be arriving in the morning next week.
Thanks!
antonio
Hi Antonio,
Which is best depends on your priorities.
The fastest and most convenient way to get from the airport to your hotel would be by Taxi. This would take approximately 30 minutes and cost around €30.
If like me you prefer a more budget friendly option, then I’d suggest you purchase a T10 travel pass at the airport train station and take the train and metro to your hotel. This would cost you less than €1 per person and would take approximately one hour (depending on whether you land at terminal 1 or terminal 2). Note that if there are several of you travelling together then you can share one T10 travel pass between you.
If your flight lands at terminal 1 then you should get the free shuttle bus to terminal 2 because the metro which also links the two terminals is NOT covered by the T10 (more information in the article above).
Take the airport train from the station at T2 to Barcelona Sants and from there take the metro L5 (blue line) to Sagrada Familia. The train and metro stations at Barcelona Sants are linked by a large vestibule with a few shops and bars.
When you arrive at Sagrada Familia metro station, you’ll see that there are pictograms indicating which exit to take for the basilica. You want to take the other exit because it’d slightly nearer to your hotel which is 2 blocks from the station.
Alternatively, if you think that you will be using the metro a lot during your stay then you could purchase an Hola BCN travel pass (see links in the article above). In this case you could take the L9 metro from the airport to Collblanc and the blue line (L5) from there to the Sagrada Familia. Note that if you are arriving at terminal 2 then the train, although less frequent, may be faster and is also covered by the HolaBCN card.
Hi,
I was wondering what is the best way for me to get from Barcelona Airport to Marina metro station. I was going to take l9 sud but realise that is a lot longer. If I took the renfe train and got it to El Clot Arago station do I need to walk to the clot metro as I will be on my own at night? Which way would be the safest?
Hi Deborah,
There’s no need to worry, the Clot metro station and Clot Arago train station are linked so you don’t need to go outside.
When you get off the train take the escalator or lift up from the platform to the vestibule. You then need to go through the ticket barriers which are straight in front of you (you’ll see a small cafe/bar just to the left of the ticket barriers).
Once thru the gates continue straight ahead and up a few steps then up a second escalator. At the top of the escalator turn right and follow the passageway round to the metro station. If at any point you find yourself outside just turn around and try again :-)
Just thought of a quick tip: When you catch the train at the airport try and get a seat close to the back of the train (closest to the ticket barriers). That way you’l minimise the distance that you have to walk when you get to Clot Arago train station because you’ll alight at the end of the platform nearest to the escalator.
hi Richard,
We are staying at hotel sagrada familia, what is the cheapest way to get from Bcn terminal 1 ?
thanks!
tony
Hi Tony,
Assuming that you’re arriving before that last train (departs at 11:38pm) the cheapest way to get from the airport to your hotel will be to purchase a T10 travel card and take the train and metro. This will cost you just under €1 each (the T10 costs €9.95 for 10 jurneys and can be shared between 2 or more people).
Take the free shuttle bus from T1 to T2, then cross the bridge to the train station and purchase a T10 from the ticket machines (you can share one T10 travel card between 2 or more people).
Take the airport train to Barcelona Sants train station (3rd stop). From here you catch the metro L5 (blue line) to Sagrada Familia (5 stops). Your hotel is 2 blocks away from the metro station.
How long it will take depends on how lucky you are with connections because there are only 2 trains per hour. If you are lucky it will take just over an hour in total to get from terminal 1 to your hotel.
See the links in the article above for metro map and train timetables.
hi Richard.. whats best way to get to carrer de sicilla Barcelona 109. any help would be great …
Hi Pat,
The airport train would be a good choice for that address. Take the T2 train from terminal 2 to Barcelona Sants station then either R1, R3 or R4 to Arc de Triomf train station.
This should take about half an hour depending on how lucky you are with connections. The train from Sants station to Arc de Triomf normally leaves from platform 8 but you should check the screens at the station to make sure.
Your hotel is a five minute walk (more or less) from Arc de Triomf.
If your flight lands at BCN terminal one then you will need to catch the free shuttle bus to terminal 2.
Good Morning
Please could you advise on the best mode of transport from BCN Airport to our apartment near the Sagrada Familia.
Would it be to get the Hola BCN card and take the L9 Metro to Colblanc and then the L5 metro?
Or the Aerobus to Plaça de Catalunya and then the L2 metro?
Can YOU advise how long both journies take please?
Thanks
Jonathan
Hello Jonathan,
The faster of those two options will be to take the Aerobus and then change to the metro L2 at Plaça de la Universitat (not Plaça de Catalunya as you suggested) The journey should take about 50 minutes.
The L9 metro option Will take around an hour.
The decision about the Hola BCN card largely depends which mode of transport you plan to use to and from the airport, how adverse are you to walking and your arrival and departure times. Remember that the Hola BCN card is calendar days so if you arrive in the evening you might not use It much on the first day.
If you choose the Aerobus from the airport then (unless you plan to use the metro a lot) you might be better off purchasing a t10 travel card when you arrive at the metro at Plaça de la Universitat.
Don’t forget that if your flight lands at terminal 2 then the airport train is also a good option.
I Hope this helps, if you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Hi I need to transfer from Barcelona airport to the cruise terminal. would like to use train/ bus- what are the best options. Should I use T10 card.
Ray
Hi Ray,
Unfortunately there is no direct public transport connection from Barcelona airport to the cruise terminals.
If you want to use a T10 travel card then you can take the train from the train station at Barcelona airport terminal 2 to Passeig de Gràcia. From here you can then catch the metro to the Drassanes metro stop (green line – L3, 3 stops) which is close to the Christopher Columbus monument where you can catch the T3 Portbus to your cruise ship.
The T3 Portbus costs €3 and has to be paid for in cash on the bus, it is not covered by the T10.
If your flight lands at Barcelona airport terminal 1 then you will also need to catch the free shuttle bus from T1 to T2. There’s more information about the shuttle bus between the airport terminals in the article above.
Alternatively you could catch the aerobus from either of the airport terminals to Plaça de Catalunya and catch the metro (green line L3) from Plaça de Catalunya to the Drassanes metro stop and the Portbus from the Columbus monument to your cruise ship.
The aerobus is also not covered by the T10, tickets can be purchased at the bus stop upon arrival in Barcelona or in advance online (see article above).
If you don’t have much luggage then it would take around 15 to 20 minutes to walk down La Rambla from the Aerobus stop to the Columbus monument.
The decision as to whether it is worth purchasing the T10 will depend on how many people are in your party and how many journeys you will be taking in Barcelona. The Aerobus plus a single metro ticket will cost €8.05 whereas the T10 costs €9.95 and can be shared by two or more people and is valid for 10 journeys.
If you are arriving at terminal 1 then the aerobus has the advantage that it connects directly to Plaça de Catalunya.
Hi Richard,
I’m travelling from the Black Swan hostel which I think is near Arc de Triumf station, which route would you suggest is the best way to get from there to terminal 1 at the airport if I didn’t get a taxi?
Thanks,
Sophie
Hi Sophie,
Assuming your flight isn’t very early in the morning or late at night…
I’d catch the train from Arc de Triomf to Sants train station (lines R1, R3 and R4 will all take you to Barcelona Sants) and then the R2 train to the airport terminal T2. There are free shuttle buses from T2 to T1. Depending on connections this will take about an hour and if you have purchased a T10 travel card (see my comment to Sorin below) will cost just under €1.
You could also catch the L1 metro to Plaça d’Espanya or Plaça de Catalunya and then the A1 Aerobus from there to Terminal 1. This would be slightly faster but cost a little more. Timetables and prices are linked to in the article above.
Thank you very much!
Hi Richard,
My name is Sorin and I will arriving at Terminal 1 on November 30th at 14:55 and then I was intending to get the bus or metro to our hotel GLORIES, Padilla 173.
Please advice what is the cheapest and safe way to get there.
Many thanks in advance
Sorin
Hello Sorin,
The cheapest way from the airport to your hotel is to purchase a T10 travel card and use the train from T2.
The T10 allows 10 “integrated” trips which means that you can change between train/ metro/ bus and tram in the same journey and it only counts as one trip. The T10 costs €9.95 which works out at less than €1 per trip if you use it 10 times. If you’re in Barcelona for a few days it’s well worth buying, it’s the card that most locals use. It’s also worth noting that one T10 can be shared between 2 or more people.
You can buy the T10 from the machines at the airport train station, they accept cash or credit cards.
To get to your hotel you first need to take the free shuttle bus from T1 to T2 and then walk to the train station as described in the article above. From T2 you catch the R2 train to Passeig de Gràcia train station. Then you need to take the L2 metro line two stops to the Monumental metro station.
Your hotel is 2 blocks from the metro station, about a five minute walk.
Many thanks Richard for your detailed info.
But what about L9 orange metro line from T1 up to Terrassa Station and then L1 red metro line up to Glories Station?
Could be this ok?
Thank you.
Hi Sorin,
You could take the L9 sud but it would be more expensive because the T10 is not valid for the metro from the airport.
There is a “special” ticket which costs €4.50.
Dear Richard,
Thank you once again for your detailed info regarding posibilities to reach our hotel.
We have decided to visit F1 circuit of Catalunia. Please advice how can we travel to this one.
Thank you in advance.
Hi Sorin,
Assuming you’re going for the formula 1 or moto GP, there are two public transport options available to get to the F1 circuit at Montmeló.
The cheapest way is to take the train which costs just €2.50. Regular commuter trains run from Barcelona Sants to Montmeló.
The last time you contacted me you were staying at Hotel Glories at Padilla 173, in which case the most convenient station to catch the train is Clot-Aragó.
You can check timetables here although on race days RENFE puts additional trains on. Even so you can expect them to be very busy. Once you arrive at Montmeló, if there’s a race on then there will be shuttle buses from the train station to the track.
Alternatively you could take the bus from Barcelona Estació del Nord (near to the Arc de Triomf metro station). The buses only run or race days, more information here.
Thank you once again.
Hi Richard,
My wife and I are arriving at Terminal 1 on Sunday night at 17.40 and then I was intending to get the train and metro to our hotel near the Drassenes Metro stop.
I was however unsure whether to get off at Sants or Passeig Garcia to change to the Green Line Metro. As we’ll each have a case and a piece of hand luggage I suppose the question is which is the easier station to make the transition in.
I have looked at various websites to try and get an indication of any ‘difficulties’ but can’t get a clear picture of what to expect. Though both of us are capable of getting about and handling our luggage I want to try and make the passage from plane to hotel as trouble free as possible
Many thanks in advance
Dave
Hi Dave,
I think that Passeig de Gràcia is the easiest place to make the change from the airport train to the green line (Line 3).
Just don’t get confused between metro lines because, luckily for you, line 3 is close to the train station whereas lines 2 and 4 are connected by a long tunnel.
The platform you want is signposted as L3 Zona Universitària.
hi plz need ur advise its my first time to barcelona ill arrive friday 14:10 and need cheap transportation to my hotel Hotel Cortés , Carrer de Santa Anna, 25, 08002 Barcelona, Spain thx a lot
Hello Remonda,
Hotel Cortés is next to Plaça de Catalunya so I recommend that you take the aerobus which will cost €5.90 and take aproximately 35 minutes.
This link shows the walk from the aerobus stop to your hotel.
I arrive at BCN airport at 04:00 on a Monday and need to go to Hotel Canton (near Plaça del Duc de Medinaceli). Then i leave again the hotel on Thursday and need to be back at BCN airport at 07:40. Any simple solution please?
Hello Nicholai,
The simplest solution will be to take a taxi.
A taxi from the airport to your hotel will take about 25 minutes and cost in the region of €32 each way.
Other alternatives:
Since your flight arrives at 4am the only public transport option at that time will be to take the night bus. Depending on which terminal you arrive at it will be either the N16 (Terminal 2) or N17 (terminal 1) to Plaça de España.
By the time you arrive at Plaça de Espanya the metro will be running (it starts at 5am) so you can then take the green line metro 3 stops to Drassanes which is a short walk from your hotel. The total journey time from the airport to your hotel will be around an hour and a quarter.
When you return to the airport on the Thursday you could catch the metro from Drassanes to Plaça de Espanya and then take the Aerobus from there to the airport. This would take around 45 minutes. If you chose this option, don’t forget that there are 2 Aerobus routes; A1 which goes to terminal T1 and A2 which goes to terminal T2.
Another alternative would be to take the metro 5 stops to Sants Estació then catch the train to Terminal 2. The metro/train combination is a little cheaper than using the aerobus but will generally take a bit longer because there are only two trains per hour (see timetable linked to in the article above) and it takes a few minutes to walk from the train station to the terminal (if you will be flying out from T1 you will also have to catch the free shuttle bus between terminals). The advantage of the train is that you can use travel cards such as the T10 or HolaBCN! Which aren’t valid for the Aerobus.
Hi Richard,
Please advise what transport should I take from Barcelona airport to hotel (Calle Mallorca 255 – Principal, Barcelona 08008).
I wise to try Aerobus.
Hi Sam,
Your hotel is only a 5 minute walk from Passeig de Gracia train station so if I were you I’d take the airport train from terminal 2.
Trains depart every 30 minutes from 5:42am 11:38pm.
Here’s a map with the walking route from the train station to your hotel marked on it.
The article above explains how to get to the airport train station.
You could take the aerobus but you’d need to either take the metro or a taxi from Plaça de Catalunya to your hotel or walk for 15 minutes. It’s a pleasant walk but best done without luggage.
Hello. I’ve got a question. What will be the cheapest way to get from Airport EL Prat to Bellaterra Universitat Autonoma. I want to buy T10 ticket ?Waitnig for response.Thank You
Hello Mike,
It’s possible to use the T10 travel card to get from Barcelona airport to the UAB campus in Bellaterra and assuming that you will also be using the train to travel to and from the university during your stay it will undoubtedly be the cheapest option.
The campus is in zone 2 so you will need to buy a 2 zone T10 which costs €19.60 for 10 trips and can be purchased from the ticket machines at the airport train station.
To get from the airport to Bellaterra, take the train from terminal T2 to Barcelona Sants train station (R2 Nord, 3rd stop). From here take the metro L5 (blue line) 3 stops to Diagonal metro station.
Diagonal metro station is connected to the Provença FGC train station where you can catch a train to the Universitat Autònoma (map here).
Rodalies-RENFE, metro and FGC trains are “integrated” so you will only use one journey of the T10 for this entire journey which will cost cost just €1.96 and take about and hour and a quarter.
If you are flying in to terminal T1 then you will also need to catch the free shuttle bus to terminal 2.
Hello Richard,
We need to go from BCN airport to Joanic subway station.
What is the fastest way and of course the cheapest way.
Thank you in advance !
Hello Di,
Unfortunately the fastest and the cheapest way from the airport aren’t the same mode of transport! ;-)
The fastest way of getting from the airport to Joanic metro station will be to take a taxi which will cost around €30 and will take about half an hour depending on which terminal you arrive at, the time of day and the traffic.
The cheapest way will be by public transport.
It’s hard give precise details without knowing at what time and in which terminal your flight arrives. Generally speaking the best budget option will be to take the train from terminal 2 to Passeig de Gràcia train station then take the metro from there to Joanic (yellow line L4).
The journey will take approximately an hour, depending on which terminal you arrive at and how lucky you are with connections (trains depart every 30 minutes – see timetable linked to above). If you are flying in to Barcelona airport T1 then there is a free shuttle bus to terminal 2. Note – there’s a bit of walking involved – between 5 and 10 minutes from passport control to the train then 5 minutes from the train to the metro at Passeig de Gràcia.
The price depends on whether you purchase single tickets or a travel pass. Generally I recommend the T10 travel card which entitles you to 10 trips by train/metro/bus/tram (including combinations) and can be shared between 2 or more people. The entire journey from the airport to Joanic counts as one journey and works out at €1 per person using the T10. You can buy the T10 from the vending machines at the airport train station.
If you tell me more about when you will be arriving, at which terminal and how many are in your group I’ll try to give you a more exact itinerary but generally speaking the train/metro combination is a good option for that area of the city.
Hopefully this helps, let me know if there’s anything you’re not clear about.
Hi there ,
I am flying into BCN and staying in Girona. One problem I am having is trying to figure out what is the best option getting back for the flight home which leaves at 7.30am on a Saturday. What would you suggest as the best option for getting to the airport that early and from Girona.
Thanks for the great article
Hi Caitlyn,
I think that the only budget option at that time of day is the direct bus from Girona to Barcelona airport. Route No. 602, timetable here. The earliest bus arrives at the airport T2 at 4:55 and ten minutes later at T1.
Hi
I am travelling with my wife from airport to Hotel Turin near Ciutat Vella 08001 tomorrow.Just wondered which is the best option for us to get there ?
We arrive around around 21.00 on a Sunday evening. No luggage to speak of and happy to take the cheaper options..
Thanks in advance
Hi Robert,
Your hotel is located near the Ramblas, a short walk from Plaça de Catalunya.
I recommend you take the Aerobus which takes about half an hour from the airport to Plaça de Catalunya.
Here’s a link to a map of the walk from the bus stop to your hotel.
Have a great time in Barcelona and if you have any more questions feel free to ask.
Hi Richard, great article, I’m travelling home tomorrow and was wondering if it’s possible to walk to the airport, I’ve not had long in the city and wouldn’t mind a walk, I’ve looked on google maps and it’s a 10 mile trek which is fine, do you know of any reason that I couldn’t do this?
I’ve got young legs, small baggage and plenty of time before my flight so none of these are concerns haha Thanks
George
Hi George,
I guess it would be possible although I’ve never heard of anyone walking to the airport.
I don’t think it would be very enjoyable though because you will be walking along busy roads through an industrial area of the city full of factories and warehouses.
I’d suggest you enjoy a scenic walk in the city and then catch the bus or train to the airport.
If you decide to do it, take care and let us know how you get on.
Good luck!
Great post!
My hotel is near Pg De Gracia. Me & my wife have one medium luggage each and one backpack each (total 4). We are landing on Saturday, and Renfe sounds promising but I am confused about the luggage. What do you suggest Renfe or Aerobus?
Hi RD,
As long as you’re OK to lift your luggage on and off the train, go up and down escalators and walk with it then you’ll be fine taking the airport train.
Once on the train it’s best to try and get the sideways facing seats that run parallel to the aisle because there’s more legroom and space for your luggage.
Personally, I’ve used the train to and from the airport on numerous occasions with a large (120l) wheeled case and a small (10l) backpack.
Hola!
We´re travelling from Estonia to Spain and are arriving in El Prat airport on 18.05.2016 around 18.30 in the evening. Could you give us some advice, how could we get from the airport to Avinguda Mare Nostrum between Gambrils and Miami Platja? Is there any public transport that goes directly to our destination during this time? Or are there any other options (for reasonable price) :) ?
Gracias!
Heleri
Hi Heleri,
I guess you mean “between Cambrils and Miami Platja” – right?
Going by public transport, I think that the best way would be to take the Bus Plana bus from Barcelona airport Terminal T1 to Cambrils.
There’s a bus at 19:55 that would get you to Cambrils at 22:10. It normally takes around half an hour between landing and clearing baggage claim. If for any reason you miss that one then according to the Bus Plana website there are buses every hour until 23:55.
There are urban buses run by the same company which connect from Cambrils via Miami Platja to L’Hospitalet de L’Infant with several stops along the way (see link for more information about the bus stops). But arriving at this time of day I’d suggest a taxi from Cambrils to your hotel or campsite (it should take about 15 minutes)
Alternatively you could take the airport train from Terminal 2 to Barcelona Sants and then from there to either Cambrils or L’Hospitalet de l’Infant. I guess you’d catch the train that leaves Barcelona Sants at 21:03.
There’s a free shuttle bus to get from T1 to T2 and vice versa (more info in the article above)
Enjoy your holiday!
Hi, im flying into Barcelona next month but then travelling inland to a place called Mora la Nova. What is my best option using the train ? Can i get the train direct from the airport to Mora la Nova or do i need to travel to Barcelona Sants first then catch a different train from there ?
Any help would be must appreciated
Hi Michael,
It’s not a route that I am familiar with but I’ve checked on the Rodalies and RENFE websites and there are no direct trains from Barcelona airport to Móra la Nova.
The most straightfoward option (only one change) will be to take the train from the airport (Terminal 2) to Sants and then take the R15 line from there to Móra La Nova.
Here’s a link to the timetable which lists the stops.
There are 5 or 6 so called Regional Express trains a day from Barcelona to Móra la Nova (Check the colour codes at the bottom of the timetable, some trains only run at weekends).
Alternatively, depending on what time your flight lands, you could also think about changing at El Prat de Llobregat and taking the R2S train line from there to Vilanova i la Geltrú to connect with the R15 train line. This option could be especially relevant if you are arriving at terminal T1 because instead of getting the free shuttle bus to T2 you could take the airport metro straight to El Prat Estació (don’t forget that if you choose this option it will add €4.50 to the journey price).
Here’s a link to the R2 timetable
I know you asked about trains, but if you are arriving very early in the day then it looks like HIFE run a direct bus from the airport (Terminal 1) to Móra la Nova which takes just over 2 and a half hours and departs at 7:45 am more info here.
There are various other possible bus combinations, if you can understand simple Spanish or Catalan (or use Google Chrome) then this site is quite useful for route planning.
Hopefully the info in the links will be useful, if you have any questions feel free to ask. Enjoy your trip.
Thanks for the info, it makes good reading and was very helpful.
Hi Stuart,
Thanks for the feedback, I’m glad you found the information useful.
Hi Richard, how long will it take to travel from airport Terminal 1 to a hotel near Sagrada Familia? I have one large luggage (not heavy). Is it reasonably easy?
Or I better take aerobus and then metro?
Thanks!
Nelson
Hi Nelson,
Assuming that you’re OK to move your luggage using lifts or escalators then in your case (from BCN Terminal 1 to the Sagrada Familia) I think that the new L9 sud metro line would be the easier option of the 2.
You will need to take the L9 sud from the airport to the Collblanc metro stop where you transfer to L5 (the blue line on the metro maps) which takes you to Sagrada Familia metro station (direction Vall d’Hebron).
I did this exact same journey last month and it took about an hour.
The ticket will cost you €4.50 and the change from one line to the other is easy, take either the escalators or lift up to line 5.
It’s straightfoward and one ticket will cover the entire journey.
At the Sagrada Familia metro station there are a choice of elevators, stairs or escalators up from the platform to the vestibule then lifts or stairs up to street level.
I hope this helps. Enjoy your stay in Barcelona!
Hi Richard I am traveling to barcelona aerport on april with veuling from Malta and I don’t know which terminal I am going to stop.how I am going to know which termminal is .II am staying at barceloneta beach thanks for your help
Hi Josette,
I believe that Vueling flights land at Terminal 1.
To make sure you could resend your flight details via the vueling website (the manage your booking tab half way down the page).
Alternatively you could look on a flight tracking site like flightaware.com
Hi, great site!
I have read the article above but cant decide which is the most suitable option for me. I need to get from T2 to Carrer De Corsega 226 when i arrive and also when i am on my return journey home the opposite way round, but i wanted the cheapest possible cost so couldn’t decide which of the travel card i would be better off with. I also intend to go to the circuit de Catalunya a couple of times which is making it even more difficult for me to decide where the best value is.
Regards
Simon
Hi Simon,
If you’re looking for the cheapest possible way to do this, are traveling alone and are only going to use public transport to get from and to the airport and then to travel to and from Montmeló twice to see the Formula One or Moto GP (a total of 6 journeys ) and don’t mind walking a fair bit then the cheapest option is to purchase single tickets for each journey for a total of €14.30
Bus number 46 from terminal 2 to Plaça Espanya costs just €2.15. It’s about a 30 minute walk from the bus stop to your hotel.
Trains to Montmeló leave from Passeig de Gràcia train station (15 minute walk from your hotel) and cost €2.50. Once you arrive at Montmeló it’s about a 30 minute walk from the train station to the race track.
I believe that there’s also a shuttle bus from the station to the track which costs around €1 (haven’t used it).
You could also use the airport train to get from Terminal 2 to Passeig de Gràcia train station which would cost €4.10. It’s quite a bit faster than the bus and closer to your hotel. A definite advantage when carrying heavy luggage. If you choose the train option then the 6 journeys will cost you €18.20.
If you think you might want to use public transport for travelling round Barcelona or there’s more than one in your group you should think about buying a T10 travel pass. One advantage of the T10 is that it allows you to transfer between metro, train, bus and tram as part of a single journey.
A 2 zone T10 would cover all the above trips plus give you 4 additional journeys on the metro/train/bus/tram for just €19.60 so better value over all.
Alternatively if you think you will want to use the metro more for visiting the sights then you could purchase a 1 zone T10 (€9.95) for the journey between the airport and your hotel (Take the train to Barcelona Sants then metro L5 to Hospital Clinic) and single train tickets the days that you go to the circuit. Total price €19.95 but with the advantage of 8 journeys left over for sightseeing in Barcelona.
Don’t forget that you can share T10 and Bonotren travel cards between two or more people. So if there are 2 of you travelling you could share a 1 zone T10 (€9.95) for the journey between the airport and your hotel and a 2 zone Bonotren (€14.35) for the 2 trips by train to Montmeló. Total cost €12.15 per person and with 8 additional journeys left for the days that you spend in the Barcelona.
I hope this helps, if you have any more questions feel free to ask.
We are three staying for one night. Arriving in the airport in the morning and leaving next day. Need to go to City centre and come back next day. Will cover few of the attractions during the day.
What kind of ticket I should purchase for three of us. Please advise
Hello Sabbir,
It depends on several factors:
Which terminal will you arrive and depart and at what time?
Where is your hotel located?
Which attractions do you plan to visit?
Which days are you going to be in Barcelona (some museums are free on the first Sunday of the month and on Saturday or Sunday afternoons)
If you tell me a little more about your plans it will help me to give you the best possible advice.
As a Barcelona resident it’s great to see a website with solid, accurate and up to date advice.
Well done.
Hi Tim,
Thanks for the feedback, I try to keep everything as up to date as possible.
Hi
I came across this BCN.travel.com and purchased shuttle transports from them for June 2016 stay in Barcelona and cruise. They have reasonable price of about $27 US dollars for 2 people. The shuttle service is called From2Travel. Have you heard of it or any experience with this transportation.
Hi Sally,
Sorry but I’ve no experience with either of the companies you mentioned. The thing that puts me off shared hotel transfers in general is that you never know exactly when they are going to depart or how many hotels they are going to stop at before they get to yours.
Enjoy your stay in Barcelona
Hello, will be visiting Barcelona later this month and want to use the train then metro to get from the airport to our apartment on Carrer de Casp near Arc de Triomf metro. Which train station should we use when changing to the metro?
Thanks
Hi Mike,
The station at Arc de Triomf is also a train station so, instead of transfering to the metro, it’s easiest to take the airport train to Sants (third stop) and then another train from there to your apartment.
Lines R1, R3 and R4 all stop at Arc de Triomf.
When you arrive at Sants train station, take the escalator up from the platform and check the screens to see which platform the onward train departs from. I think that it’s normally platform 8, Arc de Triomf is the second stop.
Enjoy your stay in Barcelona!
Hello, I wanna ask about the travel pass. I have purchased ‘Hola Bcn’ pass for our trip in Barcelona from the TMB website that offers 10% discount after purchasing online. Will arrive at El-Prat airport on Sunday. Can I know where to redeem the vouchers? Does they have the vending machine to redeem the voucher at the El-Prat Airport. Hopefully you can help. Thank you
Hello Lyn,
Funnily enough I got asked a similar question last week (see above) and unfortunately it seems that if you purchase an Hola BCN card via the TMB website then you won’t be able to redeem the voucher at the airport.
To be honest, the information on the website is a bit ambiguous. Firstly, on the page where it describes the benefits of the travel pass it states:
So clearly you can use the pass for the airport train. BUT when you click through the 10% discount link to the Barcelona Smart Moving website, it says that you can either redeem the vouchers at the ticket machines in metro stations or have the card posted to you (at additional cost).
I’ve not used a Hola BCN! card myself so, just to be 100% sure, I phoned the telephone number given on the website (in the footer below the “buy now” button) and they confirmed that if you purchased a voucher from their site you can’t exchange it at the airport, only at the ticket machines in metro stations. They said that you’d have to purchase a train ticket to Barcelona Sants station (which is both a train and metro station) and then redeem the voucher at the machines once you get there.
I also asked whether they refund cost of the train ticket to the city centre when you redeem the voucher and they said no. They went on to point out that you would be able to use the Hola BCN! transport pass for the return journey to the airport.
I know that this information doesn’t help you because you’ve already bought your tickets, but hopefully it will help others who read this post:
If you decide to purchase a HolaBCN! travel card, and are planning on using public transport to get from the airport to the city centre, then it’s best to either purchase it online from the Barcelona Tourism website (see link in the comment above, currently offering 5% discount) or wait and buy it from one of the tourist information offices at Barcelona airport when you arrive.
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news! Enjoy your stay in Barcelona and if you have any more questions feel free to ask…
This is an important update to my previous reply.
The new metro line from Barcelona airport to the city centre opened on February 12th 2016. This means that you can now purchase the HolaBCN! travel card from the ticket machines at the metro stations at terminals T1 and T2.
The machines can also be used to redeem vouchers purchased from the TMB or Barcelona Smart Moving websites.
We bought our discounted Hola ticket online and we used the vending machine at the airport to redeem for Hola tickets by simply putting in the code. I agree that the information on the website is confusing. We were looking for the Tourism information at the airport. We could not find any such counter. AIRPORT information. Directed us to the Metro station at the airport where we got our tickets, it’s easy. We are enjoying using Hola tickets for all our travel
Hi Sheella,
Thanks for your comment, I’m glad everthing worked out for you.
As you say, since the new metro from Barcelona airport opened in February 2016 it’s now possible to purchase the HolaBCN travel pass or redeem vouchers at the machines in both of the airport metro stations.
For future reference, here’s a couple of links showing where the tourist information offices are located in terminal T1 and T2.
I have purchased the “Hola BCN” Travel pass for our trip to barcelona.
It states we can collect the passes at the airport in terminal 2 but doesn’t actually tell you were.
Are we looking for a machine or a ticket desk?
Little bit lost before we’ve even arrived
Any help??
Hi CJ,
It depends where you bought the passes from!
If you purchased them online from barcelona turisme then you can pick your Hola BCN! travel cards up at the tourist information offices at either of the 2 airport terminals. There’s one in the arrivals area of Terminal T2 here.
If you bought them from the official TMB website then unfortunately you won’t be able to collect your travel passes at the airport.
The TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) and Barcelona Smart Moving websites both state the following;
If you bought your tickets from a travel agent, ticket agency or another website I suggest you send them an Email to make sure.
Enjoy your stay in Barcelona and if you have any further questions feel free to ask.
This is an important update to my previous reply which is now out of date.
The new L9 sud metro line from Barcelona airport to the city centre opened on February 12th 2016. This means that you can now purchase the HolaBCN! travel card from the ticket machines at the metro stations at terminals T1 and T2.
The machines can also be used to redeem vouchers purchased from the TMB or Barcelona Smart Moving websites.
I’m not sure why there is a growing stigma against taxis. Every time we have used a taxi service to get from the airport to a hotel, we have had great customer service! Shuttles and alternative services like Uber can get really expensive really fast.
Hi Jenn,
Thanks for your comment. I don’t think that there is really any stigma in using taxis.
It’s just that, with the ever increasing amount of information available on the web, people are now more interested exploring the different options which are available and weighing up the pros and cons before deciding how to spend their money.
Interesting that you mention Uber because last year Uber was banned in Spain on the grounds of unfair competition (unlike taxis the drivers aren’t licensed, don’t pay taxes etc…).
One of the most comfortable and stress free ways to go from Barcelona airport to city is also by booking a private transfer, including meet & greet at arrival lounge.
Congrats for your blog, Richard. we have included it in our favourites list http://www.booktaxibcn.com/blogs-we-love
Hi,
Thanks for your comment and for including my blog in your list.
I would just like to point out that bus 46 does not go to Plaça Catalunya. It ends at Plaça Espanya which is about 2,6 Km from Plaça Catalunya.
I do not recommend this bus since it is always very crowded, there’s no room for luggage and it is really slow since it stops 20 times before it gets to Plaça Espanya!!
Hello Nuria,
Thanks for reading and for pointing out the error, I’ve now corrected the post.
Hi Richard – I’ve been to Barcelona once before but went by taxi from the airport.
Your article has certainly made me realise that the other options may be worth a try.
Thanks
Hello Malcolm, thanks for reading!
I think that for the majority of people a taxi is the most convenient choice.
Personally I prefer to use the train / metro combination if I have time. It takes a bit longer but is considerably cheaper. If you are staying in the centre of town then the aerobus is a good choice.