Barcelona's aiport
Photo courtesy of Aena Aeropuertos.
Arriving in Barcelona by plane and getting to and from El Prat airport
Barcelona’s Aeroport El Prat airport (tel. +34-913-211-000; www.aena.es) is 16km (10 miles) southeast of the city.
Other Barcelona airports
For info on the Girona-Costa Brava airport, used by some no-frills airlines, see below.
Hardly any airline uses Barcelona's secondary Reus Airport anymore, though you can find info on it at www.aena.es.
Terminal T1 handles most international flights.
Temrinal T2 handles some inter-European and most low-cost carrier flights.
In the arrivals halls are several ATMs and a tourist information desk.
How to get between El Prat airport and Barcelona
For once, the fastest choice is also (pretty much) the cheapest—take the train.
If you want personalized, door-to-door service to your hotel, you can actually take a private car service for half the cost of a taxi.
- By train (19–27 min; €3.80)
The R2 line of the reigional Rodilies Barcelona train system (www.rodaliesdecatalunya.cat) runs every 30 minutes from the airport to Estació Sants train station and then on to Plaça de Catalunya and Passeig de Gracia in the city center. (At Sants, you could also switch—at no extra charge—to another "R" line to take you elsewhere in the city.) - By airport bus (30–35 min; €5.90)
Two city "Aerobuses" (www.aerobusbcn.com) make the trip between El Prat airport and Plaça de Catalunya downtown (where the stop is in front of the El Corte Inglés department store). Bus A1 services Terminal 1 every 5–10 minutes. Bus A2 services Terminal 2 every 10–20 minutes. - By city bus (40–50 min; €2)
City bus No. 46 makes the trip between the airport and Plaça de Espanya, on the center's southwestern edge (and the intersection of three Metro lines: L1, L3, L8). Since this is a local bus making local stops, it will take longer than the Aerobus, but it is cheaper. - By private car service (30–35 min; €16.30)
You can get a private transfer between the airport and your hotel (or the port to catch a cruise) through our partners at Viator.com for about half the cost of a taxi. - By taxi (30–35 min; €27–€35)
A taxi into town will run you about €27 (downtown) to €33 (the port), plus a €1 supplement per piece of luggage—and, of course, the tip. It's actually way cheaper to hire a private car (see above).
The Girona-Costa Brava airport
Some low-cost airlines—notably Ryanair and Wizz Air—use the Girona-Costa Brava airport (tel. +34-913-211-000; www.aena.es), about 90km (56 miles) northeast of Barcelona, and call it "Barcelona."
You can, indeed, get to Barcelona from the Girona-Costa Brava airport; it just takes longer.
How to get between Girona airport and Barcelona
Take the bus. It's the fastest and (usually) the cheapest.
- By bus (75 min; €16)
Barcelona Bus/Sagalés bus No. 604 (tel. +34-902-361-550 or +34-902-130-014; www.barcelonabus.com) runs once or twice per hour (generally timed to the arrival of Ryanair flights, leaving 20–25 minutes after they land) to Barcelona's Estació del Nord bus station (platforms 28 and 29, usually) near Arc de Triomf. (This bus company also connects with downtown Girona, and the Girona airport with Barcelona's El Prat airport.) - By train (90 min; €39.95 or 140 min; €13.25)
First you have to get a Sagalés bus (www.barcelonabus.com) from the airport to the downtown Girona train station (30 min; €2.75), where you can switch to a Barcelona-bound train—either high speed (40 min; €37.20) or regional (90 min; €10.50). Pad an extra 20 min. for waiting or that train. In all, not a wise option. - By taxi (75 min; €123–€140)
Yeah, taxis are monstrously expensive. Those prices are approximate, with the €140 fare for nights or weekends, €123 for weekdays.
Tips & Links
If you're just passing through, I'd give Barcelona at least two full days.
It is a lovely place to relax, however, so you might be happier spending 3-4 days.
SIGHTS
Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info
Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)
Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com
LODGING
Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com
B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com
Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.com
Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com
TRANSPORT
Airfares:
Airports: Aena.es
Trains: Raileurope.com (throughout Europe), Renfe.com (within Spain), Bahn.de (throughout Europe), Seat61.com
Public transport: Barcelona Card (free transport; sightseeing); Search all public transit: mou-te.gencat.cat; Metro/Bus: Tmb.cat; Tram: Trambcn.com; Light rail: Fgc.cat; Taxi: Taxibarcelona.cat
Car rentals: Autoeurope.com, RentalCars.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com
Barcelona has two types of sightseeing/transport passes:
There's a full description of both passes here, but in brief: The only museum covered fully by the Museum Pass that is not also covered by the Barcelona Card is the Museu Picasso (where you get only a 20% discount with the Barcelona Card).
You can also get discounts (usually 10% to 20%) on a wide range of sights, activites, and shows if you have a hop-on/hop-off bus ticket.
- Sightseeing
- Food & wine
- Day-trips
- Excursions
- Barcelona in One Day Sightseeing Tour
- Artistic Barcelona Afternoon Tour
- Barcelona Morning Sightseeing Tour
- Context: Welcome To Barcelona
- Skip the Line: Best of Barcelona Private Tour including Sagrada Familia
- Skip the Line: Barcelona Sagrada Familia Tour
- Context: Gaudi in Context
- Context: Gothic Quarter
- Barcelona Modernism and Gaudi Walking Tour
- Context: Dragon Hunt, Family Orientation to Barcelona
- Gaudí’s La Pedrera at Night: A Behind-Closed-Doors Tour in Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: Montserrat Day Trip and Barcelona Gaudi Tour
- Barcelona Walking Tour: Picasso and Picasso Museum
- Context: Picasso's Barcelona
- Skip the Line: Best of Barcelona Private Tour including Sagrada Familia
- Gaudi's Park Güell Guided Walking Tour
- Skip-the-Line Barcelona Walking Tour: Palau de la Musica, Picasso Museum and Gaudi's Casa Batlló
- Context: Barcelona and the Sea
- Skip the Line: Gaudi's Casa Batlló Ticket with Audio Tour
- Context: Montjuic, Conquering the Mountain
- Context: Homage to Catalonia, the Spanish Civil War in Barcelona
- Barcelona Coastal Tour by Scooter
- Barcelona Gaudi Tour by Scooter
- Barcelona Photography Walking Tour: Walk Thru The Ages
- "The Shadow of the Wind" Walking Book Tour in Barcelona
- "The Cathedral of the Sea" Walking Book Tour in Barcelona
- Barcelona Gaudi Tour by Scooter
- Private Tour: Barcelona Half-Day Sightseeing Tour
- Private Tour: Barcelona Full-Day Sightseeing Tour
- Context: Custom Walk
- Context: City of Chocolate
- Tapas Evening Walking Tour of Barcelona
- Context: Modernista Menu: Avant-Garde Barcelona Cuisine
- Context: My Barcelona Kitchen
- Barcelona Tapas Tour “en el barrio”
- Context: Pica-Pica in Poble-Sec Tapas Walk
- Barcelona Cycle & Tapas
- Context: Farm to Fork, the Boqueria and Beyond
- Small-Group Tour: Traditional Food and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Cava and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Sitges and Freixenet's Cava Wine Cellars Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: City Tour, Sitges and Freixenet Cava Day Trip
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sitges, Freixenet Cava Wine Cellars and Montserrat Tour
- Catalan Culture Tour from Barcelona: Food Market, Montblanc and Human Tower Festival
- Barcelona Super Saver: Montserrat Day Trip and Barcelona Gaudi Tour
- Montserrat and Cava Trail Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Three Countries in One Day: France, Andorra and Spain from Barcelona
- Girona, Figueres and Dali Museum Day Trip from Barcelona
- Montserrat Royal Basilica Half-Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona and Montserrat Small-Group Tour
- Pyrenees Mountains Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Salvador Dali Museum, Figueres and Cadaques Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Tour: Traditional Food and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Small-Group Cava and Wine Day Trip from Barcelona
- Girona and Costa Brava Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sightseeing Tour with Montjuic Cable Car and Montserrat Tour
- Barcelona Day Trip: Montserrat, Colonia Guell and Gaudi Crypt
- Barcelona Super Saver: City Tour, Sitges and Freixenet Cava Day Trip
- Barcelona Super Saver: Sitges, Freixenet Cava Wine Cellars and Montserrat Tour
- Sitges and Freixenet's Cava Wine Cellars Day Trip from Barcelona
- Tarragona and Sitges Small Group Day Trip from Barcelona
- Catalan Culture Tour from Barcelona: Food Market, Montblanc and Human Tower Festival
- Small-Group Medieval Villages Day Trip from Barcelona
- Private Tour: Salvador Dali Museum at Figueres and Girona Day Trip from Barcelona
- Private Full Day Tour to Sitges and Bodegas Torres
- 4-Day Best of Catalonia Tour from Barcelona
- 6-Day Spain Tour from Barcelona: Zaragoza, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Valencia
- 8-Day Spain Tour Including Barcelona, Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo
- 5-Day Spain Tour: Cordoba, Seville, Granada and Toledo from Barcelona
- 2-Day Northern Catalonia Tour: Vic, Figueres, Girona and Montserrat
- 2-Day Southern Catalonia Tour: Sitges, Tarragona and Santes Creus
Related Articles
- Barcelona transportation
- Barcelona planning FAQ
- Barcelona homepage
- Spain planning FAQ
- Spain homepage
This article was by Reid Bramblett and last updated in October 2013.
All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998–2013 by Reid Bramblett. Author: Reid Bramblett.
Barcelona tourist info: Barcelonaturisme.com (info office), Guiadelocio.com (events mag); Catalunya.com (regional info), Spain.info
Sightseeing passes: Barcelona Card (20+ sights; transport; discounts), Museum Pass (6 sights)
Tours & activities: Viator.com, ContextTravel.com, UrbanAdventures.com, City-Discovery.com, Intrepidtravel.com, Gadventures.com
LODGING
Hotels: Booking.com, Venere.com, Priceline.com, Hotels.com
B&Bs: Booking.com, Bedandbreakfast.com, Airbnb.com, Venere.com
Apartments: Rentalo.com, Vrbo.com, Booking.com, Airbnb.com, Interhomeusa.com, Homeaway.com
Hostels & campgrounds: Hostelbookers.com, Hostelworld.com, Hostelz.com, Booking.com
TRANSPORT
Airfares:
Airports: Aena.es
Trains: Raileurope.com (throughout Europe), Renfe.com (within Spain), Bahn.de (throughout Europe), Seat61.com
Public transport: Barcelona Card (free transport; sightseeing); Search all public transit: mou-te.gencat.cat; Metro/Bus: Tmb.cat; Tram: Trambcn.com; Light rail: Fgc.cat; Taxi: Taxibarcelona.cat
Car rentals: Autoeurope.com, RentalCars.com, Momondo.com, Orbitz.com, Expedia.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com