Thanks to an efficient public transport system and plenty of options, it’s really easy to get from Barcelona’s El Prat Airport into the city centre. Whether you’re travelling on a budget or want to arrive in style, there’s a method to suit your means.
Aerobus
The Aerobus is one of the cheapest and quickest ways to get into town, linking up the airport and the city centre. The best part is the buses run every 5 or 10 minutes, so you don’t have to hang around when you’ve landed. You can pick the bus up from outside both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and the route takes you to Placa Espanya or Placa de Catalunya in the heart of Barcelona. From these stops it’s easy to hop on the tube, grab a taxi, or walk to your final destination. Single tickets come in at €5.90, or you can get a return ticket that’s valid for 15 days for €10.20.
Train
Getting the train into the centre of Barcelona is another popular option. A RENFE service runs every half an hour from the airport station (over the bridge from Terminal 2) and takes around 25 minutes to reach Barcelona’s central Sants station. There are a number of stops along the way, including Clot and Passeig de Gracia, where you can alight for other parts of the city. Wherever you get off you can quickly hop on the tube to reach your end destination, or grab a taxi from outside any of the stations.
Taxi
There are busy taxi ranks outside both terminals at Barcelona airport, so you’ll never have to wait long to hawk a ride. Journey times vary depending on where you want to go and the time of day (rush hour can be particularly congested in the centre of town), but it’s a great way to travel comfortably and quickly to where you want to go.
Bus 46
Alternatively, you can get the number 46 bus which travels from both terminals during the day right into the city centre. The journey is slightly longer than the Aerobus as there are a handful more stops along the way, but the huge benefit is you can use the T10 transport tickets which are then valid on the metro and other bus services in town.
NitBus
If you arrive in Barcelona after dark you might consider yourself stranded, but thanks to the resident NitBus you can easily get from the airport into the city centre during the early hours of the morning. Buses leave between 10pm and 4.45am from Terminal 1 and travel right into the heart of Barcelona, where you can then grab a taxi for cheap or make your own way to your destination. Tickets are very reasonable at €2.15 and you can also use your T10 ticket, too.
As you can see, there are plenty of transport options from Barcelona’s airport regardless of the time of day you arrive and your budget, whether you’re looking to quickly get into town in a taxi or join other travellers on the buses and trains.
