You just landed in Barcelona. You got your luggage, your kids, family, friends or travel-partners and everybody is ready to go to the city. But, how to get from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona Center?
As in any other large European city, there are many options to go from the airport to the center of the city. Depending on the reason of your trip (tourism, business or pleasure) and your budget, you can make your choice. The options we bring you today vary from each other on price, availability and the amount of time until arriving to your destination. It usually takes 20 minutes from the airport of Barcelona to the center of the city but, of course, it also depends on the traffic, the weather or possible delays in the train schedules.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Options for getting from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona Center
1. Barcelona Taxi
The simplest option, yet one of the most expensive ones, is the taxi. The taxi in Barcelona is recognizable for its colors, black and yellow, and it’s usually a good service, with professional and friendly cab-drivers. One great pro of the taxi is that they can adapt to any special need regarding the transportation of people or luggage. The con is that traveling from the airport to the city or vice versa, comes with an extra fee. The price of the taxi trip is 30 euros from T2 and 35 euros from T1.
In addition, it is easy finding taxis because they queue on the outside of the terminal, although depending of the time of the day or night, it might get tricky. The approximate duration is about 25 minutes and the different taxi professionals are working all night, so if you arrive on a late night flight, do not worry, there will always be one available for you.
2. Metro Barcelona
There is a line that connects Barcelona Airport (El Prat) with the regular Metro lines of Barcelona Center. The color of this line is orange and it’s called Line 9. This Metro line goes from T1 and T2 to Zona Universitaria. With L9 you can stop and change to other subway lines to get to the centre of Barcelona.
First, it crosses with L1, the red one, at Torrassa Station. It’s a great and fast to get to or from the airport because the red line has a stop at Plaza España and another one at Plaza Catalunya, the center of the city. You can also stop at Collblanc Station, where the subway line crosses with the blue one, called L5. This line can take you directly to Diagonal Station, above Las Ramblas. As a third option, you can stop at Zona Universitaria and change to the green line, L3. The green line will take you to Plaza Espanya, Plaza Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia, and other locations in the centre of Barcelona.
Bear in mind that there is an extra to access the airport. The total cost is 5,15€, so the difference with the ticket you purchased will be charged to you in the Terminal entrance.
For more information about the metro in Barcelona check this link.
3. Private car
Have you ever noticed those people in the airport exit carrying signs with names written on it? Those are private drivers, also known as chauffeurs. Hiring a private car is another way to get from the Airport to the center of Barcelona.
There are different agencies that provide this service, a premium service, which means it’s not going to be cheap, so we would recommend this option only as an emergency, or if you are on a business trip and you need efficiency combined with class and style. The driver will be waiting for you at the exit of your boarding gate to help you with your luggage and take you to your awesome car!
4. Uber and Cabify
Companies such as Uber and Cabify offer car rides at very good prices. You can book them by smartphone and make them wait outside of the terminal, just as the private cars.
Uber is back in Barcelona after having left the market in 2019. Now following regulations established by Catalan Government. Among others, bookings should be made a minimum of 15 minutes in advance of the pickup. However, Cabify will only apply this time restriction when the customer makes the first reservation. So, it’s easy to manage it when you go out of your plane walking to the waiting area.
This option to get from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona Center is usually cheaper than a taxi, but more expensive than the metro or the bus. It can be a good alternative if you are travelling with a big group and/or big bags because the price doesn’t change for luggage as it does when you take a taxi.
5. Rodalies RENFE Barcelona
The trip on the RENFE train is very comfortable because of the coziness of its seats to its general convenience since it stops at Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gràcia or Clot, some of the most centric trains stops in the city. Plus, from there you can take the metro or bus and continue your trip until reaching your destination.
Despite being direct, the trip in the RENFE train takes about 25 minutes in both directions. During your trip in the train you can enjoy the air conditioning, the bar, read the newspaper, have some coffee or just watch the views of the Barcelona surroundings through the window. A great way to start your trip!
If you need more information about the train schedules, check here.
Booking phone (international): +34 91 232 0320
Booking phone: +34 91 232 0320
6. Aerobús
Is there a direct bus from Barcelona center to the airport? Yes, it’s called Aerobus, it doesn’t make any stops and only takes passengers that need to go to T1 or T2. Aerobus has two main stops for you to get in, located in Plaza de España and Plaza de Cataluña and throughout the day, it passes every 5-10 minutes. So, you don’t need to run to get one, because you won’t have to wait long for the next one.
The Aerobus, as the taxis, is on the outside of the airport and it’s very easy to spot. Each trip cost 5,90€ and you can buy the ticket for going back too. It’s a great option to get from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona Center that must be considered carefully: it’s a little more expensive than a regular bus or the metro, but it’s more comfortable and quick.
For more information about the Aerobús, check this link.
Booking Phone: +34 90 092 96 92
7. Bus 46
46 is the number of the regular bus that takes you from the Barcelona airport to the center of the city. Its main advantage is the price since you can get in and make a trip with the same MetroCard that you can use on the subway and the regular buses.
If you choose this bus is because you prefer to take a little bit more of time in the trip but paying less money. Your schedule is from 04:50 AM until 23:50 PM, and as we told you before, you can use the regular T10 Metro Card to make a trip. The bus will make several stops in industrial parks, wastelands and factories, but don´t you worry, the last stop is the airport.
For more information, check the route here.
8. Nitbus Barcelona
Don’t worry if your flight arrives to Barcelona between 10 PM and 5 AM. You still have several options to go to the city: the taxi, the private car or the best, the NitBus (night bus). On this bus, you can use your T10 Metro-card, and you will find it at the exit of both terminals.
The price of the bus is 2.20 euros for the single ticket, so it is a cheap option that works fine, since it stops both at Plaza España and Plaza de Cataluña. At that time of the night, the NitBus usually takes about 20 minutes, depending on the traffic, that is much lighter than during the day. So, if you want a convenient and economical option to get to the center of Barcelona from El Prat Airport between 10 and 5 in the morning, this is your bus!
If you need more information about the Nitbus, check this link.
9. Car Rental in Barcelona
There is always the option of renting a car for the whole trip. But we won’t recommend it since it’s very hard to find parking in Barcelona, it can become very expensive and it’s not the best option for the environment.
These are the options to get to the center of Barcelona from El Prat airport. We hope this information is useful to you! And if you want make the best of your visit, don’t forget to book a Montjuïc Segway Tour and enjoy this great city!
