Airport guide to Barcelona. Getting around the city center. Transfer tips and lifehacks

Traveling to Barcelona is a safe bet, as you will definitely get what you’re looking for in terms of your travel expectations. Besides being an enchanting seaside city, it is also filled with historic buildings and architectural marvels. The city will inspire you just like it inspired artists such as Pablo Picasso, Antoni Gaudi and Joan Miro. But before jumping at the opportunity of getting to know Barcelona and what it offers, let’s look into Barcelona’s airport system first.  

There is only one airport in Barcelona, however there are 2 more in nearby cities of Girona and Reus, that provide transfer options to Barcelona, though they are about 120 km away from the city. Although these airports offer cheap flights by the low-budget airlines, the transfer cost from the airport to Barcelona city center can negate the advantage of cheap flight tickets. 

In this article we will consider the specifics of traveling from Barcelona main airport – El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto also known as simply Barcelona International Airport. 

It is by far the nearest airport to the city center, ‌about 13 km south-west of Barcelona. This is the best option if you're flying a long-haul international route. El Prat is Catalonia’s largest airport. Before the pandemic, 52.7 million passengers traveled through the airport, which made it the 6th in the list of Europe’s busiest airports. Barcelona International Airport is home for 89 airlines, 70% of which are low-cost. The airport has 2 passenger terminal buildings – Terminal T1 and Terminal T2. 

As for transportation options at El Prat Airport, there are plenty of them. 

Aerobus 

Aerobus is an express bus service from the airport to Barcelona city center. It’s not only fast but also relatively cheap. It will take you 35 minutes to get to Barcelona downtown with a ticket cost of €5.90. ATMs where you can buy Aerobus tickets can be found at every terminal. Yet in order to save time and money, you’d better buy tickets online. Children under 4 travel free of charge. 

Aerobus A1 serves passengers from Terminal 1, and Aerobus A2 takes off from Terminal 2. The departures are every 5-10 minutes. 

Travel time: 35 minutes

Ticket cost: €5.90

TMB Bus N46

TMB N46 is a city bus, operating from both airport terminals. This bus makes more stops compared to aerobus, thus it can be time-consuming reaching the city center. One-way ticket costs €4.60 with a journey time of 30 minutes. The bus doesn’t operate at night, only from 4:50 to 23:50. However, there is a night bus at the airport NitBus N17 that can take you to Barcelona for €2.40.

Travel time: 30-35 minutes 

Ticket cost: day bus is €4.60, night bus is €2.40

RENFE Train 

RENFE is Spain’s national railway company connecting El Prat Airport to Barcelona city center. This is the cheapest way of getting to the city center so far. You can find the RENFE train only at Terminal T2. If you arrived at Terminal T2, you’d have to take a free airport shuttle bus, connecting two terminals. The train will get you to two central stations in Barcelona: Estació Sants and Passeig de Gràcia. The train runs every 30 minutes. Pay attention, the service doesn’t work at night. 

Travel time: 30 minutes

Ticket cost: €4.60

Metro 

Barcelona metro network is directly connected to the airport. You can access metro stations from both terminals. The L9 metro line is linked to the airport, which has stops at each terminal. Unfortunately, it won’t take you directly to the city center, you’d need to change to the red or blue line. The trains run every 30 minutes. 

Travel time: 30 minutes 

Ticket cost: €4.50

Taxi / Transfer

Taxi ranks can be found outside every terminal. Getting a taxi is the least stressful way to reach Downtown Barcelona. Especially so, if you're getting off a long international flight, you might not have the energy to drag heavy bags around on the metro. If you’re new to the city, we recommend not trying to navigate the metro system, as it’s easy to get lost. Take one step at a time exploring Barcelona. An average taxi ride costs about €30-35. Approximate travel time is 20-30 minutes. 

Just order a taxi, where you can sit back and relax while the driver takes you to the hotel door or any other destination of your choice.

However, not every taxi service in Barcelona is good value for money. Wisely choose the company that will get you from the airport to your destination. 

We recommend GetTransfer, as it offers the best prices in the area. In case you don’t agree with the company’s pricing, you can offer yours, which is pretty convenient. 

For a group of four and more people, GetTransfer can find you a vehicle that suits the size of your company with all the baggage you have. Another sweet little bonus is that you can share the ride cost, which is beneficial for everyone. 

For families and passengers with massive luggage, getting a suitable vehicle on GetTransfer is a lifesaver. You won’t have to worry about your heavy belongings or your children getting lost in public transport. GetTransfer is a stress-free experience.

Forget about expensive airport taxi or confusing metro lines. GetTransfer will get you in comfort and no fuss to any point in the city.    

The journey takes about 30 minutes, depending on the traffic. Still, with GetTransfer the time will fly by while admiring Barcelona from your passenger seat. 

Booking the most suitable vehicle with GetTransfer is as easy as pie. All you need is to either download GetTransfer app on your phone, or visit GetTransfer.com and fill in all the required information on the homepage, and then click “Get Offers”. The rest is up to the system. In a moment, you will be offered several options to choose from. If there are any extra requirements for the driver ― you can leave a message in the comment section. 

What you get when you book GetTransfer

• A wide variety of vehicle types: you can pick from passenger cars to shuttle buses. It all depends on how big your company is and how much baggage you’re carrying.
• You can book a transfer in advance and schedule a pickup time.
• No additional costs: taxes, road fees, and tips are included. 
• Your safety comes first. You know in advance who is picking you up, and you can choose your driver based on the ratings and the car photos. 
• You can choose from several types of private traveling, from the most affordable to the VIP status.
• Every vehicle comes with individual additional services, be it free Wi-Fi access, cool drinks, safety shield or wheelchair accessible transfer. You can see what a vehicle has onboard when you choose your transfer.
• Vehicles are family friendly: if you travel with kids, you can find a required child seat type.

Among other perks — with GetTransfer — you can also plan your way back to the airport in advance. 

The driver you choose will wait for you at the arranged time and pre-agreed location. If you can’t keep up, no worries! There is a free waiting time: 60 minutes at airports and 15 minutes at all other locations.