İçindekiler
When you land at Barcelona El Prat Airport (Barcelona–El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport), there are many alternatives for reaching the city center. El Prat, Catalonia’s largest airport, is located just 13 kilometers from the city center and serves more than 50 million passengers annually. El Prat Airport has two main terminals: Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
Terminal 1 serves as the airport’s main terminal, and most international flights operate from here. Opened in 2009, this modern terminal building has a capacity of 33 million passengers annually. Terminal 2 is mainly used by low-cost airlines and is divided into three sub-terminals: A, B, and C. For example, Turkish Airlines lands at Terminal 1, while Pegasus operates from Terminal 2.
Barcelona Airport to City Center Transportation Guide
Getting to the city center is quite easy from both terminals. You can consider different transportation alternatives depending on your budget, time, and comfort expectations. Public transportation options are particularly well-developed and operate almost 24 hours. There are information points for transportation in the terminals where you can get detailed information and purchase your tickets.
When you arrive at the airport, I recommend first determining the most suitable transportation alternative for your destination area. For example, if you’re heading to tourist areas like Plaza Catalunya, La Rambla, or Gothic Quarter, Aerobus will be the most practical option. If you’re staying around Barcelona Sants train station, the train might be more ideal for you.
Aerobus
Aerobus is a special bus service operating between the airport and city center. These buses, departing from both terminals, run to Plaza Catalunya in the city center. There are two different lines: the A1 line departing from Terminal 1 and the A2 line departing from Terminal 2.
Buses depart every 10 minutes between 05:00-00:30, and the journey takes approximately 35 minutes. These buses have luggage storage space and also offer WiFi service. A one-way ticket costs 7.25 Euros, while a round-trip ticket is 12.65 Euros. You can purchase your ticket online through aerobusbarcelona.es or from kiosks at the bus stops.
Metro
You can reach the city center using the L9 Sud (Orange) metro line from both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The metro stations are located just outside the terminal buildings. However, since it doesn’t provide direct access to the city center, you’ll need to make a transfer.
From the L9 Sud line, you can transfer to the L1 (Red) line at Torrassa station or to the L3 (Green) line at Zona Universitària station. Metro services run between 05:00-24:00, and the journey takes approximately 50-60 minutes including transfers. A T-casual card with 10 trips costs 12.15 Euros per person. If you’d like detailed information about how the metro works, check out the Barcelona Metro article.
Train
Renfe trains departing from Terminal 2 provide access to Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gràcia stations. There’s a free shuttle service from Terminal 1 to the train station, trains depart every 30 minutes, and the journey takes approximately 25 minutes.
A one-way ticket costs 4.90 Euros and you can purchase your ticket from machines at the station. Services run between 05:42-23:38. The train offers an economical and fast transportation alternative.
Bus
Regular city buses also depart from the airport. Bus number 46 runs direct service from Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 to Plaza Catalunya. This line offers a more economical alternative, but it stops at more stops than Aerobus and the journey time takes about 50 minutes.
The biggest advantage of TMB buses is that you can use city transport cards like T-Casual. By choosing this line, which costs 2.55 Euros one-way, you can make significant savings.
Night Buses (NitBus)
For airport access after midnight, you can use night buses numbered N16, N17, and N18. These buses serve Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 between 00:30-05:00.
- N16: Serves between Terminal 2 – Plaça Catalunya
- N17: Serves between Terminal 1 – Plaça Catalunya
- N18: Follows an alternative route between both terminals and the city center
Night buses cost the same as regular city buses and accept T-Casual cards, with services running approximately every 20 minutes.
Taxi
Havalimanından şehir merkezine taksi ile ulaşım oldukça kolay. Her iki terminalin çıkışında taksi durakları mevcut ve 24 saat hizmet veriyorlar. Yolculuk süresi trafiğe bağlı olarak 20-30 dakika arasında değişiyor. Ücret yaklaşık 35-40 Euro civarında.
Cabify & Uber
Apps like Cabify and Uber also work well in Barcelona. Their fares are similar to taxis, but sometimes they run promotions and you can travel cheaper than taxis. However, if you still want to pay with a credit card and travel comfortably, it can be a good alternative.
Transportation Between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2
There’s a free shuttle bus service between the two terminals. These buses operate 24 hours and depart approximately every 5-10 minutes, with a journey time of 10-15 minutes.
My recommendation is to choose Aerobus if you’re not in a hurry and are budget-conscious. It provides both comfortable and reasonably priced transportation. However, if you’re arriving during night hours or have a lot of luggage, I’d recommend using a taxi, Cabify, or Uber.
In this article, I tried to explain 6 different alternatives for transportation between Barcelona airport and the city center – I hope it’s been helpful in planning your journey.
