Getting to Barcelona
Barcelona Airport
When you arrive in Barcelona by airplane you’ll most likely arrive at Barcelona International Airport (BCN), also known as El Prat, which is located 13km southwest of the city. Terminals A and B serve international flights with terminal B serving Spanish carriers and their partners (Iberia, Air Europa, Spanair, Vueling, British Air). Terminal C serves exclusively domestic flights. Budget carriers (e.g. Ryan Air) arrive at Girona airport (80km north of Barcelona). When planning your Barcelona airport transfer you can choose between cheap public transportation, taxis and shared Barcelona airport shuttle.Barcelona Airport Transfers
Taxis - Taxis can be easily found waiting at the stands located in front of each terminal. Airport transfer time from Barcelona airport to the city is about 20-30 minutes, depending on traffic, and you should expect to pay 20€ - 25€ to travel to the city center by taxi. This estimated price includes a 3€ airport supplement, but you’ll also need to pay an additional 1€ for each piece of luggage stored in the trunk of the taxi. Taxi fares are higher from 9PM – 7AM and on holidays. It’s a good idea to note the address of your hotel or destination on a piece of paper, as Barcelona taxi drivers sometimes speak only Catalan and Spanish; less frequently drivers will speak French or English.Public Transportation - The Barcelona Metro doesn’t run to the airport, so for transportation between Barcelona airport and the center of Barcelona you’ll need to choose between the RENFE train and the Bus, then transfer to the Metro at the Sants or Passeig de Gracia train stations once you arrive in the city.
Train - The RENFE train line R-10 runs from Barcelona airport to the city center, from 6AM – 11PM, stopping at Sants (20min), Passeig de Gracia (25minutes) and Estació de França (30 minutes) stations [link: map]. The Barcelona airport is located in Zone 1 of the Barcelona public transportation system, so all you need is to but a local ticket costing 2.20€ from the airport vending machine. More economical is the T-10 ticket (7.20€) that allows you to make ten trips of up to 75 minutes on the Barcelona Bus and Metro network.
Bus - The air-conditioned A1 Aerobús travels to Airport Terminals A and B from the Barcelona city center, stopping at Plaça de Catalunya and Plaça d’Espanya. The bus leaves the airport every 12 minutes from 6AM – midnight (6:30AM on weekends and holidays) and departs from Plaça de Catalunya from 5:30AM – 11:30PM (6AM on weekends). Tickets are 3.45€ and can be purchased on the bus. Travel time is about 40minutes when traffic moves smoothly.
The N°105 / N°106 Local bus is the cheapest Barcelona airport transfer option. Only 1.10€, Bus n°105 runs from Plaça d’Espanya to Airport terminals B and C every 30 minutes from 6:20 - 21:50; and departs the airport every half hour between 6:05 - 22:00. Bus n°106 is the night bus and for the same price it begins running at 22:55 from Place once every 1:15 until just after 3AM (Bus n°105 runs from Barcelona airport beginning at 22:15 with the last bus departing the airport at 03:20AM).
Girona Bus – Busses are available from Barcelona Estació Nord to Girona airport for 12€ (21€ round-trip) departing frequently beginning at 3:15AM daily. Travel time is 1 hour 15 minutes. See www.barcelonabus.com