In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Aerobús is the straightforward choice: €7.75 single or €13.30 return, 24 hours a day, 30 to 35 minutes to Plaça Catalunya. Line A1 serves Terminal 1 and A2 Terminal 2. The R2 Nord train leaves from T2 only: €5.50, 17 to 20 minutes to Sants, 23 to 27 to Passeig de Gràcia. Metro L9 Sud serves both terminals but needs the €5.90 airport ticket (the T-casual is not valid there), and it ends at Zona Universitària, so most trips need a change. Taxis are metered, black and yellow, with a €21 minimum from the airport. Fares from the operators’ own pages, 29 and 30 September 2026. Or book a transfer: a private arrival transferad is from £30.00, with help with your luggage.
The options, compared
| Option | Time to the centre | Fare | Runs | Where it drops you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerobús | 30–35 minutes | €7.75 single, €13.30 return | 24 hours, every day | Plaça Espanya, Gran Via–Comte Borrell, Plaça Universitat, Plaça Catalunya |
| R2 Nord train (T2 only) | 17–20 minutes to Sants | €5.50 | 5:40–23:38 from the airport | Sants, Passeig de Gràcia, then north through the city |
| Metro L9 Sud | 32 minutes, plus a change | €5.90 airport ticket | Metro hours | Zona Universitària, changing to L1, L3, L5 or L10 on the way |
| Taxi | Traffic-dependent | Metered; €21 minimum from the airport | 24 hours | Your door |
| Private transfer | Traffic-dependent | From £30.00 | Book ahead | Your door |
Barcelona–El Prat has two terminals, T1 and T2, linked by a free shuttle bus that runs 24 hours (aena.es, 29 September 2026). Check which one your airline uses before you choose.
Terminal 2A at Barcelona–El Prat. Photo: Azulino, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Aerobús
€7.75 single, €13.30 return · 30 to 35 minutes to Plaça Catalunya · 24 hours, 365 days
The Aerobús is the airport’s express bus, run by Monbus. Buy on its own site, aerobusbarcelona.es, or at the stops.
- Line A1 starts and ends at Terminal 1 (arrivals and departures). Line A2 serves Terminal 2: T2B towards the airport, and T2C as well on the way into town.
- Into town the buses stop at Plaça Espanya, Gran Via–Comte Borrell, Plaça Universitat and Plaça Catalunya. To the airport they leave from Plaça Catalunya, Carrer Sepúlveda and Plaça Espanya.
- It does not stop at Sants or Barcelona Nord stations.
- Tickets: online, from machines at the stops and the airport, from staff at the stops, or on board by card or cash (no more than €20 in change). Under-4s travel free. Tickets are not in your name, are valid 90 days from purchase, and the return half is valid 90 days from the outward trip. You can use a return from either terminal.
- Refunds: unused tickets bought online can be refunded on the website within 90 days, free.
- On board: free Wi-Fi and space for large luggage, pushchairs and bicycles.
The Aerobús at Plaça de Catalunya. Photo: Balou46, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
The Aerobús also sells combined tickets (aerobusbarcelona.es, 29 September 2026):
| Combined ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Aerobús single + one metro or TMB bus journey | €10.15 |
| Aerobús return + Hola Barcelona travel card, 24 hours | €24.35 |
| Aerobús return + Hola Barcelona, 48 hours | €29.65 |
| Aerobús return + Hola Barcelona, 72 hours | €36.95 |
| Aerobús return + Hola Barcelona, 96 hours | €44.00 |
| Aerobús return + Hola Barcelona, 120 hours | €50.80 |
Each combined ticket includes €1 for the reusable card the travel ticket is loaded on. The Aerobús ticket is also resold on GetYourGuidead at £6.64, the same as the official €7.75.
R2 Nord train
€5.50 single · 17 to 20 minutes to Sants, 23 to 27 to Passeig de Gràcia · from Terminal 2 only
The Rodalies suburban line R2 Nord (Aeroport–Maçanet-Massanes) has its station at Terminal 2, floor 0. From Terminal 1, take the free shuttle bus to T2 first.
- Times: 37 trains a day, roughly every 30 minutes, the first from the airport at 5:40 and the last at 23:38 (Rodalies de Catalunya timetable, weekday in October 2026).
- Stops: Barcelona-Sants, for the high-speed trains, and Passeig de Gràcia, for the Eixample and metro lines L2, L3 and L4.
- Fare: €5.50 single.
A Rodalies train at Aeroport station. Photo: Patrick1977, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Metro L9 Sud
€5.90 airport ticket · every 7 minutes · 32 minutes to the city, TMB’s estimate
Line L9 Sud has stations at both terminals, Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2 (tmb.cat, 30 September 2026). It does not run into the old town: it ends at Zona Universitària, and you change to reach the centre.
- Changes: Torrassa (L1), Collblanc (L5), Zona Universitària (L3) or Can Tries–Gornal (L10 Sud).
- Tickets that work: the airport ticket (€5.90, one journey), the T-dia (€12 for 24 hours in zone 1, including one trip to and one from the airport) and the Hola Barcelona travel card (from €12.50 for 24 hours, or €11.25 online at holabarcelona.com).
- Tickets that don’t: the single ticket, the T-casual 10-journey ticket and the T-grup are not valid at the airport stations. If you arrive with one, you must buy an airport ticket to leave the station.
Taxis
Metered · €4.60 airport supplement · €21 minimum from the airport
Barcelona’s taxis are black and yellow; at Terminal 1 the official rank is on the ground floor, and at T2 there are ranks outside arrivals at T2A, T2B and T2C (aena.es, 29 September 2026). Fares are set by the metropolitan taxi authority (taxi.amb.cat, 2026 fares, read 30 September 2026):
| Fare | When | Minimum | Per km |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Weekdays, 8:00–20:00 | €2.80 | €1.35 |
| T-2 | Weekdays 20:00–8:00, Saturdays and public holidays | €2.80 | €1.66 |
- Airport supplement: €4.60 on any trip to or from the airport, and a €21 minimum for any trip from it, supplements included.
- Five to eight passengers: €4.60 more.
- To the cruise terminal: a fixed €46 between the airport and the Moll Adossat cruise quay, supplements included.
- Fixed prices in advance are available only through approved taxi apps, which must tell you the price before you book.
Black-and-yellow taxis at Sants station. Photo: Victuallers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Private transfers
A car booked ahead is worth it with children, a lot of luggage or a late landing. On GetYourGuide on 30 September 2026:
Private arrival transfer
From £30.00 · 4.5 stars from 194 reviews
Barcelona Airport Private Arrival Transfersad takes you from El Prat to the city centre, with help with heavy luggage.
Private transfer to or from El Prat
From £80.57 · 4.8 stars from 357 reviews · 45 minutes
Barcelona: Private Transfer to/from El Prat Airportad runs in either direction, booked in advance.
From Girona airport
Some low-cost flights to “Barcelona” land at Girona–Costa Brava, about 70 to 75 minutes from Barcelona by coach. Sagalés runs the airport coach to Barcelona city centre for €22 (sagalesairportline.com, 30 September 2026); GetYourGuide resells it as the Girona airport bus transferad at £18.86, the same price.
After you arrive
If you are arriving or leaving by cruise ship, Barcelona cruise port to the city centre has the Cruise Bus and the fixed €46 taxi fare between the Moll Adossat and this airport. For getting about town, Barcelona metro tickets compares the T-casual with the Hola Barcelona card, which includes the airport metro both ways. The sights that sell out first are the Sagrada Família and Park Güell; for everything else to book, see what to book before you go in Barcelona. Sants, on the R2 Nord, is also the station for the trains to Girona and Figueres. Where to stay in Barcelona compares the areas on the Aerobús route.
Common questions
What is the best way from Barcelona airport to the city centre?
The Aerobús for most visitors: €7.75 single, €13.30 return, 24 hours a day, 30 to 35 minutes to Plaça Catalunya with stops at Plaça Espanya, Gran Via–Comte Borrell and Plaça Universitat. Line A1 serves Terminal 1 and line A2 Terminal 2.
Is there a train from Barcelona airport?
Yes, the Rodalies R2 Nord, from Terminal 2 only (a free shuttle bus links T1). It takes 17 to 20 minutes to Sants and 23 to 27 minutes to Passeig de Gràcia, about every 30 minutes from 5:40 to 23:38, and a single is €5.50.
Can I use a T-casual on the metro from Barcelona airport?
No. The T-casual 10-journey ticket and the single metro ticket are not valid at the Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2 stations on line L9 Sud. You need the €5.90 airport ticket, a T-dia (one trip to and one from the airport) or the Hola Barcelona travel card.
How much is a taxi from Barcelona airport?
Taxis are metered. The fare includes a €4.60 airport supplement, and the minimum charge for any trip from the airport is €21. On weekdays from 8:00 to 20:00 the rate is €1.35 a kilometre; evenings, nights, weekends and holidays €1.66. Official taxis are black and yellow.
