Barcelona’s modern El Prat airport lies some 12km south-west of the city and is the leading airport of the whole Mediterranean region. There are plenty options for transferring between Barcelona airport and the city centre as well as to all other destinations.
Shuttlebus Transfers
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A very popular option these days is to pre-book a shuttlebus transfer from the airport to your hotel. Shuttle companies usually offer a budget shared shuttle bus service or a more expensive private car and driver service. Both are great services which cater to different budgets. Two of the leading providers of these services are Resorthoppa and Shuttledirect. Simply fill in your travel details on their websites for a live quote and online booking. Transfers are available to all destinations and for all group sizes.
Barcelona Airport Bus (Aerobús)
Since the opening Terminal 1 (T1) there are now two Aerobús routes. The A1 Aerobús service connects the new Terminal 1 with the city centre at Plaça de Catalunya via Plaça d’Espanya with two other stops on the way. The service operates every 10 minutes from around 6am through until 1am the next day.
The A2 Aerobús offers the same service from the original Terminal 2 (T2) with departures every 8-15 minutes. This is a great service for getting into the city centre. The trip takes about 40 minutes but varies according to traffic conditions. You can buy your ticket from the driver as you get on the bus. To check timetables, routes and latest price please refer to the Aerobús website.
There is also a public bus (route 46) operating between the airport and Plaça d’Espanya (the timetable is at www.tmb.cat). Throughout the night you can use bus route N17 between both airport terminals and Plaça de Catalunya.
Local RENFE Trains
The RENFE R2 Nord train runs between the airport’s terminal 2 (T2) and Macanet/Massanes to the north of Barcelona with stops at Estació Sants and Passeig de Gràcia. There is a free shuttle bus (Bustransit) that connects with terminal 1 (T1). Trains run daily every 30 minutes with the last service at about 11.30pm and it takes about 25 minutes to Passeig de Gràcia. From either of these two RENFE stations you can join the Barcelona metro system to continue your journey.
It’s better value to buy a T-10 multiple journey ticket rather than a single one or buy a Barcelona Discount Card which includes RENFE train transfers between the airport and city. See Barcelona Transport for more details about ticket options.
Barcelona Taxis
There is generally no shortage of taxis available to and from the centre and it’s a half-hour ride. Make sure the meter is on at the start of the journey and be aware that various supplements will be added on to the price the meter shows once you reach your destination. 
These include supplements for entering the airport area and for placing any pieces of baggage in the boot. You’ll see on the Taxi Barcelona website that drivers are within their rights to add on these supplements. Personally, I prefer to pre-book a shuttle transfer as described above and pay for the service in advance. Their prices are very competitive and there are no nasty surprises on arrival!
Metro
The Barcelona metro system does not serve the airport directly. To access the metro network you’ll need to take the normal (RENFE) train from the airport to Barcelona Sants or Passeig de Gracia then join up with the metro system. Buy the T-10 multiple journey ticket at the airport train station as this is valid for the airport train and for the city’s metro system. For the best value you should purchase the Barcelona Discount Card in advance which you collect at the tourist information office in the airport. This then gives you free transport on the airport train, all metro journeys and offers significant discounts on entrance fees during your stay.
See Barcelona Metro Map.
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