Getting to & From the Airport
There are several ways you can get to the airport from the city center or from the city center to the airport. First of all you need to know in which terminal of the airport you are or want to get to.
Here you have a list of the main transportation available:
bus
The easiest and among the cheapest way to get to the city center from the airport or the other way around is using AEROBUS, a blue bus that runs between the Airport and the city center (Plaça Espanya & Plaça de Catalunya). Travel time is about 35 minutes.
From the Airport to the City Center
When you leave the arrivals hall, follow the signs for the aerobus and buy your ticket there (you can buy one from a machine with a card, but having euros is handy. They won’t take 50€ bills or higher). Once on the bus, press the red “stop” button to signal your stop.
The bus will do 4 stops: Plaça Espanya, Gran Via with Urgell street, Plaça Universitat and finally in Plaça Catalunya (the end of the line).
Check schedules and prices (about 6€ one way) here: https://www.aerobusbarcelona.es.
From the City Center to the Airport
When you are travelling or getting back home after the end of the program, the AEROBUS is also the best way and cheapest way to get to the airport. There are two lines A1 and A2, the first gets to the Terminal 1 and the second to the Terminal 2. Both lines depart from Plaça Catalunya and they do 2 more stops (in Sépulveda-Urgell and Plaça Espanya) on the city before getting to the airport.
train
From the airport to the City Center
The train takes you from the airport Terminal 2 to Sants Estació or Passeig de Gràcia train stations in the city center, where you can commute to the metro. There is a free airport shuttle bus between the terminals, for those who arrive into Terminal (T1). This is the least expensive way to get to the center, but takes longer and involves lots of stairs at the train stations. Not recommended with lots of luggage, but if you packed light, a good way to save some money!
From the City Center to the Airport
To catch the train that goes to the airport you need to go to either to Sants Estació or to Passeig de Gràcia and hop into the train "R2 Nord" direction "Aeroport". With less than 15 minutes you will be at the airport Terminal 2. If you need to go to Terminal one you can take a free airport shuttle or the metro L9.
taxi
From the Airport to the City Center
Taking a taxi is the easiest option and brings you directly to your housing, but it is more expensive. The journey from the airport takes around 30 minutes and costs around 40€ depending on where you are going in the city. FYI: they will charge you a surcharge for luggage.
From the City Center to the Airport
Taxis are as fast as the bus but more expensive. However if you need to get to the airport very early or very late on the day this is the best option. We suggest getting the Free Now App (before: My Taxi) to call for a taxi in advance, this way you don't have to worry about finding one available on the streets.
metro
From the airport to the City Center
The subway just opened a new line (Line 9 Sud) that connect the Airport with the city.
You can take the metro in both Terminals direction "Zona Universitària" which is not in the city center but on the north part of the city. Once there you can commute to Line 3 (green) that can get you to the city center.
The single ticket to use the metro (special airport fare) is 4.60€.
From the City Center to the Airport
The L9 Sud has stops at 15 stations until it gets to the airport terminals. The line begins at Zona Universitaria station. The estimated travel time is 35 minutes from the Zona Universitaria station to the last stop at T1. You can purchase a special metro single ticket or use other transportation cards such as the T-Month or T-Young (not a T-10).
