Barcelona-El Prat Airport to the city: Aerobús, Metro, train, bus, taxi and car from T1 and T2

Where are you heading?

T1 or T2: your terminal decides the options

Barcelona-El Prat, officially Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, lies in El Prat de Llobregat, about 15 km south-west of central Barcelona. Its two terminals are about 4 km apart by road.

Terminal 1 (T1) opened in 2009 and handles most flights: Vueling, Iberia, LEVEL and most long-haul and full-service airlines use it. Terminal 2 (T2) is one terminal in three sections. Ryanair and Transavia fly mainly from T2B, easyJet mainly from T2C, and T2A is not used for departures.

Your boarding pass or the departures board shows your terminal. Aena assigns airlines to terminals and changes the allocation from time to time, so check each trip rather than going by the airline.

Aerobús, Metro, train, bus or taxi: the options compared

Fares are for one adult travelling one way. Anything on the road, from the Aerobús to a taxi, takes longer in heavy traffic. The Aerobús, bus 46 and Rodalies fares below were listed by travel sites in October 2026 and are not set by Aerobús, TMB or Renfe; the ticket machines show the exact amount.

For three or four people with luggage, a taxi often costs about the same as their Aerobús tickets and is quicker door to door. If you travel alone with a small bag, the Metro or bus 46 costs least, but you change lines or sit through a slow ride.

Aerobús A1 and A2: the direct coach to Plaça Catalunya

The Aerobús is the airport's express coach, in service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Line A1 serves T1 and line A2 serves T2, each from a signed stop outside arrivals. In the city it stops at Plaça Espanya, Gran Via–Urgell and Sepúlveda–Urgell, and the ride to Plaça Catalunya takes about 35 minutes. Suitcases go in the hold under the coach.

A single costs €6.75 to €7.75 and a return €11.65 to €13.30 (listed by travel sites in October 2026, not set by Aerobús); the ticket machine and Aerobús's website show the exact fare. A ticket stays valid for 90 days, the return leg of a return ticket for 90 days from the outbound trip, and children under 4 ride free. Where to catch it back to the airport, the family discounts and how to buy are on the airport bus page.

Metro L9 Sud: both terminals, a change of line and a special ticket

Metro line L9 Sud runs from the airport to Zona Universitària and has a station at each terminal: Aeroport T1, on Floor 0 of T1, and Aeroport T2. Trains run about every 7 minutes from about 05:00 until midnight, later on Fridays and on the eves of public holidays, and right through Saturday night.

The line does not reach Plaça Catalunya, the Ramblas or the Sagrada Família, so for the centre you change: most people switch to L1 at Torrassa or to L5 at Collblanc, and L3 and L8 connect further along. With the change, count 30 to 45 minutes to the centre.

The Airport Ticket

The two airport stations need a ticket of their own, the Airport Ticket (Bitllet Aeroport) at €5.70. It is for one person and one Metro journey between Aeroport T1 or T2 and any other station, a Metro-only ticket with no transfer to buses or trains. The Metro vending machines sell it, loaded onto a T-mobilitat card, personal or anonymous.

If you will use public transport a lot during a stay of two to five days, look at the Hola Barcelona card before you buy an Airport Ticket: it already includes the airport stations, and Aerobús sells it combined with its own ticket. Both airport Metro stations also have a Catalan government tourist information office in the lobby.

Rodalies R2 Nord: the train, from T2 only

Barcelona's commuter train, Rodalies, is a separate network from the Metro, with its own stations and tickets, run by Rodalies de Catalunya and Renfe. Line R2 Nord stops at the airport's Aeroport station, which serves T2 only and is reached on foot along a covered walkway. Trains leave about every 30 minutes from about 05:40 to 23:30 and take 19 to 27 minutes to Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gràcia; the line also stops at El Clot-Aragó.

A single from the airport costs from about €2.90 (listed by travel sites in October 2026, not set by Renfe), and the integrated ATM fares apply by zone. Times change with new timetables and engineering works, so check the timetable at the station before you count on a train.

From T1 you first ride the free shuttle to T2 and then walk to the station, which is why the Aerobús or the Metro is usually quicker from that terminal.

Bus 46, the night buses and local lines

City bus 46 calls at both terminals and runs to Plaça Espanya on the ordinary integrated fare, so a single ticket or a T-casual is valid. It is the cheapest way into the city, but it stops often and has little room for suitcases.

When the Metro and the trains stop, three night buses serve the airport, running via Plaça Espanya to Plaça Catalunya about every 20 minutes: the N17 from T1, the N16 from T2 and the N18 from both. Bus 99 runs to Sant Boi, Viladecans, Gavà and Castelldefels, and the PR2 and PR3 link the airport with El Prat de Llobregat station. Coaches go on to Sitges, Tarragona, Girona and Andorra, some of them from the airport itself. Timetables, stops and fares for every line are on the bus page.

Taxi: on the meter, at least €21 from the airport

Barcelona's official black-and-yellow taxis wait at ranks outside arrivals at T1 and T2; take the first cab in the official queue and turn down drivers who approach you inside the terminal. They run on the meter, with a €4.60 airport supplement in both directions, and any trip that starts at the airport costs at least €21, supplements included.

Expect about 20 to 35 minutes to the city, depending on traffic. A ride to Plaça Catalunya comes to about €30 to €39, an estimate from the AMB tariff, not a fixed fare; AMB's fare calculator gives a quote. To the Moll Adossat cruise terminals the fare is fixed at €46. The full tariff, supplements, adapted taxis and fares to other districts are on the taxi page.

Uber, Cabify and Bolt

Ride-hailing cars (VTC) are booked in the app only and charge the app's price, which can rise at busy times. They pick up in signed VTC areas, separate from the taxi rank. Cabify sends T1 passengers up to Floor 3 and out to the waiting area outside departures, and T2 passengers out through the T2A front doors to the area signed "VTC" by the car park. With Uber and Bolt, follow the meeting point in the app. Whichever you use, check the plate and the driver before you get in.

Car hire, parking and driving into Barcelona

The car hire desks are in the arrivals halls: on Floor 1 at T1, and all together in T2B, Floor 0, at T2. Nearly every company has a desk at both terminals, so you can pick up where you land. Brands and conditions are on the car rental page.

Barcelona's low-emission zone (ZBE) covers the streets inside the ring roads. On weekdays from about 07:00 to 20:00, a car without an accepted environmental label risks a €200 fine, so check the city's ZBE rules before driving in. Spanish rental cars normally carry the DGT label, but confirm yours at the desk. A foreign-plated car must be registered with the city first, and one that does not meet the rules can have at most ten day permits a year. The AP-7 and AP-2 motorways have been toll-free since 31 August 2021; the southern C-32 through the Garraf tunnels still charges a toll.

Aena runs separate car parks at each terminal. The Express car parks for drop-off and pick-up are free for 10 minutes, after which the whole stay is charged, up to 2 hours. The Long-stay and Low-cost car parks take only cars booked in advance for a flight from T1, with a free shuttle every 20 minutes, and Aena shows the price when you book. More on the parking page.

Between T1 and T2: the free shuttle bus

No walkway or airside link joins the terminals. Aena's free shuttle bus runs 24 hours a day, public holidays included. The ride takes about 10 minutes from T1 to T2B or T2C and about 14 minutes from T2 back to T1.

It stops at T1 Floor 0 (arrivals) and T1 Floor 3 (departures), at T2B for departures and arrivals, and at T2C on the exterior road. Inside T2, walking from T2A to T2B takes about 2 minutes and from T2B to T2C about 5, or 1 minute on the shuttle. Allow 15 to 20 minutes door to door for a change of terminal, more at busy times.

Flight connections between T1 and T2

A connection between the terminals is always landside, so you go through security again at the second one. It may also mean passport control and, if your bags are not checked through, collecting them and checking them in again; confirm with your airline. Allow at least an extra hour on top of the minimum connecting time, which the airline sets. Bags on connections are explained on the baggage page.

To Sants station for the AVE and other long-distance trains

For a high-speed or long-distance train from Barcelona Sants, the R2 Nord from T2 is the direct link, 19 to 27 minutes. From T1, either ride the shuttle to T2 and walk to the Aeroport station, or take a taxi: about 15 to 25 minutes and about €28 to €36 on the meter, an estimate from the AMB tariff, not a fixed fare. In the other direction, a taxi that starts at Sants station adds a €2.55 supplement.

To the cruise terminals at Moll Adossat

A taxi is the simplest way to a ship at the Moll Adossat cruise terminals: a fixed €46 from either terminal (tariff T-4), all supplements included, in about 20 to 30 minutes. The fixed fare applies to Moll Adossat only; other parts of the port, such as the World Trade Center ferry terminals, are not covered by it.

Public transport does not run to the ship. Take the Aerobús to the centre and then the port's shuttle bus (Portbus); Port de Barcelona or your cruise line can give you its timetable.

Landing late at night or leaving at dawn

On most nights there is no Metro from about midnight to 05:00 and no train from about 23:30 to 05:40, although the Metro runs all night on Saturdays. The Aerobús and the night buses cover the gap.

The shuttle between terminals runs less often in the small hours, so allow a little extra for a dawn flight from the other terminal. The shuttle from the Long-stay and Low-cost car parks runs on request at night: call +34 932 596 372.

Luggage, children and reduced mobility

With big suitcases, take the Aerobús, which has a hold, or a taxi. Changing Metro lines with luggage means corridors and escalators, and the city and night buses have little room for cases. Groups of five to eight can book a larger taxi for a €4.60 supplement, and wheelchair users can book an adapted eurotaxi through the operators listed by the AMB.

Metro L9 Sud is step-free, the Rodalies Aeroport station has accessibility features and the Aerobús coaches are low-floor.

Aena's free Barrier Free assistance can meet you where public transport arrives. Its call points include the railway station, T1's central bus rank on the arrivals road (ground floor), the intermodal lobby on Floor 0 of T1, and the intermodal departures lobby and forecourt at T2B. Request the service at least 48 hours before your flight through your airline and through Aena, on its website or app, on +34 913 211 000 (07:00 to 00:00) or at [email protected]; staff also take you between T1 and T2 on the shuttle. More on the special assistance page.

Going to the airport from the city

Start with the terminal on your booking. Take Aerobús A1 for T1 or A2 for T2: in the city the coaches pick up at different stops from those where they drop off, so check your line's boarding stop. On the Metro, get off at Aeroport T1 or Aeroport T2. The train only reaches T2, so for a T1 flight add the shuttle and 15 to 20 minutes.

A sensible margin is to reach the terminal two hours before a Schengen or domestic flight and three hours before a non-Schengen one; Aena's own minimum is 45 minutes before departure. With Barrier Free assistance, Aena asks you to arrive 2.5 hours before and to be at the meeting point 2 hours before.

Left something on the way?

Each operator keeps its own lost property. For the Metro and TMB buses, call TMB on +34 900 701 149; for metropolitan buses run by other companies, that company or the AMB; for Rodalies, Renfe on +34 900 410 041; for the Aerobús, contact Aerobús through its website. Things left in a taxi, and unclaimed items from TMB, go to the city's Oficina de Troballes at Carrer de la Ciutat 2, which sees people by appointment made through 010; for a ride-hailing car, use the app. Anything lost inside the terminals is handled by Aena's office in T1: see lost and found.