Airborne arrivals and departures aside, the actual journey to and from the busy Barcelona airport can be a pretty daunting prospect. Below, we’ve assembled some tips and shortcuts to help make your pre- or post-flight trip as quick and seamless as possible.

To get from the airport to the Barcelona city centre (or vice-versa), you’re looking at an estimated 20-30 minute travel time. This time can vary according to time of day, traffic volume, and weather conditions. In general, any method of transportation you choose from the airport to the centre should take roughly the same amount of time. There are four main methods of transport used by most airport passengers:

TAXICABS

A taxi is an easy, cost-efficient means of transport from the Barcelona airport to the city centre. There are no reservations necessary—immediately upon leaving the airport’s main exit, you’ll see the taxi depot on your left. Any time of the day or night, there is a steady stream of taxis ready and waiting to accommodate passengers, although there can be some delays during peak traffic times. Official airport taxicabs are easy to spot; each is painted black and yellow.

Airport taxis will accommodate up to four passengers, including children. Drivers will assist you with your luggage (be prepared to pay an extra charge for each piece of luggage you’re bringing into the cab) and will do their best to get you to the centre in a safe, timely manner. Again, the taxi ride should take approximately 20-30 minutes.

Taxi fare from the Barcelona Airport into the city centre will be approximately 25 Euros (an exact rate schedule should be posted inside each vehicle). The meter inside the cab will reflect the exact cost of your trip. Additional fees may apply for luggage conveyance and airport surcharges.

Overall, Barcelona Airport’s taxi service has a favorable reputation as a safe, reliable means of transportation.

In the event that you need to call ahead for a taxi, the Barcelona phone number is (0034) 93 303 3033. Disabled passengers who need a handicapped-accessible taxi can call (0034) 93 420 8088. If you need to inquire about personal property left in a taxi, you can contact their Lost & Found department at (0034) 932 234 012.

AEROBUS

Also known as the Barcelona Shuttle Bus, the Aerobus is an express bus service that travels from the Barcelona airport to the city centre. There are plenty of Aerobus routes throughout the day—you can generally catch one every 15 minutes within standard operating hours. Visit the official Aerobus website at http://www.emt-amb.com/links/bus.htm to view official schedules.

The Aerobus picks up passengers from all three of Barcelona Airport’s terminals. Once it reaches the city centre, the two main stops are the Placa de Catalunya ad the Placa Espana. After disembarking, passengers can connect to the Barcelona Metro Underground Bus at either the Barcelona Sants or Passeig de Gracia stations.

Tickets for the Aerobus can be purchased directly on the bus. The price is 3.90 Euros for a single ticket or 6.70 Euros for a round-trip ticket. Holders of the Barcelona Discount Card will save 20% on Aerobus tickets.

For additional information, you can contact (0034) 93 415 6020, or visit the official Barcelona airport bus website at www.emt-amb.com. Click on the bus graphic to access the bus scheduling page. Select the “Aerobus” option from the “See Bus Number” drop-down menu to view a complete list of timetables and destinations.

TRAINS

Another reliable method of transport that runs between the Barcelona Airport and the city centre is the RENFE train. Train routes run approximately every half an hour, and the transit time is right around 25 minutes.

If traveling from the city to the airport, you can board the RENFE train from any of the following stations: Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gracia, or Estacio de Franca. You’ll need to get off at the stop called Aeropuerto to reach the Barcelona Airport. The Aeropuerto stop is a short 5-minute walk from the main entrance to the Barcelona Airport. Those toting heavy luggage can make use of the moving walkway.

For arriving passengers traveling to the city centre from the airport , the first decision should be what type of ticket to buy: a normal ticket or a T10 ticket. A T10 ticket also pays for a connection to the Metro Underground Bus. T10 tickets can be purchased at the airport before boarding the train or at any of the connecting Metro stops. A normal train ticket will pay for one leg of passage to one of three stops:

· Passeig de Gracia: This stop links to a direct connection to the Metro Underground Bus. If you need to connect to the Metro, you’ll need to purchase a T10 ticket to avoid having to pay a new fare to board the Metro.

· Barcelona Sants: This stop also connects to the Metro. Again, you’ll need a T10 ticket to avoid having to pay for a new fare.

· Estacio de Franca: This stop does not connect with the Metro, so a normal train ticket will be sufficient.

Holders of the Barcelona Discount Card will enjoy free boarding onto the RENFE train when traveling from the airport to the city centre.

Train Schedule

To view a detailed schedule for the RENFE train routes, you can visit http://www.renfe.es/cercanias/barcelona/index_horarios.html. This website is presented in Spanish, but it’s still pretty easy to track down the information you need. Below, we’ve provided some quick translations of the selection fields on the website:

· Origen: This is the location from where you will be catching the train. For instance, if you’re catching it from the Barcelona Airport, you’ll want to select “Aeropuerto”.

· Destino: Here, you’ll want to select your end destination. To travel to the Barcelona city centre, choose “Barcelona Sants”.

· Fecha: This is the date you will be traveling.

· Consulta por tipo del dia: This is asking the “type of day” on which you’ll be traveling. It’s not necessary to make a selection here if you’ve already selected a date above.

· Consulta por intervalo horario: This is another optional selection field that allows you to limit your inquiry to a specified range of hours (i.e. from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM). If you do not make a selection here, you’ll automatically be presented with all available times.

· Horarios: After making your choices for the fields listed above, clicking on this icon will show you a listing of the available departure times based on the parameters you have selected. On the results listing, “Llegada” is the arrival time and “Salida” is the departure time.

For additional information on the RENFE train service, you can contact one of the numbers below:

Tel: (0034) 90 224 3402 (Int)

Tel: (0034) 90 224 0202

METRO UNDERGROUND

Also known as the subway or “tube”, the Barcelona Metro Underground Bus doesn’t techncially run to and from the airport directly, although you can connect to it via one of the transport methods listed above. Once you arrive at the city centre, you can catch the Metro from either the Barcelona Sants or Passeig de Gracia stations.

Below is a map of the Metro routes. This map displays the TMB routes (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5) and the FGC metro lines (L6, L7, L8), along with the Tram Lines (T1 to T4). Circles indicate points on the route where you can get off and board a different bus if necessary.