Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) Flights & Information

Josep Tarradellas Barcelona El-Prat, to use its full name, is the main airport of Cataluña (Catalunya). While smaller than Spanish capital Madrid’s airport, it’s still a behemoth. Around 50 million passengers passed through its gates in 2023 on their way to discover the magic of Barcelona and Catalan culture.

Like the entire city, El-Prat benefited hugely from the 1992 Olympics when it was completely redeveloped. Since then it’s continued to expand, regularly adding new amenities and facilities. The result is a big, bright, well thought out travel experience but also one that’s subject to seasonal bottlenecks as a result of the region’s rampant overtourism.

Getting to and from Barcelona and Cataluña beyond

El-Prat sits about 10 miles southwest of Barcelona’s center, along the coast. Planes hug the coastline on approach, providing a fantastic showreel of city and mountain views along the way. Take my advice and book a window seat on the right side of the plane for flights in and the left side for flights out. It may be the best view you get all trip.

There are several different transport options into the city, all of which take between 20 and 40 minutes. The official black and yellow taxis are quickest, but also the most expensive. With metered fares and added airport fees, there are better options unless you need door-to-door service.

Aerobus

It’s seldom I highlight a bus as the best transport, but the Aerobus service is tried, tested and offers the easiest commute. Two bus lines run 24/7 – from Terminal 1 every 5-10 minutes and from Terminal 2B every ten minutes. In my long experience they’re reliable and have plenty of room for passengers and bags.

Both buses operate the same route to just two city center destinations. Plaça España takes around 25 minutes and Plaça de Cataluña around 35 minutes. There are usually vendors selling tickets at the bus stop but if not, buy from the driver. There’s WiFi on board and seats have USB charging points.

There are also several intercity buses running to a range of city-wide destinations but these aren’t really designed for passengers carrying luggage. For longer distance trips, the ubiquitous Flixbus runs routes into France, Switzerland and Europe beyond.

Train

The Renfe R2 North Line connects Terminal 2 to the city and on to other towns in Cataluña. If you land in Terminal 1, you’ll need to take the free shuttle to the station. Trains depart every 30 minutes but only run from 6 am to 11.30 pm. Train times aren’t ultra reliable, they don’t have much luggage space and are often packed. Take the Aerobus instead.

Metro

Barcelona’s comprehensive metro system also connects to both El-Prat terminals via the L9 Sud line. Departing every seven or so minutes from 5 am until midnight, it goes to several destinations. To get to the center, however, you’ll need to change lines, which makes it less convenient than the Aerobus – especially with luggage.

Car rental

I cannot stress this enough but if you’re staying in the city, do not rent a car. Driving is hectic, parking a nightmare and the public transport network is excellent. Instead, rent electric mopeds or bicycles depending on your needs. I always use Yego for mopeds and Donkey Republic for bikes, as they’re convenient, cheap and by far the funnest way to get around.

If you’re driving beyond Barcelona, you’ll find all the major car rental brands have desks in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2A and 2B. Although I’ve never rented a car from El-Prat, I have many times across Europe and recommend avoiding Goldcar, which has a deservedly poor reputation.

Navigating the airport

El-Prat is a significant connecting point for flights into Europe and North Africa. Around 80 airlines depart to some 216 destinations across 62 countries, with the vast majority international travelers. That means it’s always busy, but in peak travel times it can become unbearably so – come prepared to queue.

Terminal 1 is the newer and larger of El-Prat’s two terminals. Handling Non-Schengen and long haul flights, including US traffic, it’s a huge space divided into four levels. Terminal 2 is more compact but still divided into A, B and C areas. T2A is for Non-Schengen short haul flights and T2B for domestic and Shengen destinations. T2C has been largely closed “for reorganization” for some time, except for Easyjet which still has its check-in desks there.

Note that no matter where you’re flying from in Terminal 2, most check in and all security goes through T2B. It’s just a few minutes walk to T2A once you’re airside. If you need to transfer between Terminals 1 and 2, there’s a regular dedicated shuttle service. It runs every ten minutes or so and takes a good ten minutes between terminals, so give yourself a half hour to be sure.

Check in, bag drop and security

Both terminals have ample check-in desks, but how many will be open is anyone’s guess. My advice is to bypass check-in baggage and travel light, especially at peak season. If not, the airport recommends you arrive three hours prior to Non-Schengen and two hours to Schengen flights. In peak season I concur. The rest of the time, I’d say you can shave an hour off each of those times.

Security is a little behind the times. Although airport operator Aena has announced the imminent installation of new smart scanners that mean electronics and liquids can stay in bags, there’s no sign of them at the time of writing. Expect queues at all times, but I’ve always found them well managed and fast moving. This may have something to do with the slightly laissez-faire approach many security staff seem to have compared to, say, British or German airports.

If you’re flying to a Non-Schengen destination, you’ll also need to go through passport control. The passport checks are typically just before the gates, after security, shops and restaurants. These are often bottlenecks at El-Prat. I’ve seen plenty of very stressed passengers arriving unaware, faced with a 20-minute queue and last call on their flight. No one enjoys having to ask to jump the queue, so give yourself plenty of time.

That means keeping an eagle eye on information panels for flight information. El-Prat is a ‘Silent Airport’ which means it keeps PA announcements to a bare minimum. There are no boarding or last call announcements should you get distracted, just missed planes and tears!

Terminal 1 shopping, eating and drinking

Terminal 1 is enormous and divided into four levels. Entering from outside brings you to departures on Level 3. Before security in La Plaza hall there’s an unusually large shopping and eating area called Sky Center. But it’s after security where the real action starts.

There are around 100 shops, bars, restaurants and cafés to saunter around and graze on. Among the standard range of fashion, jewelry and gift stores are plenty of more locally focused outlets. Desigual for colorful clothing, Barça Store for all things Barcelona Football Club. Naturally, there’s also an extensive duty free zone, but shops are completely outnumbered by eating and drinking options.

One of my favorite things about El-Prat is its dedication to the Spanish approach. Commitment to great coffee isn’t sullied by the typical greed of airport pricing, as long as you avoid the likes of Starbucks. On my last visit, a café con leche at family bakery Boldú cost less than a quarter of what I paid for the same at Frankfurt airport one week earlier.

Tapas follows suit. Stop by Piscolabis to see a huge range of local specialties made in the open kitchen. Match it with a local wine and grab a seat on the outside terrace. Yep – El Prat has a huge outside area airside, perfect for soaking up the last rays of Catalan sun until the minute you fly.

Terminal 2 shopping, eating and drinking

Smaller and not as abundant, Terminal 2 still has plenty of things to keep you occupied. Soccer fans can still get their fill at a second Barça Store and design lovers can pick up artsy objects at the questionably named Superskunk outlet.

Alongside the giant Burger King and McDonalds, there are many far tastier local options. I love Enrique Tomás, an ode to Iberian meats. Alongside the show-stopping acorn-fed Iberian ham theatrically carved at the “Ham Altar”, the Iberian burger is not to be missed.

Other airports

A word of caution – El-Prat is Barcelona’s only commercial airport. The proliferation of low-cost airlines coupled with Barcelona’s huge tourist draw has led some companies to get a little creative with the truth. More than once I’ve seen flights to Girona airport, about 60 miles away, being marketed as for Barcelona.

While they may be cheaper than to El-Prat, the commute to Barcelona from Girona is long and expensive, which may outweigh any savings. Be attentive when booking, but if you do end up in Girona, don;t worry, it’s a lovely city in its own right.