Exploring Barcelona, Spain: A City With Multiple Airports

Barcelona is a popular destination for tourists and business travellers alike, with its mix of important tourist destinations and status as an important business centre. There is only one airport in Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto, also known as Barcelona-El Prat Airport, but there are two other nearby options: Girona-Costa Brava Airport and Reus International Airport.

Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)

The airport was renamed in 2018 to honour Josep Tarradellas, the first Catalan president under the current Spanish Constitution. However, it is still technically known as Barcelona-El Prat Airport and is often referred to as BCN Airport or El Prat Airport.

Barcelona-El Prat is the second-largest and second-busiest airport in Spain, and the busiest international airport in Catalonia. In 2019, the airport handled a record 52 million passengers, making it the sixth busiest airport in Europe. The airport has three runways and two terminals, T1 and T2.

The airport offers direct access to Barcelona by train, bus, and taxi. There are also plans for a new shuttle train to connect Terminal 1 directly to Barcelona's city centre, expected to be operational by 2026.

Barcelona-El Prat Airport provides a range of facilities for passengers, including shops, duty-free, VIP services, car hire, and restaurants. The airport also has two new breastfeeding rooms located in boarding areas C and E of Terminal T1, offering comfortable chairs, microwaves, changing tables, washbasins, and a play area.

Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO)

Girona Airport is the second most important airport in the Barcelona area, after Barcelona-El Prat Airport. It is also the seventeenth busiest business airport in Spain, having handled 1,664,763 passengers in 2016. The airport's peak year was 2008, when it was the eighth busiest airport in Spain, handling 5,507,294 passengers and 48,128 flights.

The airport was built in 1965, but passenger numbers were initially modest. In 1993, the airport dealt with 275,000 passengers. However, in the early 2000s, passenger numbers grew spectacularly after Ryanair chose Girona as one of its European hubs, marketing it as 'Barcelona-Girona'. From 2002 to 2008, passenger numbers increased by nearly ten times, from just over 500,000 to more than 5.5 million. However, after Ryanair began to move its Barcelona operations to the larger El Prat International Airport, passenger numbers decreased significantly. In 2012, the airport handled only 2.8 million passengers, and in 2016, this number dropped to 1.6 million.

Girona Airport consists of one two-storey passenger terminal building. The ground floor has 33 check-in desks, and the first floor has 11 boarding gates for both domestic and international flights. The departures area has food available, as well as a few shops, restaurants, and smoking areas. The airport is served by three main roads: E-15/AP-7, C-25, and N-II. There are six bus lines operating from the airport to Barcelona, Costa Brava/Maresme, North Costa Brava, and Girona. The closest main-line railway station to the airport is in Girona, and the closest railway station is Riudellots Halt, 4 kilometres away.

Reus International Airport (REU)

There is only one international airport in Barcelona, which is 13km outside of the city centre. However, there are two other airports nearby: Girona and Reus International Airport.

Reus International Airport, commonly known as Barcelona Reus or Barcelona South, is located by the beaches of Costa Daurada. It is approximately 8km from the city centre of Tarragona and 88km from the centre of Barcelona. The airport was founded in 1935 by the Aeroclub de Reus and served as a Republican base during the Spanish Civil War. After the war, it became a Spanish Air Force base until it was demilitarised in the late 1990s. Today, Reus International Airport is a fully civilian airport administered by AENA, the Spanish airports authority.

The airport has been a base for Ryanair since 2008, although the number of flights and destinations was reduced for the 2009-2010 winter season. A full flight programme resumed in March 2010. In 2011, Ryanair announced that their base would close due to a failure to reach an agreement with the local government. However, the airline resumed some flights in 2012, which are operated by aircraft not based at Reus.

Reus International Airport has been adapted to meet future air traffic demand, with Aena Aeropuertos carrying out improvements and extending its facilities. The airport now has a new check-in building that integrates the arrivals and departures buildings into one. The departures building has also been remodelled as a boarding area. The departures terminal has 23 check-in desks and 9 boarding gates spread over two rooms. The public area and the passenger-only zone have cafeteria and restaurant services, as well as duty-free shops.

The airport receives a large number of tourists destined for the nearby beach resorts of Salou and Cambrils, as well as for Barcelona. It is also close to PortAventura World, one of Europe's largest theme parks, and the Mountains of Prades, a Mediterranean forest.

Transport options to/from the airport

Barcelona has one airport within the city, Barcelona-El Prat Airport (also known as Aeroport de Barcelona-El Prat, Aeropuerto de Barcelona, BCN airport, or Aeropuerto del Prat). It is located 12-13km from the city centre. There are two other airports nearby: Girona-Costa Brava Airport and Reus International Airport, which are approximately 32km and 88km from Barcelona, respectively.

By bus

There are several bus options to get to and from Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The Aerobus is an express shuttle bus that runs between Terminals 1 and 2 and the city centre. It has four stops in Barcelona: Plaça España, Gran Via-Urgell, Plaça Universitat, and Plaça de Catalunya. Each stop is located next to a metro station, making it easy to connect to other parts of the city. The Aerobus is spacious and has plenty of luggage space. Tickets cost €7.25 for a single trip and €12.25 for a return, and the journey takes around 20-30 minutes.

There are also public bus services that operate during the day and night, such as the TMB Airport Bus Number 46 and the NitBus N17. These buses make more stops and take longer to get to the city centre, but they are cheaper than the Aerobus.

By train

The RENFE train service runs approximately every 30 minutes between the airport and the city centre, stopping at Estació Sants, Passeig de Gràcia, and El Clot. The journey takes about 25 minutes, and tickets cost €4.90 for a single trip.

By metro

The L9 metro line connects the airport to the city centre, with stops at Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2. The journey time is similar to the train, and a single ticket costs €5.50.

By taxi

Taxis are available outside the main exits of Terminals 1 and 2. The journey to the city centre takes around 20-30 minutes and costs between €30-€40. It is important to note that surcharges may apply for weekend travel, late-night travel, and pickup or drop-off at the airport.

By private transfer

Private transfer services offer a convenient and stress-free way to get to and from the airport. They provide door-to-door service and can accommodate groups of various sizes. However, it is necessary to book this service in advance.

Airport facilities and services

Barcelona has one airport within the city, El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto, also known as Barcelona-El Prat Airport, or simply El Prat Airport. There are two other airports nearby, Girona and Reus, which are approximately 100-120km outside of Barcelona.

Barcelona-El Prat Airport is the second-largest airport in Spain and the largest in the Mediterranean and Catalonia. It features two terminals, with 92 shops and several bars, cafes, and restaurants spread across them. Terminal 1 also has a state-of-the-art business centre and three VIP lounges, while Terminal 2 has one VIP lounge. Both terminals offer Fast Track and free and paid WiFi services. Additionally, there are ATM services and a luggage storage facility.

The airport has direct access to Barcelona by train, bus, and taxi. The Metro L9 connects the airport to downtown Barcelona, and car rental services are also available.

Frequently asked questions