When planning a trip to Barcelona Spain, it’s not always clear which is the best airport in Barcelona to fly into. In fact, there is only one airport actually in Barcelona, that is Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport to give it its full name! However, some airlines say they fly into other Barcelona airports, which are nowhere near the city, so let’s break down exactly which airports are in Barcelona and which aren’t, and which Barcelona airport is best for you.
Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport is usually just referred to as Barcelona or Barcelona El Prat Airport, as it is close to a town called El Prat de Llobregat on the outskirts of Barcelona. This is the main international airport of Barcelona and is the only airport actually in Barcelona city.
If in any doubt, the best way to confirm which is the correct Barcelona airport is with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 3 letter code assigned to each airport – in this case, BCN is the code for Barcelona El Prat airport.
Barcelona Airport has 2 terminals and is the second-largest airport in Spain, after Madrid-Barajas. There are talks currently going on about possible expansion of the airport, but for now there are two main terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, which is split into T2A, T2B and T2C.
Barcelona El Prat Airport is about 25 minutes drive from the centre of Barcelona by car or taxi and is well connected to the city centre by public transport in the form of buses, trains and metro. There is also an express bus service – Aerobus – that goes directly from each airport terminal to Barcelona city centre.
In the majority of cases, Barcelona El Prat is the best airport to use to fly into Barcelona. Not only is it the most convenient option for getting to the city centre but you can get some fantastic views from the plane if you’re lucky!
When flying from the UK I always sit by the window on the right hand side and more often than not the flight path goes above the sea with a view of the city on your right. It doesn’t always work but when it does you’ll be glad of the window seat!
I use flight comparison site Skyscanner to find the best options for flights to Barcelona from my chosen airport, you can search here or using the search box below:
The Name of Barcelona’s Airport
While most people just call the airport Barcelona, Barcelona-El Prat, or even just El Prat, the full name of the airport is “Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport”. Josep Tarradellas was a Spanish politician and the first president of Catalonia in the democracy which followed the death of General Franco in the 1970s.
In 2018, the Spanish Government announced that Barcelona–El Prat Airport would be renamed after Tarradellas, a move which caused some controversy but I won’t get into the politics of Catalonia here! As long as you remember that it is Barcelona El Prat Airport you should be fine.
You may also see the airport written in Catalan as Aeroport Barcelona–El Prat, or in Spanish as Aeropuerto Barcelona–El Prat.
Which Airlines Fly to Barcelona El Prat?
As Barcelona El Prat is the main international airport of Barcelona, it is the hub for most major international airlines.
Spanish airline Vueling is based in Barcelona and has flights to most major European cities.
Barcelona Airport Terminal One Airlines
Airlines which operate at Terminal One include:
Aegean Airlines, Aeroflot, Air Algerie, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air China, Air Europa, Air France, American Airlines, Arkia Israel Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Ba Cityflyer, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, EgyptAir, El Al, Emirates, Finnair, Iberia, Israir, KLM, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Rossiya Russian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, TAP Portugal, Tarom, Tunisair, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways and Vueling.
Barcelona Airport Terminal Two
Airlines that operate at Terminal Two include:
Aer Lingus, Air Arabia Maroc, Air Moldova, Air Transat, Atlantic Airways, Azur Air, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, Chalair Aviation, Corendon Airlines, Easyjet, Enter Air, Evelop Air, I-Fly, Icelandair, Jet2com, Jetairfly, Luxair, Norwegian Air, Iberojet, Pakistan International Airlines, Pegasus Air, Ryanair, SmartWings, Transavia com, Ural Airlines, UTair, Wizz Air.
How to Get from Barcelona Airport to the City
As I mentioned, Barcelona El Prat Airport is well connected to the city by public transport as well as plenty of taxis which wait outside the airport.
The best way to get from the airport to Barcelona depends on your budget and whereabouts you will be staying. This article has more information and tips for getting to Barcelona from the airport, but here are the options:
- Taxi from Barcelona Airport to the City – fast and convenient (if no traffic), but expensive for solo travellers. Prices vary depending on where you are staying, expect to pay anywhere from €25 to €50
- Private Transfer to Barcelona from the Airport – pre-book a personalised, direct service with Welcome Pickups that includes a meet & greet and drop off at your accommodation.
- Shared Transfers from Barcelona Airport – pre-book a shared transfer with companies such as Shuttle Spain, which stop off at specific hotels in Barcelona, but not individual addresses.
- Train from Barcelona Airport Terminal 2 to City Centre – The cheapest and fastest way to go direct to Sants Station, Passeig de Gracia Station and El Clot Arago. Tickets are included in the Hola Barcelona travel card and you can then take the metro, bus or taxi to your accommodation from the station.
- Aerobús – Express Airport Bus to Barcelona City Centre, with stops at Plaça Espanya and Plaça Catalunya. There are 2 separate lines which go to and from Terminal One and Terminal Two respectively.
- Metro – The metro from the airport is included with the Hola Barcelona travel card but single tickets are more expensive than the train, and it takes longer than the train as there are more stops along the way.
- Public buses take a long time due to the distance and number of stops along the way.
Other Airports Near Barcelona
Some low-cost airlines like Ryanair classify other airports as “Barcelona”, even though they are a lot further away. Girona and Reus are the two other airports in Catalonia that are sometimes referred to as Barcelona, and are mostly served by short-haul national or European flights.
When flying to Barcelona, the airport that will be best for you depends on the airline you are using, and where you will be staying, so make sure you know which one you are booking!
If you are visiting Barcelona on a budget, these two airports often have cheaper flights, but when you factor in the time and money it takes to get from Girona or Reus Airport to Barcelona city centre, then they don’t seem like such good value!
Girona–Costa Brava Airport (GRO)
Girona Airport is close to the city of Girona, just over an hour’s drive northeast of Barcelona. The IATA code for Girona is GRO, and this airport is probably the best one to use if you will be staying on the Costa Brava north of Barcelona or in the northern regions of Catalonia.
During the winter season, there are a reduced number of flights operating to Girona as it is primarily a summer holiday destination, so you may struggle to find suitable flights to Girona. In the summer, flights are more frequent, with direct services to various cities around Europe and the UK. Airlines such as Ryanair, Easyjet and Jet2 have flights to and from Girona Airport.
It is known in Catalan as Aeroport de Girona-Costa Brava, and in Spanish as Aeropuerto de Gerona-Costa Brava.
Girona is well worth a visit if you have spare time in your travel itinerary – it’s a lovely medieval city with a beautiful cathedral, colourful houses along the River Onyar and a bridge designed by Gustav Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame). It was also a filming location for Game of Thrones and is great to explore.
How to Get from Girona Airport to Barcelona
- Taxi from Girona Airport to Barcelona – fast and convenient (if no traffic), but expensive. Prices vary depending on where you are staying, expect to pay anywhere from €165 to +€200 for a taxi
- Private Transfer to Barcelona from Girona Airport – pre-book a personalised, direct service with Welcome Pickups that includes a meet & greet and drop off at your accommodation.
- Shared Transfers from Girona Airport to Barcelona city centre – pre-book a shared transfer with companies such as Shuttle Spain, which stop off at specific hotels in Barcelona, but not individual addresses. Shared transfers are often only available in the summer due to demand.
- Bus from Girona Airport to Barcelona – Sagales Buses run direct from Girona Airport to Barcelona North Bus Station (Estación de Autobuses Barcelona Nord) and vice versa regularly during the day. You can pre-book the bus online with GetYourGuide here. One-way tickets cost €22 and the journey takes around 70-75 minutes.
Reus International Airport (REU)
Reus International Airport is south of Barcelona, close to the cities of Reus and Tarragona, about an hour and a half’s drive away from Barcelona city centre by car. The IATA code for Reus Airport is REU.
Reus is a lovely little city that is worth exploring if you have time in your itinerary, and where the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí was born. If you fly into Reus, you could spend a day here exploring and then make your way to Barcelona by train.
The best things to do in Reus include visiting some of the beautiful Modernist buildings like the stunning Casa Navas, the Gaudí Museum, and sampling some vermouth, a typical Catalan drink that is made in Reus.
However, if you are short on time I wouldn’t recommend flying to Reus Airport if you are only staying in Barcelona, as it can take between 2-3 hours by public transport to reach the centre of Barcelona. However, if you are staying in the Costa Daurada region of Catalonia, near Tarragona, PortAventura World, or the resorts of Salou or Cambrils then this is probably the best airport for you.
Similar to Girona, there are fewer flights available to Barcelona Reus during the winter, but in the summer you can find flights with airlines like Jet2 and Ryanair from several airports in the UK and in Europe to Reus.
How to Get from Reus Airport to Barcelona
- Taxi from Reus Airport to Barcelona – fast and convenient (if no traffic), but expensive. Prices vary depending on where you are staying, expect to pay around +€200 for a taxi
- Private Transfer to Barcelona from Reus Airport – pre-book a personalised, direct service with Welcome Pickups that includes a meet & greet and drop off at your accommodation.
- Shared Transfers from Reus Airport to Barcelona city centre – pre-book a shared transfer with companies such as Shuttle Spain, which stop off at specific hotels in Barcelona, but not individual addresses. Shared transfers are often only available in the summer due to demand.
- Bus from Reus Airport to Barcelona – MonBus run a direct service from Reus Airport to Barcelona Sants Station and vice versa, but only a couple of times during the day. One-way tickets cost €15 and the journey usually takes between 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours. The website wasn’t allowing me to book tickets online so it seems you can only buy them in person on the bus at Reus Airport or from Barcelona Sants Bus Station (next to Sants train station on Cerrer de Viriat)
Tips for Booking Flights to Barcelona Airports
To find the best flight deals for getting to Barcelona by air, I recommend using a flight comparison tool like Skyscanner.
Choose the Right Barcelona Airport!
After reading this article, you should have enough knowledge about the airports in Barcelona to be able to choose the best option for you, but it bears repeating just in case! Usually, Barcelona El Prat is the best option if you’re staying in Barcelona, as it is the closest airport to Barcelona city centre, but you might want to check out the other options just in case.
Be Flexible
You can save a lot of money on Barcelona flights if you can be flexible on the dates you want to fly. Peak times include holidays such as Christmas or school holidays, and flights on Friday evenings to Sunday are always more expensive than weekdays as lots of people want to spend a weekend in Barcelona.
Try to visit Barcelona in the off or shoulder season instead of during the summer holidays, and fly mid-week if you can.
Check the Flight Times Carefully
Sometimes the cheapest flight prices can actually cost you more once you factor in how to get to and from the airport. Very early or late flights might mean you have to take a taxi to the airport instead of the bus or public transport, so that can end up costing more than a later flight would.
Fly with Hand Luggage Only
Most of the low-cost airlines that fly to Barcelona airports will reward you for travelling light, so try to pack just with hand luggage if you can. Paying to check in a bag at the airport can make your flight a lot more expensive, and you have to spend time waiting to collect it when you arrive. It’s much easier if you can walk straight out with your bag! Check out my Barcelona packing list for tips on what to bring to Barcelona!