Getting from Barcelona Airport to the city

The T-casual trap

Every guide to Barcelona tells you to buy a T-casual: ten journeys, shared across metro, bus and train, excellent value. It is good advice for the city and useless at the airport.

• The T-casual is not valid at the Aeroport T1 and T2 stations on L9 Sud.
• You need the dedicated airport ticket, about EUR 5.90, or a card that includes the airport: T-usual, T-jove, T-dia or the tourist Hola Barcelona card.
• Holding a T-casual does not discount it. You pay the EUR 5.90 on top.

And the metro does not reach the centre

• L9 Sud runs from both terminals to Zona Universitaria, on the western edge of the city.
• You change there for L3 into the centre.
• Total time is comparable to the bus, with a change and a heavy bag.

The two better options

• Aerobus (A1 from T1, A2 from T2) - about EUR 7.45, direct to Placa Catalunya in roughly 35 minutes, calling at Placa Espanya and Gran Via, and running 24 hours. It is the simplest thing to do with luggage.
• Rodalies R2 Nord from Terminal 2 - ordinary regional fares with no airport surcharge, to Passeig de Gracia and Sants in about 25 minutes. This is the cheap route, and the reason it is underused is that it only serves T2; from T1 you take the free inter-terminal shuttle first.

Taxis

• Barcelona sets a minimum airport fare and adds a fixed airport supplement to the meter. A ride to the centre is a normal metered journey plus that supplement.
• Use the rank. The queue moves quickly and it is regulated.