Trains to and from Barcelona Airport
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (often known as Barcelona-El Prat Airport or simply as Barcelona Airport) is Spain’s second-largest airport, with millions of passengers arriving and departing each year. The airport is located roughly 9 miles southwest of Barcelona.
If you're flying to or from Barcelona, there’s a good chance you’ll need to travel to or from Barcelona Airport. Don’t worry – it's easy to get there using public transport.
Read on to learn more about buying Barcelona Airport train tickets, timetables, and possible connections.
What's in this guide?
- I’m traveling from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona city center
- Where should I travel next after Barcelona?
- I’m traveling from Barcelona city center to Barcelona Airport
- I’m traveling from Barcelona Airport to another Spanish destination
- How to buy train tickets at the airport
- Frequently Asked Questions
How to get from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona by train
Flying into Barcelona Airport? To get to the city center, you can use public transport such as the train.
Trains from Barcelona Airport
To get from Barcelona Airport to the center of Barcelona by train, you can catch a local Rodalies train.
Line R2N picks up passengers at Terminal 2 and stops at key locations in the city, such as Barcelona-Sants station (Barcelona’s main train station) and Passeig de Gràcia station (close to some of Gaudí’s famous houses).
If you’ve flown into Terminal 2, simply follow the signs towards the airport train station. If you’ve flown into Terminal 1, you’ll need to take the free shuttle bus between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and then follow signs towards the train station. It’s not possible to walk between the two terminals.
R2N trains operate every half hour between the airport and the city center. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes.
Where should I travel next after Barcelona?
Sure, you might have had a good time in Barcelona, but your European adventure doesn’t have to stop there. Why not check out some of these trips below?
Make your way to Madrid
If you’d like to see even more of what Spain has to offer, why not head to its capital? It’s quick and easy to travel from Barcelona to Madrid by high-speed train – the shortest journeys can take just 2 hours and 30 minutes!
There are four operators on this route: AVE, Avlo, OUIGO Spain and iryo. It’s worth comparing what each operator offers, as well as times and prices, so that you can find the best tickets for you. You can use our Journey Planner to find out more.
Need some travel inspiration? Check out our ideas for what to do in Madrid and the best places to watch some flamenco dancing in the city. Or read reviews of the journey from some of our employees.
Speed away to Seville
Another popular destination is the southern Spanish city of Seville. You can travel from Barcelona to Seville by high-speed train in just a few hours – it’s easy to get around Spain by train.
There are two high-speed operators on this route: AVE and iryo. There are some direct trains each day, or you can take a train to Madrid and then transfer to a train to Seville. Take a look at our Journey Planner to see all the available options and to book your tickets.
Hop on a train to Paris
If you’re keen to see another country on your European trip, why not travel to Paris? The train journey from Barcelona to Paris can take under 7 hours on a high-speed TGV INOUI train, and the best part? It’s direct from city center to city center, so you can start exploring a new city straight away.
Whether you want to wander around the best flea markets in Paris, or you need some guidance on the best neighborhoods to stay in Paris after a long day sightseeing, we’ve got you covered.
How to get from Barcelona city center to Barcelona Airport by train
Flying from Barcelona Airport and not sure how to get there? We’ve got you covered!
To get from the center of Barcelona to Barcelona Airport by train, you can catch a local Rodalies train.
Line R2N stops at key locations in the city, such as Barcelona-Sants station (Barcelona’s main train station) and Passeig de Gràcia station (close to some of Gaudí’s famous houses). It then carries on toward Barcelona Airport.
When getting onto the train, you must make sure you’re on the R2N train. There is also a line called R2, but this does not go as far as the airport.
R2N trains operate every half hour between the city center and the airport. The journey takes approximately 20 minutes.
How to get to Terminal 1
The R2N train only stops at Terminal 2. If you need to get to Terminal 1, don’t panic! Simply hop on the free shuttle bus between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. It’s not possible to walk between the two terminals.
How to get to Terminal 2
If you’re flying from Terminal 2, you’re in luck! The R2N train will take you directly to your terminal. From the train station, you can follow the signs to Departures.
How to get from Barcelona Airport to other Spanish destinations by train
Traveling from Barcelona Airport to Madrid, Bilbao or Málaga? Keep reading for more information on how to get there by train.
Barcelona Airport isn’t connected to the national rail network in Spain. To get to other destinations, you’ll first have to travel to Barcelona Sants train station.
It’s worth knowing that high-speed AVE and iryo trains, as well as other long-distance Renfe services in Spain, include a free trip on local trains in either your origin or destination city. This is called Combinado Cercanías, and it means that you can travel from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona Sants for free using your pre-booked ticket from Barcelona to Madrid, for example.
If you book your journey from Barcelona to Madrid with Trainline, your ticket will be available as a QR code in our app. Simply scan this at the ticket gates and board the Rodalies train as usual. You can also enter the 5-digit code on your ticket into a ticket machine to get your Cercanías ticket.
Keep in mind that the free local train journey is only valid from 4 hours before your long distance train departs, or 4 hours after you arrive at your destination. So, if your AVE train leaves Barcelona Sants at 2:00 pm, you can use this ticket to travel from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona Sants from 10:00 am.
How to get from Barcelona Airport to Madrid
Although you can’t get a direct train from the airport to Madrid, it’s still easy to travel to Spain’s capital by train in a couple of steps:
- Take the R2N train from the airport to Barcelona Sants train station.
- From here, you can catch a train to Madrid Atocha train station.
You should build in enough time between landing in Barcelona and your train to Madrid to take the train from the airport to Barcelona Sants, as well as the security checks you must go through before boarding a high-speed train in Spain.
From Madrid, you can also travel to other popular destinations in Spain and beyond. Why not head from Madrid to Málaga, or even from Madrid to Marseille?
If you’re looking to get to Madrid Airport, you can take a Cercanías train from Madrid Atocha station straight to Aeropuerto T4 train station (the airport’s train station, located in Terminal 4). There’s a free shuttle bus to other terminals.
How to get from Barcelona Airport to Bilbao
To travel from Barcelona Airport to Bilbao:
- Take the R2N train from the airport to Barcelona Sants train station.
- From here, you can catch a train to Zaragoza-Delicias or Madrid Atocha train station.
- From either of these cities, you can then catch a train to Bilbao Abando station.
There are a few different route options on the journey from Barcelona to Bilbao, so it’s worth looking through our Journey Planner to compare operators, times and prices before buying your tickets. You might have to change stations within a city to catch your second train.
Remember, with the Combinado Cercanías ticket, your journey from Barcelona Airport to Barcelona Sants station is free! This doesn’t apply if you’ve bought a OUIGO ticket though, so check before you travel.
If you need any travel inspiration, check out our guide on the top things to see and do in Bilbao, Spain, or Bilbao’s best restaurants if you’re a bit of a foodie.
How to buy Barcelona Airport train tickets at the station
For travel between Barcelona Airport and central Barcelona, you’ll likely need to buy a train ticket at the station. We’ll show you how.
Buying train tickets at Barcelona Airport
You can buy a ticket for the Rodalies R2N train at Barcelona Airport train station. There are ticket machines on your right-hand side as you walk into the station. You can change the language to English when buying tickets.
Barcelona now has a new system for buying tickets: T-mobilitat. This is similar to an Oyster card on the London Underground. You can reload a T-mobilitat card with tickets, such as:
- T-casual: This ticket is valid for 10 separate journeys and costs €11.35 (around $12.43) for Zone 1 as of January 2024. It includes buses, trams, Rodalies trains and the metro (excluding the airport stations on Line S9).
- T-usual: This ticket gives you unlimited travel in Zone 1 for a month and costs €20 (around $21.91) as of January 2024. It includes buses, trams, Rodalies trains and the metro.
Remember to validate this card each time you use a mode of transport. You could be fined if you are found traveling without a validated ticket.
It’s also possible to buy a ‘Hola Barcelona’ ticket which allows you unlimited access to public transport for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days. This ticket is aimed at tourists and includes a return transfer from the airport to the city center.
To buy a 2-day ‘Hola Barcelona’ ticket, head to our Journey Planner and choose ‘Barcelona El Prat’ as your origin station and ‘Barcelona’ as your destination station.
Buying train tickets from Barcelona city center
You can buy a ticket for the Rodalies R2N train at metro and train stations, such as Barcelona-Sants station.
If you’ve been traveling around Barcelona using a T-casual or a T-usual ticket, you’re in luck! These are also valid for Rodalies trains to the airport – so make sure you leave one journey remaining on your ticket for your transfer to the airport.