Getting To Barcelona

Geographical location

Barcelona is one of Spain’s most accessible cities and certainly its closest main tourist centre to the rest of Europe. Major highways link the city with Madrid and Zaragoza to the west, Tarragona and Valencia to the south and the French border to the north. It also benefits from Spain’s busy rail network, although there are no direct trains beyond the border due to a rail gauge difference with France. Barcelona international airport is also a busy hub with flights to cities all over the world, particularly trans-Atlantic routes. There are also regular ferries departing from Barcelona to the Balearic islands and a service to Genoa.

Travel to Barcelona by car

Arriving from France and the North, you have a choice of driving on the express highway (E-15) or the more scenic coastal road along the Costa Brava. There is also a route over the Pyrenees, through Andorra which enters Spain at Puigcerdà and follows the N-152 to Barcelona. From Madrid, the N-2 is an easy highway to follow, through Zaragoza and onto the A-2 to El Vendrell and A-7 motorway to Barcelona. The E-15 also arrives in Barcelona from the south making it easy to get to from the Costa Blanca and Valencia. Vehicles drive on the right in Spain.

Travel to Barcelona by rail

The same North-South coastal route is traversed by Spain’s domestic rail services which are renowned for their reliability, efficiency and good value. The views on this route are often very attractive and it’s possible to travel directly, at least once a day, to Barcelona from as far away as Seville. Regular services also run directly from many major Spanish cities, with several trains running daily to Madrid. Then there are the services to France, including services to Paris, Marseille and Nice, but they usually involve a change of trains at the border. Trains run under the city centre and stop at Barcelona’s principal train station Estacio Sants, just west of La Ramblas. Some local services also stop at Placa de Catalunya, due north, while Estacio Franc Station east of La Ramblas is less frequented. In Spain you have the option of the local Talgo, the faster Intercity and the long-distance high-speed AVE.

Travel to Barcelona by bus

The Bus network comprises of privately owned concessionaires and can be useful for reaching Barcelona from the Costa Dorada or Costa Blanca, but due to the large distances to be covered in Spain this option is arduous and only popular with those on the tightest of travel budgets. The main intercity bus station is located northeast of La Ramblas at Estacia del Nord.

Travel to Barcelona by air

Barcelona Airport is southwest of the city centre receiving numerous flights from European cities and a generous number of trans-Atlantic routes, with the airport acting as a regional hub.  A Train service departs for the city centre every 30 minutes, linking to the metro system in the city. More frequent are the slower Aerobuseses which travel to the heart of Barcelona. Taxi ranks are found directly outside the terminals, with services 24 hours a day.

Travel to Barcelona by ferry

Ferry services are only practical for getting to and from the Balearic islands and these depart several times a day from the main port. However it is far more popular and practical to fly.

Arriving at Barcelona by Air

Barcelona International Airport is located 14kms southwest of the city centre, and claims second place as Spain’s busiest airport. There are three terminals in the airport. Terminal A is for foreign airline departures and international arrivals. Terminal B serves Spanish airline departures and European arrivals while Terminal C is for Air Shuttle flights and general aviation.  Flights to Barcelona are numerous from European cities and there are a generous number of trans-Atlantic routes, with the airport acting as a regional hub. Bureaux de Change and information desks are easily found in the Arrivals Hall of each terminal (Tel: (0) 934 784 704 or 934 780 565).

A Train service departs for the city centre every 30 minutes, stopping at Sants-Estacio, Placa Catalunya and Arc de Triomf, all of which link up with the metro. Slightly more frequent, but longer by journey time, is the Aerobus which travels to the heart of Barcelona, with stops including Placa de Catalunya. Departures are every 12 minutes.

Taxi ranks are found directly outside the terminals, with services 24 hours. The journey to Barcelona takes 25 minutes, but an airport supplement applies to all fares. Alternatively, by hire car, the route into the city is fairly straight-forward taking highway C-246 or C32.

As an alternative, when flights are full, is flying to Gerona Airport, which is to the North and catching a shuttle to Barcelona in under an hour.