Flying into Barcelona
Flying into Barcelona
Barcelona’s main airport is called Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport. It’s the 7th busiest airport in Europe and it’s where you’ll most likely arrive if you’re flying to Barcelona from the United States.
Direct flights from the US to Barcelona
There’s plenty of options to fly into Barcelona from the United States. The number of American visitors has been steadily growing after the COVID-19 pandemic and airlines are frequently opening new direct routes in response to increased demand.
At the time of writing the following direct routes are available from the United States:
New York John F. Kennedy airport (JFK)
Delta – Airbus A330 (daily flight)
Level – Airbus A330 (daily flight)
American Airlines – Boeing 777 (daily flights starting 30-03-2025)
Flight time: 9 hours and 10 minutes on average
New York Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
United Airlines – Boeing 767 (daily flight)
Flight time: 9 hours on average
Miami International Airport (MIA)
American Airlines – Boeing 777 (daily flight)
Level – Airbus A330 (4 flights per week)
Flight time: 10 hours and 25 minutes on average
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
Level – Airbus A330 (daily flight)
Delta – Boeing 767 (3 flights per week starting 23-05-2025)
Flight time: 8 hours and 45 minutes on average
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Level – Airbus A330 (Daily flight)
Flight time: 13 hours and 5 minutes on average
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
American Airlines – Boeing 787 (Daily flights)
Flight time: 8 hours and 40 minutes on average
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
Delta – Airbus A330 (Daily flights)
Flight time: 10 hours and 25 minutes on average
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
United Airlines – Boeing 767 (Daily flights)
Flight time: 9 hours and 25 minutes on average
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
American Airlines – Boeing 777 (Daily flights starting 31-03-2025)
Flight time: 11 hours and 15 minutes on average
Note: Flight schedules are subject to change
How to get to the center from the airport
Taxi
There are always plenty of taxis waiting at Barcelona airport. When you exit out of the baggage claim area, just follow the signs. If you’ve landed at terminal 1, you need to go down an escalator where there will be a line of taxis waiting. At terminal 2, just exit straight out of the building to find the taxi stand.
You can also choose to download Uber, Bolt, Cabify or Freenow to book a taxi. Sometimes this can be cheaper, but it depends on the time and day. Uber, Bolt and Cabify drivers can’t stop at the regular taxi stand (Freenow is the only one that uses regular taxis) so you’ll have to follow the instructions in-app where to meet your driver. Usually they will come pick you up in the car park.
Metro
The L9 sud connects the city with both terminals at Barcelona airport. The easiest way to connect to the L9 airport metro is to get to either Collblanc (L5) or Torrassa (L1) and switch there. The price for a one-way ticket is €5.50.
Personally I prefer other means of transport, as the metro has a lot of stops and doesn’t stop in the city center.
Train
The R2 Nord train will take you to Terminal 2 at Barcelona airport. If you need to catch a flight at Terminal 1, there is a free shuttle bus you can use. Keep in mind that you might have to wait 15-20 minutes. The journey between terminals takes about 10-15 minutes. You can take the R2 Nord train at one of the following stations:
– Sant Andreu Comtal
– El Clot – Aragó
– Passeig de Gracia
– Sants Estació
If you already bought a metro ticket, it’s possible that you can use the same ticket to get on the train. You can check this with the staff at the train station. If not, a one-way ticket can be bought for €4.90.
Please note that only the R2 Nord train goes to Barcelona airport, the regular R2 train does not stop at the airport.
Aerobus
The Aerobus is a convenient way to get from the centre to the airport. It runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and will take you from the centre to the airport in about half an hour. You can take the bus from Placa Catalunya or from Placa Espanya. A one-way ticket costs around €10,-.
Car rental
All the major car rental companies have an office at Barcelona airport. For both terminal 1 and 2, you will see the rental offices once you exit the baggage collection area. It’s recommended to book a rental car in advance as the prices can increase a lot when there is high demand, especially in July and August.
RecordGo is one of our preferred providers as you can book a car including full insurance for a decent price. They also don’t ask for a huge security deposit like some other companies and the services is usually fast.
Other airports near Barcelona
Girona-Costa Brava airport (GRO)
Girona airport is located about 100 kilometers (~64 miles) North of Barcelona city. The airport is mainly used by low-cost airlines offering flights to other European cities. It can be a good option as sometimes you can find direct flights to destinations that have no routes available from Barcelona airport.
The easiest way to get to Girona airport is by (rental) car. Be sure to pre-book a parking spot via the AENA webiste as this will be much cheaper than if you go without a reservation.
You can also catch a bus from Barcelona’s bus station (Barcelona Nord). There’s no need to pre-book a ticket. The price is €19.50 for a one-way ticket and €30 for a round trip ticket. The journey takes about one hour and 30 minutes.
Reus airport (REU)
Reus airport is located close to the coastal city of Tarragona, about 95 kilometers (~59 miles) South of Barcelona. Just like Girona airport, Reus is mainly used by low-cost carriers such as Ryanair. There are some routes to Northern Europe and The UK that you won’t find at Barcelona airport. Also the price difference between a flight departing from Reus and from Barcelona can be significant.
Again the best way to get to and from Reus airport is by car. You can reserve a spot here.
There is also a direct bus connection between Reus Airport and Barcelona city center (Placa Catalunya). The bus schedule is adapted to the flights that are arriving and is therefore a bit unclear. If you arrive at Reus airport, it’s just a matter of waiting until the next bus arrives. If you have to go from Barcelona to Reus Airport, you could also take the train to Reus city and take a bus from there to the airport.
You can find more info on the website of the bus operator and the train company.