Barcelona Airport Shuttle Bus

All Info about the Metropolitan Buses and the Famous Aerobus at BCN Airport

Shuttles and Buses from and to Barcelona Airport

There are two types of buses connecting El Prat Airport to the city center, the TMB Bus 46 and the Nitbus N16-N17, and the express bus option serving the airport, the well-known Aerobus.

The TMB and the Night Buses

During the day, the Metropolitan Bus 46 handles the transfers from and to Barcelona Airport. The bus departs from both terminals and reaches Plaça España in Barcelona city center in approximately 40 minutes. The Bus 46 can adequately serve the needs of persons with reduced mobility but has limited storage space. Therefore, it’s not the ideal option if you travel with lots of baggage.

During the night, there are also buses running from and to El Prat Airport. Explicitly, the N16 bus links BCN T2 to the city center, while N17 BCN T1 to Barcelona downtown.

The Metropolitan Buses Time Schedule from BCN Airport

Bus 46 runs approximately every 15-20 minutes, depending on the roads’ congestion, from 4:50 am to 11:50 pm. The bus reaches its final stop at Plaça España in about 30 minutes from T2 and 35 minutes from T1. However, if the traffic is heavy, the travel time may rise to 40 minutes and 55 minutes, respectively. Despite this fact, it still provides faster services than the train. Indeed, if you are landing at T1, you won’t have to use the free shuttle bus to the T2 Train Station.

The N16 bus operates from 11:30 pm to 5:00 am, with frequent routes. In fact, it passes every 20 minutes and needs 40 minutes to its ending stop. On the other hand, N17 is available from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am.

How Many Bus Stations are there at Barcelona Airport?

There are 3 bus stops at BCN Airport, one at T1 and two at T2. The T1 bus stop is right outside the main exit of the terminal building, next to the Aerobus stand. From that point, you can either get on Bus 46 during the daytime or take Bus N17 if you are traveling at night.

Terminal 2 has two bus stops, lying outside the B and C sections’ exits. These are your points of interest if you are arriving at T2 and planning to hop on Bus 46 or N16.

Bus Tickets from Barcelona Airport

The tickets for the metropolitan buses are cheap enough (certainly more affordable than the Aerobus tickets), costing 2.40€/2.40$ for a single ride. Tickets are available from the driver once entering the bus, via the automatic ticket machines, or online.

If you are planning on using public transportation for your transfers, then you should opt for the T-Casual ticket, which allows you to travel 10 times inside the Metropolitan Zone 1, using any public means of transport and paying only 7.95€/7.95$. Alternatively, the Hola Barcelona Travel Pass gives you unlimited access to all the public transportation means for 48, 72, 96, or 120 consecutive hours.

Other Buses from and to El Prat Airport

Although Bus 46 and Night Buses N16 and N17 are the main lines linking the airport to the city center, other bus lines also leave from the BCN bus stops, connecting the airport to different districts of the city. What’s more, many intercities (Mon-Bus, Sarbus, Bus Garraf, etc.) and international (Flixbus, Directbus, etc.)  buses pass through the El Prat.

Bus LineDepartureDestinationAirport Stop
Bus 46 Pl. EspanyaBarcelona AirportT1/T2
Bus 99Castelldefels Barcelona AirportT1
Bus L77Sant Joan DespíBarcelona AirportT1/T2
Bus PR1El Prat de LlobregatBarcelona AirportT1/T2
Bus PR2/PR3El Prat de LlobregatBarcelona AirportCorporate Aviation Terminal
N16Plaça de CatalunyaCastelldefelsT2
N17Plaça de CatalunyaBarcelona AirportT1
N18Plaça de CatalunyaBarcelona AirportT1/T2

The Fast and Famous Aerobus

Aerobus is the express bus that handles the passengers’ transfers from and to the airport. The light and dark blue buses with the distinctive “Aerobus” sign on them leave the airport almost every 5 minutes (during the night, the routes are scarcer though) and reach downtown in approximately 25-30 minutes, as their in-between stops are limited. Aerobus is fully equipped to serve persons with disabilities, has spacious storage capacity, and provides free Wi-Fi and USB charging ports. What’s more, Aerobus vehicles are being monitored for safety reasons.

Overall, two Aerobus lines are serving BCN Airport, A1 departing from terminal 1 and A2 from terminal 2. When heading to El Prat Airport, it is highly important to check out these numbers to reach the right terminal building.

Aerobus Time Schedule from BCN Airport

One of the main advantages of the Aerobus lines is their frequency. Buses depart almost every 4-10 minutes from both terminals (approximately every 20 minutes in the early morning hours) and reach Pl. Catalunya in about 35 minutes, and Pl. Espanya in 25 minutes, depending on the roads’ conditions. Moreover, the two bus lines run around the clock. Thus, whatever time of the day you are landing at El Prat Airport, an Aerobus will be there to transfer you to your destination.

Where are the Aerobus Airport Stations?

Aerobus A1 handles transfers from and to terminal 1 of the BCN Airport. Hence, the Aerobus stops are to be found in front of terminal building 1, both at Arrivals and Departures levels. On the other hand, Aerobus A2 makes two stops at T2, one outside the T2B section and one outside the T2C area.

Aerobus Tickets from Barcelona Airport

The only drawback of choosing Aerobus for your transfer is its price, as an Aerobus ticket is more expensive than the ordinary ticket used for metropolitan buses. However, if you take into consideration the frequency of routes, the limited in-between stops, the 24/7 services, and the storage capacity, then there’s little doubt that this is the top value-for-money option.

Thus, a one-way ticket from Barcelona Airport to the city center costs 5.90€/5.90$, whereas a round trip 10.20€/10.20$. Children up to 4 years of age travel for free.

Tickets are available online, via the automatic vending machines using cash or credit cards, from the T1 information desk, or from the driver inside the bus. In case you decide to buy your ticket when entering the bus, make sure you carry small bills with you as the driver is obligated to give change up to 20€/20$.

FAQs

How much is the bus from Barcelona Airport to city centre?

A ticket for Bus 46 or the Night Buses N16 and N17 leaving BCN Airport and heading to the heart of the city costs 2.40€/2.40$. On the other hand, the more expensive yet highly efficient Aerobus costs 5.90€/5.90$ for a one-way ticket and 10.20€/10.20$ for a return one. 

Can you buy Aerobus tickets on the bus?

Aerobus tickets can be bought online or via automatic vending machines. However, you can also buy your tickets from the driver once entering the bus. In that case, you should carry small change with you.

Where does Aerobus stop in Barcelona?

Two Aerobus lines leave from the airport, A1 from T1 and A2 from T2. Besides that, the two lines have the same route with limited stops, especially outside the Metropolitan area. Their final stop is Plaza Catalunya.