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Guide to the Aerobus - Barcelona Airport Express Bus

There are several different transfer buses going to and from Barcelona Airport. The Aerobus is the Barcelona Airport express shuttle bus that takes people to and from the airport and the city centre. The other buses that are available for transfer between the airport and centre are the TMB Airport Bus Number 46 and the Night Bus N17 (operated by MOHN). These other buses are cheaper, however they are slightly slower, less frequent and provide less space for luggage.

Following the opening of Barcelona Airport’s new Terminal 1 (T1) on 16th June 2009, there are now two separate Aerobus services – one for each terminal.

Aerobuses look different to the standard Barcelona TMB buses. The Aerobuses for T2 are blue with yellow trimmings and yellow writing down the side saying `Aerobus'. The Aerobuses for T1 are light and dark blue and also have ‘Aerobus’ written down the side, but in a more bubbly style of writing that that on the other Aerobus.

The Aerobus

Aerobus to T1

This page covers where to catch the Barcelona Airport express buses, the bus route, the capacity of the vehicle, the luggage space on the express bus, disabled access to the express bus, journey times, prices and payment methods.

Where to Catch the Barcelona Airport Express Buses A1 and A2?

The Aerobus stops at various locations in Barcelona. See below, under ‘Bus Route of Barcelona Airport Express Bus’ for a complete list of drop off and pick up points. The main bus stops in Barcelona City Centre are at Plaza Catalunya and Plaza Espanya which are also Barcelona´s main transport hubs. At Barcelona Airport there are stops outside each of the three terminals.

Since the introduction on the new T1, and with it the new Aerobus, there are two separate services that follow the same route. Therefore, when you are waiting at the bus stop in the town centre, ensure that you are getting on the Aerobus that takes you to the terminal that you require. If you are unsure, ask the driver. If not you can end up at the wrong terminal and you would could have as much as an additional 30 minutes additional transfer time to travel from one terminal to the other.

Aeroubus Bus Stop Location At Plaza Catalunya:

The Aerobus Stop

Plaza Catalunya has bus stops all around its edges for many different bus services. It is necessary to head to the bus stop directly outside El Corte Ingles department store - on your right if you are coming from the Ramblas. This is the busiest Aerobus stop and it can be quite confusing if you are not sure which Aerobus to take. During busy times there is a member of staff at this bus stop – simply tell them which airline you are flying with and they will tell you which bus you need to take.

You will note that there are two separate queues – one for the Aerobus (A1) to Terminal 1 (T1) and one for the Aerobus (A2) to Terminal 2 (T2). The Aerobus queue for T1 is located towards the front of the bus stop if you are facing away from the Ramblas. The queue for the Aerobus to T2 is behind this. This could cause a little confusion if you are not aware there are two different Aerobuses.

Aerobus Bus Stop Location At Plaza Espanya:

If you are coming from Avenida Paral.lel the airport express bus stop is the second bus stop on the right. It sits opposite Barcelona Palace - Palau Nacional. Aerobuses for both T1 and T2 stop here – they arrive alternately, so ask the driver which terminal he is driving to.

From Barcelona Airport:

Aerobuses from T1 leave from the front of the building. There are no ticket machines, so tickets can only be purchased from the driver once you get on the bus.

There are buses at Barcelona Airport that stop at all of the three parts of T2 – T2A, T2B and T2C. It is easy to identify the Aerobus stops as they have a large blue machine where you can buy the Aerobus ticket (see photograph below). There is nearly always an Aerobus waiting outside one of the terminals and if not you will not have to wait more than 12 minutes for one to arrive.

Bus Route of Barcelona Airport Express Bus

Bus Route for Aerobus to T1

From Barcelona Airport:

Airport, T1
Plaza Espanya (Torres Venecianas)
Gran Via - Urgell
Plaza Universitat
Plaza Catalunya

From Barcelona City Centre:

Plaza Catalunya
Avenida Roma - Urgell
Plaza Espanya (Creu Coberta)
Airport, T1

Bus Route for Aerobus to T2

From Barcelona Airport:

Airport, Terminal 2A
Airport, Terminal 2B
Airport, Terminal 2C
Plaza Espanya (Torres Venecianas)
Gran Via - Urgell
Plaza Universitat
Plaza Catalunya

From Barcelona City Centre:

Plaza Catalunya
Avenida Roma – Urgell
Plaza Espanya (Creu Coberta)
Airport, T1
Airport, Terminal 2A
Airport, Terminal 2B
Airport, Terminal 2C

If you are short of time when returning to Barcelona Airport it is worth considering catching the bus from Plaza Espanya rather than Plaza Catalunya. This will mean that you skip out all of the stops between Plaza Catalunya and Plaza Espanya, heading straight from Plaza Espanya onto the motorway. Also, during busy times there is often a queue for the Aerobus at Plaza Catalunya – meaning that you may have to wait a few buses before there is space. There are rarely more than a few people waiting at Plaza Espanya.

Operating Times for the Barcelona Airport Express Bus

(see below for how frequently the Aerobus runs throughout the day)

From Plaza Catalunya: The first bus leaves Plaza Catalunya at 05:30 in the morning and the last bus leaves at 00:15 at night.

From Barcelona Airport: The first bus leaves Barcelona Airport at 06:00 in the morning and the last bus leaves at 01:00 at night.

Frequency of the Aerobus - The Barcelona Airport Express Bus Service

05:30 – 07:00: every 15 minutes
07:00 – 07:32: every 12 minutes
07:32 – 09:28: every 7 – 10 minutes
09:28 – 21:22: every 6 minutes
21:22 – 22:15: every 8 minutes
22:15 – 01:00: every 15 minutes

It is important to note that this schedule accounts for Aerobuses to both T1 and T2. Therefore, only every second one of the buses arriving at each stop will be useful for you.

Bus Price for the Barcelona Airport Express Bus

See our Airport Overview Page for the bus prices and details on how to save money on the ticket price with a Barcelona Card. Barcelona Cards can be purchased from Barcelona airport tourist information.

Where and how to buy your tickets for the Aerobus

You purchase your tickets for each Aerobus on the bus itself or, if you are travelling from T2, you can also buy them from the automatic ticket vending machines at each stop outside the airport terminals (there are no ticket machines outside T1). See above for a link to the bus prices. We have been informed that the automatic vending machines for purchasing Aerobus tickets at T2 do not always functional so be ready with cash to pay the driver.

If you purchase the tickets on the Aerobus itself note they do not accept credit cards of any type , so you will need to have cash ready – and ensure that the cash you have is close to the price of the ticket as possible.

The bus drivers often will not sell you a ticket if the cash note denominations that are much larger than the ticket price itself. You do not need to have the exact change, however, they will not accept notes larger than 20 euros, so if you have a larger note, make sure that you break it before the bus arrives.

At Barcelona Airport T2 there are ticket vending machines where you can purchase your ticket for the Aerobus before you get on the bus. See below for more details.

Payment Machines for the Aerobus at Barcelona Airport T2

The Aerobus Ticket Machine at T2

The ticket machines for the Aerobus are only available at Barcelona Airport T2. They are large and blue. They accept both cash and credit cards.

The languages available on the machines are:

German
Castellano (Spanish)
Catalan
English
French

It is possible to buy multiple tickets with one payment.

Journey Time for the Barcelona Airport Express Bus From the City Centre to Barcelona Airport

Aerobus Travel Time When Leaving From Plaza Catalunya: From Plaza Catalunya to Barcelona Airport the journey time is approximately 40 minutes.

Aerobus Travel Time When Leaving From Plaza Espanya:
From Plaza Espanya to Barcelona Airport the journey time is approximately 25 minutes.

Aerobus Travel Time When Leaving From Barcelona Airport:
The journey time from Barcelona Airport to Plaza Espanya is approximately 25 minutes. The journey time from Barcelona Airport to Plaza Catalunya is approximately 45 minutes.

With all travel times it is important to take into consideration that traffic may affect the length of the journey. So if you have a flight to catch build in some time for delays and maybe catch an earlier bus to be on the safe side.

Disabled Access On To the Barcelona Airport Express Bus

All Aerobuses provide a wide ramp onto the bus and an area for wheelchairs. The ramp is located at the bus’ second entrance – at the middle of the bus.

Seating and Luggage Space on the Barcelona Airport Express Bus

The Aerobus Interior

Aerobuses have seating for 42 people. The seats provided are cushioned and have seat belts.

There is overhead luggage space running down the full length of each side of the bus. It is 36cm deep and 43cm high. In addition there are also four luggage compartments, each containing two sections. Each section is 80cm high by 63cm deep by 86cm wide.

For contact details for Aerobus, see our Barcelona Airport Overview Page.

The Barcelona Airport Express provides quick and convenient access to and from the airport. If you are looking for cheaper transport it is worth considering getting the TMB buses or the train. And if you are travelling at night bear in mind that the Aerobus does not operate, so you will have to rely on the Barcelona Airport Nightbus N17 service. However, besides taxis, the Aerobus offers one of the quickest routes (under normal traffic conditions) into the city centre if you want to get started on your holiday as soon as possible!

TMB Barcelona Airport Bus Transfer: Bus From City Centre To Airport in Barcelona
Barcelona Airport Bus Options to Barcelona City Centre
Transfer between T1 and T2 - Barcelona Airport Shuttle Bus
Barcelona Airport Limousines
Barcelona Airport Parking
Aerobus - Barcelona Airport Express Bus
Barcelona Airport Taxis
Barcelona Airport Train - The C2 Train Service
Barcelona Airport Transport Options
Transfer from Barcelona Pier to Barcelona Airport
Car Rental at Barcelona Airport: BCN Airport Car Hire Agencies
Long Stay Parking at Barcelona Airport – Parking Details for Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 Barcelona Airport
Airport Night Bus N17 - Barcelona Airport Bus Transfer at Night From City Centre To Airport in Barcelona
Petrol Stations at Barcelona Airport