Barcelona Airport Train - The R2 Nord RENFE Train Service To The City Centre
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Many people opt to take the bus from Barcelona Airport to the city centre. However, the train can also prove to be convenient, particularly if you are watching your money or if you wish to reach a specific destination that is on the train route. You can also be more certain of travel times as you have no traffic jams to factor in for.
This page will cover where to catch the train, the route, the prices, luggage space, where to purchase tickets, payment machines and journey times.
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| Renfe train station at Barcelona airport |
Make sure you take the right train. The R2 Nord train, goes to Barcelona Airport Terminal 2B (last stop), but the R2 train (without the Nord) does not go to Barcelona Airport. If you accidentally take the wrong train you would need to get off at El Prat de Llobregat station and change for the R2 Nord train which would take you one more stop to the Airport.
Where to Catch the Barcelona Airport Train
Airport Train From Passeig de Gràcia In The City Centre:
This station has various entrances dotted along Passeig de Gràcia . You will walk down the same set of stairs as if you were going into the metro station. You will need to ask which platform you will be catching the train from at the station.
Passeig de Gràcia is a huge rail station and it is easy to get lost in the station. If you intend to leave from Passeig de Gràcia factor in enough time to ensure you can easily find the platform from which the Airport train leaves from.
Airport Train From Estació Sants (Barcelona Sants) In The City Centre:
Estació Sants is a large train station located at the top of Avenida Roma. It has many platforms and ticket booths. Therefore it is worth arriving in plenty of time to ensure that you have enough time to find your platform.
Airport train arriving from Barcelona Airport:
The entrance to the train station is in T2B. It can be reached via the same set of escalators that also lead to departures. Follow the signs for RENFE, along a covered bridge across the main road outside the airport. The train station is at the bottom of the stairs at the other side.
If you are arriving or departing from T1 you will not be able to walk to or from the train station. It is necessary to catch one of the free shuttle buses that run between the train station and T1.
On arriving at Barcelona Airport train station, to catch the shuttle bus, walk to the end of the train platform and leave the building through the door on your left. The shuttle bus stop is located just here. The shuttle buses are scheduled to coincide with the arrival of the train.
Train Stops From the Airport
"Aeroport" stands for "Airport"
From Barcelona Airport:
| Aeroport de Barcelona |
| Estació Sants |
| Passeig de Gràcia |
| El Clot |
From Barcelona City Centre:
| El Clot |
| Passeig de Gràcia |
| Estació Sants |
| Aeroport de Barcelona |
Operating Times
Operating times for the airport train may vary during the year. We have therefore provided a link to the official RENFE website for you to look up the Airport train timetable information for your visit dates.
When you arrive at the REFNE page choose Barcelona-Sants as the "Origin" and Aeroport as the "Destino" and then select your date using the field called "Fecha". Then press the button called "Buscar" to see the timetable for the airport RENFE train from Barcelona-Sants. You can also do the same for other stations in Barcelona such as Passeig de Gràcia.
Frequency of the Barcelona Airport Train
From Barcelona Airport
First train: 05:42
Last train: 23:38
From Estació Sants
First train: 05:13
Last train: 23:13
From Passeig de Gràcia
First train: 05:08
Last train: 23:07
Two airport trains run every hour to and from the Airport.
Ticket Prices
Ticket Price
Single ticket: €4.90
The T-Casual is valid for ten journeys on Barcelona Airport train, buses and metro. You can purchase the T-Casual at the airport tobacco shops or at the entrance to the RENFE train station at the airport. In Barcelona city centre you can also buy it at Metro stations.
If you plan to use Barcelona public transport to move around Barcelona during your stay, you might want to consider the Hola Barcelona Travel Pass mentioned above. This travel card gives you unlimited travel on Barcelona public transport including Barcelona Airport train.
Where to Buy Your Train Tickets
Train ticket vending machines can be found in both the airport station and the stations in Barcelona city centre. There are five ticket machines at Barcelona Airport. If you are struggling to use the machine you should look out for somebody wearing a high visibility jacket - there is normally somebody manning the machines who can help you to use the machine and purchase your ticket.
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| RENFE Trains Ticket Machine |
It is possible to pay at the machines with both cash (coins and notes €5.00, €10.00, €20.00 and €50.00 notes) and cash/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.
At BCN airport you can purchase the T-Casual ticket at the RENFE train stop at Terminal 2B. Once in the city centre you can purchase the T-Casual travel card (offering 10 metro, train or bus journeys within a zoned travel area) at any metro entrance.
Journey Time
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| Departure Boards at the Train Station |
From Airport to Estació Sants: 19 minutes
From Airport to Passeig de Gràcia: 26 minutes
From Passeig de Gràcia to Airport: 25 minutes
From Estació Sants to Airport: 18 minutes.
If you are running late for your flight, when alighting from the train you can instantly check the status of your plane. There are flight arrival and departure information monitors in the airport train station itself.
Seating and Luggage Space on the Train.
It is worth noting that if you have a lot of luggage the train can prove to be a difficult journey compared to a bus or taxi transfer. The carriages are often full, with many people standing. There is also no allocated room for luggage. Suitcase and bags must be stored in the aisles or by people's feet.
The Barcelona Airport train is a quick and convenient way to get into Barcelona's city centre. The train also continues to El Clot after Estació Sants, which may also be convenient for you if you are staying outside of the city centre. It is also convenient if you plan to catch the Metro to your final destination, as you will be able to alight exactly where there is a Metro station. If you have bought a T-Casual ticket you will also be able to use this for your onward Metro journey, and it will count as a single journey provided that the journey does not take longer than 1 hour and 15 minutes in total.
Other transport options between Barcelona Airport and Barcelona city centre
We have provided links below with other transport options to consider for transport between Barcelona Airport and Barcelona city centre.
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Did you know that you can arrange your airport transport in advance of your trip for a smooth and stress-free arrival? Learn more about Barcelona Airport transport |
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Did you know you can enjoy unlimited travel on public transport for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days? See for free top attractions in Barcelona and get a 10% discount for other attractions which you wish to visit? Barcelona Essentials Pass
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