Aller-Retour : getting to and from our local airports (last updated in 2021)
Travel to and from the P-O has become more and more problematic over the past few years. Not only do we have to look further away for suitable flights but transport to and from the chosen airport can also pose different problems.
We don’t have all the solutions but we have some lovely readers who are happy to share their experiences.
How about you? Can you provide any tips for getting to and from an airport?
To Barcelona Airport by train… with Gill and Fiona
Out of high season, flight options from the UK to the P-O are limited and many flights require travel to and from Barcelona airport. We decided to take a day trip to this beautiful city (it’s a hard job but somebody has to do it!) and check out train travel to El Prat Airport, Barcelona.
The ‘ALLER’
Head for Figueres, a 20 minute drive from the Spanish border at Le Perthus, and follow signs for Figueres-Vilafant station to take the fast train to Barcelona.
Be careful. Vilafant is not the main station in Figueres although if you do accidentally end up at the small main station just off the centre, you can still get a train to Barcelona; cheaper tickets for a longer journey of around 2hours 55mins.
No reason to get lost though as Vilafant is well signposted with signs for AVE, the name for the TGV in Spain. There is a large car park next to the entrance. Check out the website for more details and parking reservations. The train journey from Vilafant takes 55 minutes to Barcelona Sants train station.
Alternatively you can start your journey from Perpignan but there are more train options from Figueres than Perpignan.
Check train times and buy tickets here. If you prefer to use an English website for buying train tickets, try this one.
The AVE/TGV train goes into Barcelona Sants station. From here you need to take another train directly to the airport (or a bus or taxi directly outside the station of course, but we are only looking at train travel on this trip.)
This ‘navette‘ always runs from either platform 9 or 10 and takes 19 minutes. Notorious for very clever pickpockets, keep your hand on your luggage and any valuables well out of reach.
The easiest way to pay for this journey is to purchase a booklet of 10 tickets (T-10 1 Zone) which also cover buses and the Barcelona metro, and can be bought from a machine in the main station. They can be kept for the return journey and future use too.
At the airport check which terminal you are flying from (Ryanair is usually Terminal 1). For Terminal 1, it’s a short walk from the train station using a pedestrian linked tunnel.
For Terminal 2 use the free airport bus to terminal 2 which takes about 10 minutes.
The ‘RETOUR’
From the main airport, cross over the covered bridge and take the navette train back to Sants station, a journey of 19 minutes. Sit on the left hand side of the train and get off at ‘Barna Sants’ (the platform sign reads Barcelona Sants).
At Sants go upstairs to the main train station. Take the fast train Figures – Vilafant which takes 55 minutes. The platforms for the fast train are on the far right of the ticket office. The trains only run from platforms 5 or 6.
To Carcassonne Airport by train… with Alan Foster
When coming to stay in the PO, it’s easy to fly to the nearest airport, hop in a hire car and drive on. But as car hire costs escalate, here is an alternative suggestion for anyone lucky enough to be able to take advantage of public transport (particularly a €1 bus) which takes them to Perpignan before mid-day.
The ‘ALLER’
We flew to Carcassonne (flights from various UK airports) and took a €6 navette to the train station where we checked into a modestly priced central hotel.
A wander over to the Cité over the footbridge, a quick look inside the chapel on the right before you cross the river, for maximum charm, back to the old part and supper in one of our favourite restaurants.
The next morning, you can get a train to Perpignan, but we took the (very) early morning Ouibus direct to Perpignan (approx €11 for 2), picked up some breakfast, and then a €1 bus to our second home in Port Vendres.
The ‘RETOUR’
Our return was particularly pretty. After a €1 bus to Perpignan, we took the 12h20 €1 bus to Quillan – sit on the right side of the bus for the best views of the Cathar castle, the river and the red train route. In May the wild flowers by the roadside were spectacular. We took a picnic to eat. If you prefer, you can stop at Axat, for white water rafting and other river fun (also accessible via le Train Rouge).
Quillan itself is small and quiet, with the Aude running through it. There are various hotels in Quillan: we stayed near the station, but the best views are from the Castle Hotel, on the river, opposite the ancient ruined castle.
In the morning, there is a €1 bus (it seems to be an almost permanent bus replacement service) from the station to Carcassonne, (website) with plenty of time for lunch before picking up the navette back to the airport.
So.…. the total return cost for two people was under €50 : €24 for the navettes, €11 for Ouibus and an astonishing €8 in €1 buses – plus two nights in a hotel and the flights of course.
Be aware that since the update of
2021 referred to above the BCN
terminals have been renamed!!
The ‘new’ terminal built on the
other side of the runways is now designated Terminal 1(T1) and is accessed by a shuttle bus leaving every 10 mins. from in front of the old terminal. The original terminal now called Terminal 2 (T2) still has its three parts A, B and C.
The train link and it’s ‘skywalk’
arrive in T2 B (turn L immediately at the end of the ‘skywalk’ if ready to proceed through the security of
T2 B) Be aware that there are now no internal links between sections
A, B and C and that from the
bottom of the ‘skywalk’ it’s another 10min exterior walk to T2 C..
Currently, it would appear, T2 A is being used exclusively for flight arrivals and is your best bet for ‘pickups’. By the way if dropping off or picking up by car in T2 use the lanes signed “Express Parking” to access the front of the terminal.: it’s free if you don’t wait too long!!
Thanks Mike. Very useful to know
A few points re getting to/from BCN. The slow train from Figueres does not take 2h 55m. The Media Distanca (MD) takes about 1h 50m and the Regional takes somewhat longer at 2h 20m. I don’t recommend the Regional because not only does it take longer but also the seats are harder and there are neither toilets nor power points.
MD is a lot less expensive than the AVE, and can even be free. I have an AD Recurrent24 ticket which cost 20€ and allows me to make unlimited trips from Figueres to Barcelona for 4 months. The 20€ is a refundable deposit, allegedly repaid after a certain number of trips, but I’ve had mine refunded almost immediately. Anyone can buy one from the ticket machine in Figueres. You need to give a passport number but there are no age limits.
Sants has a bad reputation for robberies but I’ve been many times and never had the slightest trouble there, or indeed anywhere else in Barcelona – but I am very careful. If you’re nervous about Sants an advantage of getting the MD from Figueres is that you can get the airport train without going to Sants but by changing at a previous station, for instance at Passeig de Gracia or before. Note that this is not possible using the AVE as it stops only at Girona and Sants.
The T-10 no longer exists as of this year and has been replaced by the T-Casual. It’s more or less the same thing, still being valid for 10 trips, but if you try to buy a T-10 you will look for it in vain. The T-Casual is used by touching in, not passing it through the machine. It has the advantage that it shows how many trips you have left on the screen when you check in, unlike the old paper T-10 which was down to guesswork unless you kept notes. I’ve been caught out by that on more than one occasion.
The T-10 could also be used by two people at the same time, by passing it back to the second person after the first has gone through the barrier. Perfectly legal and correct usage. The T-Casual requires each passenger to have their own ticket.
I’m surprised Girona wasn’t mentioned as that’s a very easy journey. Take the train to Girona and the bus to the airport which takes about 25 minutes. It doesn’t matter which train you get to Girona as they arrive at the same station. In this instance the MD will definitely be cheaper and probably just as fast as the AVE. AVE requires you to get there 20 minutes before departure for airport type security. With the MD it’s just turn up and go, particularly if you have a free Recurrent ticket meaning you don’t need to wait at the ticket counter or machine. Just get it stamped at the barrier and you’re off.
The airport bus leaves from the bus station right next to the train station. If you arrive by AVE it’s above the train station which is deep underground. If you arrive by MD it’s about 100m away and one floor down by lift or escalator. It costs 2.80€ each way. The buses don’t run as frequently as they used to so check the Sagales website to make sure there’s one when you need it. As of April 2024 there’s a nasty gap between buses to the airport from 0600 to 0845.
Thanks Bryan. Really useful info.
We have just travelled from Barcelona Airport to Amelie les Bains. We took the Aerobus from the Airport to Plaça de Catalunya. We then had a 10 minute walk to Estacio de Nord bus station where we boarded the Flixbus to Perpignan Bus Station. Journey time 2.5 hours. We then caught the 1 euro bus to Amelie. All went very smoothly. Flixbus was clean, comfortable and fast! Would definitely recommend. Total cost 19€ each!