Barcelona Airport - El Prat
Barcelona airport train to Sants: R2 Nord, fares and timetable
Only one train line serves Barcelona airport today: the Rodalies R2 Nord, from Aeroport station at Terminal 2. It reaches Sants in 17 to 20 minutes and Passeig de Gràcia in 23 to 27 minutes, every 30 minutes from 05:40 to 23:38, for €2.90 or one T-casual journey. From Terminal 1, take the free shuttle first. A direct line to T1 is being tested.
R2 Nord train from Terminal 2: €2.90 or T-casual, every 30 minutes, Sants in 17 to 20 minutes; a line to T1 is being tested.
- €2.90 or one T-casual journey
- A train every 30 minutes
- Sants in 17 to 20 minutes
At a glance
The Barcelona airport train in brief
| Line | R2N Aeroport - Maçanet-Massanes, via Barcelona and Granollers |
|---|---|
| Airport station | Aeroport, at Terminal 2 only |
| From Terminal 1 | Free shuttle between terminals, 24 hours a day, about 10 minutes to T2 |
| Ticket | €2.90 single (one zone), €5.80 return |
| T-casual | Valid on the train, unlike the airport metro |
| Frequency | A train every 30 minutes, every day |
| From the airport | First train at 05:40, last at 23:38 |
| To the airport | From Sants: 05:13 to 23:09; from Passeig de Gràcia: 05:08 to 23:02 |
| Journey time | 17 to 20 min to Sants, 23 to 27 min to Passeig de Gràcia, 31 min to El Clot-Aragó |
| At night | No trains between midnight and 05:40 |
| New T1-T2 line | Construction finished in July 2026, testing under way; opening expected in the first half of 2027, with no set date |
Sources: Rodalies de Catalunya (R2 Nord line, fares), Renfe Cercanías timetables checked on 3 November 2026, ATM, Aena, Spanish Ministry of Transport. 2026 fares.
Terminal 2 only
Where do you catch the train at Barcelona airport?
The station is simply called Aeroport. It is the terminus of a short single-track branch, opened in 1975, which leaves the main line at El Prat de Llobregat station. It is at Terminal 2, next to T2B, and a footbridge links it to the terminal. Inside the terminal, follow the Rodalies signs.
Arriving at Terminal 1?
No trains leave from T1 today. Take the free shuttle between terminals, on level 0 (arrivals) or level 3 (departures): it runs 24 hours a day, every 5 to 10 minutes depending on the time, and takes about 10 minutes to T2B. Allow 15 to 20 minutes more than from T2, for the shuttle, the wait and the walk. The stops are detailed on our airport terminals page.
Don't confuse it with the metro
The L9S Aeroport T2 metro station is nearby, but it is a different network, with a different ticket. The metro also serves T1. If you can't decide between the two, our comparison of transport from the airport to the city centre will help you choose.
Sources: Rodalies, R2 Nord line (history of the airport branch); Aena, shuttle between terminals.
Check your terminal before you land. It is shown on your boarding pass and depends on the airline. From T1, the train means taking the shuttle first, whereas the Aerobús and the metro leave straight from the terminal.
From T1 to the train, step by step
- Free shuttle on level 0 (arrivals) at T1
- Get off at T2B, about 10 minutes later
- Follow the Rodalies signs to the station footbridge
- Buy a ticket from the machine, validate it before the platform
From the airport to the city
Which stations does the airport train stop at?
Every airport train follows the same route into the centre: no express train, no change of platform. Journey times are taken from the Renfe timetables, from Aeroport station.
| El Prat de Llobregat | First stop, change for the L9S metro at El Prat Estació |
|---|---|
| Bellvitge | L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, the Bellvitge hospital area |
| Barcelona-Sants | 17 to 20 min: the main station, high-speed and long-distance trains, metro L3L5 |
| Passeig de Gràcia | 23 to 27 min: the Eixample, a short walk from Casa Batlló, metro L2L3L4 |
| El Clot-Aragó | 31 min: the east of the city, metro L1L2 |
| Beyond | Granollers Centre, then Sant Celoni or Maçanet-Massanes, the end of the line |
| Not served | Plaça de Catalunya, the Ramblas and Estació de França (only one direct train a day, early in the morning) |
Sources: Rodalies, R2 Nord line; Renfe Cercanías timetables of 3 November 2026. For Plaça de Catalunya, the Aerobús goes direct: see our Aerobús page.
The cheapest journey
Which ticket do you need for the airport train, and how much is it?
A journey between the airport and Barcelona costs €2.90 with a Renfe single ticket, even though the airport is in El Prat de Llobregat, a separate municipality: since 2019, the metropolitan fare charges any journey between two of the 36 municipalities of the metropolitan area as a single zone. There is no airport supplement on the train, unlike the metro.
Accepted tickets
- Single ticket: €2.90, valid for two hours after validation;
- Return: €5.80, twice the single fare, with no discount;
- T-casual: 10 journeys for €13.00, one journey deducted; the right choice if you are staying several days;
- T-usual, T-jove, T-dia and the other one-zone integrated travel cards: also valid.
Where do you buy the ticket?
From the ticket machines at Aeroport station, before the entrance to the platforms. All tickets must be validated before you board the train and kept until you leave the arrival station.
What about the Hola Barcelona card?
The Hola Barcelona card includes Rodalies trains in zone 1, and its airport return journey is intended to be made by metro. Neither TMB nor Rodalies says whether it opens the ticket gates at Aeroport station: with this card, the safest option is still the L9S metro, where the airport journey is included.
Sources: Rodalies, Barcelona service fares; Rodalies, metropolitan fare; ATM, getting from Barcelona Airport to the city centre.
T-casual: yes on the train, no on the metro. At the airport metro stations, the T-casual is not accepted and you need the €5.90 airport ticket. On the train, one T-casual journey is enough.
Price per journey
- Single ticket: €2.90
- Return: €2.90 per journey
- T-casual: €1.30 per journey
- Airport metro, for comparison: €5.90
Every 30 minutes
Barcelona airport train timetable
The service is the same from Monday to Sunday: one departure every 30 minutes, at the same minutes past the hour, which makes it easy to remember.
| Airport → city | Departures at 08 and 38 minutes past the hour, from the first train at 05:40 to the last at 23:38 |
|---|---|
| Sants → airport | Departures at 09 and 39 minutes past the hour, from 05:13 to 23:09, journey time 17 minutes |
| Passeig de Gràcia → airport | Departures at 02 and 32 minutes past the hour, from 05:08 to 23:02, journey time 22 to 24 minutes |
| Weekends and public holidays | Same timetable as on weekdays (checked on 3, 7 and 8 November 2026) |
| Departures per day | 37 in each direction |
| Between midnight and 05:40 | No trains: Aerobús, night bus or taxi |
Arriving late or flying very early? Night options are detailed on our airport to city centre page.
Source: Renfe Cercanías Barcelona timetables, checked on 3 November 2026. Engineering works on the Rodalies network sometimes change the timetable: check rodalies.gencat.cat on the day you travel.
Announced, not yet in service
The new train line to Terminal 1: what has been announced
A new rail branch, tunnelled under the runways, is to link both terminals directly to central Barcelona. Construction is finished and testing has begun, but no passenger trains run on it yet.
| Service name | R-Aeroport, operated by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (FGC) on Adif tracks |
|---|---|
| Airport stations | Two new underground stations: Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2, the latter linked to the L9S metro |
| Announced route | Sant Andreu, Sagrera, El Clot, Passeig de Gràcia, Sants, Bellvitge, El Prat, Aeroport T2, Aeroport T1 |
| Announced frequency | A train every 15 minutes |
| Announced journey time | About 19 to 20 minutes between the T1 station and the centre |
| Progress | Construction finished on 2 July 2026; test runs with trains since summer 2026 |
| Opening | Expected by FGC in the first half of 2027, with no set date |
| Fare | Not yet announced |
Sources: Spanish Ministry of Transport, 2 July 2026; Alstom and FGC, 24 October 2025 (stations, frequency); FGC chairman quoted in the Catalan press, May 2026 (timeline). Updated in November 2026.
Ten years of construction
Direct train to Terminal 1: how far along is the work, and what will change?
Work began in July 2015. The new double-track route is 5.2 km long, 4.3 km of it underground: a tunnel boring machine dug 3.1 km under the airport runways. It leaves the Barcelona - Vilanova line near El Prat, stops at a new underground station at T2 and ends at T1, beneath the terminal building.
The 2026 milestones
- 13 January 2026: the Ministry of Transport reports the second phase 95% complete;
- 2 July 2026: construction finished. Still to come: test runs with trains, a civil protection exercise, then approval from the relevant authorities, required before any opening to the public;
- summer 2026: first test trains between El Prat and the T1 station, according to the rail press, citing Adif.
The line will be operated by FGC, the Generalitat's railway company, which has been recruiting drivers since June 2026. The ten trains, built by Alstom near Barcelona, were unveiled in October 2025. Opening was then expected "between late 2026 and early 2027"; in May 2026, the FGC chairman spoke of the first half of 2027 "in principle", while admitting it was "very difficult" to give a date.
What will change for you
- a train straight from T1, without taking the shuttle between terminals;
- a new underground station at T2, with a connection to the L9S metro;
- a train every 15 minutes instead of 30;
- the new line will also stop at Sants, Passeig de Gràcia and El Clot, and run as far as Sant Andreu.
Still unknown: the opening date, the fare and the future of the current Aeroport station and the R2 Nord. We will update this page as soon as there is an official announcement.
Sources: Spanish Ministry of Transport and Adif, 2 July 2026; La Moncloa, 13 January 2026; FGC, 30 June 2026; VilaWeb, 9 May 2026.
Before you go
Barcelona airport train: common mistakes
Looking for the train at Terminal 1
There isn't one yet. Aeroport station is at T2: from T1, you have to take the free shuttle first.
Thinking the T1 line is already open
Some articles promised a train to T1 "from 2026". At the end of 2026, the new line is still being tested: only the R2 Nord runs, from T2.
Buying the metro airport ticket for the train
The €5.90 airport ticket is for the metro. For the train, a €2.90 single ticket or one T-casual journey is enough.
Getting off at El Prat de Llobregat
It is the first station after the airport, still in the suburbs. For the centre, stay on until Sants or Passeig de Gràcia.
Expecting the train to stop at Plaça de Catalunya or the Ramblas
The train doesn't stop there. Get off at Passeig de Gràcia and take the L3 metro one stop to Catalunya, or choose the Aerobús, which goes direct to Plaça de Catalunya.
Missing the last train
The last departure from the airport is at 23:38, and the last from Sants at 23:09. After that, you are left with the Aerobús, night buses and taxis.
Aerobús, metro, bus or taxi
Train not the most convenient option for you?
Barcelona Airport
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Your questions
Barcelona airport train: frequently asked questions
Yes: the Rodalies R2 Nord line, from Aeroport station at Terminal 2, reaches Sants in 17 to 20 minutes with no change, every 30 minutes from 05:40 to 23:38, for €2.90. From Terminal 1, take the free shuttle first.
The R2 Nord line of the Rodalies de Catalunya network, operated by Renfe. It links the airport with Maçanet-Massanes via El Prat de Llobregat, Bellvitge, Sants, Passeig de Gràcia, El Clot-Aragó and Granollers. It is currently the only train line serving the airport.
It is called Aeroport. It is at Terminal 2, next to T2B, and a footbridge links it to the terminal. Don't confuse it with the Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2 metro stations on line L9 Sud, which belong to a different network.
Not yet. From T1, take the free shuttle between terminals, which runs 24 hours a day, to T2B, then walk to the station. A new line with a station under T1 is being tested; FGC expects it to open in the first half of 2027, with no set date.
€2.90 for a single ticket and €5.80 for a return, at the one-zone fare, with no airport supplement. With a T-casual, 10 journeys for €13.00, each journey works out at €1.30. Tickets are sold at the station's ticket machines and must be validated before you board.
Yes. All integrated travel cards are valid on the train to and from the airport, including the T-casual. That is the big difference from the metro: at the airport L9 Sud stations, the T-casual is not accepted and you need the €5.90 airport ticket.
The Hola Barcelona card includes Rodalies trains in zone 1, but its airport journey is intended to be made by metro, and no official source states that it opens the ticket gates at Aeroport station. With this card, the L9 Sud metro is the safe option.
From the airport, a train leaves at 08 and 38 minutes past the hour, from 05:40 to 23:38. To the airport, trains leave Sants at 09 and 39 minutes past the hour from 05:13 to 23:09, and Passeig de Gràcia from 05:08 to 23:02. The timetable is the same at weekends.
No. It stops at Sants, Passeig de Gràcia and El Clot-Aragó, but not at Plaça de Catalunya, the Ramblas or Estació de França. From Passeig de Gràcia, metro line L3 reaches Catalunya in one stop; the Aerobús, on the other hand, goes straight to Plaça de Catalunya.
No. The last train leaves the airport at 23:38 and the first at 05:40. At night, you are left with the Aerobús, which runs 24 hours a day, the N17 and N18 night buses, and taxis.
No official date has been set. Construction of the new line finished on 2 July 2026 and testing has begun. FGC, which will operate the R-Aeroport, expects it to enter service in the first half of 2027, subject to testing and approvals.
It will serve two new underground stations, at T1 and T2, with a train every 15 minutes to Sants, Passeig de Gràcia, El Clot and Sant Andreu. The journey between T1 and the centre is expected to take about 20 minutes. The fare is not yet known.
The R2 Nord train leaves from T2 only, costs €2.90 or one T-casual journey, runs every 30 minutes and reaches Sants in 17 to 20 minutes. The L9 Sud metro leaves from both terminals, requires the €5.90 airport ticket, runs every 7 minutes and involves at least one change.