Barcelona-El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport

Terminal 1: Vueling (home), Iberia, IAG long-haul, plus most major international carriers — BA, Lufthansa, SWISS, KLM, Air France, United, American, Delta, Emirates, Qatar, Turkish, Singapore, JAL, ANA, Norwegian. Terminal 2A: some Vueling regional. Terminal 2B: easyJet + Volotea. Terminal 2C: Ryanair + Wizz Air. T1 ↔ T2 is a 10-15 min free shuttle.

Aerobús — €7.25, 35-40 min direct to Plaza Catalunya. Best for tourists. A1 from T1, A2 from T2. Metro L9 Sud — €5.70 (uses a special airport supplement), 32 min to Zona Universitaria with metro transfers. Renfe R2 train — €4.60, 20-30 min from T2 to Sants + Passeig de Gràcia (NOT T1 — need shuttle). Taxi €30-€45.

T1 ↔ T2A/T2B/T2C: 10-15 min on the free shuttle bus (every 5-10 min). Within T2 (T2A ↔ T2B ↔ T2C): 5-10 min walk between sub-terminals. Allow 60-90 min total for a T1 ↔ T2 connection including re-security. Most international travellers don't need T2 — confirm your airline before assuming.

BCN (El Prat) for full-service + most LCC. Some Ryanair routes use Girona (GRO, 100 km north) or Reus (REU, 110 km southwest) — beware when booking "Barcelona" via Ryanair, you might land 90 km from the city. Free bus connections to BCN exist but add 90 min. Always check the actual airport code on your ticket.

Yes — Spain is Schengen, visa-free entry for most major nationalities (US/UK/EU/Australia/Canada/Japan/Korea/etc.). Take the Aerobús to Plaza Catalunya (35-40 min) — central, walkable to Las Ramblas + Gothic Quarter. Allow 4 hours minimum round trip. Quick layover ideas: tapas at Mercat de la Boqueria (90 min), Sagrada Família from outside (1h round trip via Metro), beach walk at Barceloneta.

Schengen: 90 minutes. Non-Schengen: 2.5 hours. BCN security is generally fast (15-30 min) but peak summer Saturdays can hit 60+ min. Fast Track sold per terminal (€10) or free with Iberia Business + oneworld Sapphire + BA Club. Vueling has its own fast-track for Optima + Premium fares.