Arriving with kids: from the airport to the hotel
A holiday in Barcelona with small children starts well, and then comes the stretch between the terminal and the hotel room - the one where things can go wrong. After a long flight the little ones are worn out, the parents are carrying heavy bags and a pushchair at the same time, and everyone wants to get there sooner rather than later.
From El Prat airport to the city centre is 14 km and the drive takes ~26 min. Half an hour is not much, as long as it passes calmly.
Child seats
In Spain a child seat is compulsory for anyone under 135 cm - that is article 119 of the traffic rules. Taxis have an exemption, but it only applies within the city: outside it a seat is required, and the 200 € fine falls on the adult travelling with the child, not on the driver.
The airport lies outside the city boundary, so the exemption does not cover the drive from El Prat. On top of that, taxis at the rank rarely carry seats, and you cannot request one in advance.
With us the seat is free in every class of car - tick the option when you book in the app. Tell the driver your child's age in the chat, though: the seat for a one-year-old and for a five-year-old are different, and that way he brings the right one.
Luggage, pushchair and the size of the car
An ordinary saloon rarely holds several large suitcases plus a folding pushchair and everything else you take with a small child. Reckon on it this way: Comfort takes up to four passengers, but with a pushchair three of you travel noticeably more freely. A Van takes up to seven people and seven suitcases, and a pushchair fits whole.
We went through it in detail, with photos of the boot: how much luggage really fits in a Comfort and a Van.
Where you will be met
After you land the driver writes to you and names the exact meeting point. If you want someone waiting with a name sign in the arrivals hall, that is the separate Meet & Greet option at 10 €, and it is already included in the Premium class.
There is more on the meeting points at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 in the article where your driver meets you.
If the flight is delayed
With children a delay feels twice as long. The driver follows your flight number: if the plane arrives two hours late, the pickup shifts by itself. Nobody has to call anyone or rebook, and the price stays the same.
At the airport there is an hour of free waiting from the moment you land - enough for passport control, for the luggage and for changing a child.
What to bring for the drive
Water and a snack within reach rather than at the bottom of a suitcase. A light change of clothes in the hand luggage - after a flight it comes in useful more often than you would think. And that one familiar toy: in an unfamiliar place nothing calms better.
If you are heading further along the coast, the drive is longer and you need more slack: Sitges is ~32 min away, Lloret de Mar ~1 hr 22 min.
In short
The price is known when you book and does not depend on the traffic or the time of day. Seats are free. A Van takes up to seven passengers with luggage and a pushchair. The driver's name and the car's number plate are visible in the app in advance.
You book in the Let's GO app: enter the pick-up address and the destination, and the price appears at once, before you confirm. Toll roads are not included in the route price.
Frequently asked questions
Are there child seats in transfers from Barcelona airport? Yes, the seat is free in every class of car. Tick the option when you book in the app.
Do Barcelona taxis have child seats? Usually not, and you cannot book one in advance. Taxis have an exemption from the rules, but only for journeys inside the city: on the route from the airport a seat is required by law, and the 200 € fine falls on the adult, not on the driver.
How much does a transfer from Barcelona airport to the centre cost? from €58 for the whole car, not per person. The drive takes ~26 min over a distance of 14 km.
Will a pushchair fit in the car? Yes. A folding pushchair fits in a Comfort, though with it three of you travel more comfortably than four. A Van takes up to seven passengers and a pushchair fits whole.
What happens if a flight with children is delayed? The driver follows your flight number and moves the pickup himself, at no extra charge. At the airport there is an hour of free waiting from the moment you land.
Do I have to give my child's age when booking? In the app it is a simple "child seat" switch and no age is needed there. But do tell the driver in the chat: different ages need different seats, and with that hint he brings the right one.
Will the driver meet us right in the arrivals hall? After you land he writes to you and names the exact meeting point. Being met with a name sign in the arrivals hall is a separate option at 10 €, included in the Premium class.