Barcelona Airport to Tarragona: Bus, Train or Car
Three routes run from Barcelona Airport to Tarragona, and one of them comes with a catch. Let's go through each.
The bus: the only direct link
Bus Plana runs a direct coach from the airport to Tarragona. You board at either terminal and get off at the Tarragona bus station. From T1 the ride takes an hour and five minutes, from T2 an hour and twenty.
Without a car, there's nothing else that gets you there in one go: no trip into the city, no hunt for the right platform, no change of trains. Buses run all day, and the last one leaves at midnight.
One drawback: the bus station sits outside the old town. From there you face a twenty-minute uphill walk to the amphitheatre and the Cathedral of Santa Tecla, or a few minutes by taxi.
The train: no direct service from the airport
Here things get more complicated.
No train goes from the airport to Tarragona. You take the R2 Nord line to Sants station first, then change to a regional train along the coast. With the wait, budget two hours at least.
The second complication matters more. Book a high-speed ticket and you'll step out at Camp de Tarragona, a station ten kilometres from the city, out in open fields. From Camp de Tarragona you still need a taxi or a bus into town. The name looks familiar; it's a different station.
The city station is called simply Tarragona, and you'll find it below the old town, right by the sea. Regional trains stop there; high-speed trains don't.
The car: when it pays off
Barcelona Airport to Tarragona is 89 km, and the drive takes ~1 hr 7 min along the AP-7 motorway. You go straight to your hotel door, with no changes and no walk from the bus station.
Travel time isn't the only thing worth weighing. Buses keep to a timetable, and if your flight lands late, the next one may be two hours away. The train means changing platforms with suitcases in tow. A driver simply waits: the first hour at the airport is free.
The gap shows most with children, a pushchair or a group of four: four tickets cost roughly what one car costs, and the fuss is far greater.
If you fly into Reus
Sometimes a different airport works out cheaper. Reus Airport lies 10 km from Tarragona, and the drive takes ~16 min - a quarter of the time the trip from Barcelona takes.
Reus has fewer flights, mostly low-cost carriers, but when the dates line up you save almost an hour on the road.
What comes next
You've arrived in Tarragona - where do you begin? Roman sites lie scattered across the city: the amphitheatre above the sea, the circus under the old town, the aqueduct four kilometres beyond the city limits. We cover how long each one takes and how to walk them all in a day in a separate article.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct bus from Barcelona Airport to Tarragona?
Yes. Bus Plana serves both terminals and drops you at the Tarragona bus station. From T1 the ride takes an hour and five minutes, from T2 an hour and twenty. From there you walk another twenty minutes uphill to the old town.
Is there a direct train from the airport to Tarragona?
No. You take the R2 Nord line to Sants station first, then change to a regional train. With the wait, the journey runs to two hours at least.
How does Camp de Tarragona station differ from Tarragona station?
Camp de Tarragona stands ten kilometres from the city, and high-speed trains arrive there. The city station is called Tarragona and sits below the old town. When you book, read the station name carefully.
How long does the drive from Barcelona Airport to Tarragona take?
~1 hr 7 min along the AP-7 motorway, a distance of 89 km. The AP-7 has been toll-free since 2021, so you pay nothing extra.
Which airport sits closer to Tarragona?
Reus: 10 km against 89 km from Barcelona. Reus does have fewer flights, though.
Is Tarragona worth a day trip from Barcelona?
Yes, if Roman remains interest you: the city is compact and you can walk the main sites in a day. From central Barcelona the trip takes about an hour and a half each way.
Can you stop at PortAventura along the way?
The park sits between Tarragona and Salou, off the direct road from the airport. If you want both in one day, book a car with a driver for a few hours instead.