Five Myths About Transfers from Barcelona Airport
Evening at El Prat, the taxi queue. Somewhere in it a family with two kids, a pushchair and three suitcases, all of them wrung out after the flight. Booking a car in advance probably never crossed their minds. Or it did, and it looked expensive and complicated.
Why don't people book a transfer? The reasons are usually the same ones. We picked the five we hear most often and went through each of them. With one of them we actually agree.
Myth 1. "It's expensive"
Sometimes it is. If you are flying on your own with a backpack and the hotel is two minutes from Plaça de Catalunya, the Aerobús comes out cheaper, and there is nothing to argue about. We wrote that ourselves in the piece on the five ways into the centre.
But a transfer is charged per car, not per passenger. Into the centre of Barcelona that is from €58, however many of you are sitting in it. Split the sum across the whole family, add the taxi from the Aerobús stop to the hotel, and the gap turns out smaller than you thought.
Myth 2. "The flight will be late and the driver will leave"
The driver watches the flight number, not the timetable. If the plane lands two hours late, the car turns up two hours late as well. Your waiting time starts the moment you touch down, and the first 60 minutes are free: usually enough to clear passport control and pick up your bags. More on delays is in a separate article.
Myth 3. "It costs more at night and in traffic"
It does not. The price is fixed when you place the order and does not move afterwards: at three in the morning it is the same as at midday. With a taxi it works differently: at night the meter runs on another tariff, and the time you spend in traffic lands on the bill too.
The only thing the transfer price leaves out is toll roads. If the route has a toll section, it is paid separately.
Myth 4. "You have to bring your own child seat"
You do not: a child seat is free in every class. Tick it when you book, and write the age of the child to the driver in the chat. In Spain a seat is compulsory for children up to and including 135 cm, and the taxi off the rank usually does not carry one.
If you have a pushchair, skis or a pile of suitcases, pick the class of car by the luggage. How much fits into a Comfort and a Van, we counted up in a separate article. And the tips for anyone flying with babies are collected here.
Myth 5. "You will never find the driver in a huge airport"
There is no need to look for him. Once you land the driver writes to the chat himself to say where he is standing, and the car can be seen on the map before it even sets off. If something goes wrong, support answers around the clock and in your language. How the meeting works in T1 and T2 we have described here in detail.
Who really does not need a transfer
If you are travelling light, on your own or as a pair, landing during the day and staying near a metro station or an Aerobús stop, public transport works out cheaper. Our advice here is simple: get on the Aerobús.
In every other case it is worth at least doing the sums. Open the route page: the calculator shows the price per car straight away. Compare it with what the tickets for the whole family plus the taxi from the stop to the hotel will cost. You can book in the app or on the site. The money comes off after the ride, and a scheduled transfer can be cancelled without a penalty.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a transfer from Barcelona airport to the centre cost?
from €58 per car, not per person. The price is fixed when you book and changes neither at night nor in traffic.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
The driver follows the flight number and arrives for the actual landing time. The first 60 minutes of waiting after you land are free.
Do I need to bring my own child seat?
No. A child seat is free in every transfer class, just tick it when you book. In Spain it is compulsory for children up to and including 135 cm.
How do I find the driver at the airport?
Once you land the driver will write to the chat himself to say where he is waiting. The car can be seen on the map in the app before it sets off.
Are toll roads included in the transfer price?
No, toll roads are paid separately. The rest of the price is fixed when you book.
When do you not need an airport transfer?
If you are travelling light, on your own or as a pair, landing during the day and staying near a metro station or an Aerobús stop. Public transport will then come out cheaper.