Transportation from BCN to Plaza Catalunya

The Aerobus goes right to Placa de Catalunya. It runs every 5 or 10 minutes, and the one-way fare is 5.90 euros. The linked website gives the payment options under the "Fares" header.

I used the Aerobus to go to the airport and it was very easy. I'm sure someone will come along who can tell you the cost or approximate cost of a taxi.

Thanks for this! I mapped out the hotel and it seems like it’s just right around the corner from
The bus stop!

Is this bus pretty safe or should we worry about theft/pick pocket since we’ll obviously look like tourists!

Do you buy tickets ahead of time?

How many people are in your party? We had a party of four and for us it was cheaper to do the taxis almost everywhere. Taxis in Barcelona are plentiful and well regulated. We took the subway a couple of times using the T 10 card but for the most part taxis made the most financial sense for us. It is very easy to find the taxis when you come out of the airport.

It’s just my husband and I. He is worried with all our luggage’s but I really think we should be fine 😬. How much is taxi usually from the airport to PDC? Should I get a specific taxi or would any taxi do?

Buses in Barcelona are quite safe and well maintained, I would probably go with Acraven's suggestion. Taxi fares have risen these past years, I would estimate between 35-40 euros, from El Prat to Plaça Catalunya. They're only one group of taxis in Barcelona, the yellow and black ones, as rideshares like Uber have been run out of town.

There will be ticket-vending machines at the airport, probably right near where you board the bus. The machines take credit cards (not Amex). There should be an employee selling tickets (for cash) near the bus boarding point, and the website says you can also pay the driver in cash. The policy is not to give more than 20 euros in change, so you don't want to be stuck paying cash with only a 50-euro bill in your hand.

I don't remember whether I took my suitcase (somewhat larger than carry-on size) onto the bus and stored it on a rack or whether I was directed to put in the hold under the bus. Barcelona has a lot of highly-skilled pickpockets. They are not usually interested in your luggage. The main thing is to guard purses, wallets, and electronics. Now, if you are traveling with a $1000 suitcase (believe me, they would know) and/or they see you place $$$$ electronic gear inside the bag before you stow it, that might be quite a temptation.

The Aerobus doesn't make many stops. I believe it is direct to Pl. de Catalunya without any stops along the way. That's usually not the sort of environment a pickpocket prefers. They like the hustle and bustle of people getting off and on the bus so they can pick their opportunity and disappear quickly with the loot; they are usually long gone (off the bus) by the time the victim realizes something is missing.

From this page of the website acraven thoughtfully supplied, it looks like the Aerobus makes three stops between the airport and Placa de Catalunya. I wouldn't worry too much about theft on the bus, since access to it is so limited. A taxi would probably be easier but this bus looks about as easy as a bus gets and for a lot less.

There is a lot of the regular tourist traffic around the Plaza Catalunya. This what attracts hustlers pickpockets etc.

Thank you all for your thoughtful replies! We’ll be taking the bus and will let you know how it goes :). It seems pretty straight shot and with the right amount of common sense and environmental awareness, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be a painless experience! 🤞🏽🤞🏽

Now, a side question... does anyone have suggestions on what to do In Barcelona with a late afternoon arrival (probably will be at hotel around 6PM)? I’m trying to see if there are any night time tours of shows worth seeing. Maybe dinner and a light show at la Pedrera or fountain show at montjuic? Would that be too far of a trek from Placa?

As to your side question, I am not sure when you are going to be in Barcelona, but the 300 year old Santa Llúcia Christmas market is up and running by late November, I would probably go there, it's right next to your hotel, in front of the main Gothic Cathedral. Then I would walk to El Born for some Tapas.

Darn, we’re Arriving tomorrow! I had some loose ends in my itinerary that I’m trying to fill or couldn’t make up my mind :). I don’t try to be too crazy anymore because I get in trouble if I plan to the tee... :)

If you have never been just go for a walk and in that immediate area then to the restaurant Carlos recommended.

I took the bus in March. You take all your belongings on the bus, there''s no luggage hold. Seating is limited. If the bus is filling up, you can stay in line, let people board ahead of you, and be at the front of the line when the next bus leaves. When I was there, there was a ticket seller at the bus stop. I believe the driver only takes money when there is no ticket seller on duty.

I wouldn't pre-purchase any sort of ticket for the arrival day because you may well be too brain-dead to focus on anything beyond remaining vertical. I'd just plan to walk around--perhaps the Eixample. If you're more ambitious you can head to the Barri Gotic, but do keep your wits about you there. There's reportedly been an uptick in street crime in that area, and you are unlikely to be at your sharpest after an overnight flight. I certainly didn't feel at all uncomfortable in the area in 2016.

Thanks everyone! Made it ok to our hotel. Aerobus was easy - we just had to keep walking until we saw the line of people since the other bus shuttle signs confused us at first! :)

Thanks for the follow-up, angelie128! Glad to know it went well for you. I'll be doing the same next week.

Barcelona Day Tours has transfers as well as great tours.

We booked Welcome Transfers for 39 Euros for three of us to our AirBnb on Ronda San Pere. They will track your flight and wait 60 minutes after your have landed. You take a photo of yourself on the booking so the driver knowes who you are and they will assign a driver 3-4 days before your arrival.Its got a 4.8 rating on over 2000 reviews. They give you bottled water and. Welcome bag with maps etc. The driver will tell you about things to do and they have options to prepurchase passes and it will be in your welcome bag.

.... aaand you pay a fortune for something that otherwise costs you between 1€ and 5€ tops per person. Just sayin'

Obviously, there are many options... but Barcelona's airport is one of the best connected with the city and you have several options depending on where you go in the city: train, bus, aerobus, metro and taxi. The first two costing as low as 1€ per person (with the T-10 travel card), the aerobus 6€, the metro 5€ and the taxi an average of 40€ (for 4 pax). The use of private transfers is negligible due to the vast number of cheaper options.

I've checked the different websites and found one https://aktis.taxi/ that looks easy enough and friendly (hopefully it stays friendly on the more advanced stages of the reservation). Have used Aktis Taxi a number of times. Every time, the vehicle has been very clean, comfortable & always on time. I will continue to use them.

We're in Barcelona and took the Aerobus, which was great. There was a demonstration at the university the day we arrived so they had to go around that and it took about an hour to get to Placa Catalunya, which is longer than usual.