Q: What is the most suitable mean of transportation for getting to and from the airport - Aerobus or the public bus?

A: Aerobus Barcelona is one of the most popular means of transportation among tourists. This bus operates on a frequent basis and it also has less stops than the public buses that are traveling between El Prat and Barcelona; therefore, you can reach the center of the city quicker by using this service (in fact, this is the fastest service between all methods of public transportation; the approximate duration is 35 minutes; meanwhile, with public buses your travel period can reach 40 or even 60 minutes) and it is still much cheaper than taking a taxi.

In contrast with this, public buses have a set route with a lot of stops. Therefore, public buses and trains can be considered the slowest way to travel from El Prat to Barcelona. Moreover, public buses are often overcrowded and inconvenient (for additional information – Trains From Barcelona Airport).

Another advantage of Aerobus is the lack of luggage restriction. It is difficult to find space for baggages on an overcrowded public bus. Therefore, if you are travelling with heavy and large baggages, it is suggested to use the Aerobus. There is enough baggage storage for travellers on the Aerobus, with an entire area dedicated to these items (for additional information – Luggage Restriction on Aerobus Barcelona).

Nevertheless, Aerobus Barcelona is more expensive than the regular public bus. Therefore, if you are on a strict budget, it is recommended to use the public bus instead. A one-way ticket for Aerobus costs 5,90€ and a round-trip ticket is 10,20€ (for additional information – Return Tickets for Aerobus Barcelona). You cannot buy a return ticket on public buses; the one-way price is 2.15€.

Furthermore, while traveling within the public transportation network, you can use Barcelona Card or other tickets included in the Integrated fare system, such as T-10, T-Mes, T-50/30, T-Trimestre, T-Jove, T-Familiar, T-12, T-Dia, T-Month, T-Youth, T-Quarter, or T-Day; Hola BCN; etc.

Choosing the most suitable mean of transportation also depends on the destination. Those who want to arrive at one of the small towns around Barcelona have to use a public bus since Aerobus does not operate in those areas. Although in general Aerobus is faster than public buses, sometimes your place of destination will be easier to reach by public transportation. Additionally, it is suggested to check the price lists before deciding on traveling with Aerobus (for additional information – Route of Aerobus Barcelona, Stations of Aerobus Barcelona and Where can I catch Aerobus Barcelona?).

Another disadvantage of Aerobus is that it does not operate during the night-time hours. The last bus departs from the airport is at 0:30 am, while the next one will start operating at 5:00 am. On the opposite route, Line A1 runs between 5:35 am and 1:05 am; while Line A2 is available between 5:35 am and 1:00 am (for additional information – Aerobus Barcelona – Difference between A1 and A2). If you need to travel outside of these schedules, a public bus will be the suitable option (for additional information – Operating Hours of Aerobus Barcelona, Aerobus Barcelona at Night and Visit Barcelona at night).

Various bus lines operate during both the day-time and night-time hours. Until midnight, you can use Line 46 and, after that, you can get on a bus that operates throughout the night. If your flight arrives at Terminal 1, you need to wait for bus nr. N17; while at Terminal 2, you need to catch bus nr. N16; this is the bus line that operates between Barcelona and Castelldefels. Both of them are working during the entire night.

At the airport, Line N17 is available between 9:55 pm and 4:45 am. Inside the city, the buses operate between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am (for additional information – Airport Night Bus: NitBus N17). N16 operates between Castelldefels and Barcelona from 11:00 pm to 4:40 am. From Barcelona to Castelldefels, the buses run between 11:30 pm and 5:10 am.

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