General Information

Barcelona is a huge, international city visited by thousands of tourists in every year. For the vast majority of these visitors, the first but also last stop will be at El Prat, the international airport of Barcelona. There is a significant number of options available to every visitor in regards to the transportation method used to and from this airport (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Transfer).

Night-time journeys require an especially careful planning since the number of options is quite limited during this period of the day; moreover, it is not a rare occurrence that certain services are available at a higher price in the evening than during the day-time (for additional information – Visit Barcelona at night).

You can find detailed information about night bus that travel to and from the airport below.

What is the night bus?

Night bus (NitBus) in Barcelona works similarly to the other public buses that are operating during the day-time. The difference is that they do not belong to TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona), but to the Baixbus group, which consists of other three companies: Mohn, SL, Oliveras, SL and Rosanbus, SL.

Advantages and Benefits of Airport Night Buses

There are various benefits to traveling with a night bus to and from the airport. At night, you will find three bus lines available between El Prat and the city centre, more exactly Plaça de Catalunya. If your flight arrives at Terminal 1, you need to wait for bus nr. N17; while at Terminal 2, you have to catch line nr. N16. The third option is nr. N18. This is a quite new line and it was launched in the summer of 2017. Its advantage is that it stops just at the most important stations between Barcelona’s city centre and the two terminals of the airport; this way, it provides a cheap and quick transfer for those who need to travel on this route during the night-time.

If you cannot catch this line or the stops are not suitable for you, you still can take one of the other two buses. However, take note that they are slower than N18 since they also stop at the small villages around Barcelona (N17 has more than 60 stops, while N16 stops at more than 70 stations). Nevertheless the night-time traffic is not as heavy as during the day, therefore it is nothing to be concerned about (for additional information – Stations of Airport Night Bus in the Center of Barcelona).

Another advantage is that both N16 and N17 are operating all night during every day of the year. NitBus N17 is available at the station on Plaça de Catalunya between 11:00 pm and 5:00 am. At the airport, you can catch it from 9:55 pm and 4:45 am. N16 starts from the centre of Barcelona every 20 (in summer 10) minutes between 11:30 pm and 5:10 am. From El Prat, the buses are launched between 11:33 pm and 5:13 am (for additional information – Operating Time of Airport Night Bus).

Who is it recommended for?

NitBus N17 and N16 are recommended for every tourist who would like to travel to the centre of Barcelona from El Prat or vice versa during the night-time at a favorable price. However, if you decide to choose this transportation method, get ready for a longer, not direct and a somewhat less convenient journey (for additional information – Stations of Airport Night Bus in the Center of Barcelona).

These buses are advantageous mainly for those who are travelling alone, but also as a couple. For them, an airport taxi or a private transfer would not be profitable at all. The latter two options are suggested mainly for larger families or groups; firstly because their price is determined per vehicle and not per person, secondly due to the spacious area provided for their luggage (for additional information – Luggage Restrictions on Airport Night Bus and Kids and Families in Barcelona).

Nitbus can be problematic also for tourists whose hotel is situated in a less central district of the city because those areas are hardly approachable by public transportation means. In this case, it is advisable to book a private or shared transfer company or an airport taxi (for additional information – Airport Night Bus or Barcelona Airport Taxis and Airport Night Bus or Barcelona Airport Private Transfer).

Tickets for airport night buses

N16, N17 and N18 are very cheap transportation means. A single ticket costs only 2.20€. It is also possible to purchase a round-trip ticket for 4.30€.

Besides the regular tickets, you can travel with the night bus with transport tickets such as T-10, T-12, T-Day, T-Month, T-Familiar, etc. By using these tickets, you can make your journey even cheaper. According to our opinion, a T-10 Transport Ticket would be the most profitable for short holidays.

It is not necessary to purchase a ticket for the night bus in advance; they are available at all times. You can easily buy them from the bus driver (for additional information – Ordering the Tickets for Airport Night Bus in Advance).

Customer service

You can ask questions or make a complaint related to NitBuses on the website of AMB (Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona), where you have to fill out a form. It is also possible to subscribe to My Alerts or Service notices in order to get up-to-date information about the bus service of Barcelona.

If you have lost an object on a night bus, you need to contact the operating company. In this case, you will have to contact Baixbus group. Their phone number is 902 023 393. You can also write them an email to info@baixbus.com or leave a message by filling out the following form: http://www.baixbus.cat/ca/formulari-de-contacte. Keep in mind that the form is not available in English! Notifications about night buses can be found here.

If you prefer to visit them personally, you need to go to the following address: Ctra. de la Villa, 2. 08840 Viladecans, any time between 9:00 am – 2:00 pm or between 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm, from Monday to Friday.

The route of the night buses is also posted on the poles available at any bus stop of the city (for additional information – Public Transportation in Barcelona).

Tips and Recommendations

• Airport night bus can be considered the cheapest but also the slowest night-time transportation method between El Prat and Barcelona (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Transfer and Visit Barcelona at night).
• Travelling by N16 and N17 is recommended mainly for those tourists who need to travel to and from the airport during the night, but do not want to spend a huge amount on this; therefore are ready for a longer journey without any extra facilities.
• These buses are perfect for every tourist whose destination is the centre of Barcelona or one of the villages between El Prat and the city.
• Night bus is recommended mainly for individual travellers or couples; for large families and groups airport private transfer or taxis would be more reasonable and convenient (for additional information – Kids and Families in Barcelona).
• Airport night bus is more suitable for passengers who visit Barcelona for, at least, the second or third time. For first-time visitors, it is suggested to catch a taxi or a transfer firm (for additional information – Airport Night Bus or Barcelona Airport Taxis and Airport Night Bus or Barcelona Airport Private Transfer).
• This attraction is suitable also for people with disabilities who travel to Barcelona, it is fully accessible and wheelchair-friendly (for additional information – Accessibility in Barcelona).
• NitBus is not recommended for tourists with many and heavy baggages (for additional information – Luggage Restrictions on Airport Night Bus).
• An important disadvantage of the public night bus is that the possibility of a strike is significantly higher than in case of privately-owned taxi and transfer firms (for additional information – Public Transportation in Barcelona, Barcelona Airport Private Transfer, Shared Transfer and Barcelona Airport Taxis).
• If your hotel is situated in a less central district of the city, it is advised to book a private or shared transfer company or an airport taxi.
• Both N16 and N17 are operating during every day of the year. Nevertheless they are available only during the night; during the day-time a cheap airport transfer possibility is provided by TMB Airport Bus (Number 46) (for additional information – Operating Time of Airport Night Bus).
• Airport night buses are launched every 10-20 minutes. It is advised to check the timetable of the night bus on the website of AMB (Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona) before your journey because it is updated from time to time.
• It is suggested to allocate ca. 50-60 minutes (without waiting) for a ride on N16 and N17, in order to arrive to your destination conveniently even if any unexpected problem occurs.
• If your flight arrives at Terminal 1, you need to wait for bus nr. N17; while at Terminal 2, you have to catch line nr. N16.
• Since Terminal 1 is farther away from Barcelona than Terminal 2, a journey by N17 will be longer than a ride on N16.
• It is strongly recommended to check the terminal of your flight before you get on a night bus in the city! Although there is a free shuttle bus between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, you will lose time using it.
• Line N18 is a quicker traveling option than N16 and N17 since it stops just at the most important stations between Barcelona’s city centre and at the two terminals of the airport.
• A single night bus ticket costs 2.20€. It is also possible to purchase a round-trip ticket for 4.30€.
• By using a T-10 Transport Ticket, you can make your airport transfer even cheaper.
• Keep in mind that Barcelona Card, Barcelona Pass and iVenture Card Barcelona do not cover travels by airport night bus.
• It is not necessary to purchase a ticket for night bus in advance; they are available at all times. You can easily buy them from the bus driver (for additional information – Ordering the Tickets for Airport Night Bus in Advance).
• Complaints, questions about lost objects or any other request can be sent to AMB (Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona) or to the Baixbus group. These institutions can also provide updated information about the night bus.
• The route of the night bus is posted on the poles available at any bus stop of the city.
• The capacity of a night bus is between 30 and 60 travellers.
• At Terminal 1 of El Prat, the station of N17 is situated outside the arrivals gate. At Terminal 2, you need to go into the underpass to take N16. In order to find them, you need to follow the bus sign (form additional information – Stations of Airport Night Bus in the Center of Barcelona).
• If you want to catch a night bus, you just have to wave your arm at the driver.
• N16 is operating between Barcelona and Castelldefels. At El Prat, you need to be very careful in order to get on the bus that goes from Castelldefels to Barcelona and not to the opposite direction. This is indicated on the screen displayed in front of the bus.
• Although travelling by a public bus at night may seem dangerous, Barcelona is a safe city. Surely, you need to be careful at all times but extra measures are not required.
• The night bus picks up tourists only from El Prat but they do not have stations at Girona/Costa Brava airport (GRO) or at the airport of Reus (REU)!

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