General Information

When you are planning a holiday in Barcelona, you need to take into consideration numerous factors. One of them is the transportation method between the airport and the city. You can choose between many possibilities, so everyone can find the most suitable way for him (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Transfer).

If you wish to save money you can order a shared transfer. This is similar to the airport private transfer (actually most of the transfer companies offer both of these services), the only difference is that in this case the journey is less personalized because you need to travel together with several other people. Due to this, the price is a little bit more reasonable than a private transfer but it is a direct and more convenient method than travelling by public transportation.

In the following paragraphs you can read more details about this service.

Advantages and Benefits of Shared Transfer

If you book a shared transfer, you will be taken directly to your destination but you will share the vehicle with other travelers which results in several additional stops (for additional information – Drop-Off Point of Shared Transfer and Stops of Shared Transfer).  

In spite of the additional stops, it is quicker than travelling by public transportation and much more convenient (for additional information – TMB Airport Bus To City Center (Number 46) and Trains From Barcelona Airport).

Tourists who have tried it were extremely satisfied with it. Most of the companies who offer this kind of service are equipped with modern and reliable vehicles (their brand and type depends on the company) and work with professional and helpful chauffeurs who know the city well enough to avoid traffic as much as possible. Additionally, they speak English fluently which means you can avoid bothering yourself with taxi drivers who does not speak English (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Taxis).

Moreover, shared transfer is provided by private companies, therefore the possibility of a strike is much lower than in case of public transportation (for additional information – Public Transportation in Barcelona).

Even though shared transfer is quite a fast method to arrive from the airport to the city, it has its own disadvantages. If you arrive to the airport during the rush hours of the day, when the traffic is extremely heavy, we suggest to consider other possibilities too. For instance, if your hotel is near a train station, for example, in Sants or near Passeig de Gràcia, your ride would be the shortest by train (for additional information – Trains From Barcelona Airport, Hotels near Sants and Hotels near Passeig de Gracia).

Nevertheless, in several situation it is not the most suitable solution. Since you will travel together with other people the number and size of baggages are limited (in most of the cases one handbag and one suitcase are allowed per passenger). Therefore, if you visit the city with your family, in a large group or just simply have many luggages, we suggest to choose private transfer instead of shared transportation (for additional information – Kids and Families in Barcelona, Barcelona Airport Private Transfer for Kids and Families and Barcelona Airport Private Transfer for Groups).

In addition to these, it is recommended to book shared transfer in advance. Of course, this requires a careful planning but it has numerous advantage. Firstly, you will know the costs of the transfer in advance and there will not be any extra costs or surprises. Secondly, you can avoid such stressful things as converting foreign currency, planning the route and of course finding transportation. All of these will be arranged before your arrival, so you can relax after a long and exhausting flight and enjoy your first minutes in the Catalan city.

Who is it Recommended for?

Due to the direct transport and the wheelchair-friendly vehicles, shared transfer is particularly recommended for disabled tourists. However, not all of the companies provide accessible minivans, we suggest to check this facility before you reserve the service (for additional information – Accessibility of Barcelona Airport Transfer and Accessibility in Barcelona).

If you are arriving to Barcelona at night time you will be happy to know that most of the companies offer the transfer service permanently, in every hour of the day and on every day of the week and. Actually, in case of night-time travel shared transfer is one of the most suitable transportation options (for additional information – Shared Transfer at Night and Visit Barcelona at night).

If you have any special requirement, such as using a wheelchair, a child seat or you wish to  arrive to destinations outside the central part of Barcelona, it is recommended to do a careful research in order to find a shared transfer company that provides these kinds of services.

Though most of the tourists who are traveling by plane land on the international airport of the city, called El Prat (BCN), flights of low-cost airlines often arrive to one of the two smaller airports near Barcelona, namely Girona/Costa Brava airport (GRO) near Girona and airport of Reus (REU) in Costa Daurada. In the latter two cases, note that not all companies provide shared transfers to and from outside Barcelona.

How Does Shared Transfer Work?

Usually, it is required to reserve the shared transfer in advance, at least 24 hours before your arrival. You can choose between numerous possibilities and the online booking is simple and quick. It is possible to reserve just a one way ride but many companies offer also round trips.

You need to give information related to the date and time of your arrival or departure, your flight number, the address of your hotel, etc. If a vehicle is available, you can reserve it. You need to pay the transfer in advance, after which you will get a confirmation.

You will meet the chauffeur at the time and place decided in advance. Please note, that in some cases the transfer will not leave immediately since you might have to wait for other passengers. In case of transports from your hotel to the airport, the transfer will start at least two and a half hours before the departure of your flight (for additional information – Shared Transfer – Will other passengers join me?).

You need to show to the driver a printed or electronic voucher or any other document which proves that you have booked the service.

Most of the companies oblige their drivers to wait in case of delays, usually between 30 minutes up to one hour. If your flight delays more than the given timescale, you either get a place on another minivan of the company will refund you.

Regarding the price, several companies offer discount for small children or disabled passengers. Special requirements, such as wheelchair, child seats, extra baggages, traveling at night and/or outside the centre of Barcelona are charged separately (for additional information – Shared Transfer at Night, Kids and Families in Barcelona, Accessibility of Barcelona Airport Transfer and Accessibility in Barcelona).

Tips and Recommendations

• Shared transfer is recommended for everyone who would like to avoid the overcrowded buses and arrive quickly from the airport of Barcelona to your hotel or vice versa but do want to invest their budget on a private transfer. The only difference with shared transfer is that it is less personalized since passengers need to travel together with several other people (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Private Transfer and Shared Transfer – Will other passengers join me?)
• The approximative duration of a shared transfer ride is about 35-40 minutes but it cannot be forecasted accurately because it is influenced by numerous factors like the number of passengers, the distance between their destinations and the traffic conditions.
• Vehicles of shared transfer companies are launched approximately every half an hour.
• Shared transfer is ideal for those who are travelling alone or together with another person but due to the limited space for luggage, for larger groups (more than two persons), families and tourists with many baggages it is better to reserve a private ride (for additional information – Kids and Families in Barcelona, Barcelona Airport Private Transfer for Kids and Families and Barcelona Airport Private Transfer for Groups).
• In several cases shared transfer would not be the best choice, for instant – tourists who are in a hurry, or for those who arrive to Barcelona in order to spend a romantic holiday – a personalized private service would be more suitable than a shared one (for additional information – Barcelona Airport Private Transfer and Romantic Vacation in Barcelona).
• During the rush hours of the day it is recommended to consider other transfer possibilities, for instance, if your hotel is near a train station, for example, in Sants or near Passeig de Gràcia, your ride would be the shortest by train (for additional information – Trains From Barcelona Airport, Hotels near Sants and Hotels near Passeig de Gracia).
• Shared transfer is particularly recommended for disabled tourists, However, several companies do not provide accessible vehicles so it is advisable to do a research before you book the transfer (for additional information – Accessibility of Barcelona Airport Transfer and Accessibility in Barcelona).
• If you visit Barcelona with children, we suggest that before your reservation, check if the transfer company chosen by you provides child seats or not (for additional information – Kids and Families in Barcelona).
• If you want to travel at night, we suggest that before your reservation, check if the transfer company chosen by you provides services in that period of the day (for additional information – Shared Transfer at Night and Visit Barcelona at night).
• If your flight does not land on El Prat airport (BCN) but on one of the two smaller airports near Barcelona, namely Girona/Costa Brava airport (GRO) and airport of Reus (REU), you need to be careful when you are choosing your company because not all of them provide transfers to and from these airports.
• In case of any special requirement, such as using a wheelchair, a child seat, extra luggage, traveling at night or arriving to destinations outside the central part of Barcelona, it is needed to be announced in advance and usually they might Involve extra charges.
• There are companies who restrict certain types of baggages. If you have any special luggage, it is suggested to announce it in advance in order to avoid any problems.
• In general, the vehicle stops just at hotels which are situated in the central districts of the city. The old city of Barcelona is full of narrow streets which are not suitable for minivans. If your hotel is in this area of the city, be prepared that maybe you will need to walk 4-5 minutes between the drop-off point and the hotel (for additional information – Hotels in Barcelona and Drop-Off Point of Shared Transfer).
• Shared transfer should be booked at least 24 hours before your arrival.
• When you meet the driver you just have to show a document which proves that you have booked the service.
• In some cases the shared transfer will not leave immediately since you might have to wait for other passengers (for additional information – Shared Transfer – Will other passengers join me?).
• In case of transports from your hotel to the airport, the transfer will start at least two and a half hours before the departure of your flight.
• If your flight delays significantly, you either get a place on another minivan of the company will refund you.
• Several companies offer discount for small children or disabled passengers (for additional information – Kids and Families in Barcelona, Accessibility of Barcelona Airport Transfer and Accessibility in Barcelona).

Map