Hiii! Emilia here. Guess what? Alexa is coming to visit me in Zaragoza, my home in Spain! She is flying in from Seattle to Barcelona, and from there's she's jumping on a train to get to me.

As I needed to explain her how to get from the Barcelona-Pratt airport, we did what we do best: creating travel guides that only solve our own questions, but the questions of all of us female travelers...Let's break it down: 


Flying into Barcelona is one of the best ways to kick off a trip through Spain. Not only is it an incredible city worth exploring on its own, but it’s also a major transport hub, with many flight routes fro the U.S. Landing here. And a great first destination to later hop on a train to explore more places like Madrid, Valencia, Seville, or my home, Zaragoza!

Most long-distance trains leave from Barcelona-Sants, the city’s main railway station. That means if you land at Barcelona-El Prat Airport, your very first mission is figuring out how to get yourself (and your bags) from the airport to the Barcelona-Sants station.

This mini-guide breaks down all the ways to get there — from the fast and cheap train to the stress-free taxi, so you can choose the option that works best for you.

Getting from Barcelona-Pratt Airport to the Barcelona-Sants Station

 

Option 1: Renfe Commuter Train (Rodalies R2 Nord) – Best Balance of Price & Speed

If you’re heading straight to the Barcelona-Sants station, the Renfe commuter train is hands-down the easiest and most cost-friendly option:

⏲️ Total travel time: The train takes 20 min between stations. But your total travel time can depend on which Terminal you land on and when you catch the train. 
💵 Cost: Around €5 ($6)

How to get to the Renfe Commuter Train Station:

🚆 Step 1: Find the Train Station
If you land at Terminal 2, follow the signs for the train (little train icons everywhere). The station is connected to the terminal via a covered walkway — you can’t miss it.

If you land at Terminal 1, don’t panic. Just hop on the free green airport shuttle bus outside arrivals (Level 0). It runs every 5–7 minutes and drops you at Terminal 2 in about 10 minutes.

👉 Can't find it? Ask the staff in Spanish (if you want to try!):

“Perdón, ¿dónde está el autobús lanzadera para la Terminal 2?”
Or shorter, locals will get it:“¿El bus a la Terminal 2?”

 

🎫 Step 2: Buy Your Ticket
At the station, you’ll see machines selling tickets for Rodalies R2 Nord trains. A single ticket to Sants costs about €5 ($6), or you can buy a T-Casual card (10 rides on public transport for ~€12 ($14) if you’ll be in the city for a few days.

 

🚄 Step 3: Hop on the Commuter Train
Trains run roughly every 20-30 minutes. The ride to Barcelona Sants takes just under 20 minutes, and it’s a direct line — no transfers needed.

 

🚏 Step 4: Keep an Eye on Your Stop
Barcelona Sants is a huge station and one of the main hubs in Spain, so you won’t miss it. Signs and announcements are clear, but you can also follow the crowd — most travelers get off here.

✔️ The Pro’s: It’s quick, affordable, and straightforward. You’ll be surrounded by other travelers (lots of them solo, too), and the whole process is very safe.

❌ The Cons: If you’re in a tight time crunch to catch your train or bus to your next destination, a taxi might be faster. I always make sure I have at least over 2 hours between landing and my train or bus ticket.

Option 2: Taxi or Uber – Stress-Free Door-to-Door

If you don’t want to do any transfers, don’t feel like figuring train stations out, or are in a hurry to get to the Barcelona-Sants station, just grab an official black-and-yellow taxi right outside the terminal, or use ride-hailing apps, like Uber.

⏲️ Travel time: 20–25 minutes (depending on traffic)
💵 Cost: Around €30–35 ($35-$40)

 

My Pick?

If you’re traveling light and want to keep it simple: take the Renfe train. It’s safe, cheap, and gets you straight to Sants in just 20 minutes.

If you’ve got heavy bags or land late at night: grab a taxi and don’t overthink it.

 

Safety Note!

While Spain is a very safe and solo-female-friendly country, and so are train stations in Barcelona, but the city is a bit infamous for pick pockets and petty theft. So always keep your bag close while on the stations. 

Once on the train, there are designated areas to leave big suitcases or backpacks at the beginning and end of every carriage. It's totally safe to leave your suitcases there, and you'll see that everyone does so! 

 

Finding Your Train at Barcelona-Sants

So you’ve made it to Barcelona-Sants — now what? This station is the city’s main hub for both high-speed AVE trains (to Madrid, Seville, Zaragoza, etc.) and regional services.

Here’s how to navigate the station stress-free:

🧭 Step1: Follow the Flow
When you get off the airport train, just go with the crowd into the main hall. You’ll see big electronic boards with departure times.

🔢 Step 2: Check the Screens
Look for your train number (listed on your ticket) and destination. The boards will tell you:

• Which platform (“via”) your train leaves from
• What time boarding opens
• Whether the platform is ready yet (sometimes it only appears 15–20 minutes before departure)

👮 Step 3: Security Check (for long-distance trains)
If you’re catching a high-speed or long-distance train, you’ll need to put your bags through a quick security scanner before entering the boarding area. It’s super fast, nothing like airports.

🚆 Step 4: Regional Trains (Cercanías / Media Distancia)
If you’re taking a regional train (e.g., to Sitges, Girona, Tarragona), there’s usually no security check. You just validate your ticket and head straight to the platform.

💺 Step 5: Finding Your Seat
Your ticket will have a carriage (“coche”) number and seat number (“plaza / asiento”). The coaches are clearly marked on the platform, so just walk along until you find yours. On regional trains, it’s usually open seating.

A few minutes before you arrive at your stop, the destination will be announced. Train stations in Spain are named with the place and the name of the station. For example: 

Barcelona-Sants, Zaragoza-Delicias, Madrid-Atocha...you will always see the name of the city, followed by the name of the station. 

🌟 Pro Tip! It is incredibly unlikely that you'll miss your stop, but I'm always super paranoid about it. So I always set an alarm for the duration of my train to keep me alert. Especially if I'm coming from a long flight and feel like I might doze off too deeply.