Without a doubt, flying is the quickest, most comfortable and furthermore often the cheapest way to arrive in Catalonia’s capital. The actual flight time from London to Barcelona is about two hours.

Below is a description of transfer and transportatin possibiltities from Barcelona’s international airports El Prat, Gerona and Reus to Barcelona's city centre.

Transfer from Barcelona's airport El Prat de Llobregat

Almost all charter flighs from Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Germanwings, Iberia and Spanair as well as the so-called low cost airlines are increasingly flying to Barcelona’s main airport El Prat. The airport is not very big and therefore clearly arranged and very well organised.

Getting from the airport to the city center is simple:

• By train: Trains from the airport to the city centre run every 20 minutes. The airport train goes to the main station Sants from where you have a very good access to Barcelona's underground and bus network. One journey to the city centre takes about 20 minutes. Barcelona's tube network is very comprehensive, which means that you often have long distances and staircases to conquer in order to get to your transfer station. If you have booked the Barcelona Card via Barcelona.de the airport shuttle is included in the price.
• Car hire: The rental car companies Avis, Hertz, Europcar and Atesa are available at the airport. Through Barcelona.de you can immediately rent your Avis car.
• Taxi ranks are located before the terminals. A single journey to the City Centre is of approximately 25 minutes duration. An additional airport fee will be imposed.
• The blue Aerobús departs every 12-15 minutes directly from the airport to the City Centre. You wil find a bus stop in front of each terminal of the airport. From the airport to the city,  the bus service runs from 06:00 until 00:00 and from the city center to the airport the bus service runs from 05:30 until 23:15. The single 40 minute journey costs € 4.05. 
  Note: The Barcelona Card entitles you to a 20% reduction.
• You also have a possibiltiy to book a private transfer. This is very handy for small groups with a lot of luggage. You will be picked up directly from the gate and the driver speaks Spanish and at least English as a foreign language. Everything will be at a fixed price. Here you can book the private airport transfer.

Transfer from Barcelona-Girona Airport (Gerona)

Some low cost carriers fly about 75km (about 85 kilometers in the street) in a north easterly direction to Barcelona-Gerona airport.

• Access to Barcelon's city centre is via the shuttle bus. These buses are coordinated by the flight timetable and go directly to Estació del Nord in Barcelona. From there you have good connections to the underground network (station Arc de Trionf).
  The journey time to Barcelona is about 1hr 10 and will cost you €12/person (single).
  You buy the tickets at the counter at the airport in the arrivals hall (after the baggage claim) or in the Estació del Nord on the second floor. The drivers do not sell tickets.
  Telephone information on the travel time is available at +34 902 361 550 (automatic announcement, please have ready your flight number or flight time).
• To take the train you must first take the bus to the Gerona central station and then a train to the Barcelona City Centre. Here you can directly access the RENFE timetable online.
• Directly from the airport you could also hire a car. You could keep it for the whole journey or it can be returned in Barcelona. If you travel in small groups of up to five people it could be financially more benefical than using the shuttle.
• A private transfer from Gerona is favourable should you live in close proximity to Gerona or the Costa Brava. Furthermore, it is a real relief should you travel with a large amount of luggage. You will travel at a fixed price and the driver speaks Spanish as well as English. Here you could directly book your private airport transfer.

Transfer from Reus Airport

Next to Gerona, Reus is the second smallest airport which is also mostly used by small cheap carriers. Reus airport is situated about 85 km south west of Barcelona (about 100 kilometers via the road). Her you find more information about Reus airport.
Here we describe the transfer and carriage possibilities from Reus to Barcelona City centre
There are two transfer options via public transport from Reus to Barcelona and vice versa.

• Bus: From Reus airport to Barcelona the bus company Hispano Igualadina is in operation. Their timetable is coordinated in line with Ryanair flights.
  Here you have online access to the timetable of Hispano Igualadina.
  Bus transfer takes about 1 h 20 m. Departure is in front of the terminal. The bus stops (and departs from the opposite direction) at Place de la Reina station, Maria Cristina Underground Station L3, and at the bus stations of the main train station Sants (Underground station Sants L3 L5). We recommend Sants station if your hotel is not located near Maria Cristina Station.
  Telephone information: 938 044 451
  Signpost: Bus station, Ticket Office (at the entrance of the arrival hall)
• Train: The RENFE train departs from Sants to Reus station. From there, you can go the the airport via taxi or bus. Journey time is about 10 minutes. There is a shuttle service from the Reus bus and train station to the airport. The service is coordinated in line with scheduled flights. One journey costs €2/person. Here you can directly access the online timetable of the RENFE.

However, you can also hire a car in order to travel. Also, at Reus airport there is the car hire company Avis operating a hand-over point. If you have quite a lot of luggage and in a larger group this could be an alternative to the shuttle bus, which is not necessarily more expensive.