Getting to Barcelona airport for an early morning flight

Start from your check-in time, not your departure time

Work backwards. Your airline tells you when check-in and bag drop close and when boarding starts; add the time it takes to get through security at a busy hour, and then the journey. For a flight around 6:00–7:00, that often puts you at the airport between 4:00 and 5:00, before the metro opens on most days.

Check which terminal your flight uses before you set off. T1 and T2 are several kilometres apart, and some services only serve one of them: see T1 vs T2.

What runs before 5 am

Aerobús and night buses

The Aerobús runs around the clock on both lines, A1 to Terminal 1 and A2 to Terminal 2, from Plaça de Catalunya with stops on the way. If your hotel is near Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça Universitat or Plaça d’Espanya, it is the most dependable public option at 4 am. It has space for large suitcases and pushchairs. Check the night frequency and the fare with the operator.

The night buses N17 (Terminal 1) and N18 (both terminals) also leave from Plaça de Catalunya, according to Aena. Times and stops are on the AMB NitBus pages.

Metro and train: usually too late

According to TMB, the metro opens at 5:00 on most days and runs continuously only on Saturday night. From the centre, L9 Sud takes about half an hour to the terminals once you have changed lines, so the first trains rarely work for a 6:00 departure. The single metro ticket is not valid at the airport stations: you need the Airport ticket or a travel card that includes the airport, listed on the TMB fares page.

The R2 Nord train serves Terminal 2 only and does not run overnight. Look up the first departure on the Rodalies timetable before you rely on it.

The taxi at night

Before 8:00 the meter runs on the night tariff T-2: the AMB lists €1.66 per km for 2026, against €1.35 on the daytime T-1. You can take a taxi from a rank or hail one in the street, but at 4 am on a quiet weekday there may be fewer around, so it is worth knowing where your nearest rank is.

A pre-booked transfer at a fixed time

For an early flight, a transfer booked the day before removes the uncertainty: the pick-up time is set in advance, the driver comes to your hotel door and the price is fixed when you book, whatever the traffic. QuickPickups, which publishes this guide, sells this service, and its booking box is marked on this page. It suits families, groups and anyone with several suitcases, and is especially useful when public transport cannot get you there in time.

Tips for the night before

• Check in online and confirm your terminal the evening before.
• Ask your hotel about early check-out and breakfast; many leave the bill ready the night before.
• If you go by public transport, buy the right ticket in advance: the T-casual is not valid at the airport stations.
• If you end up at the wrong terminal, the free shuttle between T1 and T2 runs 24 hours, every 7 minutes between 5:00 and 8:00 and every 10 minutes before 5:00, according to Aena.
• Arriving rather than leaving at night? See Arriving at Barcelona airport at night.