Which Barcelona Airport is best to fly or closest to City?

Barcelona airport is the closest of three airports serving the city, located just 10.5 miles away. Girona airport is further from central Barcelona at 58 miles while Reus is the furthest from the city centre located 66 miles away. Compare airport distances and transfer times to the center of Barcelona by public transport below.

Distance to Central Barcelona:
Barcelona Airport: 10.5 miles / 17 km
Girona Airport: 58 miles / 94 km& 103 km = 64 miles (Girona center)
Reus Airport: 66 miles / 106 km

Barcelona Airport to the Central Barcelona Journey Times:
By Bus (TMB & Aero Buses): 35 minutes
By Train (R2 Nord line & L9 Sud line): 25 minutes
By Taxi: 20-30 minutes

Girona Airport to Central Barcelona Journey Times:
By Bus: 70 minutes
By Train (Bus + Train): 70-80 minutes
By Taxi: 70 minutes

Reus Airport to Central Barcelona Journey Times:
By Bus: 90 minutes
By Train: 120 minutes
By Taxi: 90 minutes

Deciding which airport is best to fly greatly depends on the destination you are departing from, the airport and airline also determines which airport you will arrive in into Barcelona.
Barcelona airport is the closest to the city centre and it is the primary airport serving the city. The airport is at a strategic position where travellers can visit all the top attractions for sightseeing pleasures such as the Sagrada Família, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, Park Güell, La Rambla, Parc de la Ciutadella, Port Vell, Gothic Quarter, Camp Nou, Port of Barcelona, Barcelona, FC Barcelona Museum, Plaça dels Països Catalans, and many more. It offers short and long haul flights to many destinations across the world. It is a larger airport compared to the other two with airlines such as Air France, Emirates, Lufthansa, Qatar Airlines, Ryan Air, Wizz Air, British Airways and many others. This airport is perfect for business travellers on a limited time who have to stay close to the city centre and tourists from international destinations across the world. It has direct train links to the city centre with a journey time of 25 minutes. Route buses and metro takes 35 minutes, while taxis take 20-30 minutes, these are convenient means for passenger transfer with a lot of luggage and/or travelling with young kids to central Barcelona.
Girona airport is the alternative port for air travel in the city after Barcelona Airport. It is a bit further away from the city centre and is served by a number of airlines including Ryan Air, Spanair, Thomas Cook Airlines, Wizz Air, BMI Airways and many other airlines that handle mostly seasonal flights. It is a smaller airport that handles less flights and it lacks some facilities like airport lounges, which is just 1 available currently. The airport does not have a direct train station linking the city, the closest train station is RENFE (Spanish Railway) located in Girona centre, this will be inconveniencing for travellers with a lot of luggage and/or young children. Girona airport has good bus links to central Barcelona which is the best option to travell for passengers with a lot of luggage, it takes 70 minutes for the trip. The airport is also close enough for tourists flying into the city for sightseeing purposes.
Reus Airport on the other hand is the furthest away from the city centre with journey times of about 2 hours to central Barcelona by train and 1 hour 30 minutes by bus which is highly inconvenient for travellers as there is no direct train station from the airport to the city centre. It does not have an airport lounge for passengers, its transport links are scarce and takes too long to central Barcelona. This airport is served by a few airlines including Ryan Air, Jet2.com, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways, Transavia and other airlines for seasonal flights to limited destinations in Europe. Reus airport is very far from the top attractions in the city centre and is not suitable for business travellers, but tourists who would like to start their tour from this airport to Barcelona city centre can use this airport.

Barcelona airport to so many extent, is better than Girona and Reus airports, it has fast public transport services which takes less time compared to the other airports. It benefits from the fast TMB buses and trains, Metro, RENFE trains, and more for passenger transfers from the airport to the city centre. It is the largest of the three airports and handles more flights with many airlines serving the airport, so passengers have a lot of destinations and airlines to use. As the primary airport serving Barcelona, you will experience longer queues, larger crowd and some flight delays than at the other airports. The fastest public transport (RENFE &TMB Metro trains) take 25 minutes to Barcelona centre. Most business travellers and tourists will likely use this airport because of it proximity to the city centre and all its top attractions.

La Sagrada Família is one of the most popular top attractions in Barcelona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a large uncompleted Roman Catholic church which was designed by Antoni Gaudí a renowned Catalan architect. It is located 17.4 km away from the airport and takes only 30 minutes using the fast RENFE train from the airport for abut $1- $7 while buses charge about $2-$20 for the 33 minutes trip. Alternatively, you can use a taxi for about $26-$32 and the trip takes just 16 minutes. Other attractions to see in the city includes Park Güell, La Rambla, Barcelona, Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Montjuïc, Plaça de Catalunya, Mercado de La Boqueria, La Barceloneta, Picasso Museum, Cathedral of Barcelona, Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, Ciutadella Park, Palau de la Música Catalana, Plaça d'Espanya, Barcelona, Tibidabo, Passeig de Gràcia, Camp Nou, Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Güell Palace, Poble Espanyol, Tibidabo Amusement Park, Columbus Monument, Barcelona, El Raval, Plaça Reial, Montjuïc Castle, Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona, Gaudí House Museum, Aquarium Barcelona, Port Vell, Montserrat, Laberint d'Horta Park, Port of Barcelona, La Ribera, Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Barcelona Zoo, El Poblenou, CosmoCaixa Barcelona, Port Olímpic, and many more.

From Barcelona Airport by:
Train (RENFE): $4.1single - http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/cercanias/barcelona/index.html Train runs every 30 minutes daily.
Bus (AeroBus):$10.2 return (valid 15 days)-http://www.aerobusbcn.com/Bus runs every 15 minutes from 5-00 am -00:30 daily.
Taxi: $30 - $35-http://www.taxidebarcelona.net/Available 24/7.
Uber:$24 -$35 - https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate//Available on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

From Girona Airport by:
Train (Bus + RENFE):$10 - $30 - http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/cercanias/barcelona/index.html Train runs every hour from 6:10 - 21:55.
Bus (line 604):$25return -https://www.sagales.com/enBus runs 4 times daily from 05:00- 23:45.
Taxi: $120 - http://www.girotaxi.com/?lang=CAAvailable 24/7.
Uber:Not Available.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

From Reus Airport by:
Train (Taxi + RENFE):$10 - $30 - http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/index.html Train runs every 30 minutes from 5:35 to 21:55.
Bus (line 604):$22return -http://www.igualadina.com/index.php?idioma=engBus runs 3 times dailylast bus leaves by 17:15.
Taxi: $200 -http://www.taxi-tarragona.com/Available 24/7.
Uber:$80 - https://www.uber.com/global/en/price-estimate//Available on demand.
But Private taxes are cheaper than Airport taxis, here to Book at

Hotel prices can vary greatly depending on how far in advance you book, the demand for rooms, and which hotel you book but the prices below will give you a rough idea and you can do further research and hotel booking at https://www.tripindicator.com/hotel.html
Barcelona Airport Hotels:$60 per night
Girona Airport Hotels: From $53per night
Reus Airport Hotels: From $56 per night

All of the airports mentioned offer competitive prices and a range of cars to suit your needs. Prices are based on the type of car, driver age, length of hire, and demand but you can get a rough idea for each airport below.

Barcelona Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars:< (Fiat 500, Opel Adam, Ford Ka etc) $35per week
Intermediate Cars:(Peugeot 3008, Citroen C4, BMW2 etc) $90 per week
Premium cars (Mercedes C, Audi A6, BMW5):$371per week
Compare prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/barcelona-airport.html

Girona Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars: (Fiat 500, Opel Adam, Ford Ka etc) $48per week
Intermediate Cars: (Toyota Avensis, Skoda Octavia, Audi 4 etc) $122per week
Premium cars (Mercedes E Class, Audi A6): $535per week
Compare Prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/girona-airport.html

Reus Airport Car Rental:
Budget Cars: (Fiat 500, Peugeot 107, Fiat Panda etc) $65 per week
Compact Cars:(Renault Megane, Vw Golf, Opel Astra etc) $70 per week
Estate cars (Renault Clio, Ford Focus Estate): $89 per week
Compare Prices here - https://www.tripindicator.com/car-hire/reus.html