How to get from Barcelona to Tarragona? This question interests everyone who wants to break out of a noisy tourist metropolis and leave for a quiet provincial town with a rich history and many unique and incredibly interesting sights.
How to get to Tarragona by bus?
Direct public buses to Tarragona leave not only from the center of the Catalan capital, but also from El Prat International Airport. Consider all the options.
You can get from Barcelona to Tarragona on your own using Infobus transport. Departing from T1 (platforms number 10, 11, 12), they call in T2, then follow to Barcelona Nord, the main city bus station, and from there they go to their final destination – to Tarragona Central. Opening hours – from 10:20 to 22:50. Travel time is 1-1.5 hours. The ticket costs € 15.50.
Buses of the ALSA transport company depart from two bus stations – Barcelona Sants and Barcelona Nord. The first flight is at 9 am, the last at 10 pm. The journey will take about 1.5 hours. A ticket from Barcelona to Tarragona costs 9.50 €. The bus arrives at the Estació d’autobusos bus station, whose office is located on the 1st floor of the Hotel SB Ciutat de Tarragona. In walking distance from this place is not only the Mediterranean Balcony, but also other tourist places – Rambla Boulevard, Roman Amphitheater and the Old Town.
On a note! Buses run daily. The schedule depends on the season and day of the week, so you need to specify it in advance.
How to get from Barcelona Airport to Tarragona not only quickly, but also with maximum comfort? Take advantage of Plana buses, the main feature of which are spacious salons and air conditioning. They pick up passengers at T1 and T2 (the second terminal stop is on the right side of the exit from the building) and take them directly to Tarragona Central Bus Station. The latter is located in the heart of the city, about 1 km from the Mediterranean Balcony. In addition, there is an information center that sells return tickets.
BusPlana runs from 9 am to midnight. The intervals between flights are no more than 50 minutes. It will take about 1.5 hours to cover the distance between Barcelona and Tarragona (82 km). The fare costs about 15 €. You can buy them at the box office, from the driver and via the Internet.
A bright blue bus running between the airport and Plaza Catalunya runs according to the following schedule:
| Route | Time | Motion interval |
|---|---|---|
| Pl. Catalonia – T1 | from 05:00 to 21:45 | 5-10 minutes |
| Pl. Catalonia – T2 | from 05:00 to 12:30 | 10 minutes. |
| T1 – Pl. Catalonia | from 05:30 to 01:05 | 5-10 minutes |
| T2 – Pl. Catalonia | from 05:35 to 01:00 | 10 minutes. |
The journey to the city center takes about half an hour. Inside, there is high-speed Internet, USB chargers and facilities for people with disabilities. Prams and wheelchairs are allowed on board.
Tickets cost 5.90 €. You can buy them both from the driver and via the Internet, simply by downloading to a smartphone. In case of advance booking, the driver will issue you a return ticket, which must be used within 15 days. Bank cards are not accepted on the bus, so you should stock up on trifles to pay for the fare.
Bus stops can be easily found by following the signs. Arriving at Plaça Catalunya, go down to the metro station of the same name and wait for the train to Station. Passeig de Gràcia or Estacio Sants train station. To get from there to Tarragona, take the regional train.
On a note! An alternative to Aerobus are flights No. 17 and 16, departing from T1 and T2, respectively. They work around the clock.
How to get to Tarragona by train?
If you don’t know how to get from Barcelona to Tarragona by train, head to one of the train stations:
- Estacio de França (French station): located in the quarter of Barceloneta near Ciutadella park, beaches and seaport;
- Estacio Sants (Central Station): located in the Sants district next to the industrial park of Spain and two squares – Houna Neuro and Paysos Catalan;
- Passeig de Gracia (Gracia Boulevard): Casa Batlló, Plaça Catalunya and Mila are the landmarks.
Attention! Most trains leave with Estacio Sants and Passeig de Gracia, so if you intend to travel with Estacio de França, be sure to check the timetable in advance. As for the El-Prat airport, there is no direct train connection between it and Tarragona, so first you need to go to Barcelona (by bus or metro).
A railway transfer between these two cities is provided by the Renfe transport company. She owns both R. Expres regional electric trains and high-speed trains ALVIA, AVE, TALGO, EUROMED and AVANT. The trains run daily from 07:00 to 20:30 with an interval of half an hour. The journey will take from 35 to 50 minutes. The ticket price varies from 8 – 22 € depending on the level of comfort and travel time (the later, the more expensive).
Tickets for the Barcelona-Tarragona train can be bought at the terminals and railway ticket offices. Many cashiers speak English and French fairly well. If you do not speak foreign languages well, use the electronic ticket. You do not need to print it – you can download it to your smartphone.
On a note! Tickets for high-speed trains are best bought in advance – a month, or even earlier. So you can save at least 9 €.
The final destination of your trip will be one of two city stations:
- Renfe Camp de Tarragona – located about 12 km from the city center, takes high-speed trains;
- Tarragona – located in the tourist area near Miracle beach, port and Rambla, it accepts all commuter trains.
Knowing how to get from Barcelona to Tarragona, you can overcome this distance without any problems. Good luck to you!
Prices and timetables on this page are for November 2019.
What to see in Tarragona:
Posted by: Olga Sheyko
