BCNPasses

Aerobus or metro: which actually suits you

The metro is 1,85 € cheaper. That is the whole advantage. Against it: a compulsory change, it will not take the ticket you probably hold, and it closes overnight. For most travellers, 1,85 € does not justify hauling cases through an interchange.

AerobusMetro L9 Sud
Price7,75 €5,90 €
ChangesNoneOne, nearly always
Drops you atPlaça de CatalunyaUniversitat / Collblanc area
Hours24 hCloses overnight on weekdays
T-casual valid?N/ANo
Luggage spaceYes, holdWhatever the carriage allows
TerminalsA1 → T1 · A2 → T2T1 and T2

What nobody tells you about the metro

The T-casual is the default ticket for anyone spending a few days in Barcelona: 13,00 € for ten journeys. But it does not work at the airport stations on the L9 Sud. You have to buy the Airport ticket, a separate 5,90 € fare that covers only that metro journey.

Put another way: the metro to the airport gets no volume discount at all. First journey or tenth, you pay 5,90 €.

When the metro does win

If you are staying near an L9 Sud stop or a convenient interchange, if you are travelling light, or if you already hold a T-usual or T-dia — those are valid at the airport, which makes the journey effectively free.

When the Aerobus wins

If you are heading into the centre with luggage, arriving or leaving overnight, or you simply would rather not think: sit down, stay on until Catalunya, done.

And if you will use transport all week

Then it becomes a different question. The Hola Barcelona Travel Card includes the airport metro both ways, so the journey stops having a cost of its own. Put it in the calculator against buying single tickets:

Which ticket works out cheapest?

Official prices, updated 22 October 2026. We tell you what to buy — and when no pass is worth it.

Which museums will you actually visit?

These are free with the Barcelona Card. Only tick the ones you genuinely want to see — over-ticking is the quickest way to buy a pass that never pays for itself.

The card also covers 11 more museums that the official shop doesn’t sell on their own (Castell de Montjuïc, CCCB, Centre Martorell d’Exposicions, Disseny Hub Barcelona (DHUB)…). We leave them out, so the Barcelona Card’s real saving is a little higher than shown here.

Frequently asked questions

Is the metro cheaper than the Aerobus?

Yes, by 1,85 €. The Airport ticket is 5,90 € and the Aerobus 7,75 €. That is a small gap for how much the journey changes.

Can I use a T-casual on the metro to the airport?

No. The T-casual is not valid at Aeroport T1 and T2 on the L9 Sud. You need the 5,90 € Airport ticket, or a pass that does cover those stations, such as the T-usual or T-dia.

Does the airport metro reach the city centre?

Not directly. The L9 Sud does not run through the centre: you change to the L1, L3 or L5 depending on where you are going. That change with luggage is why many people choose the Aerobus.

Which terminals have a metro station?

Both. The L9 Sud serves T1 and T2, unlike the Rodalies train, which only calls at T2.

Checked 22 October 2026. Sources: TMB (2026 fares and airport validity) · Turisme de Barcelona (Aerobus)