Barcelona (Spain) is one of the most visited cities in the world, attracting millions of tourists every year. Bur, it’s important to differentiate the airports surrounding the city; one being Barcelona-Reus Airport.
A big mistake that is often made by millions of travellers is to book a cheap flight from the UK to anywhere in Europe, then finding out that the airport is miles away from the city they intended to travel to.
As confusing as it sounds, just because the name of a city is part of the name of an airport, that doesn’t mean that it’s actually taking you to the destination. Barcelona has only one airport, Barcelona-El Prat Airport, and two other airports nearby, Girona Airport and Reus Airport.
Girona Airport and Reus Airport get the attention of tourists because their airlines tend to offer very cheap flights by low cost airlines. Of the three airports, Reus is the furthest from Barcelona. Therefore, it’s worth considering the amount of time and money spent when you transfer to Barcelona, and it’s often not worth the hassle.
Where is Reus Airport?
Barcelona-Reus Airport (REU) is actually 100 kilometres (62 miles) away from the city centre, taking 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach. Though it is far from Catalonia’s capital, if your intention was to visit the outskirts of Barcelona, the airport is approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the city centre of Reus.
Airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair and Wizzair are the most common ones to fly to and from Reus Airport, with other airlines joining during the busier seasons, like TUI, Jet2, and even British Airways. As per the latest data available, Reus Airport has welcomed over 1.1 million passengers in 2024 and won the award for the Best Airport in Europe with less than 2 million passengers in 2023.
From Reus, visitors have the option to transfer to the Barcelona city centre by taking a bus to Reus city centre, and then taking a train to Barcelona Sants Estació. Alternatively, there’s also a train that goes from Reus to Barcelona Sants, with the average journey time being a little over two hours.
The closest airport to the city centre of Barcelona, which falls into the top list of the busiest airports in the world is Barcelona International Airport, better known as Barcelona-El Prat Airport. It’s located 13 kilometres (8 miles) South of the city centre, and it offers a wide range of international flights.
Nonetheless, if you’re planning to travel somewhere outside of Barcelona, Girona and Reus’ airports can end up being a better option. For example, Reus Airport is closer to Tarragona, Salou and Cambrils. On the other hand, Girona is another city that also offers the beauty of Catalonia, and it’s also close to other towns along the Costa Brava.
Next time you book a flight to Barcelona, make sure to check the airport you’re landing at, otherwise you could be in for a long transfer to the city centre – and back home!