Reus Airport, Another Option to BCN El Prat

Just like Girona Airport, Reus is another alternative airport to investigate when traveling to Barcelona since in recent years it has become a hub for other low cost airlines. Servicing primarily tourists heading to sunny beachside towns like Salou and Cambrils on the Costa Dorada, Reus Airport is approximately 96 km (60 miles) southwest of Barcelona, which will require you to know ahead of time your traveling options to and from the airport to the Barcelona city center.

Getting to Barcelona from Reus Airport is simple enough and there are three options available not including car rental, which is only advisable if you plan on doing a decent amount of driving during your stay. Otherwise chose between a bus shuttle service, train or taxi. Of these three options a taxi is the most costly of the bunch with a fare that will roughly total 120 Euros! Depending on where you are traveling from that could be just as much as your airline ticket.

The easiest and most cost effective option is by bus. La Hispano Igualadina bus company offers a convenient shuttle service between the Reus Airport and the Barcelona Sants train station. The Sants rail station isn’t at the center of the city however it’s a major transportation port where you can easily hail a taxi, take the metro or city bus to your final destination.

Once aboard the shuttle bus pick a seat next to someone you don’t mind cozying up to for a while because the ride will be one and a half hours long. But you can’t beat the price of 12.50 Euros for a single ticket or 22 Euros for roundtrip.

Furthermore, the ride is substantially comfortable and a carefree ride. Unlike the train,  it’s a direct route without stops and the constant shuffle of passengers and their baggage.

For up to date timetable information log onto their official website at www.Igualadina.com or call 902 29 29 00. Once arriving at the airport, ask at the information desk where the shuttle buses depart and ticket purchases. To avoid any inconvenience, have the exact fare in cash.

The train is your last option. It can be cheaper than the bus however you’ll have to do some research and planning so that your transfer between the airport and Barcelona goes smoothly. The Renfe train service is a broader transportation service that covers all of Spain. The cost of the train varies depending on the train you select: Regional, Estrella or Express costing anywhere from 6.50 Euros up to 19 Euros for a basic one-way ticket.

Departure times vary depending on the day so it is wise to check the schedule before your airplane trip. Furthermore, if you buy your tickets online at www.renfe.com you can take advantage of the online discount that is offered. Go to the ‘’hours and prices’’ section, select your place of origin (Reus) and destination (Barcelona) to view timetable and prices.

The duration of the trip also varies by train lasting from one hour, 45 minutes for the express trains to two hours for some of the regional trains. Also keep in mind that once arriving at Reus airport you will need to take a taxi or bus to the central Rues train station to take the Renfe train into Barcelona. The local metropolitan transportation system offers transport from the Reus Airport to the train station. The trip is about 10 minutes and has a fixed price at 2 Euros.

Ryanair has claimed Reus as a base furthermore you have 4 other discount airlines: Iberworld, Jet2, Travel Service Airlines and Thomson Airways that have regularly scheduled and seasonal flights in and out of this location. Check directly with the airlines or with online price comparison sites for ticket costs and schedules for RUE (Reus airport code).

I personally still prefer flying directly into El Prat over any of the surrounding airports like Reus or Girona. There are several low-cost airlines that fly between Barcelona’s major international airport and other European destinations such as EasyJet. Furthermore if you add up the cost you may have saved on buying a less expensive ticket not including the extra fares airlines are now charging for checked baggage and the transportation cost of getting into Barcelona, you might not end up saving much money not to mention the extra time and effort that is involved.

If flying into Reus and you can spare a day or two in your itinerary before zooming off to Barcelona a wise option would be to spend the night in Tarragona, the closest major city to the airport, and tour the city’s Roman ruins. Also nearby is Port Aventura, one of Europe’s largest amusement theme parks.

For more information on Reus airport and flights go to www.reus-airport.es