Barcelona (BCN) Airport Guide
from www.anyairportcarhire.com
SUMMARY
Barcelona Airport is the main airport serving the capital of Catalonia in Spain and the second largest airport in the country. This is a very modern and attractive airport, for instance in terminal 2B you can see Miró artwork on the wall outside. Barcelona Airport has busiest flight route in the world, the Puente Aéreo, which goes between Barcelona and Madrid Barajas with nearly 1,000 flights per week. As well as other domestic routes, you can also fly to international destinations in Europe, North America and North Africa.
Barcelona Airport is also known as El Prat Airport because it covers the municipality of El Prat de Llobregat as well as Viladecans and Sant Boi. There are three terminals. T1 was recently reopened to include better facilities with 168 check-in counters, 15 baggage carousels and 12,000 parking spaces. That will allow capacity of 55 million passengers per year. Terminal 2 has an offshoot called 2C which will be exclusively used by EasyJet. It is one of a number of low-cost airlines operating at Barcelona airport. Ryanair is also creating a base there in September 2010.
HISTORY
Barcelona Airport started life in 1918 and the first Iberia flight took off in 1927. A new runway was built in 1948. In 1970 Pan American World Airways started a flight between New York, Lisbon and Barcelona. In 1992 Barcelona Airport received massive investment and renovation for the Summer Olympics. Post-modernist architect Ricardo Bofill Levi, who is from Barcelona, designed the new airport. Despite being a major Spanish airport it suffered heavily in 2001 following the Twin Tower attacks and only survived because charter flights were diverted from nearby Catalan airports at Girona and Reus. Today most of the traffic is either domestic or within Europe. This has angered residents who want the airport to have more prestige and international connections.
DIRECTIONS
Barcelona Airport is located 10 kilometres to the southwest of Barcelona. If you are driving from Barcelona city centre take the Barcelona ring road. The airport exit is via the Pata Sur. Follow the Barcelona Castelldefels C31 motorway and the Barcelona Sitges C32 motorway and the airport will be signposted.
FACILITIES
A high-speed rail line connects Madrid and Barcelona in 2 and a half hours.
Tourist information desks (934 784 704) are located in the terminals. There are dedicated meeting rooms in terminal 2 which can be hired.
Barcelona airport has escalators, lifts and ramp for disabled passengers who can also reserved parking spaces ahead of time. Adapted telephones and disabled toilets are located throughout the airport.
There are various hotels close to the airport including Hotel Tryp Barcelona Airport, The new Renaissance Barcelona Airport Hotel, the Hotel Ciutat del Prat and the Best Western Hotel Alfa Airport.
SHOPPING
The renovated terminal has around 50 shops and you can buy everything including jewellery, cosmetics and music. There are even shoe shops by Barcelona brands like Tascón, which is relatively unusual for an airport. Various other items are offered by authentic Catalan providers such as the wine shop by Cal Pere. That makes Barcelona airport an excellent place to pick up souvenirs from your trip, for instance from the Sibarium delicatessen. If you plan to sit down and have a meal or a coffee there are also 30 cafes, restaurants and bars. You should be aware that once you have passed through passport control for Concourse D or E there are no more shops so there is no point going through early.
DUTY FREE
Aldeasa offers duty-free goods but there is nothing particularly distinctive and prices are not that much cheaper than the high street. If you are not travelling within the European Union there are discounts on cosmetics, jewelry, tobacco, liquor and some confectionery.
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CAR HIRE
With all leading suppliers located at the airport you wiil be spoilt for choice with
Barcelona Airport car hire.