Barcelona Airport has two terminals: T1 & T2. There is car hire at both of them so when booking a Barcelona Airport car hire, make sure you book it for the right terminal! In this post, you’ll find our guide to returning a car hire to Barcelona Airport T1. You can find more of our airport guides including returning a car hire to T2 as well as collection guides for T1 and T2.
Barcelona Airport: Travel between T1 & T2
Barcelona’s two airport terminals are around 5 kms apart. If you need to travel between the two, there is a free airport shuttle that goes between T1 and T2. It runs every 5 to 7 minutes from 5.00am to midnight and then every 10 minutes between midnight and 5.00am.
If you’re returning a car hire to Barcelona Airport T1 but need to catch a flight at T2, after dropping off the car keys, you’ll find the shuttle bus stop outside the Intermodal lobby on the ground floor level.
Returning a car hire to Barcelona Airport T1
Outside Barcelona Airport T1, departures level
On-airport car hire at Barcelona Airport T1
Suppliers with an on-airport location in T1 include the following:
- Avis-Budget
- Enterprise-Alamo
- Europcar
- Goldcar-Rhodium
- Hertz-Thrifty
- Sixt
Car hires for the above supplier should be returned to the airport’s main car park, which is a multi-storey car park in front of the terminal. This car park is split into six sections: A, B, C, D, E and F. Car rentals are in section A on levels 0 and 1. There is a dedicated entrance to the car park for ‘Car Rental’ so make sure you follow signs to it. We take you through this in more detail further below.
Firefly Car Rental and InterRent are two other on-airport suppliers but are only located at T2. See our guide to returning a car hire to Barcelona Airport T2 if you have a rental with Firefly or InterRent.
Off-airport car hire
A number of suppliers are located a short drive from the airport. They include Autoclick, Centauro and OK Rent-a-car. If you have a rental with one of these or another off-airport car hire, check the instructions for the returns process. In general, you’ll need to return it directly to the supplier’s office. They will have a free shuttle service to take customers between their office and the airport terminal.
Driving to Barcelona Airport T1
Barcelona Airport T2 is located just off the B-22, about 17 kms southwest of Barcelona. The main motorways close to the airport are the B-10/C-31 and B20-C32. You’ll see signs for ‘aeropuerto’ on both motorways. And as you get closer, you’ll start seeing signs for T1 and T2. Even if you end up at the wrong terminal, it’s very easy to drive to the right one as both are well-signposted from the other.
From the B-10/C-31 motorways
From Barcelona, you can take the B-10 towards the airport. You can connect to the C-31 at exit 18. Once you’re on the C-31, there are two exits you can take for Terminal T1.
Exit 189 is further west of the airport and is the most straightforward way if you’re driving from the west of the airport.
Exit 192 or 192A (whichever you see) will take you towards both T1 and T2. If you need to fill the tank with petrol before returning it, there is a petrol station close to T2 so this is the best exit to take.
Both exits will take you onto the B-22 for the airport.
From the B-20/C-32 motorway
You can take exit 54 for the airport from the B-20 (if you’re driving westbound to the airport) or C-32 (if you’re driving eastbound to the airport). This will take you onto the B-22 towards T2 and T1.
Signs to T1 and T2
Nearest petrol station to Barcelona Airport
There is a petrol station very close to where T2 is located. It’s about 5 kms from T1.
So instead of following signs to T1, you should follow signs to T2. And as you near T2, you’ll see a turnoff for the petrol station on your right. It’s just before you reach the T2 terminal and there is an overhead sign before it with a petrol station symbol so you know the turnoff is coming up.
After filling up with petrol, follow signs back towards the airport and to T1.
Car Rental Parking
As you near T1, you need to move into the second-from-the-left lane for Parking and Car Rental. Overhead signs will tell you which lane you need to be for Car Rental so keep an eye out for them. But if you move into that lane, you should be in the right lane all the way to the Car Rental parking entrance, which will come up on your left.
Move into the second lane from the left for Car Rental
The Car Rental Parking entrance is in the building on the left.
Once inside, follow signs for your supplier.
Each of the on-airport suppliers have staff in the car park who should be on hand to sign off the car.