Transportation in tourist Spain is very well developed, so you can get from Barcelona to Granada in just a few hours.
The capital of Catalonia, Barcelona, and the Andalusian city of Granada are connected by several roads. The 850-kilometer journey is not a short one, and there are four ways to overcome it. I will tell you in detail about each option.
Airplane Barcelona — Granada
The fastest way to get from Barcelona to Granada is by plane with Spanish company Iberia or Catalan low-cost carrier Vueling.
Granada has a small airport 18 km from the city center. But Barcelona airport is the second largest in Spain, after the capital’s Madrid-Barajas. From the center of Barcelona to the airport will take 30 minutes.
- Iberia and Vueling each have four daily direct flights between the cities.
- Travel time: 1 hour and 35 minutes.
- Iberia has an average one-way flight cost of €60, while Vueling has an average one-way flight cost of €40.
Train Barcelona — Granada
The Ave high-speed trains take you from Barcelona-Sants station to Granada train station. Four trains leave Barcelona daily, but only two in the opposite direction.
- Travel time depends on the train, with a minimum of 6 hours and 20 minutes.
- One way ticket price: from 60 € at promotional fare.
- Carrier: the national railroad company Renfe.
Bus Barcelona — Granada
Alsa buses are available from Barcelona to Granada. In the Catalan capital you can catch them at the Estación Nord bus station.
There are four departures per day, with the night bus making a stop at the first terminal of Barcelona Airport at 01:25.
The earlier the ticket is bought, the cheaper it is, and you can save up to 40% when buying round-trip tickets.
- Ticket price: from 30 € for adults, children from 4 to 11 years old 30% discount, children under 3 years old are free.
- Travel time: from 13 hours.
- Working hours: from 01:00 to 18:20.
- Bus schedule from Barcelona to Granada.
By car from Barcelona to Granada
If you are traveling as a family or a group, it is more profitable to rent a car. I recommend popular aggregators with Russian navigation, where you can choose a car from several rental companies — Rentalcars or Economybookings.
The 850 kilometers between Barcelona and Granada can be covered in 8 — 9 hours.
A stretch of road in Catalonia can be traveled on a free or toll road. There is no difference in quality between the toll and free roads, both are excellent. The difference is that the toll road is multi-lane, without traffic lights, with a speed limit of 120 km/h, and the free road passes through populated areas, with speed limits and traffic lights, so you have to drive longer. The names of toll roads in Spain begin with «AP». The AP-7 highway leads from Barcelona to Granada.
- Renting a car will cost from 20 € per day.
- A liter of gasoline costs €1.25. To drive from Barcelona to Granada you will need 140 liters — that’s 175 €.
- Section of the AP-7 toll road — 11 €.
The trip from Barcelona to Granada by any ground transportation is a long one, making it in one go means spending a day on the road. So I recommend either opting for a plane to save time, or renting a car and seeing half of the Spanish coast on the way. Along the way you’ll pass cute Tarragona, charming Valencia, bustling Benidorm, and some of Spain’s most beautiful «white villages». Set aside at least two days for the road and comfortable sightseeing of the main sights of Granada.
