Flying from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN): What you need to know
When planning a flight from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), you'll have your pick of airports to take off from. Check out London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW) for departure options. Other possibilities include Stansted Airport (STN), London Luton Airport (LTN) and London City Airport (LCY).
The average length of a direct London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport flight is 2 hours 10 minutes.
The timezone in Barcelona is UTC+1, which is one hour ahead of London. Barcelona-El Prat Airport is located in Barcelona.
With 68 direct weekly flights between the two airports, London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) is the most popular route. British Airways operates the earliest flight at 6:05am. If you're eager to get more out of your day before jetting off, the latest departure from LHR to BCN is with Vueling at 8:50pm.
Get to the airport on time so you don't miss your flight from London to BCN. Be there at least two hours ahead for international flights and an hour early for domestic departures to avoid sprinting to your gate.
Planning to travel during a peak period like public or school holidays? Expect longer queues at security and check-in. For peace of mind, arrive up to four hours before international flights and two hours before domestic departures.
Airports in London
London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
You can take a direct flight from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) leaving from London Heathrow Airport (LHR).
British Airways is a leading airline that operates direct flights from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport taking off from LHR.
Most travellers choose to book seats with British Airways from LHR to BCN.
The carrier with the most consistent on-time arrival rate on this route is British Airways.
Travelling from central London to LHR takes around 1 hour on public transport. If you drive, ride-share or get a cab, you'll cover the 31 kilometres in 55 minutes or so, depending on traffic conditions.
In search of a comfortable hotel near London Heathrow Airport? If you're catching an early flight from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport, these stays will put you moments from your departure gate:
68.18% of flights taking off from London Heathrow Airport make it to their destination on schedule.
London Gatwick Airport (LGW)
Consider beginning your travels from London Gatwick Airport (LGW). You can book a direct London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) plane ticket with departures from here.
Get on your direct flight from London to BCN with Vueling. This is one of the leading airlines that operates this route out of LGW.
On the LGW to BCN route, Vueling is the go-to airline for most travellers on this route.
The carrier with the best on-time performance is Vueling. Its London Gatwick Airport to Barcelona-El Prat Airport flights arrive as scheduled 69.93% of the time.
You can arrive at LGW from the centre of London in about 1 hour 20 minutes by car, depending on traffic conditions. The ride by public transport takes roughly 30 minutes to travel the 80 kilometres or so.
Flying out early in the morning? You might like to check in to one of these hotels near London Gatwick Airport the day before your London to BCN flight:
London Gatwick Airport has an on-time performance rate of 69.26%. This figure gives an insight into how frequently flights that depart from this airport arrive at their destination on time.
Stansted Airport (STN)
Get there with one smooth ride from Stansted Airport (STN). Direct flights from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport can be booked from here.
Fly out of STN with Ryanair. This trusted airline offers direct London to BCN plane tickets.
Ryanair is the airline most travellers choose for flights from STN to BCN.
The carrier with the best on-time arrival rate on this route is Ryanair.
The trip to STN from central London is around 1 hour 25 minutes by public transport. If you're going by car, it'll take you roughly 1 hour to cover the 64 kilometres or so.
Stay in bed a little longer and still make your London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport flight with time to spare. These hotels near Stansted Airport make getting to the terminal a breeze if you're jetting off early:
The on-time performance record of STN is 64.73%. In simpler terms, that's how frequently flights from this airport arrive within the expected time frame.
About Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)
If you have a late flight from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport, nothing tops the convenience of staying near the terminal. Grab your bags from the carousel and then be showered and sleeping soon after at one of these hotels near BCN:
Get your adventure underway by picking up a Barcelona-El Prat Airport rental car. Grab a set of wheels from Record Go, Goldcar or Nizacars Rent A Car and explore beyond Barcelona's main sights.
To get the lowest price, reserve your vehicle around four weeks in advance of your London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport flight.
Getting from Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) to central Barcelona
Barcelona-El Prat Airport is roughly 13 kilometres from central Barcelona. The time it takes to get there in a car hire or cab will depend on the time of day. Do a little research beforehand.
Travelling on public transport typically takes 35 minutes.
How to find the cheapest flights from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)
Currently, 15 € is the best price we've found for a one-way ticket from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The cheapest price for a return flight is 30 €. Keep in mind fares can change due to availability at the time of booking.
Book one month before you travel. Pricing trends show that this is the ideal window for finding cheap flights from London to BCN.
Organise your trip for June. That's the best month for scoring the biggest deals on London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport tickets. If your travel dates are flexible, use the 'Whole month' tool to find the lowest price across each month.
Snapping up a cheap plane ticket from London to BCN is a breeze with Price Alerts. All you need to do is set up one of these automatic alerts and we'll notify you when there's a price drop.
Filters make it easier to land a deal on your flight from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport. Pick the airlines, flight times and stops that make sense for you. Then sort the results by 'Cheapest' to find the most affordable option fast.
The best time to fly from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN)
It's time to decide when to book your flight from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN). July is the peak month for travel to Barcelona. If you're all about a more relaxed kind of trip, go in February.
Book a London to BCN plane ticket departing in August if you're eager to visit the city during its warmest month. Expect temperatures in Barcelona to range from 20ºC (68ºF) to 31ºC (88ºF).
January has temperatures of between 5ºC (41ºF) and 14ºC (57ºF). Look for cheap tickets from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport around that time if you want to travel when it's cooler.
More about Barcelona
Once you've booked your flight from London to Barcelona-El Prat Airport, find a hotel that keeps you close to what you want to see. Make one of these accommodation options your base for exploring Barcelona:
All great adventures should include some sightseeing. Sagrada Familia, Vinalium Sagrada Familia and Placa de la Sagrada Familia are must-visits when exploring Barcelona.
Explore more of Spain
Barcelona will leave a lasting impression, but there are so many other corners of Spain waiting to be explored. About 241 kilometres west of Barcelona, a trip to Zaragoza will keep your itinerary packed. Check out popular attractions like Plaza España, Plaza del Pilar and La Seo del Salvador.
Around 274 kilometres south of Barcelona, Ibiza is another essential stop in Spain. No visit is complete without checking out Platja d'en Bossa, Blue Ocean Ibiza and Playa de Ses Salines.
