Barcelona Airport

Just plain awful. I wish I'd found this website sooner. Drive take a train travel by boat do anything except depart from Barcelona T1 gates D or E. Once through passport control you cannot access any of the shops restaurants or any other facilities available to people flying from gates A B or C. There is nothing to warn you of this (April 2012) and there is no way back. Staff unhelpful police aggressive. Nothing at gates D and E except a McDonalds the usual duty free a newsagent and a cafe serving awful sandwiches. Avoid.

Arrived and departed intra-Schengen from terminal T1. Bright and modern airport with good bus connections to downtown Barcelona - one-way ticket costs €5.30 buses run frequently. Note that the train station is across terminal T2 thus requiring a shuttle ride between T1 and T2. Upon departure check-in was hassle-free - using self-service machines. Main security checkpoint in the centre of the terminal is often overcrowded. It is more pleasant to use the secondary checkpoint leading to boarding area C which is usually empty (Just follow the "Regional flights" sign). Extensive seating areas at the boarding gates. Lavatories spotlessly clean. Major downside is the quite long walking distance from piers A and C to the main building.

Can only echo what other reviewers are saying. You check-in your bags go through passport control - as in all other airports around the world - and find that Duty Free/Restaurants and 99% of facilities are blocked off as they are downstairs but before passport control. Don't expect anything but rudeness from airport staff although they must be sick of the system themselves.

For the first time I arrived and left from Barcelona for an intercontinental flight and I was impressed by T1 in BCN. At customs a couple (French + Brazilian passports) went through rapidly without having to line up. Baggage started to be delivered when we arrived to the carrousel and our flight arrived 30 min earlier. On our return flight checking in was without problem and fast. Customs and security were all open and facilitating a fast process. Enough seats at the waiting areas a lot of shops and coffee shop/restaurants. I don't know if it is like this every day but if so congratulations.

Terminal 1 is large bright and airy with plenty of staff. However the really crazy arrangements of Gates D and E mean that once through passport control you cannot take advantage of the excellent range of shops - only a duty free and newsagent! There is a sign inviting you to take advantage of shopping but it does not point out the significance.

Barcelona Airport was one of my favourite airports in Europe what is now terminal 2 had some of the best shops cafe's bars duty free. In fact it had the lot in a very large area and was clean and very efficient. Now most of the shops are closed areas are blocked off some staff are clearly unhappy especially in the over priced coffee shops and are quite rude to customers. There is a sign that tells you that you cannot go back through passport control in one area but it tells you when you are already through There were crowds of people trying to get in so the duty fee closed before they could get to them do not travel from terminal 2.

Terminal 1 is wonderful. Very bright a lot of glass and a huge sensation of space everywhere. You could eat from the floor as it's very clean. Great selection of food outlets and shops. Transiting is very easy as you would not need to clear security unless you travel from a non Schengen flight. Good public transportation options to downtown. Free Shuttle to Terminal . Definitely my preferred airport in Spain.

Went through Terminal 1 a month ago and glad to report that the airport has staff waiting before you enter passport control for Section D to warn you that there is no going back to the rest of the airport and that there is only a McDonalds airside.

Beautiful modern clean light. Long Hangar style which results in easy navigation. However be careful with Gate D! We went through then couldn't visit the wonderful shops.

I had the same problem as many other travelers while departing. I was flying to Singapore and the boarding pass said Gate D. I found out that once you enter gate D you can't go to the shopping area one floor bellow and you are stuck on the floor with nothing but a McDonalds. But otherwise it is a good airport.