How to get to Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix

The Spanish Grand Prix takes place 21 – 23 June 2024 at Circuit du Catalunya, just outside the beautiful city of Barcelona. This thrilling race was first held in 1913, making it one of the oldest in the F1 calendar. It’s also a firm favourite, enabling F1 fans to combine a weekend of racing with a mini break in one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.

If the Spanish Grand Prix is on your go-to list for 2024, you may be wondering the best way to get there. In this article, we’ll explore all options for getting to get to Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona for the 2024 Spanish GP.

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Where is Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona?

The Circuit de Catalunya track is located in the town of Montmeló, approximately 30km (19 miles) northeast of central Barcelona.

Where is the nearest airport to the Catalunya circuit?

Barcelona El Prat International Airport (BCN) is the nearest airport to the circuit, located approximately 10km (6 miles) southwest of the city centre and just over 40km (25 miles) from the circuit itself. This airport not only has great domestic and European links, you can also fly direct into Barcelona from intercontinental locations including USA, Canada, China and UAE. While there are no direct flights from Australia, Emirates fly from Sydney with a few hours’ stop in Dubai.

Barcelona is not your only option. If you are on a budget, a number of low-cost airlines fly into the regional airport of Girona-Costa Brava (GRO) located just over 70km (44 miles) from Circuit de Catalunya. (Heads up: this airport is ideal if you are planning to combine your visit to the Grand Prix with a beach holiday!).

Barcelona Airport to the city

By taxi – The easiest and quickest way to get to the city centre is to take one of the official black and yellow taxis, located at the exit of Terminals T1 and T2. The fare will be approximately €30 – €35.

By metro – A far cheaper option is to take the L9 metro line from Aeroport T1 and Aeroport T2. A single ticket costs €5.15.

By train – The RENFE train service runs approximately every 30 minutes to and from Barcelona Airport to the city centre. The journey takes 25 minutes and costs €4.60.

By bus – Take either the express Aerobus service (€6.75) or the number 46 bus (€2.40) direct to the city centre.

How to get from Barcelona to Circuit de Catalunya

Once you’re in Barcelona, getting to Circuit de Catalunya in Montmeló is simple, with plenty of transport options to choose from. The city has a fantastic metro system and while you can’t take a metro to Montmeló itself, you can usually catch one to the main train station from wherever you are in the city. View the Barcelona Metro map here.

Let’s take a closer look at all your transport options for how to get from Barcelona to Circuit de Catalunya.

Travelling from Barcelona to Circuit de Catalunya by train

The nearest station to Circuit de Catalunya is Montmeló, a 45 walk away from the track itself, however taxis are available from the station if the walk is a little too much.

The main trainline running from the city to Montmeló is the R2 Nord (light green) train from either Sants (the main train station in Barcelona), Passeig de Gracia or El Clot in the direction of Granollers or Maçanet Massanes, with tickets costing as little as €2.80 each way. The journey lasts approximately 30 minutes, but don’t forget to factor in the 45-minute walk from Montmeló station to the circuit. During race weekend, there are usually trains running between Barcelona and Montmeló every 20 minutes but be warned – these can get very crowded! You can buy tickets online at Renfe.com or at the station itself.

If you’re planning on catching a train from the airport direct to Montmeló, take the R2 Nord train, leaving from Terminal 2B The train station at Barcelona Airport is conveniently located 200m outside terminal building 2.

Map of Barcelona metro and train system

If you’re catching a train from other parts of Europe, you’ll be pleased to hear that Spain’s high-speed train network is the second largest in the whole continent. Planning on catching the train from London? Take the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord and catch a connecting TGV Duplex high-speed train to Barcelona for as little as £120 and a travelling time of just under seven hours.

Travelling to the Catalunya circuit by car

Whether you’re grabbing a hire car at Barcelona Airport or driving from mainland Europe (or even the UK!), getting to the circuit by car or coach is straightforward. From Barcelona Airport itself, the journey is just over 40km (25 miles) and takes approximately 45 minutes. Expect delays on race days and avoid travelling during rush hour (8.00am to 9.30am, 12.30 to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 8.30pm).

There are two main routes you can take to the circuit. Take the C-17 road (Montmeló exit) or the AP-7 toll road and exit at either 13, 14 or 15. It’s then a straightforward route with clear signposting to the circuit car parks. Make sure you know in advance which car park you are in to avoid confusion upon arrival. Parking is charged at a flat rate, starting at €25 for three days. Find out more about parking at the Spanish Grand Prix here.

• Estimates travel time from London: 16 hours
• Estimated travel time from Costa Brava: 1 hour
• Estimated travel time from Madrid: 6 hours
• Estimated travel time from Paris: 8 hours
• Estimated travel time from Berlin: 19 hours
• Estimated travel time from Amsterdam: 16 hours

Travelling by taxi to the circuit

Private transfer by taxi will take about 40 minutes and cost approximately €60 to €70. Pre-booking is an absolute must, as trying to hail a cab on race days will be very tricky and fares are likely to be far higher.

Travelling by bus from Barcelona to Circuit de Catalunya

Barcelona bus company Sagales runs a regular bus service on Grand Prix weekend from a number of stops in Barcelona to the track with a drop-off point just 300 metres from the entrance to Circuit de Catalunya. Timetable and ticket prices ae not yet available for the race weekend 2024 but the cost is likely to be approximately €20 return with the journey taking 45 minutes.

Sagales also runs services to the circuit from the popular beach resorts of Lloret de Mar and Blanes – perfect for those combining the race weekend with a holiday. You can view the current Sagales timetable here which includes the various stops en route.

Montmeló Shuttle bus to Spanish Grand Prix

A shuttle bus service is provided from the centre of Montmeló, approximately 10 minutes’ walk from the train station in the direction of the circuit. The bus will drop you off near Turn 1, and it’s another 10 minutes’ walk from the Gate 5 entrance.

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya parking

Expect to pay a flat rate of approximately €25 for three days. Parking must be booked in advance as tickets cannot be purchased on site during the event. There are plenty of spaces to choose from – 32,000 in fact – but we strongly recommend using the car park nearest to your grandstand.

• Car Park A – Grandstands H, C, G, B, N and General Admission
• Car Park A1 – Grandstand N and General Admission
• Car Park A3 – Grandstands H and I
• Car Park B – Grandstands H, C, G, B and General Admission
• Car Park C – Grandstands J, K, E, F, I and the Main Grandstand
• Car Park D – Grandstands L, M and General Admission
• Car Park F – Grandstands A, F, E, K, J

How to get to Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona from the UK

A number of UK airports fly direct to Barcelona, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester and Bristol. These include flights via budget airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair. You can then take a train to Montmeló direct from Barcelona El Prat Airport.

Not a fan on flying? No problem! You catch take the Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris and catch a connecting high-speed train down to Barcelona in under seven hours.

If you’re planning a road trip from the UK, Le Shuttle from Folkestone will have you in Calais in 35 minutes and the trip down to Montmeló takes approximately 13 hours. We would recommend a stopover en route, perhaps near the cities of Paris or Lyon.

How to get to Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona from the Netherlands

Take the Eurostar from Amsterdam to Paris in a journey of 3.5 hours. You can then catch a highspeed train from Paris to Barcelona in approximately 6.5 hours, before catching a connecting train from Sants to Montmeló.

You can drive from Amsterdam to Barcelona in under 16 hours, so an overnight stopover is advisable. A possible halfway point is the city of Lyon.

Prefer to fly? There are multiple direct flights into Barcelona from Amsterdam, with a journey time of two hours and fifteen minutes.

Book tickets for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix

Now you’ve discovered how to get to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, it’s time to book your tickets which are on general sale NOW! Head to our Spanish Grand Prix booking page to secure your spot.