Salou Travel Forum

We have booked flights to and from Barcelona Airport and will be staying at Port Aventura Hotel. I need to know means of transport that can take us there and back. I have checked the RENFE and the Rapid Aeroport Line but there seems to be a BIG problem on our way from Port Aventura to BCN as the flight leaves at 9 and i figure the bus/train trip from PA to BCN takes around 2 hours.
I m getting desperate - i hope there is some kind of public transport that does early enough trips to get me to the airport on time.

if you can help me out, it will be greatly appreciated

May be spend last night in Barcelona?
if your plane leaves at 9 am, you check-in at 7-7:30
so you'd have to start before 5 am
I doubt there is a bus or train so early.

last night in Barcelona is one option, another is booking a private hire from Salou, picking you up at Port Aventura and dropping you off at the Airport.

I was trying to avoid spending last night in barcelona as we ve already paid deposit on hotel. u mean a taxi? how much would we expect that to be for 4 persons + luggages? and can u suggest any taxi service or how to contact it? do i have to book before or not.. how does it work? thank u

Well... last time I was leaving Tarragona it was in a cast with a broken heel and with luggage. I had to take a taxi from Tarragona to the airport. I had many bags, mtn bike, etc. so had to get a van that was large enough for all my stuff.

It cost me 120 Euro from Tarragona. Port Aventura would probably add an additional 15 Euro.

I believe the first train to BCN-Sants is 5:30 or 6:00am. The train takes about an hour.

did you try to contact your hotel in PA and see if it's possible to cancel your last night there?? maybe you change your booking without cost, or the cancellation fees may be still be worth it

spending the last night near the airport will be much better, especially traveling with children

Well i cant actually cancel the 4th night at PA as it was an offer of pay for 3 and get 4th night free. the normal fees at PA are not within my budget but this offer + a discount made it affordable.

Ok so public transport during the night is out of question.And a taxi is too expensive for such a long way. So I have 2 options:
1. travel to barcelona by train the night before and find another hotel for the night
2. hire a car and drive.

Can you give me any info on car hiring? could you pick it up at one place (say Salou) and return it at another place ( such as the Airport)? do you know any good car rentals that do this? have you got any idea of the price?

Oh I see. I'm afraid you're learning the hard way that finding connections from/to the airports should be always checked *before* booking :(

of course you can hire a car in one location and drop it at a different one (I'm doing this all the time for business trips), but you pay for this convenience. However, you can't use small local companies, you have to find a company that has offices both in Salou and at BCN airport

I'd check rental car brokers as Carjet.com or hispacar.com, and make a google search of "car hire salou"

never rented a car to do this route so I can't help on specific companies. In any case, you'll have to pick the car the day before (you will not find any office open at 5 AM) and ensure they accept returning the car at BCN around 7 AM. I'm pretty sure some company will allow this, but it probably will be not cheap. For business we use Avis and Hertz, as they are have many offices and offer multiple possibilities, but they are definitely not the cheapest ones.

I was thinking.... (deadly boring day here at the office!!)

a) It may be quite difficult to find a company that has offices in both Salou (this will be the difficult side) and BCN

b) but most companies will have offices at more busy places as Reus airport or Tarragona

c) you have to pick the car the day before

d) Tarragona is a very nice place for a daytrip, and easy to reach from Salou

So... why you do not spend your last day visiting Tarragona, pick the car there to return to PA, and travel to BCN early morning??

I did a random search at Hertz (I don't know your travel dates, so I put end of July): a small car, picking it at Tarragona one afternoon, and leaving it at BCN at 7 AM next day does cost 57-59 €

Hi Belsaita... thank you for being around to solve my problems. that's very good logical thinking. you r wonderful. :)

i ll try that. now i hope it's not a difficult drive from portaventura to bcn airport . we dont want to get lost and miss the flight :(

you're welcome :)

it's a very easy driving, you just have to follow the AP-7 highway (you'll have to pay abut 12€ of tolls). Only be very careful when you approach to Barcelona, not to miss the signs to the airport

look at www.viamichelin.com and print your itinerary. Allow at least 30 min more than what they say (they sometimes underestimate traveling times, and to be on the safe side). Better have a realxed breakfast once at the airport

apologies, my day was obviously busier than Belsaita's :)

If you are self driving, be sure to use your lights in the tunnels as it's an offence not to, and there atr quite a few along the route.

The only private hire comapnay I know in Salou are Touchdown Tours and I'm not sure of their costs, sorry.

thank you Le Bod. i ll check out my opitions.