Bus Plana From Barcelona Airport

[Jennykenny]

Hoping to catch the bus from Barcelona Airport Terminal 1 on Tuesday 6th June at 1900 to Cambrils, landing from a BA flight at 1815.
Bought ticket online. Cost €16.50.
So, what are the chances of getting that bus?
Should I also get a second ticket for the 2000 bus?
If I catch the 1900 bus, can I cancel the 2000 bus and get a refund.?
For the relatively small cost of €16.50, should I just buy both tickets and not worry about it?

[Prudie]

First question - will you have to wait to collect hold luggage?

[Jennykenny]

No sorry. Should have included that. Small hold-all only.
Also booked an aisle seat near the front of the plane.

[Ryzen]

Walk across the skyway to the Renfe railway station..200 mtrs and catch the train into Barcelona El Clot..15 min... then on to Cambrils.The Catalunia trains are very good....and very clean.It will be a lot quicker than the bus.

[Buenchico]

>>> Walk across the skyway to the Renfe railway station..200 mtrs

Not from T1 it isn't!

It takes 10 minutes on the free shuttle bus to get from T1 to T2, from where you can walk easily the Renfe Cercanías rail station. (Buses run every 4 minutes).

Trains leave at 8 and 38 minutes past each hour, taking 20 minutes to Barcelona Sants. That should get you there in time for the last train to Cambrils at 2103 (arriving 2231).

Spanish transport websites are some of the worst in the world. The national Renfe website either doesn't work at all (as at the moment) or requires you to use the separate travel planners on their local 'Cercanías' sites (but without actually telling you that).

The Bus Plana website gives you one fare when you first visit it but a totally different one when you try and book your travel. Further, while there are links which look like they might answer you question directly, they turn out to be dead.

Your best chance of getting a definitive answer about whether your ticket will be transferable to a later service if you get delayed might be to phone Bus Plana:
00 44 77 12 73 36 44
(0800-1200 and 1500-1900, Mon to Sat, UK time)
[Only in Spain could a major transport operator close their phone lines for a three-hour siesta in the middle of the day!]

[Ryzen]

Jenny...if you live your life by the minute..please allow another 15 or so on my above post :-)

[mushroom25]

if you're after train information for catalunya and the fence site is doing your head in, this is a useful alternative:- http://rodalies.gencat.cat/en

[mushroom25]

**RENFE**!! auto correct grrrr...

[Jennykenny]

Thanks everyone. All very helpful.
I did the journey in reverse once. Driven to station from Cambrils. Train from Tarragona into Barcelona Saints, then out out the airport, then the transfer. Took forever.
Thought the bus might be quicker (??).

[Sqad]

"So, what are the chances of getting that bus? "
Les than 50/50 don't risk it.

"Should I also get a second ticket for the 2000 bus? "
A good idea.

"For the relatively small cost of €16.50, should I just buy both tickets and not worry about it?"

The best idea of all.

[Prudie]

^ says sqad who probably has a limo when he does that trip x

[Jennykenny]

Not sure if anyone is interested in the outcome of this query, but here goes anyway.
Was due into Barcelona at 1815; BA left an hour late so missed the 1900 but comfortably caught the 2000. Only took it as far as Tarragona (about an hour) and a friend picked me up at the bus station.
Thanks everyone for all help and information.
(Had a fairly unpleasant experience when I got off the bus. Had loaded my case into the luggage hold when I boarded, but hadn't noticed that it was on the far side of the hold when I got off. Rather than walk round, I reached in and started pulling my case from the other side. The lazy b***** of a driver not only hadn't got out to help passengers unload their cases, but, without checking his mirrors, pushed the button to close the hold door. With me half in and half out, it hit me on the back and somehow spun me out onto the pavement, where I landed on my bottom. Not good. A very nice Spanish man and his two daughters rushed to pick me up and dust me down. Not hurt, more just shocked.
A huge row then erupted between the nice man and the driver with me throwing my twopence worth in, in Spanish, as to why he would be ready to drive off without checking his mirror. An interesting start to my holiday.)

[Buenchico]

It could have been worse ;-)
http://tinyurl.com/jvwhz3g

[Thanks for the feedback!]

[Buenchico]

PS: Using Spanish in Barcelona won't go down too well with some of the locals. If you don't speak Catalan, they'd probably prefer you to use English.

[Jennykenny]

I know there are a lot of locals who are touchy about Catalan versus Spanish - my friends have lived and worked in Cambrils/Tarragona since 1975 - and I have been regularly visiting them, but the driver - overhearing me speaking to the 'nice' man in English - (who spoke excellent English), certainly made no attempt to address me in English.
But, as you say, could have been worse. Poor woman.