Budget Champion: L9 Sud metro (orange line) from Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. Special airport ticket costs €5.15 to any central station. Takes 32 minutes to Zona Universitària, then transfer to L3 (green) for city center. Buy tickets from purple machines - regular T-Casual cards don't work for airport section.

Speed Winner: R2 Nord train from Terminal 2 only (not Terminal 1). €4.60 direct to Passeig de Gràcia in exactly 19 minutes, continuing to Sants station. Trains every 30 minutes. Follow signs for 'Renfe' not 'Metro' at Terminal 2.

Avoid These Tourist Traps: Taxis run €35-50 with frequent 'airport surcharge' scams and traffic delays. Aerobus A1/A2 costs €12.75 but crawls through Barcelona traffic during rush hours (8-10am, 6-8pm), making it slower than metro.

Night Arrival (11pm-5am): Only option is taxi or N17 night bus (€2.40) to Plaça Catalunya, running every 20 minutes. N17 takes 45 minutes but it's your cheapest night option.