- Flight
- about 2.5 hours
- Departs
- Josep Tarradellas Barcelona El Prat
- Lands at
- Gatwick
- Time difference
- London is 1 hour behind
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, in cash
Barcelona to London is about two and a half hours, and London is one hour behind. This is the one big European route where Gatwick carries more traffic than Heathrow, so the usual advice about London airports does not apply.
Gatwick is the main way in
Barcelona to Gatwick runs at around ninety flights a week, ahead of Heathrow’s seventy, with easyJet and Vueling driving the difference. That makes Gatwick the normal arrival rather than the budget alternative it is on most routes.
Gatwick is further out than Heathrow but the Gatwick Express reaches Victoria in half an hour, which is central and well placed for a great deal of the city. It is a perfectly good way to arrive.
Which part of London that suits
Victoria puts you a short walk or one stop from Belgravia, Pimlico and Knightsbridge, and a few minutes more from Mayfair and Chelsea. If you are arriving from Barcelona and have not decided where to stay, the west and centre are the straightforward choice. The area pages have measured numbers and rates for each of them.
One hour, and a shorter evening
Spain and the United Kingdom change their clocks on the same dates, so the gap is a steady hour. The real adjustment is not the clock but the rhythm: London dines at seven or eight and winds up far earlier than Barcelona does. Treat ten at night as late rather than as the start.
Before you book
Visitors from Spain who do not need a visa still need an electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, before they fly. It is a short online application, and it should be made through the official GOV.UK ETA service, not a site that charges extra to do it for you. The rules change, so check them before you book.
Worth reading first
Arrangements here are made in advance and in writing, with the hourly rate agreed before anyone meets. The booking guide covers how a first message usually goes, and the UK law guide covers England and Wales, which differs from Spanish law in both directions.
When to get in touch
London runs 1 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 12pm and 12am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Areas near where you land at Gatwick
The big figure is the straight line distance from the airport in miles, and nothing about travel time, which in London is always longer. Each page has the stations, the route from Heathrow and the measured rates.
Also close to where you land, with no profiles of their own but a guide to getting there and how outcall works: Sutton, Croydon, Wimbledon, Kingston.
Other cities in Southern Europe and Turkey
See every departure city
Cities with a similar flight time
Common questions
How long is the flight from Barcelona to London?
The flight from Josep Tarradellas Barcelona El Prat takes about 2.5 hours. Add the connection time if your fare has a stop, and allow for getting to and through the airport at both ends.
What is the time difference between Barcelona and London?
London is 1 hour behind. The United Kingdom and most other countries change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap shifts by an hour.
What time should I message from Barcelona?
London runs 1 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 12pm and 12am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Which London airport do flights from Barcelona land at?
Most land at Heathrow, about fifteen miles west of central London and on the Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line. Some services use Gatwick, to the south, so check the airport on your ticket before you book a hotel.
Do I need an ETA to fly from Barcelona to London?
Most visitors from Spain who do not need a visa need an electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, before they fly. Apply through the official GOV.UK service only, and check the current rules before you book, because they change.
Do I need to arrange things before I fly?
It helps. Good diaries fill days ahead, and arranging from home means you are doing it awake and unhurried instead of jet lagged in an unfamiliar city.
Is escorting legal in the UK?
Yes, in England and Wales it is legal for two consenting adults to exchange sex or company for money. What is illegal is the activity around it, such as soliciting in the street, running a brothel or controlling someone else's work. The Crown Prosecution Service sets this out in its published guidance.
Is prostitution legal in the UK?
Selling and buying sex between consenting adults is not itself a crime in England, Wales or Scotland. Northern Ireland is the exception, where paying for sex has been an offence since 1 June 2015. Public soliciting, brothel keeping and exploiting another person's work are offences in different forms across the UK.